A legal challenge for Amazon, and boom times for TikTok: Modern Retail’s top trends for 2021
Modern Retail | 24 December 2021
A huge boost to DTC… but will it last?
Anna Hensel, startups editors: “We wrote a few stories in 2019 predicting that 2020 would be the year that a lot of these direct-to-consumer startups hit a revenue wall. The idea being that you can only general so much revenue from your own websites. But actually, in 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic, you had people who both either had never really bought anything online before starting to buy more of their products online because they didn’t want to go to stores. So now, the question these companies face is… what is e-commerce activity going to be like next year?
For TikTok brands’ social media managers might be replaced by the cashier
“I’m just fascinated by how retailers are essentially trying to turn their employees into small time influencers. Different retails are doing this in different ways, and certainly it’s only a small number that are doing this so far. If you are looking at a company that has been criticized for how it treats its workers, and then you see lots of videos of workers having fun on the job — i think that impacts how consumers are going to see that company.”
The IPO horizon
“I think a lot of DTC startups are going to stay private as long as possible. One direct-to-consumer startup that has done really well on the public market is Peloton. Obviously, at-home fitness was a very popular category this year, but they’re also able to lock in revenue from existing customers due to their subscription model. So I think if you have a company that has more of that model, there’s a chance they might do well on the public markets. And those are the type of companies you might see go public.”
The Coolest 2021 Market Trends
Bazaar | 29 December 2020
1) Expressive Eyes – As long as face masks continue to remain incredibly important to wear, beauty fans will adapt by pulling out all the stops with eye makeup.
2) Nostalgic Makeup – “Soft, pale pink has been popular for quite some time now, but I feel like we’re now moving into more muted colors like tans, sage greens, pistachios, and baby blues. Everything is also really nostalgic right now, so I’m seeing a lot of graphic liner looks, white eyeliner, and baby blue eyeliner,” says Aina.
3) Natural Foundation – You heard it here first: “Full-coverage foundation is not going anywhere,” says Aina. How you apply it might change, though, as a natural-looking complexion—with varied tones, freckles, and moles—takes the wheel.
4) Uplifting Color – Find yourself reaching for far-out shades you never would’ve before, like a baby blue lid or a sparkly purple lip? “Color has such power to uplift us,” explains Espinal, who predicts that there will be a “broad spectrum” of color trends in 2021.
5) Supporting Smaller Brands – Mass consumer support for Black-owned beauty brands and smaller, indie makeup companies spread throughout 2020, and that momentum connected shoppers to new-to-them lines and game-changing products.
Six Hair-care Market Trends We’re Calling for 2021
Allure | 18 December 2020
1) Hair Loss – Whether it’s seasonal, stress-related, or it’s one of the residual effects of COVID-19 infection, folks have been noticing a lot of hair loss lately.
2) At-Home Color Care – With salons continuing to open and close based on local COVID restrictions, brands are turning out a number of color-care and maintenance products that are user-friendly and affordable.
3) Multitasking Scalp Care – Scalp care was big in 2020 as we predicted, and it will continue into 2021. With more people experiencing hair loss and hair maintenance being put into our own hands, it’s becoming ever more important for us to care for our scalps at home.
4) Wigs and Extensions – There are more options than ever if you are looking to add extensions to your hair. Whether you’re playing with styles, textures, or colors, brands are working to satiate our hunger for switching up our hairstyles, and they’re also working to make it easier than ever.
5) Hair Accessories – It looks like Zoom calls will still be a thing in 2021 as people continue to work from home. Whether you feel your hair could use a color touch-up or you simply don’t feel like spending too much time styling your hair in general, hair accessories are a great way to cheat and make yourself look like your own version of presentable.
6) Affordable Curl Care – Thanks to the natural hair revolution, there are more options than ever for curly-haired folks. Larger drugstore brands are eager to profit off this shift, and next year are unfolding major additions to their offerings that specifically address the breadth of curl types out there.