Apparel, Clothing and Footwear

In the United Arab Emirates, the category of menswear is notably larger in size than womenswear, both in terms of retail volume and value sales: this is contrary to the global trend where sales of womenswear tend to be much greater. This is due to…

Since the end of the zero-COVID policy, the consumer environment has been gradually returning to normal, and menswear is anticipated to experience a substantial single-digit rebound in China in 2023, although is not quite expected to revert to its…

The population of the United Arab Emirates is extremely young, with the majority comprising millennials or young professionals in this expat-driven market. As a consequence, jeans remain a popular fashion choice, and are often worn casually or for…

Thanks to the end of the zero-COVID policy and the resurgence of retro fashion, jeans is set to experience significant high single-digit current value growth in 2023. The popularity of the retro trend has not only favoured denim jeans, but has also…

Non-sheer options dominate demand for hosiery in the United Arab Emirates, and continues to record stable growth rates. Demand is being driven by changing fashion preferences, especially among younger consumers, who increasingly choose bare legs or…

Despite the downturn in retail current value sales in 2022, which can be attributed to the impact of pandemic-induced restrictions, the alleviation of such measures in 2023 is poised to herald a resurgence for hosiery, culminating in a notable…

In terms of retail volume sales in the United Arab Emirates, men's footwear traditionally holds larger share compared to the women's segment, primarily due to demographics. However, women's footwear is experiencing faster growth in both retail volume…

After the lifting of the zero-COVID policy and the subsequent relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions at the beginning of 2023, the restoration of logistics and a resurgence in offline consumption was seen. This, in turn, is set to catalyse a…

In the past, luxury brands often imported their marketing strategies directly from their European headquarters to the United Arab Emirates. However, the pandemic underscored the significance of localising marketing efforts, as the consumer base…

As pandemic restrictions were lifted in China at the beginning of 2023, bricks-and-mortar sales have gradually been returning after the 2022 decline due to periodic lockdowns. The apparel and footwear industry, including childrenswear, is therefore…

Apparel and footwear in the United Arab Emirates continues to record a strong performance in current value growth terms, building on the strong momentum it gained in 2022 when sales surged due to pent-up demand resulting from the pandemic. Amid…

With the end of the zero-COVID policy towards the end of 2022, China’s consumer landscape has undergone a gradual transition back to normalcy. While 2023 experienced a temporary dip in sales of apparel and footwear, influenced by both COVID-19 and…

In the United Arab Emirates, items such as gloves, belts, scarves, hats/caps are widely popular because local consumers have a strong penchant for accessorising their outfits. Being a fashion-forward market, there is an abundance of choices for…

While many people have adopted a more casual and minimalist approach to their clothing style, their pursuit of aesthetics and individuality remains undiminished. They tend to lean towards using apparel accessories to embellish their simple attire and…

Following robust growth in 2021, womenswear in the US experienced a pronounced deceleration in both value and volume growth in 2022, and this slower rate of growth is set to be maintained in 2023. This slowdown can be attributed to the return to the…

In the face of peaking inflation rates and declining consumer confidence in 2022, sports apparel and footwear outperformed the broader apparel and footwear industry. This trend has extended into 2023, with sportswear displaying remarkable resilience…

Despite seeing robust recovery in 2021, the current value growth rate of menswear notably decelerated in 2022, and has faced continuing challenges in 2023. This slowdown can primarily be attributed to the return to the pre-pandemic level of sales,…

In 2022, jeans experienced a slight drop in volume sales, while showing a marginal increase in current value terms, primarily attributed to surging inflation and economic uncertainties leading to higher prices, which in turn dampened consumer…

In 2020, although turning to decline, hosiery displayed remarkable resilience, standing out for its performance amongst various categories in apparel and footwear. This resilience stemmed from the continued demand for non-sheer hosiery, which became…

After experiencing a significant decline in 2020 due to the pandemic, sales of footwear rebounded notably in 2021, seeing a full recovery. This resurgence was driven by consumers eager to update their wardrobes and regain a sense of normalcy as…

Childrenswear in the US, which showed recovery from the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, faced significant challenges in 2022, and this has continued in 2023, due to the impact of inflation and the rising cost of living.…

Apparel and footwear in the US, which saw robust growth in 2021, encountered a noticeable deceleration in both current value and volume terms starting from 2022. This slowdown can primarily be attributed to the persistent inflation and ongoing…

In 2020, current value sales of apparel accessories witnessed a significant decline, with limited demand for these items, except for face masks (included under other apparel accessories). While the category experienced some value growth in 2021, it…

The first live-action Barbie film was released in South Africa in 2023, encouraging many apparel and footwear specialists to stock various licensed clothing items featuring the Barbie logo. Watching the Barbie film for many local consumers was a…

Inflation has shaped how Romanians make purchases, with impulse shopping now declining. However, demand for womenswear remained high in 2023, as consumers prefer to wait for discounts or sometimes even to buy in instalments rather than giving up…

While in 2023, current value and retail volume growth of womenswear has not reached the impressive double-digit figures recorded in 2021 (resulting in a full recovery to pre-pandemic sales levels, following a notable drop in 2020 as a result of…

Since the pandemic, many consumers have adopted healthy lifestyles that include regular workouts or walks. This in turn has fuelled demand for sportswear, with sales remaining buoyant in 2023. While increasingly busy consumers may have less time to…

Inflation and declining purchasing power generally drive down demand for non-essential products. Nevertheless, demand for sportswear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023, showing that there is still considerable room for growth in a context of…

Sportswear is the standout performer in Chilean apparel and footwear in terms of current value growth in 2023. While inflationary pressures have subdued demand for many apparel categories in general, sportswear’s growth remains positive due to the…

Since the pandemic, the focus on wearing formal attire has shifted to more casual trends in South Africa. This trend remains prevalent in 2023, with fewer formal attire ranges being displayed in various men’s apparel specialists. As a result, many…

Romanian men are putting more importance on their personal image and are willing to invest more in good quality apparel. This trend was reflected in a healthy growth rate in menswear in both value and volume terms in 2023. Nonetheless, inflation was…

Menswear continues to exhibited a notable slowdown in both value and retail volume growth in 2023 compared to 2022. This is in contrast to womenswear, which is demonstrating more robust expansion. Nevertheless, certain product categories such as…

Many South Africans face tough economic conditions due to the rising cost of living. This is forcing them to reduce their discretionary spending. Due to economic difficulties in the country, increasing numbers of consumers are trading down from…

In 2023, jeans maintained a significant growth rate in both value and volume terms. With the COVID-19 restrictions left behind, Romanians are going out more than before and want to dress appropriately. Nevertheless, cocooning remains an important…

While demand for jeans continues to rise in 2023, value sales growth is more moderate, driven by the economy segment in Chile, and in particular, economy women's jeans, with the latter continuing to record remarkable double-digit retail volume…

Hosiery remains a small and declining category in South Africa (in retail volume sales terms). Generally, hosiery will account for low share of shelf in most apparel and retail stores. Similarly, expansion potential is relatively limited as there is…

With consumers going out more than before, 2023 brought another year of growth for hosiery. In addition, given that the category is comprised of relatively inexpensive products, inflation was not a big factor for hosiery during the year. The category…

Hosiery, driven mainly by the non-sheer segment, has found itself in a challenging situation with weakening retail volume sales. Simultaneously, overall value is recording minimal growth. The stagnation in value and reduction in volume can be…

Many South Africans continue to struggle financially in 2023 due to the cost-of-living crisis, where high levels of inflation are impacting the cost of food, fuel and even mortgage and rent payments. Therefore, price-sensitive consumers are reducing…

After the 2021 rebound, volume sales of footwear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023. As Romanians are going out more often than before for work, leisure or travelling, their demand for footwear is also on the rise. This rise in demand is…

Despite a weak performance in terms of retail volume sales in 2023, footwear in Chile is demonstrating robust current value growth, primarily driven by the men’s and women’s segments. Notably, a proportion of this growth can be attributed to price…

Many local consumers remain extremely price sensitive in 2023 due to high levels of inflation impacting the prices of food, fuel, mortgage and even rent in South Africa. Hence, they are looking for value for money when they purchase childrenswear.…

Romanian consumers are showing a tendency to be more frugal in the context of high inflation with rising prices for raw materials and final products. This was reflected in a slight deceleration of the volume trend in 2023, though growth remained…

Childrenswear continues to experience a decline in value sales in 2023, a pattern consistent with the preceding year, and it remains one of the most heavily impacted categories within the broader apparel and footwear industry in the country. This…

For many South Africans, apparel and footwear is perceived as a non-essential purchase, with price-sensitive consumers reducing their discretionary spending in 2023 due to the impact of high inflation on food, fuel and even electricity. Consumers are…

Apparel and footwear continued to grow in both value and volume terms in 2023 despite a difficult economic context. Romanians are notably preoccupied with their personal image, and they display a high level of brand loyalty and are attracted to big…

Both retail value and volume growth of apparel and footwear in Chile continues to notably slow following 2021’s highs. During that year, strong growth was observed across most categories, supported by government aid, pension fund withdrawals, and the…

With many consumers struggling financially in South Africa, apparel accessories are regarded as non-essential purchases. With the high levels of inflation that impact the daily cost of living for South Africans, many consumers are reducing their…

Apparel accessories registered another year of growth in 2023, as Romanians continued to go out more often than before and, therefore, showed a higher level of preoccupation with their personal image. The difficult economic context meant that apparel…

Apparel accessories is another category that has felt the reverberations of climate shifts triggered by the El Niño phenomenon. These shifts have led to unprecedented winter heatwaves, directly hampering the sales of cold weather-related accessories…