CHANGES IN MARKETING STRATEGIES IN THE FASHION SECTOR CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The announcement of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization WHO has caused changes in all areas of life. The closure of workplaces, shops and shopping centers as well as the omnipresent fear of disease influenced consumer behaviour. Companies representing the fashion sector were forced to immediately change their marketing strategies. In the first days of the pandemic marketing campaigns were discontinued, followed by a time of increased activity of fashion brands that used this time to improve their image. Sewing masks and coveralls has become a symbol of the fight against the COVID-19 virus. The next step was to activate sales through discount campaigns that were transferred to the Internet. Marketing activities were direct in form and popularized the “hashtag stay at home” movement. However, marketers quickly verified that the above actions do not increase sales. The apparel sector returned to stationary sales in the third month of the pandemic. Experiences from the quarantine period made companies notice global changes in customer behaviour. For that reason the concepts that most customers had heard about before COVID-19, such as slow fashion and sustainable fashion, were begun to be used in marketing strategies. Production in the spirit of less waste has become a major foundation for the strategy. What will these changes result in? Will the pandemic stop the fast fashion trend? What marketing strategies will work in the future? In her article, the author looks for answers to the above questions by analyzing selected marketing strategies of companies in the fashion sector. The subject of the research will be a critical analysis of industry literature and a query of scientific literature covering the above publications on a global scale. The research tool used will be analysis and diagnosis.