Survey Says: Fashion Sells

Consumers who describe themselves as “fashion forward” may be small in number, but they make up for it in spending, according to a new Retail Consumer Dynamics Study released by Little Rock, Ark.–based Acxiom. The study found that half of all consumers surveyed described themselves as “value-driven,” while 24 percent said they are “conservative/traditional.” A mere 16 percent described themselves as “fashion forward,” meaning they look for the newest trends and styles. But these trend-focused consumers said they spend, on average, 1.7 times as much as the conservative shoppers and 2.7 times as much as those who call themselves “value-driven.”