Undergraduate Research

Can we work this out?: An examination of the US activewear industry through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic

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Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic became serious in the Spring of 2020, people lived from the comfort of their homes. As staying home does not require people to dress up below the shoulders, the activewear and loungewear industries have a unique opportunity to succeed and thrive. Although activewear, work-from-home, and online shopping are trends that have already been expanding pre-pandemic, the pandemic acted as a catalyst to explode the impact of these trends. This study examines trends in the US activewear industry throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic from both the retail business side and the consumer perspective in order to identify best practices for business and predict future momentum of these trends. Financial analysis of five major activewear brands yielded a recovery timeline of year-over-year growth and comparative growth of online purchases while a consumer behavior survey helped to create a more complete picture of the 18-25 female demographic.

Keywords: COVID-19, Activewear, Loungewear, Consumer Behavior, Financial Analysis

How to Cite:

Forstenhausler, L. N., (2022) “Can we work this out?: An examination of the US activewear industry through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13690