From browsing to buying: Consumer behaviour in 2025

The Drapers Consumer Behaviour 2025 Report pulls back the curtain on something we’re all feeling: fashion consumers aren’t playing by one set of rules.

They’re both impulse-led and cautious. They shop on their phones, but they’re back in stores. They browse endlessly online, but don’t always buy. And crucially, younger consumers are loosening their wallets while older cohorts are tightening theirs.

For brands, these aren’t just interesting quirks, they’re the forces shaping product strategy, digital investment, and the type of leadership being hired across the consumer landscape.

Impulse Meets Considered Buying

Drapers found that 41% of fashion purchases in 2025 are impulse-led, while 48% are made after longer browsing and research. That balance hasn’t shifted dramatically year-on-year, but the nuance is telling.

Luxury and premium consumers are still taking their time saving, comparing, justifying higher price points. Fast-fashion audiences remain more impulse-driven. The challenge? Brands increasingly serve both segments, meaning strategies (and the people behind them) must flex.

For example, merchandisers and planners can’t just chase trends; they need to forecast demand across short and long buying cycles. Marketing leaders must build campaigns that generate instant desire and sustain interest for weeks of digital window-shopping.

Browsing Goes Digital, But Stores Rebound

Browsing behaviours underline the hybrid reality. According to Drapers:

• 63% of consumers now browse fashion online via mobile (up from 61% last year).
• 42% browse on desktop/laptop (up from 37%).
• 43% still prefer in-store browsing (a big jump from 32% in 2024).

This tells us two things. First, mobile is the undisputed starting point for most consumers, especially under-35s, 63% of whom scroll mobile platforms first. Second, physical retail is regaining relevance, particularly for older shoppers who value tactile experiences.

For talent, this means omnichannel expertise is non-negotiable. A mobile app can’t exist in isolation; it must sync with store stock, loyalty programmes, and customer service. That’s why we’re seeing rising demand for digital product managers, CRM specialists, and retail operations leaders who can bridge channels seamlessly.

Browsing ≠ Buying

Another insight from the Drapers report: younger consumers browse constantly, but don’t always convert.

• 76% of 18–24s browse online weekly or more, up from 60% last year.
• But only 9% of 18–24s purchase daily.

This browsing-to-buying gap is widening. For brands, it means investment in retargeting, loyalty perks, and AI-driven personalisation is no longer optional. For recruitment, it means specialist hires in growth marketing, data analytics, and customer retention are accelerating.

Where Consumers Actually Buy

Drapers shows that:

• 53% of purchases happen via mobile websites/apps (slightly down from 54%).
• 47% are completed in-store (up from 42%).

So the “end of physical retail” narrative doesn’t hold. Instead, we’re seeing a recalibration, digital is the dominant discovery tool, but stores are still the conversion point for a huge share of spend.

This is already influencing leadership briefs. CEOs want eCommerce directors who understand store dynamics, and retail leaders who can use data to enhance physical experiences. Hybrid skillsets are top of the list.

Spending Outlook: The Generational Divide

Looking ahead 12 months, the report paints a stark demographic split:

• 27% of 18–24s and 31% of 25–34s plan to increase spend.
• 36% of 55–60s plan to cut back.

That means younger audiences will drive growth but, capturing them requires very different tactics to retaining older consumers.

• For younger shoppers, brands are leaning into social commerce, drops culture, and mobile-first payment options.
• For older shoppers, loyalty, reassurance on value, and flexible payment terms are key.

From a hiring perspective, this is translating into briefs for social commerce managers, loyalty programme heads, and performance marketers. These roles didn’t exist a decade ago now they’re mission-critical.

The Talent Story

At Consumer Additions and Consumer Exec, we’re seeing this consumer shift mirrored in boardroom conversations.

We are a specialist search firm connecting international luxury and premium brands with world-class talent. Since 2015, we’ve partnered with multinationals, founder-led scale-ups, and private equity-backed businesses to build high-performing teams.

• Consumer Additions focuses on entry to mid-management hiring, with a people-first, partnership-led approach.
• Consumer Exec handles senior leadership and C-suite searches, helping brands secure the visionaries who can turn data points into strategy.

As Dave Murray, CFO at Asos (formerly Matches and Farfetch), put it:

“Consumer Exec have consistently delivered on searches at all levels and I would wholeheartedly recommend them as a search and recruitment partner to any consumer-related business.”

And as Don Henshall, ex-CEO of Farrow & Ball, noted:

“I’m impressed not only with their industry knowledge but also with their understanding of the specific skills and attributes we look for… This led to successful placement of great CFOs into our businesses, and because they are a great culture fit they’re making a real difference.”

The Drapers report confirms what many in the sector already sense: consumer behaviour is hybrid, fast-changing, and generationally divided. The brands that succeed won’t just be the ones with the right product or price point, they’ll be the ones with the right people at the helm.

For all the talk of AI, algorithms, and apps, it’s human talent that translates shifting behaviours into strategies that resonate. And that’s where our work sits: making sure brands have the leaders who can keep them close to their customers, no matter how those customers choose to shop.