Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising videos
- Abbreviations and terms
Executive Summary
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- The market declines as the recession takes a toll
- Competitive context
- Companies vie for web-savvy customers
- Focus on fashion heats up competition
- Universal sizing represents key opportunity to increase sales
- Mass stores appear to be the most used
- Market directly driven by obesity rates, female population growth
- Top companies and their brand strategies
- Advertising and promotion—a few celebrities, but mostly online efforts
- Plus size shoppers report fewer purchases
Insights and Opportunities
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- The search for the right fit
- Using satisfied customers as mentors/marketers to the unsatisfied
Inspire Trends
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- Redefining Need and Want
- Need-based vs. desire-based retailing
- Make them want it by making them feel good
- More women will want quality over quantity
- Stress Society
- What's it about?
- What we've seen
- Specifics
- Implications
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Economic crisis causes sales to decline
- Emphasis on fashion may help decelerate losses
- Media focus on full-figured women highlights plus size
- Sales of plus size clothing in the U.S.
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- Figure 1: U.S. sales and forecast of plus size clothing, at current prices, 2004-14
- Figure 2: U.S. sales and forecast of plus size clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2004-14
Competitive Context
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- The battle for internet-savvy customers
- Lane Bryant tries to keep pace with younger-skewing brands
- The ongoing recession directly impacts sales
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Mass merchants
- Department stores
- Specialty retailers
- Online retailers
Market Drivers
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- Rate of overweight/obese in the U.S. drives sales…
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- Figure 3: Percentage of Americans aged 20 or older who are overweight, obese, or extremely obese, 1996-2006
- …yet obesity also signals lower income, which likely hinders spending
- Adult female population grows between 2004 and 2014; female teen population flatlines
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- Figure 4: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, 2005-09
- Figure 5: Female population, by age, 2004-14
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Overview
- Redcats
- Charming Shoppes, Inc.
- Hanesbrands, Inc.
- Hot Topic, Inc.
- Urban Brands
Brand Qualities
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- Torrid and Faith 21 appeal to fashion-conscious teens and women, but Faith 21 wins the price war
- Redcats caters to various age and income groups with a range of diverse brands
Innovation and Innovators
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- Ashley Stewart collaborates with Jill Scott for the Butterfly Collection
- Lane Bryant implements instant messaging promotions
Advertising and Promotion
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- Overview
- Web marketing
- Charming Shoppes
- Redcats
- Hot Topic
- Hanesbrands
- Urban Brands
- Lane Bryant TV ads
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- Figure 6: Lane Bryant, 2008
- Figure 7: Lane Bryant, 2009
Purchasers of Plus Size Clothing
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- Key points
- Purchases are down, but middle-aged and older women buy more than younger women
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- Figure 8: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, 2005-09
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- Figure 9: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, August 2009
Retail Landscape
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- Key points
- Mass merchandisers are used most for plus size purchases
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- Figure 10: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by age, August 2009
- Women buy via the web less than in-store, but internet retailing has its pluses
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- Figure 11: Sources of plus size clothing purchased online in the past 12 months, by age, August 2009
Changing Where You Shop
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- Key points
- Most switch due to affordability, age-appropriateness
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- Figure 12: Changing where you shop for plus size clothing, by age, August 2009
Attitudes Towards Plus Size Shopping
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- Key points
- Fit remains the biggest problem
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- Figure 13: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—agree, by age, August 2009
- Respondents are split over whether selection has improved
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- Figure 14: Perceptions of change in plus size apparel, by age, August 2009
Ways to Improve
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- Key points
- Most say plus size can improve greatly
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- Figure 15: Typical plus size shopping experience, by age, August 2009
- The path to improvement
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- Figure 16: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by age, August 2009
- Underwear selection appears to lack sex appeal, but some find them easier to buy than outerwear
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- Figure 17: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—agree, by age, August 2009
Teens
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- Key points
- Teens, like adults, mostly buy at mass and department stores
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- Figure 18: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months—teens, by age, August 2009
- Teens shop online less than in-store
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- Figure 19: Plus size clothing purchased online in the past 12 months—teens, by age, August 2009
- Teens switch stores less than adults do
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- Figure 20: Changing where you shop for plus size clothing—teens, by age, August 2009
- Teens deal with same fit dilemma that adults do
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- Figure 21: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—teens—agree, by age, August 2009
- Teens perceive more selection and style improvements than adults…
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- Figure 22: Perceptions of plus size clothing selection—teens, by age, August 2009
- …yet stores still have a long way to go
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- Figure 23: Attitudes towards shopping for plus size clothing—teens, by age, August 2009
- Plus size teens voice improvements that are similar to those of adults
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- Figure 24: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing—teens, by age, August 2009
- Teens demand more selection of underwear than adults, but also find it easier than adults to find underwear than clothing
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- Figure 25: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—teens—agree, by age, August 2009
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Black women reduce their purchases
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- Figure 26: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by race and Hispanic origin, 2008 and 2009
- Retail landscape among ethnicities
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- Figure 27: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2009
- All ethnicities are less likely to shop online
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- Figure 28: Sources of plus size clothing purchased online in the past 12 months, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2009
- Blacks, Hispanics most likely to switch retailers based on price, age-appropriate styles
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- Figure 29: Changing where you shop for plus size clothing, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2009
- Black women are the least likely to complain about fit, most excited about new selections
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- Figure 30: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—agree, by race/Hispanic origin, August 2009
- Black women appear most satisfied with their plus size shopping experiences
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- Figure 31: Attitudes towards plus size clothing shopping—agree, by race/Hispanic origin, August 2009
- Ethnic opinions about ways to improve
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- Figure 32: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by race/Hispanic origin, August 2009
Cluster Analysis
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- Full-handed Shoppers
- Characteristics
- Recommendations
- Dissatisfied Fashion-seekers
- Characteristics
- Recommendations
- Dissatisfied and Unengaged
- Characteristics
- Recommendations
- Characteristic tables
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- Figure 33: Plus size clusters, August 2009
- Figure 34: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—agree, by plus size clusters, August 2009
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- Figure 35: Perceptions of change in plus size apparel, by plus size clusters, August 2009
- Figure 36: Typical plus size shopping experience, by plus size clusters, August 2009
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- Figure 37: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by plus size clusters, August 2009
- Figure 38: Changing where you shop for plus size clothing, by plus size clusters, August 2009
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- Figure 39: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—agree, by plus size clusters, August 2009
- Demographic tables
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- Figure 40: Plus size clusters, by age, August 2009
- Figure 41: Plus size clusters, by income, August 2009
- Figure 42: Plus size clusters, by race, August 2009
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- Figure 43: Plus size clusters, by Hispanic origin, August 2009
- Figure 44: Plus size clusters, by marital status, August 2009
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- Moms are excited about new styles, but availability lags
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- Figure 45: Attitudes towards plus size clothing—agree, by presence of children, August 2009
- Moms say style and selection has improved…
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- Figure 46: Perceptions of change in plus size apparel, by presence of children, August 2009
- …but they still want fashion and racy styles
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- Figure 47: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by presence of children, August 2009
- Moms want to be sexy and supported
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—agree, by presence of children, August 2009
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Purchasers of plus size clothing
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- Figure 49: Plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by income, 2009
- Retail landscape
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- Figure 50: Sources of plus size clothing purchased in the past 12 months, by income, August 2009
- Attitudes towards plus size shopping
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- Figure 51: Perceptions of change in plus size apparel, by income, August 2009
- Ways to improve
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- Figure 52: Typical plus size shopping experience, by income, August 2009
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- Figure 53: Thoughts on improving shopping for plus size clothing, by income, August 2009
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- Figure 54: Attitudes toward plus size underwear—agree, by income, August 2009
Appendix: Trade Associations
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