Before the pandemic, shopping habits in India leaned quite a bit towards the offline space. And then came the years when our e-cart got turbocharged by Amazon. The global e-commerce giant has proved that it can be relied upon when people need it and delivery is usually fast. Amazon Fashion’s Wardrobe Refresh Sale is on (till June 22) and that gave us an opportunity to speak with Saurabh Srivastava, director and head, Amazon Fashion India, about a few trends that define our purchase habits.

What are the new styles in focus?

Consumers are now buying the last of their spring-summer fashion and beauty products while beginning to prepare for the monsoon season. The focus would be to now add comfortable and light fabric clothing that is easy to dry to the wardrobe. We are already witnessing a huge demand for products that add layers, like bomber jackets, windcheaters, shrugs, hooded jackets and more. Also, all-season footwear like flip flops, wedges and sandals are now in demand while casual shoes and sneakers remain go-to category to amp up style factor. Further, with the wedding season upon us, traditional and ethnic wear for men, women and kids continues to be customer favourites.

Saurabh Srivastava, director and head, Amazon Fashion India

Now that people are going back to office, what are the new trends in office wear?

While athleisure and comfort wear took precedence in the fashion segment in the last one year, we are now witnessing a growing demand for smart casuals and formal wear, like checkered shirts, colourful trousers, kurtis, and Western dresses. There was spike in interest for other categories, like backpacks, handbags, wallets, sandals and formal and casual shoes, watches, and minimal accessories.

Are beauty and make-up brands in a better place now?

With respect to beauty, we have observed customers shopping for vegan and multi-purpose beauty products like lip and cheek tints, multi-colored lipsticks, cheek gels, and so on. The eye and face categories have seen the maximum acceleration followed by the lips category. Besides grooming essentials and self-care products, customers are shopping for beauty products like make-up kits, kajals, eyeshadows, foundations, concealers, compacts and powders. The perfume category is also witnessing an increase interest amongst customers. These categories will continue to accelerate, given increased customer adoption of online as a preferred channel for shopping. And consumers have become extremely aware of their skin and haircare needs.