Sign in with Google Canadian fashion brand Aritzia — known for viral products and elevated flagship stores — set its sights on scaling in the U.S. without sacrificing profitability.
The challenge? Stand out in a crowded women’s apparel market dominated by heritage labels and agile online players. To succeed, Aritzia needed to adjust its holiday playbook. With shopping journeys becoming less linear, the brand’s growth depended on meeting customers at every step — sparking awareness, creating demand, and converting intent at scale.
The 2024 holiday peak became the ultimate proof point for its integrated model.
Anticipating signals, capturing intent
Aritzia embedded AI-powered solutions across the customer journey, turning predictive insights into proactive strategy. For example, when shopper signals revealed interest in its popular Super Puff jacket, spiking as early as June, the brand moved quickly to launch campaigns months before the expected season. Demand Gen and YouTube drove early awareness, while Search and Performance Max converted high-intent shoppers and optimized performance against profitability goals.
The Super Puff campaign led to a 55% year-over-year increase in demand.
Building on this agile approach, Aritzia tested an “omni-first” mindset with its campaigns, using tools like local inventory ads to connect digital influence with store sales and make every impression work harder across channels.
High style, higher returns
The strategy delivered record-breaking results. Black Friday 2024 became the company’s best online sales day ever, and the Super Puff campaign led to a 55% year-over-year increase in demand. Aritzia’s strategic use of Search and Performance Max fueled a 42% lift in e-commerce net revenue in the fourth quarter.
After proving the value of digital on e-commerce and seeing an increase in return on ad spend for store sales influenced by digital channels, Aritzia has adopted an “omni-first” mindset for digital marketing campaigns. Tools like local inventory ads help to bridge the gap between online and in-store.
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Google and YouTube helped Canadian clothing brand Aritzia break into the U.S. market and grow 5X faster than the average U.S. clothing brand.
Key takeaways for retailers ahead of holiday 2025
- Start earlier than expected. Audience signals don’t always match the retail calendar. Using AI-powered insights, Aritzia spotted early signals for its Super Puff jacket and pivoted fast, turning curiosity into conversion.
- Make ‘omni-first’ a reality. Shoppers don’t distinguish between online and in-store experiences, and neither should your strategy. Aritzia’s use of local inventory ads shows how digital can fuel store sales and create a seamless experience.
- Supercharge storytelling with AI. Performance data may be the foundation, but it’s the story that wins hearts (and sales). Aritzia proved that creative brand storytelling, backed by AI-driven optimization, can connect with shoppers at scale.
For Aritzia, what began as a bold bet to win in a crowded category has become a road map for sustained, profitable growth, powered by AI, backed by digital, and built to adapt to the fast-changing fashion landscape. For marketers heading into peak shopping season, its story is a blueprint: Anticipate demand, connect every channel, and let AI amplify creativity and results.
