Millennials

Reading trade magazines is like following a never-ending rom-com… that never resolves. The retail industry is obsessed with generation Z and millennials, but those kids won’t give them the time of day. And it’s not like millennials are spitefully trying to play hard-to-get… they’re just genuinely not interested. I’m not saying disinterest in general is typical of millennials. I have two in my family and they abound with passion and talent in a variety of realms. But… I don’t think I would take them shopping with me any time soon. They are not really interested in shopping or fashion; they spend most of their money on travel and way too much on Uber. While I understand that they are an emerging consumer group and that they hold a buying power that is worth over $2 trillion globally, I still don’t understand why they’re the only consumer group everybody is wooing.

The funny thing is that as time goes on, retail becomes more and more desperate to be liked by millennials. They invest millions of dollars in research to come up with breakthrough discoveries like:

“Younger consumers feel better about their finances compared to last year and are planning to up their holiday shopping spend. At the same time, they have lower incomes than older consumers, so it is more important for them to score a deal,” according to this article in WWD.

And by “breakthrough,” I mean “definitely not breakthrough.” While the article has some good advice like stressing “the importance of seamless shopping on a mobile device,” most of it just common sense, and by no means specific to millennials. The retail industry is simply looking to the future, and like any hot protagonist, it won’t give up trying to decipher the mysteries of this elusive group of young shoppers who like Etsy and secondhand apparel. And in the heat of their unrequited love, I feel they are ignoring people who actually do love fashion and shopping. Cough—like us—cough.

Fear not, dear shopping extraordinaire; TSC will never ignore you! In fact, we’re more tuned into you than ever before. With the changing season, we know there are some certain priorities on your shopping list and we want to help check those bad boys off.

Winter jacket? Check! No really—check the SAM sample sale. I lived in my SAM last winter.

Shoes? Look to fashion role model, the Duchess of Cambridge, and follow her lead. We all know how much she loves her L.K. Bennett nude pumps. For all Cinderellas reading, here is your sample sale.

Shopping by brand instead? This sample sale features Pierre Balmain, Frankie Morello, Tod’s, Boutique Moschino, Hache, Ter et Bantine, and Miu Miu.

Shopping just for the joy of shopping? There’s the obsessive fashionista the younger generations are missing. Peruse ALL the sample sales you like!

In our rom-com—between TSC and YOU—that’s happily ever after! The end. 😉

That’s why nerds rock, they know stuff. Edited, the super nerds of retail analysis have reviewed Millennial consumer behavior in the luxury sector and concluded that they love handbags. Well, for Millennials, and the rest of us, a handbag is a great way to affiliate ourselves with a brand, a pragmatic purchase in fact that can be worn for several seasons, and can accessorize different outfits. The brands that have benefited the most from this trend were: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana.

Image: Blogger Linda Tol wearing Louis Vuitton bag. credit: iStock cocomtr