Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on online fashion
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on online fashion sales and the broader fashion retailing categories, 23 November 2020
- The market
- Online fashion sales grow by 26% in 2020
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- Figure 2: Online consumer spending on clothing, footwear and accessories, 2015-25 (prepared on 17 November 2020)*
- Rising social media usage
- Companies and brands
- Retailers use AR and VR to support online experience
- ASOS is the most trusted online fashion brand
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- Figure 3: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, June-November 2020
- The consumer
- People are spending less on fashion
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- Figure 4: Consumer spending habits since COVID-19, 2-11 November 2020
- Footwear most purchased online
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- Figure 5: Fashion items purchased online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Purchasing via smartphones rises
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- Figure 6: How consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Amazon is the most popular pureplay for fashion
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- Figure 7: Where consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Free delivery and wide range are key……but so are unique brands
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- Figure 8: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when buying fashion online, August 2020
- Lockdowns fuel rise in social shopping for fashion
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- Figure 9: Changes in online fashion shopping behaviour since the start of the covid-19 outbreak, August 2020
- Females interested in fit solutions
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- Figure 10: Interest in the latest innovations when shopping online for fashion, August 2020
- High level of demand for more product transparency online
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- Figure 11: Agreement with online fashion shopping behaviours, August 2020
Issues and Insights
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- Impact of COVID-19 on the online fashion market
- What is behind the success of the main winners in online fashion?
- How can retailers stand out in an increasingly competitive online fashion market?
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Online fashion sales grow by 26% in 2020
- Online captures over half of fashion spending
- Rising social media usage
Market Size and Forecast
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- COVID-19 shifts fashion sales online
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- Figure 11: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on online fashion sales and the broader fashion retailing categories, 23 November 2020
- Online fashion sales grow by 26% in 2020
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- Figure 12: Online consumer spending on clothing, footwear and accessories, 2015-25 (prepared on 17 November 2020)*
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- Figure 13: Online consumer spending on clothing, footwear and accessories, 2015-25 (prepared on 17 November 2020)
- Sales dip before returning to steady growth
- Online captures over half of fashion spending
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- Figure 14: Online as a percentage of all spending on clothing, footwear and accessories, 2016-20
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 15: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 23 November 2020)
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 16: Value sales of online clothing, footwear and accessories, 2006-12
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Smartphone ownership reaches peak in April 2020
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- Figure 17: Personal ownership of consumer technology products, June 2020
- Rising social media usage
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- Figure 18: Social and media networks used, March 2020
- Consumers cut back on discretionary fashion purchases
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- Figure 19: How respondents would describe their financial situation, August 2020
- Consumers saving rather than buying fashion
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- Figure 20: What extra money is spent on, November 2020
- UK household internet access above EU average
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- Figure 21: UK household broadband internet access, 2010-19
- Changes in the population
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- Figure 22: Population trends 2020-30
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Retailers use AR and VR to support online experience
- ASOS is the most trusted online fashion brand
- Next has the largest share of the online fashion market
Market Shares
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- Next has the largest share of the online fashion market
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- Figure 23: Top ten online fashion retailers within the UK by estimated market share (excluding VAT), 2019
- Figure 24: Top fifteen online fashion retailers within the UK by estimated market share (excluding VAT), 2018 and 2019
- COVID-19 will have driven up the share of pureplays
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- AR and VR technologies help customers shop safely
- Farfetch’s latest off-White sneakers allow customers to try on virtually
- ASOS accelerates AR clothes fitting service
- Diesel unveils digital showroom Hyperoom
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- Figure 25: Diesel’s digital selling platform and showroom, 2020
- Gucci launches virtual shopping service in Italy
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- Figure 26: Gucci live shopping service, 2020
- Burberry launches new AR shopping tool
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- Figure 27: Burberry’s AR search tool, 2020
- Prada launches virtual tours of its ateliers and boutiques
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- Figure 28: Prada Virtual reality tour of one its production sites, 2020
- Retailers strengthen online capabilities and offerings
- Missguided teams up with InPost UK to offer contact-free click-&-collect service
- John Lewis launches virtual appointment and personal styling services
- Mango launches virtual chatbot
- M&S bra-fitting goes digital
- Morrisons opens dedicated clothing website for Nutmeg
- Social media helps retailers bolster customer engagement
- Whatsapp to provide in-app purchases
- Prada launches talk series on Instagram
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- Figure 29: Advert for Prada Possible Conversations on its Instagram account, 2020
- Louis Vuitton adds behind-the-scenes content to its YouTube channel
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- Figure 30: Louis Vuitton’s LVTV video on YouTube, 2020
- TikTok launches business platform for retailers
- Sustainability
- Cos launches resale platforms
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- Figure 31: Cos Resell platform, 2020
- Very introduces clothing resale service
- ASOS launches first circular fashion collection
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- Figure 32: Asos circular recycled unisex denim jacket, 2020
- Face mask launches
- MaskClub subscription service launches in the UK
- Face masks vending machines
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertising spend to decrease in 2020 due to COVID-19
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- Figure 33: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on fashion by pureplays, 2017-20
- Shein launches first OOH campaign in 2020
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- Figure 34: Shein’s ‘Walk Your Wonderful’ OOH campaign, 2020
- Net-a-Porter launches modest collection for Ramadan in 2019
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- Figure 35: Net-a-Porter’s dedicated Ramadan campaign, 2019
- JD Williams’ empowering Autumn 2019 campaign
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- Figure 36: JD Williams ‘Compliments.You Deserve Them’ campaign, 2019
- Pretty Little Thing celebrates women in dedicated International Women’s Day campaign
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- Figure 37: PrettyLittleThing International Women’s Day campaign, 2019
- Boohoo leverages TikTok to attract Gen Z shoppers
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- Figure 38: Boohoo’s ‘Move Me’ TV advert, 2020
- Figure 39: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on fashion by pureplays, by top advertisers, 2016-2020
- Digital overtakes TV
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- Figure 40: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on fashion by pureplays, by media type, 2019
- Figure 41: UK online fashion retail: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on fashion by pureplays, by media type, 2019
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 42: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, June-November 2020
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 43: Key metrics for selected brands, June-November 2020
- Brand attitudes: Very perceived to offer great customer service
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- Figure 44: Attitudes, by brand, June-November 2020
- Brand personality: Boohoo and Shein seen as most fun
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- Figure 45: Brand personality – macro image, June-November 2020
- Most trusted brand ASOS is seen as accessible
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- Figure 46: Brand personality – micro image, June-November 2020
- Brand analysis
- Simply Be is more highly trusted than Very and JD Williams
- In The Style and Shein seen as cutting edge and responsive
- Net-a-Porter an aspirational and expensive brand
- Sosoander seen as authoritative and ethical
- Young fashion pureplayers respond to changing consumer demands with agility
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- People are spending less on fashion
- Amazon most popular pureplay for fashion
- Free delivery and wide range are key……but so are unique brands
- Lockdowns fuel rise in social shopping for fashion
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Concerns over contracting COVID-19 rise amid second lockdown
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- Figure 47: Level of concern regarding exposure to COVID-19, May-November 2020
- Consumers limit time spent in stores…
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- Figure 48: COVID-19 behaviour, time spent in-store, April-November 2020
- …and shop more online…
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- Figure 49: COVID-19 behaviour: Online shopping use, April-November 2020
- Consumers use click-&-collect to stay safe
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- Figure 50: COVID-19 behaviour: click-&-collect usage, April-November 2020
- People are spending less on fashion
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- Figure 51: Consumer spending habits since COVID-19, 2-11 November 2020
- Support for independents to fight back
Fashion Items Bought Online
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- Footwear most purchased online
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- Figure 52: Fashion items purchased online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Loungewear suits our lifestyles
- Women and high earners drive online purchasing
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- Figure 53: Fashion items purchased online in the last 12 months, by gender, August 2020
- Young buy highest repertoire of fashion categories
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- Figure 54: Repertoire of fashion categories purchased online in the last 12 months, by age, August 2020
How They Shop
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- Purchasing via smartphones rises
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- Figure 55: How consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Under-35s favour smartphones for purchasing
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- Figure 56: How consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, by age, August 2020
- Driving app usage
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- Figure 57: How they buy fashion items online via a mobile device, August 2020
Where They Shop
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- Multichannel retailers remain most popular
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- Figure 58: Types of retailers used to purchase clothing online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Amazon most popular pureplay for fashion
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- Figure 59: Retailers without physical stores from where consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- M&S popular, but driven by women aged 65+
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- Figure 60: Retailers with physical stores from where consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Amazon is also the largest player in the online fashion market
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- Figure 61: Where consumers have bought fashion items online in the last 12 months, August 2020
- Repertoire of pureplays used narrower than that of store-based shoppers
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- Figure 62: Repertoire of retailers used to purchase fashion online, August 2020
Most Important Factors when Buying Fashion Online
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- Free delivery and wide range are key…
- …but so are unique brands
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- Figure 63: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when buying fashion online, August 2020
- Gen Z look for retailers that offer faster delivery
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- Figure 64: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when buying fashion online, by generations, August 2020
- Baby Boomers drawn to wide range of fits
Changes in Online Shopping Behaviour since COVID-19 Outbreak
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- Online fashion surfing becomes new window shopping
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- Figure 65: Changes in online fashion shopping behaviour since the start of the covid-19 outbreak, August 2020
- Lockdowns fuel rise in social shopping for fashion
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- Figure 66: Changes in online fashion shopping behaviour since the start of the covid-19 outbreak, by generations, August 2020
- Young women more aware of their appearance on Zoom
Interest in Latest Innovations When Shopping Online
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- Baby Boomers want the option to check stock availability
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- Figure 67: Interest in the latest innovations when shopping online for fashion, August 2020
- Females interested in fit solutions
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- Figure 68: Interest in the latest innovations when shopping online for fashion, August 2020
- Highest earners keen on in-store services offered online
- Making online shopping more sociable
- Potential for livestreaming
Online Fashion Shopping Behaviour
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- Women want more product transparency
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- Figure 69: Agreement with online fashion shopping behaviours, August 2020
- Younger Millennials question ethics of low-priced fashion
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- Figure 70: Agreement with statement ‘Recent news stories have made me question shopping online from low-priced online fashion retailers’, August 2020
- 16-34s struggle with fit, but are concerned about sharing data
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- Figure 71: Fashion Online – CHAID – Tree output, August 2020
- Methodology
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- Figure 72: Fashion Online – CHAID – Table output, August 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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