sydneygreeen

[sydneygreeen]

Athleta trends

Bottoms I’m looking forward to this fall are the basic black bottom. They will continue to stay in trend, they perform well, and customers can use them for various occasions, working out, running Aarons, lounge wear, etc. Other bottoms that I'm looking forward to seeing in the store are commuting pants. Skinny work pants are what the customer loves because they are cute but comfortable. The Stellar pants, the Brooklyn ankle which are popular pants that  customers love and counties to buy in every color. Wide leg pants have made a come back. Elation flare, Vienna cargo, and the Nolita wide leg. Wide legs are going to continue to be a trend in the fall. 

Cargo bottoms are on come back also. Athleta came out with the Vienna cargo wide leg which the customer loved especially since the wide leg style is on trend. Also, the pockets are a feature that the customer loves. They are a good pair for travel, work, and commuting. I believe in the fall the customer will start to buy more of the cargo tights again the customer loves. 

[sydneygreeen]

Athleta SWOT

Strength  

the quality of the bottoms 

loyal customers 

having inclusive sizing to all types of women becoming more diversify

Weakness 

price

Threats  

Many competitors 

Opportunities

Increase in demand 

Opportunity as a wellness brand for women   

The performance of the pants, Athleta bottoms are know to be of good quality, and perform well and customers are loyal to the brand and come back. Being inclusive to all types of women puts them above the competition. The price of the bottoms does keep some customers and future customers away from the brand. The threats of new entrants is high for Athleta. The demand for Athlesure clothing is at a all time high since people have been working from home since the start of the pandemic. Also athleta sees there bottoms and the company as a whole as a wellness brand, a brand which empowers women. 

[sydneygreeen]

Athleta Expanding their markets

Athleta is a sister brand to Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. Athleta expanded to inclusive sizing and about 70 percent of the active wear brand is available in 1X-3X sizing. Athleta’s extension to inclusive sizing highlights their mission of inclusivity and emphasizes its grantees to empower women to take part in an active lifestyle. Athleta reimagined omnichannel shopping experienced for plus size women. The Addition to inclusive size mannequin is across 200 stores which shows the brands pledge to inclusively and its industry leadership. The brand design team ensures that each piece is made with the same intent and fit that will hold all sizes. Extended sizing is merchandised the same as the other sizes: the racks have sizes from XXS-3X. 

Online they created a digital shopping experience that features all different body types across the site. Athleta's goal for this expansion to inclusive sizing does not suggest that women should or must change or hide their bodies. Athleta also offers mandatory inclusive sizing training, this training has associates educate themselves about the principles if body positive appropriate language. The training has tools to help determine the confront level that can better cater to the customers. Athleta does a really good job at including every type of customer, do you think any of their competitors do it as well as they do? 

[sydneygreeen]

Athleta’s Branding

Athleta has 4 keyways to market their brand. Their first way is building the brand around their values. Athleta constructed there brand on women empowerment, diversity, and environmentally conscious. They provide resources to educate females, grants, and sustainability practices that coordinates with their values. They also conduct their social media post aligned with their values through their captions and imagery. Secondly, they continue to think creatively to bring new leads to their brand. They offer in-store fitness classes and events from local community instructors. These events align with their branding, but it also allows an excellent quality of consumers to invest in their product. Thirdly, they can pivot and stay on brand. Regardless of the pandemic, Athleta stayed on brand and continues to promote physical activity.

They produced the idea of a hashtag campaign “Homebodies” where fitness instructors were asked to tag Athleta and put the hashtag to show them leading a virtual class. Everyone who participated had a chance to be highlighted on Athleta’s Instagram story. This strategy worked in Athleta favor because people who were focused on getting more exposure for their own page would engage and tag Athleta with the hopes to be displayed on a larger platform. How do you think that benefited Athleta as a brand and also those participating in the hashtag campaign?

Lastly, Athleta is critical about their partnerships. To better promote their brand Athleta offers a sponsorship discount program to certified health and fitness professionals. This program is called “ Athleta FitPro Program,” which grants professionals to purchase items at a discount price in exchange for posting photos in the clothes and showcasing their Athleta wardrobe.  

[sydneygreeen]

Upward Trend of Active Wear

Regardless of retail sales slowing down due to the pandemic, activewear sales have heightened. The activewear category is well on its way. The activewear category is oversaturated with fast fashion brands, sporting giants, and luxury brands. The difference between the common gym clothing and casual wear has become less apparent, specifically because of the current pandemic. The athletic appeal industry has more options that grants consumers to tradition between exercise and leisure. That is where the trend “athleisure” has come into effect. Athleisure includes tank tops, sports bras, yoga pants, hoodies, joggers, and tights. Consumers of athleisure were looking to trimming down their wardrobes and only having key pieces that can be worn for many varied reasons.  

Understanding and focusing on Marketing intelligence, which is understanding the market opportunity and market penetration strategy to give retailers a competitive advantage over competitors. Active brands today all have the same pattern which is a core category being transformed to become more eco-friendly. Products that are becoming the best investments are items that can be described as “recycled.” Products that are described with sustainable keywords sales have grown from 13% percent from online sales to 37% currently.  

From the rise of the pandemic searches for yoga clothing flourished in 2020, and the sales of yoga- related clothing products rose 42%. Athletic wear consumers are electing for more color in their yoga product. Consumers are starting to ditch their classic grey yoga clothing for more colorful colors like pink, light blue etc. The demand for pastel colors has gone beyond yoga products and went into a larger athletic apparel industry. Traditional black and white colors are being left behind. Why do you think that is?  

Another trend with Athleisure wear is climate changes in global trends. Climate changers are consumers expecting brands to step up and act through the products they purchase as a concern with climate change. More customers are becoming more environmentally conscious and being critical about how their clothing is produced. Some apparel websites allow users to sort products by the consumer preferred sustainability credentials. Companies like Reebok are promoting some of their sustainable products made with organic cotton. More athletic wear companies are using recycled polyester and low-impact non-toxic dyes. This consideration is also being extended to the factors where the clothing is produced. Finally, companies are finding new ways to get out of the phase of using plastic in the packaging.  

[sydneygreeen]

Athleta’s mask are a game changer

Athleta has built a mask fit for sweating, stretching, designed for smiling. These features are highlighted in the new most popular mask Made to Move face mask. As the pandemic is at a high, face masks have become mandatory in many states. Face masks help prevent the spread of coronavirus by dropping large droplets that would have spread with coughing or sneezing. When social distancing, and washing your hands, masks work better. 

The Made to Move mask is lighter, exercise friendly, and stays on your face during exercise. It is made of soft elastic to keep hair from getting caught while you are working out. It has two layers of athleta’s patented featherweight stretch fabric: a polyester and spandex blend with a polyester and mesh blend liner. The featherweight fabric combines comfort and performance, which allows less friction on your face and prevents heat and oil from building up. 

Athleta’s ‘Made to Move’ mask has a design that stays in place during any type of movement. It has an adjustable nose bridge so it is a more comfortable fit. The ‘Made to Move’ covers your nose and mouth but leaves upper cheekbones visible, so everyone can see when you are smiling. The mask has flexible stitching that runs down the cent which helps with keeping fabric out of your mouth while you are exercising. It also has moisture-wicking to hinder the masks from getting wet during exercise. The ear loops are adjustable so the mask can fit a wide range of faces. The masks come in women's and girls. 

[sydneygreeen]

Being Inclusive

Athleta launched their inclusive sizing in January of 2021. This line is for those who want to be more active and feel like they don't fit society's image of what is “ health and wellness”. Women can say that shopping for activewear can be a challenge at times. How can anyone be expected to hit the gym when they can't find anything that they can feel comfortable in while working out. Athleta’s inclusive sizing has allowed everyone to take a step forward. 

Their size range is from XXS to 3X, in over 500 different styles to choose from. The pieces include there most popular styles Ultra High Rise Elation ⅞ right, matching crop tops, bras, basic tanks, and a cute jacket to complete the look. They are sold online and in the store. One thing that is important to Athleta is inclusiveness. Athleta is one of few brands who doesn't separate size ranges. Every size is on the same rack from XXS to 3X, which is a big game changer. 

That makes the shopping experience more enjoyable for everyone. The customer doesn't have to feel embarrassed or ashamed. By putting all the sizes together and placing them on the same rack Athleta is creating a positive space for people to come and shop that many have never felt when shopping. They will no longer have to shop separately from their friends to find clothes in their size, they won't have to be forced to wait and order pieces online at a later time. These clothes were designed by women who are active and of all different shapes and sizes. So there is even more love that went into this inclusive launch.

A lot of the time designers or manufacturers just add extra fabric to their plus sizes items. That method unfortunately tends to create clothes that are uncomfortable and not supportive. With Athleta that will not be a problem. They have tested their pieces on different body types to ensure it will be the perfect fit.

[sydneygreeen]

Power of She

Athleta is a women's athletic brand. Athleta makes clothing for women that is comfortable active wear through both fit and style, along with their empowering message: “The Power of She”. Athleta was founded in 1998 in California then the brand was purchased by GAP for 150 million in 2008. Today Athleta revenue is approximately $750 million. The Gap CEO is Nancy Green. The “Power of She” slogan was part of Athleta’s rebrand on 2011. “Power of She” highlights that any women of any age has the power to do what they want.  

Athleta’s brand promise is that their clothing will allow women to feel comfortable while being active. It is reflected in their products, message and choice of models. With the message “Power of She” wearing the product helps a woman feel confident and comfortable in pursuit of athletics. Athleta has a catalog that can showcase women in their clothes. They reflect all ages, ethnicities, and body types. The inclusiveness of Athleta helps a large range of women to become active. 

“We inspire her to keep living this full, healthy, active, rich life, no matter what her body type is, no matter her age,” says Nancy Green. 

Athleta is known for their workout tights and leggings which feature Sculptek fabric. They also have a high demand for their swimwear, sweaters, and quick dry fabric that is soft.