“Consumer search behavior is changing faster than most brands can keep up with, and in fashion, the margin between capturing demand and losing it is often reduced to weeks, not months. The quarter reveals a market on the move, with fashion still dominating the majority of the portfolio across all retail sectors and streetwear dominating at the category level.” Louis Venter, CEO of MediaVision, saying.
Despite economic pressures, UK consumers continue to prioritize spending on fashion, and value-based brands are gaining ground. MediaVision's Metis analysis shows Primark, Vinted and Next as the fastest growing brands in Q4 2025 search share, reflecting demand for affordability and resale. Fashion retains a dominant share of consumer spending, strongly positioning these brands for growth in 2026.
When it comes to the pounds in consumers' pockets, it's not just a battle between brands, but also between market categories.
“Fashion has a commanding and growing share, even if you ignore the short-term spike of Black Friday. Further down the line, the 'nice to have' and 'need to have' categories struggle, but it appears that consumers continue to make sure they reserve a decent amount of purchasing power for fashion, even as queues and headwinds appear to hit other markets with considerable force.” Adam Bly, Chief Growth Officersaying.
Over the past quarter, Primark, Vinted and Next emerged as the fastest growing fashion brands in terms of search share. Primark leads the growth, increasing its search share by 0.65, followed slightly by Vinted with 0.47. Its growth highlights a growing consumer preference for affordability and value, with shoppers increasingly opting for lower-cost new fashion or turning to second-hand platforms like Vinted as a way to maximize value.
“Primark's growth reflects how customer-centric innovation and brand storytelling are increasingly driving online discovery. The brand combined high-profile product launches, seasonal brand campaigns and credible sustainability messaging with in-store innovation. This ensured Primark was present across multiple narratives at once, from accessibility and value to ethics and retail innovation, driving consumers to actively seek out the brand rather than passively find it.” Annabelle Sacher, Head of Digital PRsaying.
“The global resale market, which currently represents nearly 30 percent of the average wardrobe, will likely reach $360 billion by 2030 and is growing three times faster than first-hand fashion. As resale continues to shift from a budget-driven behavior to a socially supported lifestyle choice, Vinted has become the preferred choice for second-hand sellers and buyers, organically scaling brand preference and therefore share of sales. “searches, national media coverage, customer success stories and data-driven campaigns around gifting and decluttering have only served to emphasize this positioning,” Sacher added.
Next continues to dominate overall brand share in search in the fourth quarter, maintaining its position at the top of the market while continuing to grow. With a 0.43 point increase in its share, the retailer demonstrates strong consumer interest and engagement heading into 2026. Among the top five, Primark is the only other brand recording positive growth, with an increase of 0.65 points, while its competitors experience a slight drop.
Fiber2Fashion (RR) News Desk
