As a brand in the fashion and apparel industry, it can feel like you’re in a world of glamour and opportunity. But behind the scenes, this space is fast-paced and competitive, where success requires more than just great products — it’s about building lasting relationships with your customers.
How do fast-growing brands stand out in a market filled with endless choices? They do more than just keep up with trends — they create unforgettable experiences that keep customers coming back.
Adapting to evolving technology, reducing high return rates, and meeting sky-high consumer expectations can seem overwhelming. But with the right approach, you can turn these challenges into opportunities. By leveraging tools like reviews, loyalty and referral programs, and product recommendation quizzes, you can connect on a deeper level with your audience. Add in surveys throughout the customer journey, and you’re not just selling products — you’re building trust and loyalty that will fuel long-term growth.
This article dives into the current state of the fashion and apparel industry, the latest trends shaping the industry, and real-life examples of fast-growing brands that are creating smarter, more sustainable strategies. You’ll gain actionable insights to help your brand not just survive, but thrive for years to come.
Key takeaways
TAKEAWAY 1
The State of the Fashion and Apparel Industry
Examine the current state of the fashion and apparel industry, which currently brings in $1.7 trillion dollars globally.
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Trends and Strategies for Fashion and Apparel Brands
From personalizing the customer journey to maximizing retention, learn the latest customer marketing strategies for your fashion and apparel brand.
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Fast-Growing Apparel Brands That Are Harnessing These Strategies
Get inspired and see how leading fashion and apparel brands are driving long-term success with customer marketing.
Go to sectionThe State of the Fashion and Apparel Industry
Fashion and apparel is a rapidly changing industry that requires evolving marketing strategies. With global revenues surpassing $350 billion in 2024 — and the United States and China leading the charge — it’s a sector full of opportunity. Understanding the industry is essential for both being competitive and successful. Consider the following:
REVENUE
$1.7 TRILLION
GLOBAL BUSINESS
Global revenue in the fashion and apparel industry has been steadily growing since 2020.
EXPECTED GROWTH
16.76%
5-YEAR INCREASE IN MARKET REVENUE
Experts predict the industry will only continue to grow in the coming years.
MARKET SHARE
$427 MILLION
CHINA'S MARKET SHARE
China leads in market share, with the United States following with $364 million.
Trends and Strategies Every Fashion and Apparel Brand Needs to Know
While looking good matters, success in this industry ultimately comes down to building loyalty. Here are the top fashion and apparel marketing trends and strategies you can use to help fuel long-term growth for your brand.

Acquire New Customers Through Social Commerce
Engaging with customers on social media is crucial, particularly for fashion and apparel brands. Social commerce offers an additional way for customers to purchase your products across popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, expanding your brand’s reach by connecting with shoppers where they already spend their time. The time to jump on this growing channel is now, with social commerce sales predicted to triple in 2025.
Selling on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram are key platforms for fashion brands. As consumers scroll for trends and styles, these channels are a goldmine for your brand to connect and convert customers.
With a platform like Okendo, you can automatically syndicate ratings and reviews to your Shops on Facebook and Instagram. As customers leave reviews on your site, Okendo will send a review feed to Meta so the product listings on your Shops are always displaying the most up-to-date and relevant customer content.
Facebook and Instagram Shops make it easier for customers to browse and purchase products at the moment of discovery, and these syndicated reviews build more trust, boost shopper confidence, and drive conversions for these marketplaces.

Social Proof in Organic and Paid Content
Incorporating user-generated content (UGC) and reviews in social media content, whether organic posts or paid advertisements, is a creative way to boost brand awareness and shopper confidence. Customers are much more likely to place greater trust in the experiences and recommendations of other customers than in highly produced advertisements.
Ninepine is a great example of a fashion and apparel brand that includes reviews in their social media ads, showing the viewer a scroll through of their reviews in addition to highlighting a sentence from a real review: “They feel like joggers, but look fancy.” This powerful social proof lets shoppers know that they can trust the brand.
Personalization Throughout the Customer Journey
There are many ways to leverage tools and data to enhance and personalize the customer journey. The more you know your customer base, including their preferences and styles, the more you can create personalized experiences and ultimately drive more sales.

Acquire New Shoppers with a Quiz

Collect Zero-Party Data

Increase Conversions with High-Quality Reviews
Turn Your Shoppers into Superfans
Discover how Okendo can help you create personalized experiences that resonate with the fashion and apparel consumer.
Influencer Marketing: Customers as Influencers
Influencer marketing extends far beyond social media personalities. When you build strong relationships with your normal customers, you can turn them into highly engaged brand advocates who help grow your brand by leaving reviews, referring your product to their friends and family, and more.
To successfully foster a community of these Superfans, ensure that your most loyal customers (those in your highest loyalty tier, for example) receive similar incentives to your social media influencers. For example, SKIMS sent custom PR packages to micro-influencers to promote their wedding shop, but also made sure to send the same package to their top customers who were getting married. This surprise and delight gifting moment ensured their “normal” loyal customers felt equally seen and appreciated by SKIMS.
Focus on Retention
As the global fashion industry continues to grow, continuously standing out from new competition is imperative to retain your customers. Customer marketing strategies like referral programs and loyalty programs, or utilizing post-purchase surveys can help you deliver the experiences that encourage customers to remain loyal to your brand.
Stand out with an Engaging Loyalty Program
According to research by Okendo, 72% of customers say they purchase from a brand more often if they’re part of the brand’s loyalty program. Loyalty programs work especially well for apparel brands, as larger catalogs and changing styles are ripe for repeat purchases. Thoughtful tiered loyalty programs built to engage your unique customer base are key to driving that higher lifetime value.
For example, the SABO Resort program offers customers exclusive perks like priority shipping, early sales access, and bonus entries into their monthly competitions as they spend more and earn their way through the tiers- cleverly named “Weekender”, “Member”, and “Resident” in line with their resort theme. They also offer an exclusive “Secret Tier” that unlocks even more mystery VIP perks for their top customers and drives engagement across the loyalty program through gamification.
Uncover Preferences with Post-Purchase Surveys
Post-purchase surveys are an easy way to gather high volumes of data from your customer base.
One of the most impactful use cases for fashion and apparel brands can be product development surveys. For example, with a short micro-survey (3-5 questions), you can learn if customers who purchased a specific shirt would like to see it in another color, or a different neckline, or if they have any preferences for cashmere or lighter materials in the fall versus the spring. This data can help influence the styles you design for future collections to ensure your customers will want to make a purchase.
Rather than hiring an expensive marketing agency to conduct the research, surveys can be sent via email or SMS with a shareable link, ensuring a larger portion of your customers feel heard and driving stronger brand loyalty.

Drive Brand Advocacy
Referrals let you acquire more customers, at less cost and, most importantly, at scale. Instead of allocating your budget toward costly advertisements or paid sponsorships, your brand can leverage your highly engaged customers by turning them into brand advocates with a referral program.
Consumers of fashion and apparel often ask one another where they bought an item of clothing. For example, if a customer’s friend asks where they bought their running jacket, they can send them a referral link with a coupon for a discount when they purchase from your brand. The referrer, or existing customer, also gets an incentive for the successful referral, so they are likely to make another purchase from your brand. Incentivizing current customers also nurtures the relationship, boosting lifetime value.

Start Implementing these Strategies
Find out how Okendo’s customer marketing platform can help you boost retention.
Fast-Growing Apparel Brands Harnessing Customer Marketing Strategies
Discover how thriving fashion and apparel brands are leveraging these trends and strategies to foster loyalty and fuel lasting growth.
- DIXXON
- BOODY
- NEIWAI
- Grace and Lace
Creating a Tiered Loyalty Program

Building a Global Community

Driving Conversions with Product Education

Boosting Review Generation and Referrals

Conclusion
The fashion and apparel industry lends itself to new trends with constantly emerging innovations. By understanding evolving customer needs and the customer marketing strategies to meet them, brands can build stronger connections with their customers, fostering loyalty and driving long-term success no matter the challenges this industry brings.
Explore More Insights & Resources
TAKEAWAY 1
Examples of Brands Creating and Mobilizing Superfans
Dive into more real-world examples of brands creating and mobilizing Superfans.
Read the guideTAKEAWAY 2
Loyalty Consumer Research Report
A significant 72% of consumers confirmed that they purchase from a brand more often if they are part of their loyalty program.
Read the reportTAKEAWAY 3
How to Design a Loyalty Program for Your Superfans
Loyalty programs are one of the most effective ways to make customers feel included in a community and part of your brand.
Read moreTAKEAWAY 4
Okendo Quick Start Guide
Wondering where to start with Okendo? Check out how to see success with the Okendo platform immediately, and how to expand your program after launch to drive continued growth.
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