For a lot of us, pajamas are the new work uniform. There has always been that joke that newscasters are wearing basketball shorts underneath their suits. But Zoom calls and GoToMeetings have made that joke a reality. When society sheds its business casual coil, pajamas remain.
Because of that, pajama sales reportedly increased 143 percent in April, despite a drop in other apparel categories. Citing Adobe Analytics data, Digital Commerce 360 reported that online apparel prices dropped 12 percent from March to April. Though apparel sales overall grew 34 percent in April, sales of pants dropped 13 percent, jackets dropped 33 percent and bras dropped 12 percent.
The data points to one thing: The demand for business casual (or even grocery store casual) has taken a hit, but comfy options are more important than ever.
The demand lies in things people can and want to wear at home. This also points to athleisure, which has been growing at a steady rate for the last few years. Especially since gyms are still closed in many states, people are working out at home in addition to working from home. And the “leisure” portion of “athleisure” indicates that they can wear these clothes long after doing pushups (or without even doing them at all). It creates a more upscale and high-perceived value look while maintaining the comfort of loungewear.
If customers are looking for products to reach would-be tradeshow attendees or send as appreciation gifts, it’s worth pitching items like comfortable T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, joggers, socks, slippers and other casual choices. And, of course, branded pajamas.
Even after the stay-at-home orders lift, they’ll still hold an important place in end-users’ closets. Everyone has their go-to comfy clothes to throw on after work or on a lazy Sunday.
