What you need to know

The menswear market, which accounts for around 26% of the total clothing market, is experiencing a slower rate of growth, rising by only 1.2% to £15.4 billion in 2019, as the market becomes more competitive. Increased promotional activity has impacted growth in the sector as more menswear retailers have used discounts to drive sales in a challenging retail climate. Several retailers such as New Look and Whistles that opened standalone menswear stores have now closed these and pulled back from the sector. Menswear is forecast to see a big fall in sales in 2020 as the coronavirus outbreak is likely to have a negative impact on clothing sales and present significant challenges for the fashion sector.

Despite this there are still opportunities for growth in the sector as trend-led male 16-34s are the main shoppers and the most keen to experiment with new brands. A lot of the increasing choice in the men’s fashion market has come from the growth of young fashion menswear pureplays including boohooMAN, as well as ASOS, driven by a shift towards men shopping more online for clothes and young men purchasing on their smartphones and looking for fashion recommendations on social media.

Products covered in this Report

This Report examines the UK menswear market. It predominantly looks at the men’s clothing market and the market size excludes underwear, footwear and fashion accessories, although these categories may be discussed where relevant.

The consumer research includes the following;

  • How men shop for clothing

  • Where they shop for clothing

  • What drives purchasing of new clothes

  • Attitudes towards sizing and fit

  • Interest in innovations

  • Clothes shopping behaviours.

Back to top