Gen Zs buying up ‘athleisure’ items

Sports-related items emerged among the most bought items online by GenZs in Southeast Asia, according to fashion e-commerce platform Zalora, offering a glimpse into the buying preferences of this generation aged 9 to 24 years old.

Zalora’s Trender 2022 report revealed that Gen Zs—which make up about 24 percent of the population in the region—bought more of these items than other types of apparel, accessories, or shoes.

“In this case, athleisure has become the trend du jour for many Gen Zs. To further separate themselves from their older counterparts, these consumers would choose sporty track pants over miniskirts or fuss-free hoodies instead of blazers and shirts to make a statement,” Zalora said.

“It is a projection that is equally reflected here in Southeast Asia,” added the business unit of the Singaporean publicly traded e-commerce holding group Global Fashion Group (GFG).

Indeed, the Zalora report noted that the Gen Z generation has a “nonconformist” attitude toward fashion.

“So instead of observing social norms, Gen Z has created their stylistic vocabulary—one that defies conventions and offers a refreshing perspective to self-expression,” the report said.

Zalora said that sports-related apparel accounted for almost 30 percent of all items bought by this young generation of consumers.

Other types of apparel followed at 25.43 percent, followed by accessories at 15.97 percent, and luxury at 5.07 percent.

“Further these consumers favor sport shoes as compared to millennials, with a greater share of sales of 28.53 percent versus 15.94 percent of millennials,” said Zalora’s report.

“Out of all of Zalora’s sports-related offerings, shoes were the most popular, outperforming apparel and accessories,” it added.

Citing the US-based private equity firm Insight Partners, Zalora said the global athleisure market was expected to grow from $411.02 billion in 2021 to $793.46 billion by 2028.

It further noted that China’s broader sportswear market alone is expected to grow at an annual rate of 11 percent and reach $82.8 billion by 2024.