Despite a big jump in men purchasing clothes online in the last 12 months to 78%, there has only been a slight rise in men buying clothes via their smartphones (+2 percentage points) to 28% in 2020 compared with 26% in 2019. This contrasts with a bigger increase in smartphone purchasing of clothes among women (35%) and the overall trend for rising smartphone ownership (80%) and purchasing online via this device (62%) among men.

The menswear market has been badly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, leading to a 29% decline in consumer spending on men’s clothing to £10.9 billion in 2020, down from £15.4 billion in 2019. Although the January 2021 lockdown will slow the recovery of the market, the long-term prospects are that the market will return to growth by the second half of the year and new purchases will be driven by pent-up demand as men begin to socialise again and go on holiday as part of the government’s four-step roadmap out of the lockdown announced on 22 February 2021.

The trend for casualisation of workwear is set to continue, with 66% of male clothes shoppers either having bought or planning to buy casual clothes for work. The changes in working habits set in motion during the pandemic will have long-term implications, as around half of consumers plan to work from home more or the same compared with before the COVID-19 outbreak. This poses a major threat to menswear specialists, in particular those specialising in formalwear and suiting. The pandemic accelerated the demise of major specialist retailers including TM Lewin and Moss Bros and their rivals are having to evolve their offer in order to survive, expanding their ranges and adapting them so that they look smart but are easier and more comfortable to wear at home.

The forecast 5.4% increase in men aged 35-44 to 4.5 million by 2025 provides a big opportunity for menswear retailers as they are more likely than average to have spent £50 or more on their last shopping trip. Men in this age group show above-average interest in purchasing fashion from a designer collaboration, with almost three in 10 agreeing. Retailers can appeal to this age group with more premium brands and higher-priced pieces that form part of collaborations with established and up-and-coming designers.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • The impact of COVID-19 and the third national lockdown on the menswear market.

  • What channels men use to shop for clothes for themselves and what types of retailers they buy from.

  • How men’s shopping behaviour has changed since COVID-19.

  • Changes in men’s priorities when buying clothes compared with 12 months ago.

  • Men’s views on inclusivity and diversity in fashion.

COVID-19: market context

This update on the impact that COVID-19 is having on the market was prepared on 10 March 2021.

The first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the UK at the end of January 2020, with a small number of cases in February. Rapidly rising case numbers led to the first national lockdown, starting on 23 March. It wasn't until 15 June that non-essential stores were allowed to reopen, followed by pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers on 4 July and many beauty businesses on 13 July.

By September, it had become clear that the UK was at the start of a second wave, and social distancing measures were intensified. Continued increases in infection numbers led to Wales implementing a two-week national lockdown from 19 October, England announcing a month-long lockdown from 5 November and Scotland introducing a new five-level system of coronavirus restrictions.

Despite these restrictions, however, case numbers continued to increase. All four UK nations tightened restrictions further in January 2021, effectively leading to a full UK-wide lockdown.

On 22 February, Boris Johnson announced the roadmap to an easing of restrictions in England, starting with the reopening of schools on 8 March, followed by the easing of restrictions on outdoor gatherings on 29 March and with a hoped end to all restrictions by 21 June. The Welsh and Scottish governments also gave more details on their plans to ease restrictions, with both nations taking a slightly more cautious approach to the one planned for England.

The UK’s vaccination programme started on 8 December 2020, and with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines licensed for use in the UK, the government aims to offer a first dose of the vaccine to 32 million people by mid-April.

Economic and other assumptions

Mintel’s economic assumptions are based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s central scenario included in its March 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report. After the fall of 9.9% over the course of 2020, the scenario suggests that UK GDP will grow by 4% in 2021 and 7.3% in 2022.

GDP isn’t expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels until Q2 2022, although this is six months earlier than the OBR forecast in November 2020, mainly because of the faster-than-expected rollout of vaccines.

Unemployment is expected to peak at 6.5% in Q4 2021. As with GDP, this is more positive than the OBR’s November forecast, but the OBR does raise the prospect of long-term scarring on employment, especially in the more exposed retail and hospitality sectors.

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.

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