Stores like H&M, Zara and Uniqlo have proven to be sartorial mainstays during the recession, but what types of tricks will they try to stay on top in 2010? WWD has a rundown of fast-fashion's newest ideas.
H&M, for example, plans to continue partnering with designers. Its Jimmy Choo collection sold out within four hours and the Sonia Rykiel lingerie collection was also met with rave reviews.
"We are going to continue with these collaborations as long as we can find a new angle and not repeat ourselves," H&M's creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch told WWD. The chain also hopes to expand in recently-entered markets such as Japan, China and Russia.
Zara will open an online shop. The store's offerings haven't been for sale on the Internet so far, but by 2010, customers in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the UK and Portugal will be able to order on the Internet.
Uniqlo will incorporate both higher-end lines (like +J by Jil Sander) and bargain collections (like g.u. in Japan).
And other fast-fashion hotspots will see how low their pricetags can go, like Mango's ThinkUp brand, which includes 90 competitively-priced items.
"This new low-cost fashion campaign is Mango's solution to the difficult economic climate affecting shoppers around the globe. To tackle this situation, the company has decreased the margins of certain garments to make them more affordable," Mango public relations manager Ninona Villa told WWD.