Apparel, Clothing and Footwear

Store-based fashion retail is heavily concentrated in city-centre commercial areas or shopping malls. Diminished footfall, because of both growing e-commerce penetration and hybrid working arrangements following the COVID-19 pandemic can support…

Generation Z, comprising one-fifth of the global population, is poised to wield significant consumer influence. However, their polarized behaviours toward social activism, technology, and spending present challenges for businesses. This report…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence among the key economies remains. Supply chain and commodities markets disruptions remain the key risks for…

The report examines inflation level and drivers globally and in the key countries. Global inflation is forecast to accelerate due to higher energy and commodity prices, disruptions in supply chains and weaker business confidence. Impact varies…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is moderating, although volatility in the energy markets and faster consumption growth in China are among the key risks that could increase inflation.…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence among the key economies increases. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of agricultural commodities…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

The briefing examines how the textile and leather products industry performs globally and in the largest countries in terms of textile and leather products output. The report also provides data for production, market size, imports, exports, industry…

The global outlook has improved as of Q1 2021, thanks to vaccination progress in many developed countries. Nevertheless, the recovery prospects remain distant for most economies in the face of the spread of new, more infectious variants of the virus.…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession in nearly a century. Businesses are operating in a world of anxieties and uncertainties, not knowing what will be the new normal or when output and consumer spending…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

As the end of 2021 approaches, almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence and rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant has increased uncertainty and weakened the momentum of the global recovery. This series of quarterly reports…

H&M confronts challenging times due to unprecedented inflation and a global cost-of-living crisis, forcing consumers to rethink their discretionary expenses. Moreover, a sluggish economic recovery in China, coupled with the loss of the Russian and…

Retail sales of hosiery in Argentina have historically been concentrated in specialist stores. This is particularly the case with sheer hosiery items, which are mainly sold in outlets that also offer underwear, swimwear and nightwear. Similarly,…

Unlike many other apparel categories, hosiery is considered as a staple in wardrobes, with consumers regularly engaging in the purchase and replacement of these items. After seeing decline in 2020, the hosiery category has rebounded, and is set to be…

Hosiery slowed down in Austria in 2023 in comparison with 2022, as the cost of living crisis instilled caution over spending among consumers. Additionally, consumers purchased more hosiery in 2022, after two years of reduced demand due to the…

In 2023, the hosiery category in Brazil proved resilient, as this is a fundamental and enduring investment, and a staple in the everyday wardrobe of the Brazilian population. This significance became even more apparent in the wake of the pandemic, as…

Sheer hosiery experiences a solid increase in 2023, rebounding from a slight dip in 2022. The growth gains momentum as employees transition back to the workplace under hybrid or back-to-the-workplace models. Unlike 2022, where remote work policies…

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…

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…

Executive events, forums and union meetings have been reactivated post pandemic, and the trend in hosiery is the use of trendy stockings with vibrant colours and patterns: stripes, dots, cartoons and even fruits. Some businessmen mix them with the…

Hosiery witnessed an increase in current value growth in 2023 fuelled by price rises, but this only lowered consumer confidence forcing cutbacks on these products, alongside other apparel. The category was heavily impacted by COVID-19 as women spent…

Soaring prices in the hosiery category led to double-digit value growth in 2023, although volume sales reported a significant decline. High inflation remains an issue fuelled by escalating input costs, including raw materials like cotton. The…

Hosiery is another category in negative volume growth, while value is better supported by inflationary factors. Both sheer hosiery and non-sheer hosiery are showing such slumps, with sheer hosiery performing slightly better by a tiny margin. That…

In 2023, hosiery in Germany has continued experiencing a shift in consumer behaviour, which started along with the reopening of businesses. Given the return to events outside of the home, such as socialising, travel, and office work, sheer hosiery is…

Extremely high inflation levels, resulting in price increases across most consumer goods, have directly impacted household purchasing power and led to changes in consumer behaviour. Within hosiery, consumers have become more price-sensitive,…

As social restrictions have been removed in Hong Kong and consumers are gradually returning to their pre-pandemic routines, there has been a notable surge in demand for hosiery. After a period of reduced social interactions and remote working,…

The popularity of sheer hosiery is decreasing in Hungary and this is a reflection of contemporary fashion trends. Sheer hosiery is generally worn in combination with women’s skirts and women’s dresses, especially shorter dresses and skirts that leave…

In 2023, domestic travel in India witnessed remarkable growth of 56%, reflecting a significant increase in the number of people spending time away from their homes. This surge in travel activities, in turn, contributed to a higher retail volume…

Retail volume sales of hosiery in Indonesia managed to achieve only modest growth in 2023, with demand remaining well below pre-pandemic levels. The category saw a better performance in 2021 and 2022, following the return of Indonesians to their…

In 2022, Israel’s hosiery sales were boosted by a protracted winter, which ended much later than usual, and retail stores adapting to the weather and continuing to push their winter products with bigger discounts. On the other hand, 2023 saw…

Hosiery continued on its way towards recovery in 2023, after the steep decline in retail volume and current value sales recorded in 2020. The recovery started in 2021 and continued throughout 2022 as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gradually…

2020 was a year of decline for overall apparel and footwear, but for hosiery it was a disaster. One-third of the category’s volume and value sales vanished in just this year. 2021 and 2022 also saw declines, although at a much slower rate. Even in…

Demand for hosiery improved significantly in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. The return of consumers to their physical offices boosted demand for sheer hosiery, as did an increase in the number of social outings, as tights tend to be…

After the post-pandemic years, a shift back towards more formal attire in the workplace has been emerging in 2023, despite the persistence of hybrid work models. While many employees continue to work remotely for part of the week, the days spent in…

Hosiery purchases in Morocco continue to reflect low brand loyalty, primarily occurring as incidental buys during other shopping trips. The prevailing difficult economic conditions have severely constrained consumer finances, prompting a…

Sales of hosiery slumped in retail volume terms in 2023 as the challenging economic conditions in Nigeria put pressure on disposable income. With high inflation limiting consumer spending power consumers were forced to become more frugal and to focus…

Following two years of solid performance, hosiery is registering a decline in volume sales in 2023. However, modest value sales growth will result from inflation and rising unit prices. As local consumers have returned to apparel and footwear retail…

Economic dynamics, notably high inflation and escalating living costs have fuelled a greater emphasis among consumers in Poland on price-consciousness. This inclination has driven a significant demand for cost-effective yet high-quality hosiery…

Hosiery registered positive retail volume growth in 2023 while recovering from the downturn it experienced in 2020. Sales of hosiery are often driven by products needing to be replaced, as well as the essential element of items such as underwear.…

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…

Non-sheer hosiery continues to perform better than sheer hosiery in Saudi Arabia, supported by the rising athleisure and sporting trends, which support sports socks. On the other hand, the hot climate in the Kingdom, which has extreme summers, plays…

Hosiery is set to see strong retail volume and current value growth in 2023, especially non-sheer hosiery, owing to the athleisure trend in the region. As more people are starting to dress casually and prioritise comfort, sneakers have more often…

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 the lifting of the mask mandate in 2023 amid the waning impact of COVID-19 in South Korea, local consumer are enjoying outdoor activities, including participating in sports, without restrictions. In particular, demand for non-sheer hosiery has…

Retail sales of hosiery saw minimal growth in constant value terms in 2023. This was partly due to the high cost of living, in the context of elevated inflation and rising interest rates, which led a significant number of local consumers to trade…