Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- Definition
- Consumer data sources
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Market size
- Under-served market has proven a growth opportunity for some
- Continued growth faces challenges on several fronts
- Many competitors, but lack of critical mass makes shopping difficult
- Key competitors crowd the middle market…and middle age
- Plus size apparel has at least some presence in all major retail channels
- Overweight and obesity rates have risen sharply over the years, but may be starting to level off
- Obesity on the rise among teen girls
- Being overweight may be gaining in acceptability
- Fitful progress on fit
- Limited advertising and promotion
- Nearly half of women aged 18+ purchase size 14+ clothing
Insights and Opportunities
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- Different retail channels offer different paths to plus size growth
- Department stores
- Mass merchants
- Specialty stores
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Under-served market has proven a growth opportunity for some
- Continued growth faces challenges on several fronts
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- Figure 1: U.S. sales and forecast of plus size clothing, at current prices, 2003-13
- Figure 2: U.S. sales and forecast of plus size clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2003-13
Competitive Context
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- Many competitors, but lack of critical mass makes shopping difficult
- Anything but clothes
- Key competitors crowd the middle market…
- …and middle age
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Mass merchants
- Department stores
- Kohl’s and JCPenney
- Macy’s
- Specialty retailers
- Online sales
Market Drivers
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- Overweight and obesity rates have risen sharply over the years…
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- Figure 3: Prevalence of overweight or obesity among American women, by age, 1976-80, 1998-94, and 1999-2002
- Figure 4: Prevalence of obesity among American women, by age, 1976-80, 1998-94, and 1999-2002
- …but may be leveling off, at least for women
- Obesity on the rise among teen girls
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- Figure 5: Prevalence of overweight among American girls, by age, 1976-80, 1998-94, and 1999-2002
- Overweight and obesity moving closer to becoming an accepted norm
- Spending on clothing also increases with age
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- Figure 6: Average annual expenditures on apparel and services, by age, 2006
- Subtle shifts in population composition may alter the focus of the market
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- Figure 7: Population, by age, 2003-13
Leading Companies
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- Overview
- Charming Shoppes
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- Figure 8: Charming Shoppes’ three leading retailers, by demographic target and merchandise details
- Redcats USA
- Urban Brands
- Hot Topic, Inc.
- Hanesbrands Inc.
Brand Qualities
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- Few distinctive brands…
- …with a couple of notable exceptions
- Torrid gives plus size teens a style all their own
- Ashley Stewart
Innovation and Innovators
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- Fitful progress on fit
- Igigi myShape
- Charming Shoppes Right Fit
- Fitlogic from Fit Technologies
Fast Forward Trends
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- The realistic virtual experience
- What’s it all about?
- The virtual “you”
Advertising and Promotion
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- Overview
- Torrid
- Ashley Stewart
- Macy’s
- Lane Bryant
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- Figure 9: Lane Bryant catalog TV ad, 2008
Usage
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- Nearly half of women aged 18+ purchase size 14+ clothing
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- Figure 10: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, September 2008
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- Figure 11: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by household income, September 2008
- Figure 12: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by region, September 2008
Retail Landscape
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- Wal-Mart leads all other outlets for size 14+ clothing
- Younger shoppers shop more places
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- Figure 13: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, September 2008
- Higher-income shoppers visit more stores…including Wal-Mart
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- Figure 14: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by household income, September 2008
Attitudes Towards Plus Size Shopping
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- Attitudes towards plus size clothing: frustration with fit and style
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- Figure 15: Attitudes towards plus size clothing, agree, age, September 2008
- Figure 16: Attitudes towards plus size clothing, agree, by household income, September 2008
- No consensus on whether offerings and selection are really improving
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- Figure 17: Perceptions of change in plus size apparel, by age, September 2008
Ways to Improve
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- Plenty of room for improvement in the plus size shopping experience
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- Figure 18: Typical plus size shopping experience, by age, September 2008
- Ways to improve plus size shopping
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- Figure 19: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by age, September 2008
- Perception that retail stores are discontinuing plus size offerings
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- Figure 20: Awareness of discontinued plus size sections/lines, by age, September 2008
- Plus size underwear shopping presents similar challenges, but may be a bit easier
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- Figure 21: Attitudes toward plus size underwear, by age, September 2008
Teens
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- Plus size teens shop at the same stores as adults
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- Figure 22: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months—teens, by age, September 2008
- Teen attitudes toward plus size clothing
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- Figure 23: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—teens, agree, by age, September 2008
- Teens express some optimism about improved selection
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- Figure 24: Perceptions of plus size clothing selection—teens, by age, September 2008
- Teen plus size shopping experiences
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- Figure 25: Attitudes towards shopping for plus size clothing—teens, by age, September 2008
- Ways to improve on plus size shopping
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- Figure 26: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing—teens, by age, September 2008
- Figure 27: Awareness of discontinued plus size sections/lines—teens, by age, September 2008
- Shopping for underwear a bit easier for teens
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- Figure 28: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—teens, by age, September 2008
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- More than half of black women purchase size 14+ clothing
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- Figure 29: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by race/Hispanic origin, September 2008
- Wal-Mart leads across ethnicities
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- Figure 30: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by race/Hispanic origin, September 2008
- Frustration with plus size fit, style and shopping is universal
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- Figure 31: Attitudes towards plus size clothing, agree, by race/Hispanic origin, September 2008
- Figure 32: Attitudes towards plus size clothing shopping, agree, by race/Hispanic origin, September 2008
- Ways to improve plus size shopping
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- Figure 33: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by race/Hispanic origin, September 2008
Cluster Analysis
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- General Storers
- Who they are
- Opportunity
- Lovely Lanes
- Who they are
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 34: Plus size clusters, September 2008
- Figure 35: Retail destinations for plus size clothing, by plus size cluster, September 2008
- Figure 36: Attitudes towards plus size clothes shopping, by plus size cluster, September 2008
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- Figure 37: Attitudes towards recent plus size selection, by plus size cluster, September 2008
- Figure 38: Typical plus size shopping experience, by plus size cluster, September 2008
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- Figure 39: Suggestions for plus size shopping improvements, by plus size cluster, September 2008
- Figure 40: Awareness of discontinued plus size sections/lines by plus size cluster, September 2008
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- Figure 41: Attitudes towards plus size underwear, by plus size cluster, September 2008
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 42: Plus size clusters, by age, September 2008
- Figure 43: Plus size clusters, by household income, September 2008
- Figure 44: Plus size clusters, by race, September 2008
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- Figure 45: Plus size clusters, by Hispanic origin, September 2008
- Methodology
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Figure 46: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by region, September 2008
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- Figure 47: Attitudes towards shopping for plus size clothing, by household income, September 2008
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward plus size underwear, by household income, September 2008
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Appendix: Trade Associations
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