Think about this... You walk into Sportsgirl (for boys lets say... Roger David) you have your standard styles, colours and brands in order to cater for the mass market. What happens when you like something a little different?
At present we live in a market of generic clothing which is produced in mass quantities with the introduction of the internet and online shopping we have seen a recent trend in custom clothing and offbeat styles which allow for individualism therefore introducing the long tail concept into the shopping and retail industry.
Zappos.com is an online store which is and has been very popular in the US and UK. The larger the variety of styles that were added to the website the faster the online company grew, as the new variety of styles allowed for people in search of off beat styles and individualism. Now Zappos top 20% of products only account for half of the revenue, indicating that the long tail effect is also present in the retail industry.
How many of you agree that the introduction of internet shopping has allowed for more individualism and 'off beat styles' when shopping for clothing?
An interesting way to look at the long tail effects Elise. We can definitely apply this theory to fashion as well as music and film. It would be good to look at how the retail industry deals with these niche markets. I know many little boutique stores that carry specific brands that I like, for example Magali Pascal is one of my all time favourite designers, and until recently you could only buy her clothing in the US, France and select boutique stores in Bali. They have now started stocking this brand in a mini store in Wollongong. Great news for me but maybe not everyone is into it. Who knows...
ReplyDeleteI feel that recently, it is no secret that there has been a boom of the trendy, indie, hipster… and the Internet is largely to blame. As the above comment points out, it is not just in regards to fashion, but also music, film, art and design. Indie – which is short for ‘individual’ is almost becoming, ironically, mainstream. Perhaps my opinion is formed this way because of the people I surround myself with, as it is rare for one of my peers not to listen to triple j – the indie music radio station. The Internet, online shopping, torrenting and the simple availability of a items (tangible or not) for people to purchase based on a small, niche taste or style is, in my opinion, an exciting movement in the structure and formation of cultural hegemony.
ReplyDelete@gabby, I totally agree with you on the indie front. Niche taste and style can definitely be seen as an exciting movement within culture, however, when enough people are defined as'indie', does this then become the mainstream? How far can the long tail effect reach? Cultural hegemony is dynamic and ever-changing, and perhaps if enough people love the same indie music, art, film and design, then Rihanna and Jennifer Anniston might no longer be mainstream. Maybe..
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought emcg! Maybe cultural hegemony will slowly dissolve? The Internet has provided us with a platform that allows us to go in search of fashions, music and styles that suit us and our personalities. As sourcing these things has become easier, maybe the gap between indie and mainstream will reduce and people will be who they want to be? Idealistic concept, but hey, thanks to retail and its long tailllllllllllllllll it could happen!
ReplyDeleteYeah i always buy my shirts online. Nothing worse then going out and seeing someone with the same clothes as you. That's why i love this long tail, with this emergence of vintage shops on ebay allow me to have clothes that i know will def not be replicated out!
ReplyDeleteYeah i agree with you on that point Elise!
ReplyDeleteTake Asos for example. This store run's purely online with no offline touch points. Therefore, they have more capital to invest in their clothing range, and certain niche clothing apparel.