UK consumers are adjusting their shopping behaviour in response to the tough economic backdrop, according to the  third annual Shopper Preference Report from Bazaarvoice.

The provider of UGC and social commerce solutions speaks to over 8,000 global consumers every year with a big chunk of them in the UK. And it found that inflation has had a big impact on their behaviour with “affordability and trust driving purchasing decisions”.

And while there has been a lot of talk about fashion spending being affected, the study claims that the hardest hit categories are actually grocery (71%), food and beverages (60%), and health & beauty (25%).

Bazaarvoice said 58% of UK consumers have switched to cheaper brands, 45% are delaying non-essential purchases, and 36% are actively using coupons and discount codes. Loyalty programmes are also seeing increased participation, with 35% of shoppers joining them to access better deals.

Store brands are gaining traction amid economic pressure. The survey also reveals that 57% of UK consumers have permanently switched to store-brand products. Lower prices (77%) remain the biggest factor, but improved quality (48%) and positive reviews (35%) are also helping store brands earn consumer loyalty.

As for Authenticity, 57% of UK shoppers cite real customer reviews as the biggest factor in their final purchase decisions. “Consumers trust content that includes detailed product descriptions (33%), real-life photos/videos (37%), and balanced feedback (36%)”, we’re told. However, on the flip side, they’re “wary of overly positive, generic reviews (45%) and suspiciously high review volumes in a short time (40%)”.

The report also said that social media continues to become ever nor important to shopping decisions. A third (32%) of UK consumers say social media introduced them to new products, while 28% use it to compare prices and products. 

Short-form videos (49%) and customer reviews (44%) are the most trusted content formats here. However, “honesty remains paramount” as 51% of UK shoppers distrust creator content that feels overly promotional, and 42% say authenticity comes from creators who acknowledge a product’s pros and cons.

Social media’s prominence shows how tech can make an impact and consumers appear to be hungry for even more innovation. A quarter (26%) of UK shoppers are excited by smart fitting rooms, and 19% find augmented reality product visualisation appealing.

Paul Smith and Lee have released the capsule collection that was first shown at the Paul Smith SS25 presentation at Pitti Uomo. The British designer and the American brand have collaborated on a collection inspired by Paul Smith’s famous stripes and Sir Paul’s saying, “look and see”. 

The 14-piece limited edition includes jeans, denim jackets, western-style shirts and T-shirts.

The companies said their connection goes back many years with Paul Smith’s first shop in Nottingham having been a location to sell his own designs and to present his customer base with his favourite items from other makers. 

We’re told that “one such item was a particularly excellent pair of painter’s trousers, which he began importing in the early 1970s, from a specialist denim brand based in the United States. That brand was Lee – a name familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in denim, workwear, or Americana”.

Now, in a “full circle moment, the capsule reframes the Lee 101 jean and 101 Stormrider jacket, Lee chore jacket, western shirt and carpenter pant in exclusive prints and patterns”. 

A washed jacquard set featuring Smith’s tapered trouser, and playful graphic tees and hoodies complete the new collection. 

Co-branded trim details give hints of colour while a signature version of the Paul Smith stripe is interspersed throughout.

The collection’s “playfulness” is represented in the official campaign imagery. Shot by Anton Gottlob, it features six “friends of Paul Smith” styled to highlight each talent’s personality. Featuring two musicians, a painter, a dancer, a stylist and a lawyer (Emil Sands, Deneille Robert Percival, Suren Seneviratne, Eddie Wailes, Henry Prior and Hak Baker), “the collection fits each subject and their lifestyle in a unique way”.

Prices range from £85-£450/$90-$450 on paulsmith.com and lee.com and in selected partner-owned stores worldwide. It’s also available in select retailers globally with Nordstrom as the exclusive US wholesaler.

“I used to sell Lee in my Nottingham shop in the 1970s and they were important to me when I was first starting out. Getting clothes over to the UK from the USA was much more difficult to do back then and it was always so exciting to have it in the shop. They’ve got real heritage and being able to partner on this collection has been great. Pairing their expertise in denim and our knowledge of print and design is a brilliant combination,” Sir Paul Smith said.

And Jenni Broyles, executive VP & global brands president at Lee, added: “Paul Smith is renowned for its ‘classic with a twist’ aesthetic which fits authentically with Lee’s timeless style.”

Carine Roitfeld and her son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld have unveiled Players, a new sports and media venture that launches for SS25 with Restoin Roitfeld as editor-in-chief and NBA star Dwyane Wade as its first guest editor. Carine Roitfeld is co-founder and head of fashion.

The fashion and multimedia brand is fronted by a bi-annual “collectors magazine” and will expand into “custom publishing, limited edition capsule collections and exclusive collaborations with top athletes and designers”, we’re told.

The duo said that Wade’s role in the inaugural issue sets the tone for Players’ “unique blend of high fashion storytelling, cultural influence and immersive brand experiences”.

Restoin Roitfeld added: “we are building something beyond the magazine – an intersection of fashion, culture and sport that speaks to a new generation of readers and collaborators.

“This venture will open doors for a new wave of creatives – writers, stylist photographers and designers – who have never worked with the CR team before, bringing fresh perspectives and storytelling to players. It will also really find how brands are featured, placing them in unexpected factors and collaborations that feel disruptive, modern and culturally irrelevant”.

They believe that the “fusion of sports and high fashion has never been more topical. Social media has transformed athletes into the new style stars of today”.

As mentioned, it will be more than a magazine and beyond editorial storytelling will foster a global network of creatives athletes and fashion insiders with the aforementioned custom publishing and product drops elements also key to creating a durable brand.