This year’s dominant themes include agentic AI, the growth of the resale market, the quest for operational efficiency, and strategic renewal in the luxury sector. Who is the AI shopper? What does consumers’ rising interest in health and well-being mean for brands? How can companies attract Gen Zers, who seem to be simultaneously frugal and indulgent?

These were among the questions discussed in a recent webinar on The State of Fashion 2026, the tenth edition of an annual report published by McKinsey and the Business of Fashion. The report describes the primary themes shaping the future of the fashion industry and executive priorities for the year ahead.

Fashion retailers are entering a race. 2026 won’t just define the next 12 months of business, but the next decade. If your strategy isn’t strong enough, you may never catch up. This is your comprehensive guide to bring the future into focus, with exclusive insights from retail and tech powerhouses like Zalando and Algolia, ecommerce strategist like Rick Watson as well as 5,000 shoppers surveyed across the US, UK, Germany, and Asia.

After a turbulent year for beauty and fashion, one truth stood out from the rest: Consumers have moved beyond the era of polish and perfection. Looking at data from Mention Me that spans millions of advocacy signals, influencer engagements, referral moments and sentiment patterns, it became clear that 2025 marked a reset in what people actually respond to, share and buy from.

There were four shifts in particular that moved the needle.

Fashion retail is evolving faster than ever. Consumer expectations are rising, channels are multiplying, and operational complexity is growing. Yet many retailers are still held back by fragmented systems, siloed data, and outdated processes.

Unified commerce is the strategic leap forward

It’s not just about connecting channels—it’s about building a single, intelligent platform that aligns your entire business in real time. From inventory and fulfilment to customer engagement and analytics, unified commerce transforms your operations into a seamless, responsive ecosystem.

Looking ahead to 2026, brands and retailers face a landscape that has been fundamentally reshaped by trade disruptions, technological transformation, and evolving consumer priorities. McKinsey and The Business of Fashion’s latest State of Fashion report reveals an industry that is no longer defined by “uncertainty”, but by constant change – a “new normal” that demands agility, innovation, and strategic clarity.

Returns are no longer just a logistics challenge, they’re a window into consumer behavior, expectations, and brand loyalty. In this exclusive report, ReBound surveyed 2,200 consumers across five countries to uncover how shoppers approach returns in fashion ecommerce, and what retailers can do to meet them halfway.

This eBook is essential reading for fashion brands, ecommerce leaders, and retail strategists looking to reduce returns, improve customer experience, and build smarter post-purchase journeys.

Consumers have turned to videos created by people like them to learn more about brands and products as they shop, particularly online. In response, savvy brands and retailers are leveraging authentic, personalized video content to convert shoppers and drive revenue. 

One of the most innovative tactics is integrating these organic, user-generated videos directly into the online shopping experience. For the purpose of this report, shoppable user-generated video is creator-made content that features products and includes built-in shopping functionality, allowing users to discover and purchase products directly from the video. In these videos, creators and customers alike candidly share details about their experience with specific products — whether it’s fit, texture, color or other descriptors — and add credibility and authenticity to the on-site shopping experience.

As fashion executives look to 2026, they are contending with a fundamentally new reality. US tariffs have redrawn trade maps and forced brands and their suppliers to rapidly adjust. Consumers continue to rethink their spending, seeking value and devoting more of their budgets to achieve other goals, including their own well-being and longevity. The swift onset of AI, meanwhile, means fashion businesses find themselves in a rapidly changing technological landscape.