Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definitions
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The Market
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- Figure 1: UK sales of women’s outerwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-16
- Market factors
- Ageing population will hinder the market
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- Figure 2: Trends in the age structure of the UK female population, 2006-16
- ABs present an opportunity for premiumisation
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- Figure 3: Forecast growth of the UK population, by socio-economic group, 2006-11 and 2011-16
- The obesity epidemic drives demand for bigger clothes
- The consumer
- Fashion is the top priority
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- Figure 4: What extra money is spent on, March 2012
- Value retailers lead the womenswear market
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- Figure 5: Outlets used to buy womenswear the last 12 months, March 2012
- M&S, Next and department stores have an upmarket following
- Supermarkets continue to extend their influence
- High street and higher-priced fashion stores attract youths
- Online vs mail order
- Most women shop every few months
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- Figure 6: Frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, March 2012
- Figure-flattering, comfortable and high quality
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- Figure 7: Agreement with statements on clothes, March 2012
- Four in ten women dislike trying clothes on in-store
- Young women are most fashion-oriented
- Older women feel overlooked by fashion retailers
- Three in ten women struggle to find flattering clothing
- Under-25s are most store-loyal
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards buying clothes, March
- DEs are most cost-conscious
- ABs opt for quality over quantity
- Under-25s are most influenced by advertising
- Are women becoming less cautious?
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- Are young women continuing to drive the performance of the fashion market?
- What are women looking for when buying new clothing?
- Are older women still being ignored on the high street?
- How is technology impacting upon the women’s fashion market?
- How can retailers make finding the right fit easier?
- What added value opportunities are there in the women’s fashion market?
Future Opportunities
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- Let’s Make a Deal
- Carnivore, Herbivore…Locavore
Market Environment
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- Key Points
- Ageing population poses a challenge
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- Figure 10: Trends in the age structure of the UK female, 2006-16
- ABs present an opportunity for premiumisation
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- Figure 11: Forecast growth of the UK population, by socio-economic group, 2006-11 and 2011-16
- Female obesity is on the rise
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- Figure 12: Trends in women’s obesity, 2006-11
- Figure 13: Women’s overweight and obesity, by demographics, 2011
- Seven in ten women have a broadband connection
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- Figure 14: Broadband penetration, by gender, age and socio-economic group, 2004-11
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- Figure 15: Attitudes towards shopping and browsing for clothes online, by gender, January 2012
- Clothing inflation continues to rise
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- Figure 16: Inflation in clothing and footwear, January 2009-March 2012
- Figure 17: Year-on-year change in average monthly cotton prices, January 2010-March 2012
- Consumer confidence remains in deep negative territory
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- Figure 18: Trends in consumer confidence, January 2009-April 2012
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- New launches
- Tackling the sizing problem
- The ‘virtual fitting room’ concept
- Clothing with a conscience
- Celebrity lines
- Designer collaborations are en vogue
- Improvement to the plus-size fashion offering on the high street
Market Size and Forecast
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- Clothing inflation drives up market value
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- Figure 19: UK sales of women’s outerwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-16
- The future
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- Figure 20: UK sales of women’s outerwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-16
- Factors used in the forecast
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 21: Attitudes towards and usage of brands in the womenswear sector, March 2012
- Correspondence analysis
- Brand attitudes
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- Figure 22: Attitudes, by womenswear brand, March 2012
- Brand personality
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- Figure 23: Womenswear brand personality – macro image, March 2012
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- Figure 24: Womenswear brand personality – micro image, March 2012
- Brand experience
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- Figure 25: Womenswear brand usage, March 2012
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- Figure 26: Satisfaction with various womenswear brands, March 2012
- Figure 27: Consideration of womenswear brands, March 2012
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- Figure 28: Consumer perceptions of current womenswear brand performance, March 2012
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- Figure 29: Womenswear brand recommendation – Net Promoter Score, March 2012
- Brand index
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- Figure 30: Womenswear brand index, March 2012
- Figure 31: Womenswear brand index vs. recommendation, March 2012
- Target group analysis
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- Figure 32: Target groups, March 2012
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- Figure 33: Womenswear brand usage, by target groups, March 2012
- Group One – Conformists
- Group Two – Simply the Best
- Group Three – Shelf Stalkers
- Group Four – Habitual Shoppers
- Group Five – Individualists
Women’s Attitudes Towards Personal Appearance, by Lifestage
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- Key Points
- The lifestages and their descriptions
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- Figure 34: Women’s attitudes towards personal appearance, 2007-11
- Young women are most concerned about image
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- Figure 35: Agreement with ‘I look after my appearance, my image’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Figure 36: Agreement with ‘It is important to me to be attractive to the opposite sex’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Four in ten women are style-confident
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- Figure 37: Agreement with ‘I have a very good sense of style’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Looking young
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- Figure 38: Agreement with ‘It is important to me to keep young looking’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Young women are most sporty
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- Figure 39: Agreement with ‘I do some form of sport or exercise at least once a week’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Older women want to be fit and active
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- Figure 40: Agreement with ‘What I want most is to be fit and active’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Figure 41: Most likely to visit leisure centre/gym/health club in the last 12 months, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Half of women are on a diet
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- Figure 42: Most likely to be slimming in the last 12 months, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
Women’s Attitudes Towards Shopping for Clothes, by Lifestage
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- Key Points
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- Figure 43: Women’s attitudes towards personal appearance, 2007-11
- Young women are most fashion-oriented
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- Figure 44: Agreement with ‘It is important to me to look well dressed’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Figure 45: Agreement with ‘I like to keep up with the latest fashions’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Older women prefer comfort over style
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- Figure 46: Agreement with ‘I buy clothes for comfort, not for style’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Shopping for clothes
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- Figure 47: Agreement with ‘I really enjoy shopping for clothes’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Flown the Nest women have cut back
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- Figure 48: Agreement with ‘Every season I buy some new clothes’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Figure 49: Agreement with ‘I spend a lot on clothes’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Most women make their clothing last
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- Figure 50: Agreement with ‘I make my clothes last’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- One in 13 make their own clothes
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- Figure 51: Agreement with ‘I make my own clothes’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Jeans fall in popularity among young women
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- Figure 52: Agreement with ‘I usually wear jeans’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
- Young women are most drawn to designer labels
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- Figure 53: Agreement with ‘A designer label improves a person’s image’, by lifestage group, 2010 and 2011
What Women Buy
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- Key Points
- Slight decline in purchasing of womenswear
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- Figure 54: Trends in outerwear bought in the last 12 months, 2007-11
- Dresses surge in popularity
- Coat purchases rise
- Suits decline in popularity
- Rise in spend on womenswear
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- Figure 55: Trends in average amount spent on women’s outerwear in the last 12 months, 2007-11
The Consumer – Women’s Spending Priorities
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- Key Points
- Fashion is the top priority
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- Figure 56: What extra money is spent on, March 2012
- Under-25s place the greatest emphasis on fashion
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- Figure 57: Consumers who spend extra money on clothing, shoes or jewellery, by age and economic group, March 2012
The Consumer – Where Women Buy Clothes
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- Key Points
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- Figure 58: Outlets used to buy clothing, underwear and footwear in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 59: Outlets used to buy clothing in the last 12 months, March 2012
- Primark is women’s favoured retailer
- M&S has an upmarket and mature following
- Next is the most popular mid-market player
- More women are shopping in supermarkets
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- Figure 60: Women who have bought clothing from supermarkets in the last 12 months, by age and socio-economic groups, February 2011 and March 2012
- High street fashion stores attract youths
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- Figure 61: Consumers who have bought clothing from Topshop, River Island, New Look, H&M and other mid-market high street fashion retailers in the last 12 months, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Online vs mail order
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- Figure 62: Consumers who have bought clothing online or from mail order in the last 12 months, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Department stores fall in popularity
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- Figure 63: Consumers who have bought clothing in department stores in the last 12 months, by age and socio-economic group, February 2011 and March 2012
- Sports shops
The Consumer – How Often Women Buy Clothes
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- Key Points
- Most women shop every few months
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- Figure 64: Frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, March 2012
- Under-25s buy clothes most frequently
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- Figure 65: Frequency of buying clothes, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Older women are more reluctant shoppers
- Has women’s frequency of clothes shopping changed?
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- Figure 66: Frequency of buying clothes, February 2011 and March 2012
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- Figure 67: Women who purchase clothing either once a week, 2-3 times a month or once a month, by age and socio-economic group, February 2011 and March 2012
The Consumer – Women’s Attitudes Towards What They Wear
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- Key Points
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- Figure 68: Agreement with statements on clothes, March 2012
- Women want clothes to be figure-flattering and comfortable
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- Figure 69: Consumers who dress in a way that suits their figure regardless of what is in fashion and consumers who say that it is more important that their clothes are comfortable than the latest fashion, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- The importance of quality increases in line with age
- Four in ten women dislike trying clothes on in-store
- Young women are most fashion-conscious
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- Figure 70: Consumers who like to dress in a fashionable way and consumers who are confident they have a good sense of style, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Older women feel overlooked by fashion retailers
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- Figure 71: Consumers who think that most clothes stores only target young people and women who think that most advertising for clothing is not aimed at people of their age, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Young women like to receive clothing as gifts
- Three in ten women struggle to find flattering clothing
The Consumer - Women’s Attitudes Towards Shopping for Clothes
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- Key Points
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- Figure 72: Attitudes towards buying clothes, March 2012
- Under-25s are most store loyal
- DEs are most cost-conscious
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- Figure 73: Women who say price is the most important factor when they shop for clothes, women who mostly buy clothes on sale/special offer and women who shop around comparing prices before buying, by age and socio-economic group, March 2012
- Older women tend to buy for replacement
- ABs opt for quality over quantity
- A fifth of women mainly buy for others
- Under-25s are most influenced by advertising
- Are women becoming less cautious?
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- Figure 74: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
Appendix – Brand Research
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- Figure 75: Brand usage, March 2012
- Figure 76: Brand commitment, March 2012
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- Figure 77: Brand momentum, March 2012
- Figure 78: Brand diversity, March 2012
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- Figure 79: Brand satisfaction, March 2012
- Figure 80: Brand recommendation, March 2012
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- Figure 81: Brand attitude, March 2012
- Figure 82: Brand image – macro image, March 2012
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- Figure 83: Brand image – micro image, March 2012
- Figure 84: Profile of target groups, by demographic, March 2012
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- Figure 85: Psychographic segmentation, by target group, March 2012
- Figure 86: Brand usage, by target group, March 2012
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- Figure 87: Brand index, March 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Women’s Spending Priorities
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- Figure 88: Most popular what extra money is spent on, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 89: Next most popular what extra money is spent on, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Where Do Women Buy Clothes?
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- Figure 90: Most popular frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 91: Next most popular frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 92: Other frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 93: Least popular frequency of buying clothes, underwear and footwear, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 94: Most popular frequency of buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 95: Next most popular frequency of buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 96: Other frequency of buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 97: Least popular frequency of buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – How Often Do Women Buy Clothes?
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- Figure 98: Frequency of buying clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 99: Frequency of buying underwear, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 100: Frequency of buying footwear, by demographics, March 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Women’s Attitudes Towards What They Wear
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- Figure 101: Most popular statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 102: Next most popular statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 103: Other statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 104: Statements on clothes, by most popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 105: Statements on clothes, by next most popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 106: Statements on clothes, by popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 107: Statements on clothes, by other outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 108: Statements on clothes, by least popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Women’s Attitudes Towards Shopping for Clothes
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- Figure 109: Most popular statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 110: Next most popular statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 111: Other statements on clothes, by demographics, March 2012
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- Figure 112: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by most popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 113: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by next most popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 114: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 115: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by other outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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- Figure 116: Attitudes towards buying clothes, by least popular outlets used to buying women’s clothes in the last 12 months, March 2012
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