When it comes to fashion and footwear US teens prefer sports brands. For Generation Z, -- those born between 1997 and 2012 -- Nike is the favorite clothing brand, followed by American Eagle and Adidas, in that order. Nike also leads among US teens in the footwear segment. Nike is followed by Vans and Adidas in the footwear segment.

Gen Z is highly social, online and offline, with greater conversational engagement than adults in most consumer categories. Athletic shoe brands such as Reebok, Converse, Vans and Puma have also lost out among Gen Z over the last five years. Teens are moving away from traditional youth brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch. In the apparel sector, youth brands such as Hollister and Aeropostale have also lost ground with Gen-Z consumers in the last five years. Reduced interest in these heavily mall-reliant retailers could well reflect a wider trend, as young consumers move away from destination retail, increasingly preferring convenience store-style spaces. Discussions about brands are behind on an average 19 per cent of consumer purchases, accounting for somewhere between seven and ten trillion dollars in annual sales.

However, important as trends may be, there are plenty of brands that are succeeding despite them.