Classic collections vs. drops: What suits my brand?

2003: You are walking through the shopping mall on a beautiful summer day in the middle of August, and you get a lot of bargains because the yearly summer sales are taking place. Every year around the same time, you browse your favorite shops and get your new favorite collection at a big discount.

2023: After the abolition of clearance sales in 2004, everything has changed. You constantly see shops with discount offers throughout the year. You can't keep track of when your favorite shops are offering big discounts, when collections are coming out, and all of a sudden all the young people are talking about are new "drops"! You ask yourself what exactly this is supposed to be and what this new "trend" - as they say nowadays - is all about.

We explain to you what has changed over the years and what "drops" and new trends are all about!

Collections

Classic collections such as Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter are less common than they used to be. Haute Couture brands, nevertheless, still place a lot of emphasis on the classic versions. The reason for this is the fast Zeitgeist of our current age. Brands that want to stay true to the culture of collections are now launching pre-collections in spring and autumn. These collections serve as a basis for the whole year and now account for almost 40% of fashion companies' total annual profit. Moreover, pre-collections are ready-to-wear. They are also less categorical than the main season collections. A new trend of collections is also that they are produced independently of the season or are replaced by drops.

Drops

Product Drops have been around since around 2018. They are a reaction to fast-paced times and our increasingly shortened attention spans. They are a new way for fashion brands to get the same attention from customers throughout the year. Today's society constantly expects novelties, and the desire for exclusivity is growing enormously. As drops are mainly promoted via social media, it drives the building of an engaged community for millennials and generation Z.

To this end, new marketing strategies were developed, namely working with influencers who immediately present your novelties and spread news. This strategy is especially effective because consumers identify more with real people and their opinions than with advertisements, posters or other advertising media. 

Drops, however, only make sense for your brand if you also rely on social media and are present there. A new aspect among drop brands is collaborations with other well-known brands. Here, two popular companies together design sneakers, tracksuits, and everything your heart desires.

Drops & sustainability

But can drops be sustainable? Companies that focus on sustainability usually tend to stick to the old traditional model of summer and winter collections. The reason for this is to preserve the image of these brands as "sensible". They distance themselves from mass discounts, pre-season collections, drops, and simply want to avoid excessive production of garments. They want to present themselves to their customers as authentic and environmentally conscious and thus stand out from the masses.

Changes since 2004

Until 2004, the law regulated that shops always had to offer a sale in summer and winter. A fundamental difference since then is that brands can now decide for themselves if and when they offer a price reduction. The disadvantage of this method, however, is that consumers no longer know exactly when which shop is holding a sale, whether it is the pre-season, the self-regulated summer and winter sales, or other discount campaigns throughout the year. The only constant that remains from year to year is Cyber Week, including Black Friday.

Black Friday always falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving and signals the start of the Christmas shopping season. During this week, and especially on Black Friday, almost every retailer offers big discounts. Consumers rush to shops to get long-awaited products much cheaper. However, apart from Black Friday and Cyber Week, confusion arises for most when it comes to discount promotions. Nowadays, you tend to discover by chance that there are sales here and there, but you can no longer predict them and thus plan for them sensibly. Even more confusing is the fact that some shops always have a sales sign hanging in the window. However, this does not necessarily mean that there are discounts, but is often used to attract customers and simply to show: "there is something to buy here".

What do all these changes mean for your fulfillment partner?

Overall, with all these trends, it's important to have a flexible fulfillment partner. Someone who can adapt to your plans and provide the capacity you need. Whether you're launching a new unexpected drop or a pre-season collection, you need to be able to rely on your fulfillment partner to have enough storage space and staff for your new hanging or lying treasures.

At MOODJA, we work hand-in-hand with you and adapt to your needs to keep your business moving forward. If you need a reliable partner and are not yet our client, feel free to contact us.