In the Beginning

During a recent retail insights conference, critical questions emerged about how shifting U.S. demographics will continue to impact apparel sizing, fit preferences, and shopping behaviors—particularly among Hispanic, Asian, and African American consumers.

This sparked a pivotal moment for a national retail company’s softlines leadership, prompting them to question whether they were truly meeting the diverse needs of today’s apparel shoppers and capturing their full market potential. Recognizing a gap in understanding consumer preferences across race and ethnicity, they committed to in-depth research to uncover fresh, inclusive insights to better serve the evolving U.S. market.

How We Drove Change

We collaborated closely with their consumer insights team to design a custom survey tailored to female apparel shoppers, intentionally focusing on diversity. Key ethnic groups—Hispanic, African American, Chinese American, and Indian American—were oversampled to ensure their voices were fully represented.

To maximize accessibility and engagement, we offered the survey in multiple languages, breaking down barriers to participation. We explored critical topics such as apparel sizing, purchasing behaviors, style preferences, and product performance.

Insights were segmented by ethnic group, providing deep, actionable understanding. Comprehensive demographic profiles covering gender, ethnicity, and generation gave the brand the clarity needed to make bold, consumer-driven decisions.

From Insights to Impact

The study launched a pivotal shift in softlines leadership, sparking deeper, more impactful conversations about truly understanding consumer needs and embracing diversity as a catalyst for sustainable growth. The findings revealed that perceptions of fit and quality were lower than expected, exposing critical gaps in how their brands served diverse audiences.

In response, leadership transformed the softlines strategy—proactively targeting a broader, more diverse consumer base and celebrating individuality as a core brand value. This bold, inclusive approach is now driving revenue growth and positioning the company to capture a larger share of the apparel market.