Thanks to social media, consumers are more engaged than ever and have access to information almost at the same level as an industry insider. Senior merchants at retailers and brands have a very difficult time presenting consumers with a point of view because they already have it. Just look at the fragmentation of trends – the chief merchant of a $4 billion apparel brand recently told me "the new trend is that there is no trend.”
As a result, consumers want what they value, and they are doing the investigation and curation themselves. And, what they see on the runway now, they want now – not months down the road.
on Forbes
