Hitwise Intelligence - LeeAnn Prescott - US
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September 28, 2006
Crocs Shoes Gaining on Major Brands
This summer I was surprised to see more and more brightly colored clogs and sandals adorning the feet of Americans, particularly when I traveled outside of San Francisco. Nearly every airport I've been through in the past four months has had a kiosk selling Crocs for $29.99. Whether or not you agree that they are attractive, Crocs have won rave reviews for comfort and have been steadily increasing in popularity for the past year. Hitwise search term data for the term 'crocs' shows that searches for the shoes have increased by 149% in the past year (ending 9/23/06 vs. 9/24/05). The only shoe brands that accounted for a greater share of Internet searches during the months of July and August were 'nike,' 'adidas' and 'heelys.' Additionally, the market share of visits to the official Crocs website have increased by 124% in the past year.
I was wondering why I hadn't seen that many Crocs in San Francisco or even New York, where I travel frequently, so I looked at the regional demographics of the Crocs website. It appears that Crocs' low price point and practicality have given the brand a stronghold in rural states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Hampshire, according to statistics on website visits for the four weeks ending September 23, 2006. This shows how not all fashion trends originate in major cities like New York, and Crocs grassroots approach (see the great testimonial section on the site) has won it legions of fans. It will be interesting to see if the trend continues through next summer - I'm guessing it will, since people love happy feet!
Posted by LeeAnn Prescott at 08:24 AM
Posted to Shopping and Classifieds
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Comments
great post.
Crocs is an interesting case study in how a smaller player has reinvented something and added an element of design that appeals to a cross-section of consumers. I also find it interesting that they score very low in places like CA based on their heavy sponsorships of outdoor related sports.
Paul Marobella
Posted by: Paul Marobella at September 28, 2006 01:04 PM
