- Contents
- *Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
What you need to know
Total retail sales of children’s clothing reached $42.8 billion in 2012 and are expected to increase slightly in 2013, reaching $43 billion. Sales of children’s clothing are expected to grow over the next five years, increasing 14% between 2013 and 2018, to reach $49 billion. An increase in the number of children (particularly Hispanics), improved consumer confidence and easier access to shopping for clothing through online and mobile channels will help support future growth in the children’s clothing market.
This report focuses on children’s clothing and offers sales trends, profiles of major retail players in the US market, as well as a detailed exploration of consumers’ attitudes, usage, and shopping behaviors in this category.
Definition
This report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Shopping for Children’s Clothing—U.S., September 2011 and November 2010 as well as Children’s Clothing—U.S., August 2009 and the 2007 report of the same title.
This report covers the market related to shopping for children’s clothing up to and including preteen clothes, and includes the groups:
infant (<1 year)
toddler/preschool (1-5 years)
young boys and girls/preteen (6-11 years)
The principal types of clothing covered in this report include:
sleepwear
underwear
daywear
outerwear
Excluded from this report are children’s footwear, accessories/jewelry, and hats/gloves.
Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.
Sales data
The Market Size and Forecast section is based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census; Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Consumer survey data
For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore attitudes and behaviors regarding children’s clothing Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted Aug. 14-22, 2013, among a sample of 710 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet who are parents of children age 11 or younger.
Mintel selects survey respondents so that they are proportionally balanced to the entire US adult population based on the key demographics of gender, age, household income, and region. Mintel also slightly oversamples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in the survey results. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.
Mintel also has analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the Simmons Kids National Consumer Study (NCS). The Experian Marketing Services, Simmons Kinds Consumer Study was conducted May 2012–June 2013, and results are based on a sample of 2,147 kids aged 6-11.
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in this report:
| BTS | Back-to-school |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| EDLP | Everyday Low Price |
Terms
The following terms are used in this report:
| Consumer Unit (CU) | The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey measures spending by consumer units rather than households. A consumer unit is all related members of a household or financially independent members of a household. A household may include more than one consumer unit. A Consumer Unit may comprise (1) all members of a household related by blood, or by a legal arrangement such as marriage or adoption, (2) financially independent individual living alone, sharing a house, as a roomer in a private home, or in living quarters of a hotel or motel, or (3) two or more individuals living together, pooling their income, and jointly making expenditure decisions. |
Generations are discussed within this report, and they are defined as:
| World War II | The generation born in 1932 or before. In 2013, members of this generation are aged 81 or older. |
| Swing Generation | The generation born between 1933 and 1945. In 2013, members of the Swing Generation are between the ages of 68 and 80. |
| Baby Boomers | The generation born between 1946 and 1964. In 2013, Baby Boomers are between the ages of 49 and 67. |
| Generation X | The generation born between 1965 and 1976. In 2013, Generation Xers are between the ages of 37 and 48. |
| Millennials* | The generation born between 1977 and 1994. In 2013, Millennials are between the ages of 19 and 36. |
| Matrix Generation** | The generation born from 1995 to present. In 2013, Matrices are aged 18 or younger. |
* also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers
** previously known as Post-Millennials
