JADEN NAIDOO MPB372_SS1

JADEN NAIDOO

21101118

MPB372

SS1

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SECTION B

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A-

Over the course of the year brands have seen significant increases in the interest
in the colour ‘Hot Pink’. Therefore, leaving said brands with no other choice but to
add a surplus of the colour into their inventory. The increase in popularity is due to
both the barbiecore trends set by the movie Barbie and the social media (tik-tok)
trend of dopamine dressing – where an individual dresses in clothing that makes
them feel most comfortable and confident.

This trend is currently amidst the peak of its cycle due to the consumer population
embracing the colour. Buyers and retailers need to now consider the impact that the
trend can have on their assortment plan. The trend has the ability to influence the
following:
- Competition: with increased levels of popularity with a certain trend, there is
always bound to be heightened levels of competition that come with it. Brands
need to understand that they are not the only ones increasing stock within the
growing trend. With regard to graph above the brand Boohoo has a significant

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lead against its competitors with regards to the amount of stock of the particular
colour being carried
- Diversification: while it is important to have the colour at your disposal it is also
exceedingly important to keep a diverse range at hand to cater to all your
consumers and to stay ahead of the competition. Whilst Boohoo might have
most of the colour, Zara might have a more diverse range that caters to a
greater buying force.
- Long term vs short term: this is an important factor of the assortment plan to
take into consideration as the trend could last another year or it could die down
before the end of 2023, it is important to understand the length of your trend
as you do not want to over stock on the current trending item. Other
saturations of pink are gaining popularity and with Hot pink’s predecessors losing
popularity quickly it is a risky thing to overstock. ‘nothing speeds up the decline
of a trend like over popularity’ (Kennedy, 2022)

B- a clear plan to overcome the barriers listed above can include hosting surveys ad
polls throughout social media platforms to gauge the popularity of the trend and to
identify when the trend is on an incline and when it is on a decline. Using social
media is vital as this is where the popularity is coming from. This is where the
interested consumers reside. Another way to measure the popularity is by monitoring
the value of said items and the revenue that it is bringing in, hot pink is not the
only popular trend to come out of the barbie movie. Birkenstocks as a brand have
experienced a huge raise in stock due to the movie and this is evident in their
shares price as well as the sales. (David, 2023)

REFERENCES:

Kennedy, J. (2022). Is Hot Pink Here to Stay? [online] The Business of Fashion.

Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/marketing-pr/hot-pink-trend-
valentino-trendy-millenial-pink-barbiecore-barbie-margot-robbie/ [Accessed 1 Sep. 2023].

David, R. (2023). Birkenstock got a Barbie bounce. It now has its eyes on a $12b
Wall Street listing. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at:
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/birkenstock-got-a-barbie-bounce-it-now-has-its-
eyes-on-a-12b-wall-street-listing-20230801-p5dssm.html [Accessed 1 Sep. 2023].

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