Pulse of Homecoming 2018

    NEW YORK, NY, September 12, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With onset of the homecoming dress buying season, Occasion Brands, LLC, releases Pulse of Homecoming to highlight the 2018 predicted online sales trends for homecoming. Designer sales expectations and pre-season consumer sales are currently in sync with consumers showing a strong preference for affordable styles under $150. While the detailing on the top selling styles varies, the 2018 homecoming dresses of choice so far have v-necklines, sleeveless a-line cuts, and are fabricated in shades of navy, mauve, or burgundy.

Designer Merchandise Offerings Emphasize Affordability and Back Detailing
The merchandise offered by designers for the 2018 homecoming season show a range of styles with retail prices under $100, the majority under $150. Among these affordable styles, there is an emphasis on short a-line dresses with v-necklines and back details, such as lace backs, illusion backs, or strappy open-back designs. Among the current homecoming season merchandise offered in designer collections, fewer dresses featured two-piece cuts, prints, and off-the-shoulder designs, showing a slow decrease in these styles that had been popular last homecoming season. While burgundy was a top color for 2017 homecoming and continues to be popular for homecoming 2018, dresses in mauve and navy are making a strong appearance in the styles offered for this homecoming season. Will consumer purchasing follow these business expectations set by the designers?

Consumer Preferences Emphasize Affordability and a Stand-Out Feature
Homecoming dress sales online in the month of August have shown a strong correlation to the designer expectations of consumers wanting affordable styles this season. Thus far, the pre-season online sales trends for homecoming 2018 show purchases range between $100 and $150. These affordable homecoming dresses also each have a stand-out, defining feature on an otherwise simple design. In the current most popular shades of navy, mauve, or burgundy, the top ten styles are short a-line dresses, often with v-neck or sleeveless bodices. The most prevalent stand-out feature preferred by consumers on homecoming dresses so far this season is a statement back design. Lace backs, illusion backs, and criss-crossing strappy backs are among some of the most popular statement back designs. Some other popular stand-out dress features include bodices embellished with lace appliques or beading.

The Data
The data for homecoming sales trends represents sales between August 1 and August 31, 2018 across the United States by PromGirl, a leading national online dress retailer.

For more information about Pulse of Homecoming, please contact: Ashley Binda at Occasion Brands, LLC, [email protected], 917-746-8323.

About Occasion Brands, LLC
PromGirl, founded in 1998, has sold over 2 million dresses online and is the largest online retailer of prom, homecoming, and other special-occasion dresses. It offers an unparalleled selection of high-quality, in-stock dresses at all price points. Through the website, mobile and social platforms, PromGirl's reach is global, delivering "dream dresses" to more than 140 international destinations. As part of the Occasion Brands portfolio, PromGirl supports the Occasion Brands mission to be the premier retailer in the special-occasion dress market by providing a world-class shopping experience and maintaining customer trust through an understanding of their needs as they experience some of the most important moments in their lives. Occasion Brands' staff is based in New York City and Middletown, Delaware, and its state-of-the-art facility in New Jersey houses hundreds of thousands of dresses for PromGirl and its sister brands, Simply Dresses and Kleinfeld Bridal Party. In 2018, Occasion Brands expanded its reach by opening a PromGirl pop-up store in New Jersey, a Simply Dresses pop-up store in New York City, and a Kleinfeld Bridal Party Showroom located on the upper level of the Kleinfeld Bridal store.

# # #