Mass Market Transforms Seasonality of Bridal Market
While the traditional wedding season spans from May through to October, research from retail analytics firm Edited reveals mass market companies “are bringing in wedding-related apparel and accessories outside of peak times.”
“Mass-market bridal has boomed in the last three years,” researchers at Edited said in their report. “The likes of Asos, H&M and Reformation have all launched collections, providing an alternative for brides and bridesmaids who don’t want to fork out big bucks over a dress they will [probably] only wear once. New wedding product in the mass market has increased by 19 percent in the U.K. and 29 percent in the U.S., proving there is a demand for a lower priced product.”
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Edited analysts said as increasing numbers of consumers opt for destination weddings — due to lower airline prices — “product seasonality continues to blur.”
“Traditional wedding season runs from May to October in the Northern Hemisphere, Edited analysts said. “Our software reveals mass market retailers continue to bring in wedding-related apparel and accessories out of peak times — worth keeping in mind when phasing your product assortment.” The analysts also said the mass market bridal segment in the U.S. and in the U.K. “reveals dresses and suit jackets, unsurprisingly, are still the bread and butter of wedding assortments.”
“By crunching the numbers even further and comparing [year-over-year], the majority of dresses are aimed at wedding guests and bridesmaids instead of the classic option for the bride,” Edited stated. “In fact, white and ivory bridal styles only make up 5 percent of the total dress mix. Interestingly, all-in-ones within these colors have seen a 61 percent rise [year-over-year]. These factors point to mass retailers focusing on a less traditional assortment for the modern bride.”
Authors of the report also said bridal lingerie continues to trend, and cited Rihanna’s launch of the Savage x Fenty collection. “There has been an increase in brands’ investment of products for the hen party, too,” Edited said. “In the mass market, matching wedding-themed swimwear and nightwear has proven particularly popular. These categories — which can stray into gifting — are ideal for more traditional bridal buyers wanting to appeal to a younger demographic. It’s an easy way to test the waters with a lower priced product.”
Amid these trends, Edited noted that the average costs of a wedding in the U.K. has reached a record 30,355 pounds per couple, or about $38,900. “Is this because Brit’s are trying to replicate Meghan & Harry’s royal nuptials?” authors of the report said. “While three-day weddings continue to trend and Millennials spend 45 percent more of their income on weddings than older couples.”
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