Converged.AI × BrandInsightAI
BrandInsightAI Insights
Retail · refreshed weekly

How AI wants fashion & clothing

Fashion & Clothing is decided on affinity: John Lewis indexes 128 there against Pepco at 73, a 55-point spread. John Lewis holds the strongest overall profile, indexing 122 against the category average: ahead on all three. But the brand assistants name most often is Very, not the category's market leader: being desired and being named are not the same measurement. Across these 33 brands, attachment tracks being named most closely (rank correlation 0.33).

33 brands · 60 AI answers · 528 dimension scores · measured, never estimated

Attraction Standing out in the answer: named first, described as superior, magnetic and influential.
Affinity Belonging in the answer: tied to identity, values and legitimacy, not just specifications.
Attachment Staying in the answer: recommended again, dependable, easy, part of the routine.
AttractionAffinityAttachment Each whorl lights one ring per index threshold cleared (90 / 96 / 102 / 108 / 115)

100 = the average brand in the same category.100 = the average brand across every category in the index.

Retail

Fashion & Clothingupset

#Brand AttractionAffinityAttachment SummaryNamed in
1 John Lewis: Attraction 116, Affinity 128, Attachment 128John Lewis: Attraction 106, Affinity 121, Attachment 124John Lewis 116106 128121 128124 Ahead on all threeAhead on all three 12%
2 Next: Attraction 115, Affinity 118, Attachment 119Next: Attraction 105, Affinity 112, Attachment 115Next 115105 118112 119115 Ahead on all threeAhead on all three 25%
3 Marks Spencer: Attraction 113, Affinity 118, Attachment 112Marks Spencer: Attraction 103, Affinity 112, Attachment 109Marks & Spencer 113103 118112 112109 Ahead on all threeCredible, not first choice 20%
4 Boden: Attraction 115, Affinity 121, Attachment 111Boden: Attraction 105, Affinity 114, Attachment 107Boden 115105 121114 111107 Ahead on all threeAhead on all three 0%
5 Zara: Attraction 116, Affinity 102, Attachment 113Zara: Attraction 106, Affinity 97, Attachment 110Zara 116106 10297 113110 Chosen, not lovedChosen, not loved 8%
6 Uniqlo: Attraction 110, Affinity 114, Attachment 104Uniqlo: Attraction 100, Affinity 108, Attachment 100Uniqlo 110100 114108 104100 Ahead on all threeCredible, not first choice 3%
7 Whistles: Attraction 110, Affinity 114, Attachment 96Whistles: Attraction 100, Affinity 108, Attachment 93Whistles 110100 114108 9693 Noticed, not returned toCredible, not first choice 2%
8 COS: Attraction 110, Affinity 114, Attachment 96COS: Attraction 100, Affinity 108, Attachment 93COS 110100 114108 9693 Noticed, not returned toCredible, not first choice 0%
9 White Stuff: Attraction 106, Affinity 117, Attachment 96White Stuff: Attraction 96, Affinity 110, Attachment 93White Stuff 10696 117110 9693 Noticed, not returned toLiked, not chosen 0%
10 ASOS: Attraction 104, Affinity 99, Attachment 112ASOS: Attraction 95, Affinity 94, Attachment 109ASOS 10495 9994 112109 Chosen, not lovedRelied on, not exciting 7%
11 Joules: Attraction 107, Affinity 109, Attachment 96Joules: Attraction 98, Affinity 103, Attachment 93Joules 10798 109103 9693 Noticed, not returned toLiked, not chosen 0%
12 HM: Attraction 102, Affinity 99, Attachment 108HM: Attraction 93, Affinity 94, Attachment 104H&M 10293 9994 108104 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 10%
13 Schuh: Attraction 101, Affinity 99, Attachment 111Schuh: Attraction 92, Affinity 94, Attachment 107Schuh 10192 9994 111107 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 0%
14 New Look: Attraction 101, Affinity 95, Attachment 106New Look: Attraction 92, Affinity 90, Attachment 103New Look 10192 9590 106103 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 0%
15 Monsoon: Attraction 106, Affinity 102, Attachment 96Monsoon: Attraction 96, Affinity 97, Attachment 93Monsoon 10696 10297 9693 Noticed, not returned toLiked, not chosen 0%
16 FatFace: Attraction 98, Affinity 109, Attachment 99FatFace: Attraction 89, Affinity 103, Attachment 96FatFace 9889 109103 9996 Credible, not first choiceLiked, not chosen 0%
17 Mango: Attraction 101, Affinity 102, Attachment 96Mango: Attraction 92, Affinity 97, Attachment 93Mango 10192 10297 9693 Liked, not chosenLiked, not chosen 0%
18 Phase Eight: Attraction 99, Affinity 106, Attachment 96Phase Eight: Attraction 91, Affinity 101, Attachment 93Phase Eight 9991 106101 9693 Credible, not first choiceLiked, not chosen 0%
19 Tesco: Attraction 93, Affinity 99, Attachment 106Tesco: Attraction 85, Affinity 94, Attachment 103Tesco 9385 9994 106103 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 8%
20 Sainsbury's: Attraction 95, Affinity 102, Attachment 104Sainsbury's: Attraction 86, Affinity 97, Attachment 100Sainsbury's 9586 10297 104100 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 13%
21 Boohoo: Attraction 99, Affinity 77, Attachment 104Boohoo: Attraction 91, Affinity 73, Attachment 100Boohoo 9991 7773 104100 Relied on, not excitingRelied on, not exciting 2%
22 Primark: Attraction 99, Affinity 89, Attachment 89Primark: Attraction 91, Affinity 84, Attachment 87Primark 9991 8984 8987 Noticed, not returned toBehind on all three 12%
23 River Island: Attraction 95, Affinity 85, Attachment 96River Island: Attraction 86, Affinity 80, Attachment 93River Island 9586 8580 9693 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 0%
24 TK Maxx: Attraction 98, Affinity 85, Attachment 92TK Maxx: Attraction 89, Affinity 80, Attachment 89TK Maxx 9889 8580 9289 Noticed, not returned toBehind on all three 2%
25 Very: Attraction 92, Affinity 87, Attachment 99Very: Attraction 83, Affinity 83, Attachment 96Very 9283 8783 9996 Relied on, not excitingBehind on all three 28%
26 Debenhams: Attraction 93, Affinity 87, Attachment 96Debenhams: Attraction 85, Affinity 83, Attachment 93Debenhams 9385 8783 9693 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 0%
27 School Trends: Attraction 92, Affinity 95, Attachment 92School Trends: Attraction 83, Affinity 90, Attachment 89School Trends 9283 9590 9289 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 2%
28 Trutex: Attraction 93, Affinity 95, Attachment 85Trutex: Attraction 85, Affinity 90, Attachment 82Trutex 9385 9590 8582 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 3%
29 Matalan: Attraction 87, Affinity 89, Attachment 92Matalan: Attraction 79, Affinity 84, Attachment 89Matalan 8779 8984 9289 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 5%
30 Price Buckland: Attraction 90, Affinity 95, Attachment 85Price Buckland: Attraction 82, Affinity 90, Attachment 82Price & Buckland 9082 9590 8582 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 2%
31 ASDA: Attraction 85, Affinity 87, Attachment 92ASDA: Attraction 78, Affinity 83, Attachment 89ASDA 8578 8783 9289 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 8%
32 Nutmeg: Attraction 84, Affinity 87, Attachment 89Nutmeg: Attraction 76, Affinity 83, Attachment 87Nutmeg 8476 8783 8987 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 0%
33 Pepco: Attraction 75, Affinity 73, Attachment 78Pepco: Attraction 68, Affinity 69, Attachment 76Pepco 7568 7369 7876 Behind on all threeBehind on all three 0%

Indexed against the average of the 33 indexed fashion & clothing brands, so 100 is the category average and a brand is read against the rivals it actually competes with.Indexed against the average of every indexed brand in the whole index — 1,605 brands across 61 categories — so 100 is the average brand anywhere here and a number reads the same on every board. 33 fashion & clothing brands, measured across 60 AI answers in the latest weekly run.

Driver by driver

Where the category actually separates. A wide spread means assistants describe these brands very differently on that driver; a narrow one means it is table stakes.

Affinity

55-point spread · tracks being named 0.07
John Lewis128
Pepco73

The widest field of the three: this is where the category separates.

Attachment

50-point spread · tracks being named 0.33
John Lewis128
Pepco78

Real separation, but not the category’s defining contest.

Attraction

41-point spread · tracks being named 0.09
John Lewis116
Pepco75

The tightest of the three: most brands land close together here.

Where each brand stands

Each brand's three indices, summed up in a line: which drivers it is ahead on, which it is behind on, and the one to build next. A brand that is noticed but not returned to has a different problem from one that is relied on but not exciting.

John Lewis: Attraction 116, Affinity 128, Attachment 128
Ahead on all three
Above average on attraction, affinity and attachment.
John Lewis · Next · Marks & Spencer · Boden · Uniqlo
No driver is behind; protect the lead.
Whistles: Attraction 110, Affinity 114, Attachment 96
Noticed, not returned to
Attraction is its strongest driver; attachment trails behind it.
Whistles · COS · White Stuff · Joules · Monsoon · Primark · TK Maxx
Build next: attachment
HM: Attraction 102, Affinity 99, Attachment 108
Relied on, not exciting
Attachment is its strongest driver; attraction trails behind it.
H&M · Schuh · New Look · Tesco · Sainsbury's · Boohoo · Very
Build next: attraction
FatFace: Attraction 98, Affinity 109, Attachment 99
Credible, not first choice
Affinity (identity, values, legitimacy) is its strongest driver.
FatFace · Phase Eight
Build next: attraction
Mango: Attraction 101, Affinity 102, Attachment 96
Liked, not chosen
Affinity is its strongest driver; attachment is below average.
Mango
Build next: attachment
Zara: Attraction 116, Affinity 102, Attachment 113
Chosen, not loved
Attraction and attachment are ahead; affinity trails behind them.
Zara · ASOS
Build next: affinity
River Island: Attraction 95, Affinity 85, Attachment 96
Behind on all three
Below average on attraction, affinity and attachment.
River Island · Debenhams · School Trends · Trutex · Matalan · Price & Buckland · ASDA · Nutmeg · Pepco
Build next: attraction
John Lewis: Attraction 106, Affinity 121, Attachment 124
Ahead on all three
Above average on attraction, affinity and attachment.
John Lewis · Next · Boden
No driver is behind; protect the lead.
ASOS: Attraction 95, Affinity 94, Attachment 109
Relied on, not exciting
Attachment is its strongest driver; attraction trails behind it.
ASOS · H&M · Schuh · New Look · Tesco · Sainsbury's · Boohoo
Build next: attraction
Marks Spencer: Attraction 103, Affinity 112, Attachment 109
Credible, not first choice
Affinity (identity, values, legitimacy) is its strongest driver.
Marks & Spencer · Uniqlo · Whistles · COS
Build next: attraction
White Stuff: Attraction 96, Affinity 110, Attachment 93
Liked, not chosen
Affinity is its strongest driver; attachment is below average.
White Stuff · Joules · Monsoon · FatFace · Mango · Phase Eight
Build next: attachment
Zara: Attraction 106, Affinity 97, Attachment 110
Chosen, not loved
Attraction and attachment are ahead; affinity trails behind them.
Zara
Build next: affinity
Primark: Attraction 91, Affinity 84, Attachment 87
Behind on all three
Below average on attraction, affinity and attachment.
Primark · River Island · TK Maxx · Very · Debenhams · School Trends · Trutex · Matalan · Price & Buckland · ASDA · Nutmeg · Pepco
Build next: attraction

What assistants actually talk about

The sixteen dimensions underneath the drivers, scored 0–10 on how the answers describe each brand. Spread is the distance between the strongest and weakest brand: the widest are where a brand can still separate itself, the narrowest are the price of entry.

Where brands separate

DimensionDriverCategory avgStrongestSpread
Style & Aesthetic Attraction 6.7 Whistles 9.0 5.0
Boldness & Creativity Attraction 5.4 Zara 8.0 5.0
Sustainability & Ethics Affinity 5.8 John Lewis 8.0 5.0
Trust & Credibility Affinity 7.5 John Lewis 10.0 5.0
Delivery & Fulfilment Attachment 6.9 John Lewis 9.0 5.0

Where everyone reads alike

DimensionDriverCategory avgStrongestSpread
Reliability & Consistency Affinity 7.3 Marks & Spencer 9.0 3.0
Range & Availability Attachment 7.2 Zara 9.0 3.0
Ease of Use & Onboarding Attachment 7.3 John Lewis 9.0 3.0
Value & Pricing Attraction 6.9 Boohoo 9.0 4.0
Customer Service & Support Attachment 6.7 John Lewis 9.0 4.0

Does desire track being recommended?

Rank correlation between a brand's driver index and the share of answers naming it, across the 33 indexed brands in this category. A relationship inside one run's answers — descriptive, never causal, and easily moved by a single brand at this sample size.

Attraction0.09
Affinity0.07
Attachment0.33

Method & limitations

Every week, each category runs a fixed set of unbranded consumer prompts against ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. A separate model reads the answers and scores every brand named in them across 16 perception dimensions, 0–10. Those dimensions are grouped into the three Drivers of Desire from the Havas Science of Desire framework, and each brand's driver score is indexed against the average brand in its own category — 100 is the category average, 115 is fifteen per cent above it. The Vs all categories switch re-indexes the same scores against the average of every indexed brand across every category, so boards can be read against each other; the ranking inside a category is the same either way. Each category's own average, indexed against the whole index, is its place in the category table. The summary beside each brand describes where it stands on the three drivers against whichever benchmark is showing: above 104 counts as ahead, below 96 as behind.

This measures how AI assistants describe brands in their answers. It is not a survey of people, and it is not an endorsement: the scores are a reading of machine-generated text at the time of the run, and relationships between drivers and how often a brand is named are correlational. A brand needs at least six scored dimensions in a run to be indexed, and a category needs at least four such brands to get a board. See the full methodology.