“Mini-me madness” takes hold as retailers embrace kidswear

Dean Blake

17th Sep 2019

Streetwear and sneakers dominated the first year of The Iconic’s kids offer, according to the online marketplace’s First Birthday Kids Report.

Launched in August of 2018, The Iconic kidswear range saw brands such as Cotton On, Gap, Rock Your Baby, Nike, Adidas and Converse perform well, as Australia and New Zealand’s fascination with the mini-me movement – dressing kids in matching clothes to parents – grows. 

“Mini-me madness has officially taken hold, with streetwear obsessed parents, family and friends kitting their kids out in the latest sneakers and streetwear-inspired looks,”  The Iconic chief management officer Mareile Osthus said. 

“This trend is all about universality, from hoodies to sneakers or even leggings, they’re all built for comfort and practicality.”

According the Iconic, seven out of the top ten best-selling overall items fell into the streetwear categories, with five of these being sneakers. Additionally, unisex styles sold best, with black, white and grey colours being preferred.

The report also noted that the most popular time for people to shop for kids clothing was later at night, between 9 and 10 pm.

The Iconic is not the only retailer capitalising on the rise in kids fashion, with Accent Group’s The Trybe stores successful enough for up to 40 stores to open across Australia and New Zealand in the coming years.

“We started out wanting to get in the game, and to put some mini-me products in there,” Accent Group chief executive Daniel Agostinelli said.

“The success we’re seeing, particularly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, has allowed us to rethink that and to accelerate the offering.”

Agostinelli has previously told Internet Retailing that The Trybe was born when Accent Group saw a gap in the market – parents were demanding a kid’s footwear destination, so Accent Group delivered it.

“We felt that, given that we distribute our own brands, we could have a larger offer than most people in mainly fashion kid’s footwear,” Agostinelli said.

“Our motto is that The Trybe needs to become the home of the best international footwear brands in Australia and New Zealand – that’s where we are pitching.”

This story originally appeared on Inside Retail.