Denim fabric is a long-standing customer favorite with market size of 90 billion USD in 2019, and expectations of reaching 105 billion US by 2023. With brands such as Levi’s, Wrangler, Levi Strauss & Co., and LEE coming back to the top of the charts in the last few years, it’s no surprise that the discussion has turned to quality over quantity. These brands are based on not only the longevity of their products but also of the companies themselves, having originated in the 1800s to early 1900s and still displaying their value in the market today.
American Eagle’s trend setting through continuous innovation and the exposure gained from their thriving brand Arie has placed them at the top of the online discussion and sentiment charts. Amazon Essentials, a newly established initiative of Amazon, has also gained recognition in the last year. The Amazon Essentials brand has a model based on adaptation through customer feedback, attention to detail, comfortability, and affordability; and customers are loving that they don’t need to sacrifice their pocket book to purchase high quality jeans.
Heading into the second half of 2020, it is time to use Revuze’s AI to go over and analyze over 111,429 online eCommerce reviews collected from the US denim jeans market. Here we will review trends witnessed in the denim jeans market for H1 of 2020, from fabrics all the way to environmental responsibility.
What do eCommerce customers expect this season?
The 10 most discussed jean products on Amazon cover a range of fits, including skinny, straight, bootcut, relaxed, and boyfriend. What they all have in common is that they are all from the mentioned quality brands, suggesting that consumers are more concerned with the material than anything.
The eCommerce discussion share of voice about synthetic materials has decreased by 45% from last year, moving the conversation from elasticity to stretch. Customers want to retain the stretch and comfortability in their jeans, but without the elastics. Attention to the stretch in jeans is a must, as 7.31% of all discussion revolved around it in the most recent AI analysis. The solution to ditching the elastics and keeping the stretch is using high-quality materials such as cotton.
Although the subject of cotton has slightly decreased in popularity a bit in the last year it still makes up a large portion of the online jeans discussion, making it an essential for the coming season. The term long lasting has also remained relevant, indicating that when customers find the perfect pair of jeans they want to be able to rely on them for multiple seasons. The booming market is catering toward customer desire for high quality look, feel, and last, all determined by the materials used in production.
The Transition To Eco-Friendly Jeans
Sustainable responsibility will continue to grow for successful denim brands in 2020, which goes hand in hand with the desire for long lasting jeans. The production process for any industry has environmental implications including greenhouse gas emissions propelling climate change, intensive water use, and chemical production. Sustainable consumers understand that purchasing high quality, long lasting products, means less contribution to the production process as they will need to purchase less often. Some brands have also begun to market their jeans as environmentally friendly, with sustainable practices incorporated in their production process. American Eagle, for example, came out with a stamp reading “real good”, which is marketed on jeans from recycled materials, decreased energy use, and recycled water.
Comfort Is A Must
When it comes to jeans, comfort will always be an essential. Standards for comfort continue to grow regarding stretch, material feeling, and breathability. Most customers want versatility in their jeans. Not only for them to look good, but also to feel good in them. Amazon Essentials has heard this message, earning them a notable placement of 6 in the most discussed brands with a good sentiment. With their offer for comfortable, durable, and affordable clothing, many consumers are taking the opportunity to have the best of all worlds when it comes to their clothing needs.
Conclusion: Quality Matters
Recent eCommerce customer discussions and sentiment have revolved around some long-standing names such as American Eagle, Levi’s, Wrangler, Levi’s Strauss & Co., and Lee. This is largely based upon the high quality of materials used (cotton topping the charts) producing long-lasting and durable jeans while maintaining stretch and comfort. Amazon has developed a successful new brand, Amazon Essentials, displaying these values, and also adding a further dimension of affordability. As we continue into the second half of 2020, responding to these needs will be crucial along with acknowledging the growing customer inclinations toward sustainable brands.
