Three trends changing showrooms in 2022

For decades, samples and showrooms were the only way to sell collections wholesale. 2020 changed all that. Samples and showrooms were unavailable overnight and sales reps had to adapt and oh my, did they do it! 18 months later fashion has taken down walls that had stood solid for years. From 3D to remote collaboration, fashion is digitizing everything in its way, and showrooms are no exception. These are the 3 trends in digitization that are shaping the future of showrooms in fashion.

1. The rise of digital collaboration platforms will transform showrooms into hybrid spaces.

Fashion brands adopted collaboration platforms at an unprecedented rate in 2020 and 2021. These platforms helped wholesale teams cope with the worst of global lockdowns. Today, it has become normal to run sales meetings over a video call while using whiteboard functionalities to present collections.

As flexible work policies become standard and buyers choose to travel more carefully, showrooms will become hybrid hubs. Showrooms will need to adapt to new hybrid realities, allowing sales and buyers to collaborate from the showroom, remotely or both.

2. The investment in 3D will reshape showrooms into digital platforms

The digitization of wholesale has brought renewed attention to the importance of digital content to run sales digitally. In the meantime, the implementation of 3D has boomed and brands want to maximize the value of 3D beyond design.

Thanks to digital content, brands can create collections more effectively. In addition, digital content is helping brands make sales seasons faster, shorter and more frequent. Showrooms will need to become more digital, unlocking faster preparation, reduced setup costs and reducing the environmental footprint of sample production.

3. As offices adapt to new hybrid realities, showrooms will become collaboration hubs.

As digital investment grows, so does the need to maximize the return on investment across the value chain. Technology providers are embracing new models, giving brands more options to maximize ROI in times of economic uncertainty. Brands on the other hand are looking for solutions that can bring value to different teams simultaneously.

This growing strategic focus in technology is making brands reconsider the role that showrooms play beyond sales. As digitization continues to grow, showrooms will become multi-purpose, cross-team collaboration spaces, from merchandising collections, presenting to customers to training store staff.

Wholesale showrooms are changing. The current model is evolving into one where brands immerse customers in their world, where content (not only samples) sell and where efficiency drives investment. Today’s digital revolution is reshaping how fashion operates, including showrooms. Showrooms will no longer be physical or digital. They’ll be hybrid. Places where wholesale can be more engaging, efficient and sustainable.

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