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Gen Z giveth and Gen Z taketh away - at least when it comes to brand buzz.
While young shoppers have proven to have the power to swathe companies in relevance, their waning interest can be equally as impactful. According to Piper Jaffray's latest report on the shopping habits of teens - which examined survey responses from 9,500 shoppers across 42 states, with an average age of 15.8 years old - there are 16 brands across both male and female shoppers that are quickly falling out of favor.
According to the findings, apparel comprises 27% of the wallet share of female teen shoppers, compared to 23% for men. The study also revealed that apparel spending was down 3% year-over-year, though females outspent males by approximately $170.
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"Broadly, the casualization of fashion continues," Piper Jaffray wrote in a press release about Gen Z shoppers, noting that they contribute $830 million in retail sales annually.
See the full list of brands teens are ditching - ranked in order of the percentage of teens who said they are no longer wearing each brand, from lowest to highest - below:
Vineyard Vines, the brand formerly loved best among bros, appears to be having a falling out with young shoppers.
15. Old Navy
Though Old Navy is in the process of spinning off from its parent company Gap, Inc., some have expressed hesitancy regarding its capacity to operate as a standalone company in light of recent sales slips.
14. Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret had an especially rough year. The brand had already been criticized for its oversexualized marketing approach and lack of inclusivity in recent years, but this summer it was revealed that owner Les Wexner had ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
13. American Eagle
Though American Eagle has been supported for the rising popularity of its Aerie brand, not all of its forays into areas like experiential retail have caught on with young shoppers.
12. Forever 21
Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, a move that experts said was partially caused by the retailer's inability to properly appeal to Gen Z shoppers.
11. Hollister
Hollister, which is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, is finding itself struggling with many of the same challenges as its parent brand, including hypersexualized clothing and advertisements paired with falling foot traffic in malls.
10. Abercrombie & Fitch
Though Abercrombie & Fitch regained some clout after it underwent an extensive rebranding process, the teens in the survey said they're wearing less A&F.
9. Puma
Though Puma had a bump in recent years through buzzy partnerships with celebs like Rihanna, it apparently wasn't enough to garner the love of teens in the second half of 2019.
8. Skechers
Skechers recently posted a particularly weak earnings report, blaming the poor sales numbers on a "short back-to-school period."
7. Reebok
In an attempt to compete with peers like Nike and Adidas, Reebok has launched a series of gimmicky shoe designs — like these mismatched sneakers that look like Buzz Lightyear and Woody from "Toy Story" — and marketing campaigns filled with celebrities.
6. Aeropostale
Despite attempting to make a comeback after filing for bankruptcy in 2016, the teen retailer appears to still be struggling to capture the attention of shoppers.
5. Adidas
Adidas was another brand listed among Gen Z's favorites, pointing to some more conflicting ideas around apparel.
4. Gap
Like Under Armour, Gap has also been plagued by a series of low-performing quarters and business woes. The retailer continues to close stores and is in the process of parting with its Old Navy sister brand.
Under Armour has experienced a challenging few years of slumping sales, in part due to failure to innovate its product assortment and style in a manner that would better appeal to Gen Z shoppers.
1. Justice
Justice, owned by the Ascena Retail Group, is the largest tween retailer in the world, catering largely to girls ages 6-12. Though Justice was poised to take the place of Limited Too, even taking over select stores after the brand was shuttered, it seems to be struggling to win over young shoppers.
