Instant Alert: The top 7 retailers to watch in 2017

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The top 7 retailers to watch in 2017 by Kate Taylor on Jan 1, 2017, 5:05 PM Advertisement 2016 was a year of change for the retail industry. Lingerie trends went from heavily-padded to barely-there, leading to explosive growth for some new brands and forcing industry mainstays to reinvent themselves. In sportswear, rivals are nipping at the heels of industry leader Nike. And, with the rise of social media, digital marketing and celebrity endorsements are offering retailers new ways to connect with customers. Amid the change, some companies managed to track the trends and stay ahead of the competition. Here are seven brands that you should keep an eye on in the new year.  SEE ALSO: 9 retailers that bombed in 2016 American Eagle This fall, American Eagle was chosen as the No. 1 preferred brand among upper-income teen women in Piper Jaffray's survey of American teens.  "Given their body positivity and inclusion messages while continuing to invest in its core competencies of fabric and style, American Eagle's hard work and focus is clearly paying off in finding more customers than before," Piper Jaffray analyst Neely Tamminga wrote in the report.  One driving force behind American Eagle's success is the retailer's lingerie line, Aerie. The brand has made headlines for ditching Photoshop in order to showcase more realistic images of women's bodies in marketing — a move that has paid off with explosive sales. Victoria's Secret With Aerie on the rise, Victoria's Secret was forced to make some major changes to better combat competition in 2016.  After seeing Aerie's success in selling bralettes instead of heavily-padded push-up bras, Victoria's Secret added an assortment of new styles and sports bras to its stores. Now, the brand is going on the offensive, offering steep markdowns on bras in November — the first time in recent company history that the brand has done so outside of its semi-annual sale.  Lululemon Leggings are still hot — and Lululemon is thriving because of it. Piper Jaffray's semiannual report on teen spending found that leggings/Lululemon were still the No. 1 fashion trend among teens.  The company reported in December that net revenues rose 13% to $544.4 million in the most recent quarter, beating analysts' predictions.  See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011