What you need to know

While the clothing sector has continued to perform strongly, Mintel estimates that consumer spending on clothing was weaker in 2015 compared with 2014, rising only 4%, as shoppers have adopted a savvier approach to buying clothes.

Specialist clothing retailers have seen their share of the total clothing market continue to decline, with M&S’s underperformance impacting the sector. Meanwhile, online-only retailers and sports goods retailers are among the winning players in clothing.

As the rate of online returns rises, the consumer research for this report finds that poor fit is the main reason for returning clothes bought online. The issue of fit is a huge challenge for retailers as half of women aged under 45 struggle to find clothes than fit them well.

Products covered in this report

The market size for clothing comprises men's, women's and children's clothes through all retail outlets. It includes outerwear, underwear and fashion accessories, but excludes footwear and jewellery.

This report includes two streams of data relating to the clothing market: consumer spending and retail sales.

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