BILLABONG WOMEN’S SWIMWEAR SS17 INTRODUCTION Billabong began in the Gold Coast of Australia in 1973 when Gordon Merchant created their famous boardshorts (Billabong, n.d.). From then onwards they have expanded to several countries such as 'New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Europe', (Billabong, n.d.) and have extended their brand to sell more than boardshorts. As they sell in so many countires, the new range will be created for their European audience, as their current collection varies depending on the market they are selling to. The aim of this poster is to create a new women's swimwear range for Billabong SS17 to continue their success in this area, even though Billabong as a brand are doing well with a ‘raise of 1.9% from last year’ the company as a whole is ‘down by 1.4%’ (Boardsport Source, 2016), The sources used to do this will be a range of books, websites and primary research, which will be an online survey that asks their target market of millennials questions about the brand, and also an online observation of the product range. Therefore the objectives are to understand their customer, brand, and product group and create a range that is suitable. TREND FORECASTING Trend forecasting is important because it enables designers, merchandisers and buyers to predict trends their consumers will want to wear, as 'it is impossible to ask them what they will want to wear next season.' (Fashion Design Scope, 2012). These three people in the fashion industry need to be able to 'anticipate how world events will change and affect fashion', (Fashion Design Scope, 2012) and then from this work out what their customers will want from their clothing. If they are unsuccessful in forecasting the next trends then it can cause the company to have a loss in profits and may even result in a loss of customers which is something that a business does not want. However they do not only need to predict future fashion trends but work of whether they are suitable for their consumer (The Trend management Toolkit, 2014). Trend forecasting is important for this trend forecasting poster because the aim is to create a new range of women’s swimwear for Billabong SS17, and to create a successful collection the buyers at Billabong need to be aware of what their consumers are going to want to buy. They need to be aware of the latest fabrics, has there been any development in this area, the latest shapes and designs, but also they need to be aware of for example if there has been an increase in their garments being used for sporting events other than surfing, or beachwear, and if so, how they can adapt their range to make it suitable for the new consumer. 1st. Identify problem 2nd. Create ideas 3rd. Link with macro trends and behaviour 4th.Research 5th. Analyse 6th. Key drivers 7th. Plan
Figure 1.0 Surfing
TREND RESEARCH On WGSN (n.d.) the story that fits Billabong’s image best is 'Mode City', this is because it uses a range of bohemian styles which is more suited to the brand. Within the story is a 'Fashion active theme' (WGSN, n.d.) which shows 'simple silhouettes, racer-backs and crop-top styling' (WGSN, n.d.), all of these are something Billabong does, which is why it will be carried into the new collection. The classic swimsuit is a key item 'with triangle cups and low-back finishes and muted colours' (WGSN, n.d.), this is shown by a Billabong swimsuit, as seen in figure 1.2. 'Crochet- Inspired' (WGSN, n.d.) is another element that will be added to the new line, and again is something that is already being featured, along with 'off the shoulder bikini tops, under bands, lace up detailing and playful graphics' (WGSN, n.d.). Figure 1.2 WSGN swimwear
Figure 1.1 Kjaer trend management cycle
SECONDARY RESEARCH Boardsport Sauce (n.d.) states Billabong's 'sales for the financial year 2016 were down by 1.4% which caused them to have a net loss after tax of $23.7 million'. Even though the company overall were at a loss, their individual brands were doing better than before, 'Billabong was up by 1.9%, Element 5.3% and RVCA 18.1%, altogether creating a 5.3% growth'. (Boardsport Sauce, n.d.) However when looking at sales it is apparent Europe’s have 'increased by 2%, whereas in 'America there was a loss of 3.2%' (Boardsport Source, n.d.), which means that the new European range will be continuing the sale success they have had. Also part of the increased sales was due to their ecommerce which had 'risen by 52%' (Boardsource Sport, n.d.). However when looking on Billabong (2015) they said they won the ‘Women’s swimwear brand of the year, and the Woman’s marketing campaign of the year- A bikini kind of life’ from the Austrailian Surf Industry Awarrds. According to Global Industry Analysts, Inc (2016) ‘the global market for swimwear and beachwear is projected to reach 2.2 billion units valued at $22.7 billion by 2022, driven by the growing affinity for active and healthy lifestyles’. This means as Billabong is a surf-wear brand, an active brand, they will have strong competition from not only existing brands such as Quicksilver and Pacific ssunwear (Hoovers, n.d.) but also new and upcoming ones who want to be successful in the market. This means the new SS17 collection needs to be a range that is suitable for as many of their target market as possible, there needs to be something suitable for everyone, so their customers are not going elsewhere to look for their swimwear, and in turn, have Billabong be their first destination when looking for swimwear, which will help them be a strong brand in 2020 when swimwear reaches a new high. Billabong (2015) say they are ‘youth focused and connected to their environment’ showing that youth/ millennials are their target market as they are who they focus on, along with this they take some of their inspiration from the Australian market around them, and this maybe new surfers clothing, and also what they are doing, and how they can create new products that will allow the surfers to move in anyway they need to. Billabong’s consumer is between the ages of ‘15 and 25, they are targeting those who are young easy going, fun and careless’ (Pirchner, 2015). Accenture (2016) says ‘millennials can be exceptionally loyal customers- provided they feel they have been treated right.’, which is something that Billabong will be striving to achieve, to create a long-term relationship with their consumers. However Accenture (2016) also states that ‘68% of millennials demand integrated, seamless shopping experiences, regardless of the channel’ which is something that Billabong are trying to improve, as they are trying to develop their omnichannel experience (Billabong, n.d.). According to popular belief millennials prefer shopping online than in store, however this is not true, Accenture (2016) found that they actually still prefer shopping in store as they like to check the products out themselves, but even so they do usually do a comparative shop online before going into store. DRIVERS The millennial consumer is driven most by the ease of well integrated brand experiences, and this is something that Billabong is continuing to improve (Billabong, 2015). The swimwear wearer is driven by wanting to have swimwear that they will able to move freely in, and Billabong’s consumers are driven by wanting high quality swimwear that is current, due to their award of ‘women’s best swimwear...’ (Billabong, 2015). PRIMARY RESEARCH To find out more about Billabongs customers I decided to do some primary research, so for this I created a survey consisting of several questions about what my respondents thought of Billabong's current swimwear collection and where they usually purchase their swimwear. Fifty-one people took part in my questionnaire and eight of them said that they do shop at Billabong for their swimwear, and four of them said they were unsure of who they were, whilst thirty-nine women said they do not shop there. When asked why they do not shop at Billabong these were the results, as shown in table 1.1.
Figure 1.1 Results table
Why Swimwear not bought from Billabong Unsure where to purchase Billabong swimwear Preferred other brand Dont know who Billabong are Brand dos not suit lifestyle Fit issues Not on trend
How many agreed 11 10 7 4 3 1
From looking at the results of those who do not shop at Billabong for their swimwear it can be seen the main reason is because they prefer another brand, whereas the second highest is because they did not know who they were. Looking at these two results alone it is clear that Billabong need to advertise in more areas that are accessible and are used/ seen by millennials. Even though they do have a few of their products being sold on ASOS it is clearly not a large enough amount for ASOS' consumers to be aware of the brand. The new range for SS17 will hopefully change a large number of these results to something positive, and hopefully encourage them to shop at Billabong, as the new range will be on trend, and have a better fit, and therefore hopefully encourage more customers to become loyal and make Billabong their first swimwear retailer of choice. Online observation: Billabong’s website has a wide range of different options for women’s swimwear, with a mix of bikini tops, bottoms and swimsuits, all in different styles and patterns. The main colours used are bright blues, coral pinks and neon orange, and the majority of the garments contain an Aztec pattern. Their styles are varied throughout the range, meaning that there is something that I suitable for anyone within their millennial target market. Even so, when looking at my primary research of the questionnaire the responses showed that customers feel as though their body types do not suit a lot of the silhouettes.
Figure 1.3 Billabong beach
Even though the swimwear story that is best suited for Billabong is Mode City on WGSN, there are elements from Miami Week that fit in with Billabong's theme. These elements are 'jungle prints (WGSN, 2016), which have already been used in the current collection on a few garments, the jungle prints consist of 'palm leaves and exotic florals, along with snakeskin and animal prints' (WGSN, 2016). However not all prints will feature in the new line, as animal prints do not suit the brand well. The 'Cross-front halter' (WGSN, 2016) is a key item for SS17, but, even though there are a couple of halter fronts on sale, Billabong focus on a more detailed back than front in most of their garments. This story shows the main colours will be 'burnt amber and khaki' (WGSN, 2016), between the two colours khaki is one that would be more in keeping with what is currently in the collection, as there are more greens than reds. Premier Vision is showing a lot of the swimwear will be printed rather than plain, and this will consist of ‘jacquards, florals and jungle themes’ (Premier Vision, n.d.) which are similar to those that WGSN predicted. Again in keeping with WGSN, Premier Vision (n.d.) also said that ‘tonal colours’ will be on trend along with ‘graphic prints’. However when looking at fabrics and fibres (Premier Vision, n.d.) said ‘swimwear specialists selected ever-finer high-performance and bi-stretch materials. Here again, lightness goes hand-in-hand with technicality, chlorine-resistant fibers, UV-resistant colours and quick-dry materials.’ Trendstop (n.d.) shows swimwear for SS17 will ‘make statements with edgy... bold geometric cut outs, strappy constructions and placement slashes are positioned... exposing the body in new ways’ Trendstop shows a lot of cut outs which is something Billabong’s customer likes and is used to, due to a lot of their swimwear having this detailing, however, Trendstop is showing a lot more cut outs than is suitable for the customer. Too many cut outs would be unsuitable for their new range in case they move or become too revealing if used for surfing. Also looking at the results from the primary research many of the respondents said ‘the shapes did not seem very wearable’ and by including too much cut out detailing, this may cause the garments to become unwearable for the majority of consumers. Similarly to WGSN, Trendstop (n.d.) says that ‘one-piece costumes go back- to- basics… with clean cut silhouettes.’ By the new range having simple designs it will make it not only on trend but also help make a higher amount of their target customer feel comfortable and therefore encourage them to shop at Billabong for other swimwear garments. These features have all trickled down from catwalks, and as Billabong is a swimwear brand of the year company, they will want to have the latest trends encorporated into their range (Kim, E., Fiore, A.M., & Kim, H., 2011). CONCLUSION After looking at various resources the key trends for women's swimwear SS17 that are suitable for Billabong's consumer are: jungle prints, tonal colours, cross-halters, double-banding, cut-outs and simple one-pieces. All of these are suitable for Billabong as they already have many of them in their current collection, but also because they suit the brands image, and the consumer, as the consumer is youthful and enjoys taking part in sports, such as swimming, sun bathing and surfing, and the garments need to be able to deal with the different environmental factors that may affect it. The colours of the ange will be mainly muted, and will contain the range of on trend prints, however there will be a range of silhouttes, some will be the typical Billabong style and others will be more conservative, to suit those who felt like their body did not suit the styles. References: Accenture. (2016). Who are the Millennial shoppers? And what do they really want?. Retrieved from https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-who-are-millennial-shoppers-what-do-they-really-want-retail. Atkinson, K. (2016). Mode City S/S 17. Retrieved from http://www.wgsn.com.libaccess.hud.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/67147/page/8. Atkinson, K. (2016). Miami Week S/S 17. Retrieved from http://www.wgsn.com.libaccess.hud.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/67316/page/4 Boardsportsouce. (2016). Billabong Navigates Challenging Market In FY2016 & Europe Performs Well. Retrieved from http://www.boardsportsource.com/2016/08/26/billabong-navigates-challenging-market-fy2016-europe-strongest-region/. Boardsport Source. (2016). Women's Swimwear SS17 Report. Retrieved from http://www.boardsportsource.com/trend-report/womens-swimwear-ss17-trend-report/. Billabong. (n.d.). History. Retrieved from https://au.billabong.com/blog/post/history. Fashion Design Scope. (2012). Why is Trend Forecasting Important. Retrieved from http://www.fashiondesignscope.com/?p=5447. Fashion United. (2016). SS17 Essential Swimwear Silhouettes. Retrieved from https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/ss17-essential-swimwear-silhouettes/2016080121249 Global Industry Analysis, Inc.. (2016). The Global Swimwear and Beachwear Market. Retrieved from http://www.strategyr.com/Marketresearch/Swimwear_and_Beachwear_Market_Trends.asp. Hoovers. (n.d.). Billabong International Limited Competition. Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.billabong_international_limited.fde9c1ecb82ae950.html. Kim, E., Fiore, A.M., & Kim, H. (2011). Fashion Trends, Analysis and Forecasting. London: Berg. Kjaer̆, A. L. (2014). The trend management toolkit: A practical guide to the future. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Premier Vision. (n.d.). Sport and Outdoor. Retrieved from http://www.premierevision.com/season/ss17/ss17-fabrics/ss17-fabrics-best-the-buyers-choices/sport-outdoor-2/. Schawbel, D. (2015). 10 New Findings About The Millennial Consumer. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/#75d7af228a87. Trendstop. (n.d.). SS17 Essential Swimwear Silhouettes. Retrieved from http://blog.trendstop.com/2016/07/ss17-essential-swimwear-silhouettes/.Pirchner, M. (2015, December 8). Who Are Billabong's Customers? [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://comparethesurfbrand.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/who-are-billabong-customers/. Images Billabong, . (2016). EU Fall Billabong Surf Capsule image 9. [Photography]. , retrieved from http://eu.billabong.com/womens/blog/post/fall-billabong-surf-capsule-lookbook. Billabong, . (n.d.). Sale boarder. [Online]. , retrieved from http://eu.billabong.com/shop/womens-swimwear. Billabong, . (2016). Swimwear main image. [Photography]. , retrieved from http://eu.billabong.com/shop/womens-swimwear. Kjaer, A.L. (n.d.). Trend Management process. [Graphic]. , retrieved from http://kjaer-global.com/trend-management/. The HD Footage [thehdfootage]. (2012, Jan 2). Closeup Free HD Footage of Beautiful Ocean Waves [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-DVwI_0wx4 Atkinson, K. (2016). Crochet back. [Online]. , retrieved from https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/67147/page/9. Atkinson, K. (2016). White one-piece. [Online]. , retrieved from https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/67147/page/8.
Rachel Jolley