The number of people returning to the office in the United States has increased! This has led to a shift in demand for this category

According to the latest data from Placer.ai, the number of people returning to the office in the United States is slowly increasing. Although January saw the biggest drop in traffic since 2019 (a 56.1% decrease), the gap is getting smaller and smaller, with the level in August 38.7% lower than in 2019.

The largest increases in workers returning to the office compared to last year were seen in May and June (36.9% and 25.2% year-over-year, respectively), which fell to just 9.4% in July, but visits rebounded in August, suggesting forward momentum.

As consumers switch between working in the office and working from home, their clothing needs are changing.

“The lines between work and social activities are blurring,” said Sara Tam, chief commercial officer at Rent the Runway, noting that women are choosing brighter and more colorful pieces that can be worn both in the office and at home.

Data from the NPD Group supports this shift toward more casual workwear. Sales of dresses have increased 27% since last year, but most consumers are leaning toward less formal and restrictive garments, such as sundresses and T-shirt dresses.

According to the NPD Group, as of July 2022, approximately 49 million employees were working from home, an increase of 11 million compared to June. In order to reduce costs, many consumers switched from eating out to dining at home, resulting in a 3% drop in traffic to foodservice in July.

All in all, as more consumers return to the office, consumer demand may return to pre-pandemic levels and old habits may re-emerge, which is better for the retail industry.

As mentioned before, a full return to the office may be some time away. Last week, CNBC reported that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had no plans to have employees return, though he did acknowledge that some things are difficult when working from home.

Nearly 1,300 New York Times employees are resisting the company’s return-to-the-office policy and staying home this week, The Observer reports.

Editor✎ Ashley/

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