Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Insights and Opportunities
- Mature women and changing faces driving the market
- Companies and brands
- Marketing strategies
- Innovation and innovators
- Purchasing behaviors and attitudes toward shopping
Insights and Opportunities
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- Organic cotton is in
- Cause marketing still attracts
- Plus-size women have significant spending power
- The demographic
- The retailers
- The retailing challenges
- Possible solutions
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Shop Your Age?
Market Factors
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- More women need more clothing
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- Figure 1: U.S. women’s population by age, 2005-15
- Changing faces
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- Figure 2: Female population by race and Hispanic origin, 2005-15
- Income to purchase
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- Figure 3: Incidence of purchasing women’s apparel and accessories, by household income, April 2009-June 2010
- Figure 4: Household income distribution by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2009
- Lower household income, spending more on apparel
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- Figure 5: Average annual expenditures, indexed to all CUs, by Black and other races, 2008
- Figure 6: Average annual expenditures on apparel—Hispanics vs. non-Hispanics, 2008
- Can we still blame the economy for something?
- Changing sizes create challenges
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- Figure 7: Prevalence of obesity and overweight for adults aged 20 years or older, by gender, 2008
- Custom online options
Companies and Brands
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- Mass merchandisers
- Walmart
- Target
- Department stores
- Neiman Marcus
- Nordstrom
- Macy’s/Bloomingdale’s
- Fast fashion
- H&M
- Forever 21
- Specialty
- Gap
- Ann Taylor goes to work
- Express
- Urban Outfitters
- Specialty catalog/online shopping
- L.L. Bean updating and holding to its heritage
- Coldwater Creek
- Discount
- Dress Barn dresses up
Innovation and Innovators
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- Fast fashion
- Can department stores keep up?
- Macy’s looks to attract fast fashion dollars
- Saks and Macy's Online
- Good old jeans
- Not Your Daughter’s Jeans
- Gap
- Google getting fashionable
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview
- Social media tools and tactics
- Bloggers
- Integrating Facebook
- Reaching out with technology
- Traditional advertising making the shift
- Going virtual
- Commercials
- Look good for a dollar
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- Figure 8: Brand analysis of Bealls, 2010
- Figure 9: Bealls television ad, 2010
- If you wear our sweater you will look sexy
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- Figure 10: Brand analysis of H&M, 2010
- Figure 11: H&M television ad, 2010
- Swooning mannequins
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- Figure 12: Brand analysis of Old Navy, 2010
- Figure 13: Old Navy, television ad, 2010
- The new Lane Bryant
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- Figure 14: Brand analysis of Lane Bryant, 2010
- Figure 15: Lane Bryant, television ad, 2010
- Believe the designer
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- Figure 16: Brand analysis of Lee Riders Jeans, 2010
- Figure 17: Lee Riders Jeans, television ad, 2010
- The quirky home-video effect
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- Figure 18: Brand analysis of Columbia Sportswear Company, 2010
- Figure 19: Columbia Sportswear Company, television ad, 2010
Women’s Clothing Purchases in the Past Year
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- Key points
- Everyone shops
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- Figure 20: Incidence of women’s clothes shopping, by age, August/September 2010
- Household income not a significant factor in incidence of shopping
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- Figure 21: Incidence of women’s clothes shopping, by household income, August/September 2010
- The actual purchase
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- Figure 22: Incidence of women’s clothing purchase, by age, April 2009-June 2010
- Blouses/shirts and jeans are most popular
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- Figure 23: Items of women’s clothing purchased, by age, April 2009-June 2010
- More money, more likely to have purchased most items
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- Figure 24: Items of women’s clothing purchased, by household income, April 2009-June 2010
Attitudes/Opinions about Shopping for Women’s Clothing
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- Key points
- Younger more likely to try to save and plan
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- Figure 25: Opinions about shopping, by age, April 2009-June 2010
- More household income = more brand loyalty
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- Figure 26: Opinions about shopping, by household income, April 2009-June 2010
Types of Women’s Clothing Purchased
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- Key points
- Young buy all types of clothing
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- Figure 27: Types of women’s clothing purchased for self, by age, August/September 2010
- Blouses are household income blind
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- Figure 28: Types of women’s clothing purchased for self, by household income, August/September 2010
- College graduates buy clothing
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- Figure 29: Types of women’s clothing purchased for self, by education level attained, August/September 2010
Retailers Where Women’s Clothing is Purchased
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- Key points
- Young like fast fashion and older women like catalogs
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- Figure 30: Retailers from which women have bought clothing in past 12 months, by age, August/September 2010
- Higher household income translates to more shopping opportunities
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- Figure 31: Retailers from which women have bought clothing in past 12 months, by household income, August/September 2010
Issues Encountered When Shopping for Sizes
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- Key points
- Never enough sizes
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- Figure 32: Size availability when shopping, by age, August/September 2010
- Lower household income and more trouble finding size
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- Figure 33: Size availability when shopping, by household income, August/September 2010
Clothes Shopping Habits and Preferences
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- Key points
- Using the internet and paying full price
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- Figure 34: Habits and preferences when clothes shopping, by age, August/September 2010
- Making more and paying less?
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- Figure 35: Habits and preferences when clothes shopping, by household income, August/September 2010
- Educated and online
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- Figure 36: Habits and preferences when clothes shopping, by education level attained, August/September 2010
- Northeasterners are loyal and like to research
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- Figure 37: Habits and preferences when clothes shopping, by regional status, August/September 2010
Biggest Challenges When Clothes Shopping
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- Key points
- More choices but cannot afford them
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- Figure 38: Challenges when shopping for clothes, by age, August/September 2010
- Plus-size challenges
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- Figure 39: Typical plus size shopping experience, by age, August 2009
Ways to Improve the Women’s Apparel Retail Landscape/Experience
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- Key points
- Slap a cause on it but give me a refund
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- Figure 40: Suggested ways to improve women’s clothing retail landscape/experience, by age, August/September 2010
- Lower household income and less interested in refunds
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- Figure 41: Suggested ways to improve women’s clothing retail landscape/experience, by household income, August/September 2010
Clothing Qualities to Seek and Avoid
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- Key points
- I want trendy, and I don’t want to dry clean
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- Figure 42: Clothing attributes sought out or avoided, by age, August/September 2010
- Lower household income and interested in the latest trends
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- Figure 43: Clothing attributes sought out or avoided, by household income, August/September 2010
- Westerners are easy going
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- Figure 44: Clothing attributes sought out or avoided, by region, August/September 2010
Impact of Race/Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Black women shopping less in the first place
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- Figure 45: Incidence of women’s clothes shopping, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Black women less likely to purchase
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- Figure 46: Incidence of women’s clothing purchase, by race/Hispanic origin, April 2009-June 2010
- Different strokes for different folks
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- Figure 47: Items of women’s clothing purchased, by race and Hispanic origin, April 2009-June 2010
- Black women will travel, and Asian women will use the internet
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- Figure 48: Opinions about shopping, by race and Hispanic origin, April 2009-June 2010
- Types of clothing purchased
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- Figure 49: Types of women’s clothing purchased for self, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Retailer where women’s clothing was purchased
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- Figure 50: Retailers from which women have bought clothing in past 12 months, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Habits not that different across race and Hispanic origin
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- Figure 51: Habits and preferences when shopping for clothes, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Biggest challenges when clothes shopping
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- Figure 52: Challenges when shopping for clothes, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Ways to improve the retail landscape/experience
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- Figure 53: Suggested ways to improve women’s clothing retail landscape/experience, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
- Clothing qualities to seek and avoid
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- Figure 54: Clothing attributes sought out or avoided, by race and Hispanic origin, August/September 2010
Cluster Analysis
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- Strategizers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Whimsicals
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Breezers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 55: Women’s clothing clusters, August 2010
- Figure 56: Size availability when shopping, by women’s clothing clusters, August 2010
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- Figure 57: habits and preferences when shopping for women’s clothing, by women’s clothing clusters, August 2010
- Figure 58: Challenges when shopping for women’s clothing, by women’s clothing clusters, August 2010
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 59: Women’s clothing clusters, by age group, August 2010
- Figure 60: Women’s clothing clusters, by household income, August 2010
- Figure 61: Women’s clothing clusters, by race, August 2010
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- Figure 62: Women’s clothing clusters, by Hispanic origin, August 2010
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Key points
- Single moms less likely to purchase
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- Figure 63: Incidence of women’s clothing purchase, by marital status and presence of chidlren in household, April 2009-June 2010
- With children and the internet
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- Figure 64: Opinions about shopping, by marital status and presence of children in household, April 2009-June 2010
- Types of clothing bought
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- Figure 65: Types of clothing purchased for self, by marital status and presence of children in household, August/September 2010
- Retailer where women’s clothing was purchased
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- Figure 66: Retailers from which women have bought clothing in past 12 months, by marital status and presence of children in the household, August/September 2010
- Ways to improve retail landscape/experience
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- Figure 67: Suggested ways to improve retail landscape/experience, by marital status and presence of children in household, August/September 2010
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Figure 68: Retailers from which women have bought clothing in past 12 months, by education level attained, August/September 2010
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- Figure 69: Challenges when shopping, by household income, August/September 2010
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- Figure 70: Challenges when shopping, by educational level attained, August/September 2010
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Appendix: Trade Associations
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