PacSun Continues to Curry Favor from Gen Z

Teens have spoken again for Piper Sandler’s latest “Taking Stock With Teens” report for spring, and local retailer PacSun can pat itself on the back.
 
The Anaheim-based men’s and women’s chain came in third—up from fifth last year—when it came to favored apparel brands, taking 6% of the vote. Nike and American Eagle retained the No. 1 and 2 spots at 27% and 7% of consumers voting in favor of those brands, respectively.
 
It’s a noteworthy move for PacSun that speaks to the company’s overall social media, design and merchandising prowess to target a consumer base that is heavy on social media and is also more likely to convert via social media than the older Millennial cohort.
 
Notably, Vans Inc. of Costa Mesa came in third among the top footwear brands, taking 12% of survey respondents’ votes. That percentage is down from 16% in the last survey and down from 20% in the year-ago period.  
Some 7,000 people participated in the survey, averaging about 16 years in age.
 
Good news for brands and retailers: the teens surveyed said they’re spending more, up 1% from the prior report, with spending among females is up 9% on a year-over-year basis. That amount of growth hasn’t been seen since 2015, according to the report. Spending among males, however, remains down.