A Plus Market for a New Generation of Retailing

As the body positivity movement continues to gain momentum, brands are embracing size inclusivity to offer products and styles that fully fit the needs of their customers. Concerns with lack of assortment, improper fit, and body shaming that have been voiced by customers over the years are finally being met with innovations and systematic changes that accept plus-size bodies. Following in the footsteps of companies such as H&M, Nike, Anthropologie, Asos, and Reformation, Lululemon’s Athletica is one of the latest retailers to offer ‘inclusive sizing’. a wider range of plus-size options has resulted in the expansion of current women’s, men’s, and kids wear assortments while furthering the development of new and necessary product categories such as plus accessories, plus men’s shapewear and furniture designed with plus bodies in mind (referred to as bariatric design.) Yet, as the plus-size market expands, many consumers who have been ignored by straight-size retailers for years are skeptical about the touted ‘embrace’ of inclusivity. They may be on to something, as marketing experts say that adding these sizes can help a brand appear more progressive and inclusive, and retailers stand to profit from size inclusion as the percentage of consumers who wear plus-size clothes rises. In this article, Fashion Snoops outlines the most important shifts and innovations impacting the plus-size market and how savvy brands are authentically speaking to this consumer cohort to offer exciting plus-size products.