Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Womenswear grows 3.7% in 2015
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK sales of women’s outerwear (incl. VAT), 2010-20
- Rising number of over-55s presents an opportunity
- Growing obesity links with sizing issues
- Companies, brands and innovations
- M&S and Primark stand out as strong brands
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- Figure 2: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2016, November and August 2015
- Advertising spend declines as retailers shift to digital
- Jigsaw’s campaigns challenge the norms of fashion advertising
- The consumer
- Going out is prioritised in women’s spending
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- Figure 3: Women’s spending priorities, February 2016
- Primark leads, M&S gains over-55 shoppers
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- Figure 4: Retailers from which women bought clothes for themselves, in-store and online, December 2015
- Athleisure trend drives sportswear purchasing
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- Figure 5: Types of clothes women have purchased for themselves in the last 12 months, December 2015
- Style and quality prevail for mature shoppers, the young prioritise low prices
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- Figure 6: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when shopping for clothes, December 2015
- Women want more stylish clothes for their age
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- Figure 7: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes in-store, December 2015
- Women demand improved returns and delivery options
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- Figure 8: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes online, December 2015
- Technology to help overcome sizing issues has strong appeal
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- Figure 9: Innovations women are most interested in when buying clothes in-store or online, December 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- How can retailers get past the discount culture in womenswear?
- The facts
- The implications
- How can the in-store shopping experience be improved?
- The facts
- The implications
- What are the opportunities in the over-55s market?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Womenswear grows 3.7% in 2015
- Decline in 16-24s may impact growth
- Rising number of over-55s presents an opportunity
- Consumer sentiment improves, but there remains a degree of caution
- Going out is prioritised in women’s spending
Market Size and Forecast
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- Womenswear grows 3.7% in 2015
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- Figure 10: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK sales of women’s outerwear (incl. VAT), 2010-20
- Sales to grow by 17.4% between 2015 and 2020
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- Figure 11: UK sales of women’s outerwear, at current prices, 2010-20
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Declining youth population could impact the sector
- Rising number of over-55s, who are less price-driven
- Clothing consumer prices decline in 2015
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- Figure 12: Consumer price indices (CPI) of clothing, March 2015-February 2016
- Growing obesity links with sizing issues
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- Figure 13: Proportion of overweight and obese female population, 2009-14
- Consumer sentiment improves, high earners prosper
- Going out is prioritised in women’s spending
- Smartphone ownership rises among 25-44s
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- Figure 14: Ownership of smartphones, laptop computers and tablet computers – Females, by age, December 2015
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- M&S cuts back advertising spend and invests in customer experience
- Very is the most innovative brand
- Jigsaw’s and Hobbs’ campaigns challenge the norms of fashion advertising
- Finery: New contemporary womenswear label to watch
- Luxury brands move towards more instant access
Launch Activity and Innovations
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- M&S’ digital stylist experimentation pays off
- Unisex clothing becomes more mainstream
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- Figure 15: Zara’s Ungendered sub-section online within the TRF collection, April 2016
- Finery: New contemporary womenswear label to watch
- M&S reaches out to younger shopper with Archive collection
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- Figure 16: Pieces from the Archive by Alexa collection for Marks & Spencer, Spring/Summer 2016
- ASOS A-list loyalty programme
- Fashion for larger sizes
- Luxury brands move towards more instant access
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertising spend declines 4.6%
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- Figure 17: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on womenswear, 2012-15
- M&S cuts back above-the-line advertising spend
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- Figure 18: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on womenswear, by advertiser, 2012-15
- Campaign highlights
- Jigsaw’s and Hobbs’ campaigns challenge the norms of fashion advertising
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- Figure 19: Images from Hobbs’ ‘Make an Understatement’ campaign, Spring/Summer 2016
- Advertising that appeals to the over-50s
- Press advertising prevails
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- Figure 20: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on womenswear, by media type, 2015
- Figure 21: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on womenswear, by media type, 2012-15
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Space Allocation Summary
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- Figure 22: Estimated space allocation of leading specialist and non-specialist clothing retailers, by womenswear, menswear and childrenswear, October 2015
- Detailed category space allocation
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- Figure 23: Broad range clothing retailers, detailed space allocations for womenswear, October 2015
- Figure 24: Broad range clothing retailers, detailed space allocations for womenswear, October 2015
- Estimated sales breakdown
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- Figure 25: Leading clothing retailers, estimated clothing product mix, 2014/15
- Figure 26: Leading food retailers, estimated clothing product mix, 2014/15
- Sales densities
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- Figure 27: Leading clothing retailers, estimated sales density, by product, 2014/15
- Figure 28: Leading food retailers, estimated clothing sales density, by product, 2014/15
- Market shares by product
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- Figure 29: Leading clothing retailers, share of product markets, 2014/15
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Brand Research
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 30: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2016, November and August 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 31: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2016, November and August 2015
- Brand attitudes: Jigsaw is worth paying more for
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- Figure 32: Attitudes, by brand, January 2016, November and August 2015
- Brand personality: F&F suffers tired and boring associations
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- Figure 33: Brand personality – Macro image, January 2016, November and August 2015
- ASOS enjoys trendsetting image
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- Figure 34: Brand personality – Micro image, January 2016, November and August 2015
- Brand analysis
- Mid-market retailers: M&S, Debenhams and Next
- Fashion retailers: H&M, Topshop, Jigsaw and New Look
- Online-only retailers: ASOS and Very
- Supermarket and value-led brands: Primark, George at Asda and F&F at Tesco
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Young women drive fashion spend
- Primark remains the leading player
- Amazon’s delivery and return options put it in a strong position
- Athleisure trend drives sportswear purchasing
- Style and quality prevail for mature shoppers, the young prioritise low prices
- Women want more stylish clothes for their age
- Smart fitting rooms are a key opportunity for young fashion retailers
Women’s Spending Priorities
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- Going out is prioritised in women’s spending
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- Figure 35: What extra money is spent on, February 2016
- Young women drive fashion spend
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- Figure 36: Spending habits for clothing, footwear and accessories, February 2016
- Unseasonal autumn weather affects clothing spend
Where Do Women Buy Clothes?
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- Primark remains the leading player
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- Figure 37: Retailers from which women bought clothes for themselves, in-store and online, December 2015
- M&S gains over-55 shoppers
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- Figure 38: Women who have bought clothing for themselves in the last 12 months from Primark, Marks & Spencer, New Look, Next and George at Asda, in-store or online, by age, December 2015
- Two thirds buy clothing online
- Amazon ramps up fashion offer
- Supermarkets drive online clothing sales
- Repertoire analysis
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- Figure 39: Repertoire of retailers from which clothes are bought in-store and online, December 2015
What Type of Clothes Do Women Buy?
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- Athleisure trend drives sportswear purchasing
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- Figure 40: Types of clothes women have purchased for themselves in the last 12 months, December 2015
- What are the young buying?
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- Figure 41: Spring/Summer 2016 denim trends: Topshop ‘mom’ style jeans and Zara dungarees
- Figure 42: Types of clothes women have purchased for themselves in the last 12 months, by age, December 2015
- Repertoire analysis
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- Figure 43: Repertoire of type of clothes women bought in-store and online, December 2015
Most Important Factors When Buying Clothes
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- Style and quality prevail for mature shoppers
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- Figure 44: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when shopping for clothes, December 2015
- Young shoppers prioritise low prices
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- Figure 45: Most important factors when choosing one retailer over another when shopping for clothes, by age, December 2015
- Sustainable clothing must still meet style and price aspirations
- Creating an engaging story to make ethical sourcing a greater priority
What Women Would Like to See Improved In-store
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- Women want more stylish clothes for their age
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- Figure 46: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes in-store, December 2015
- Queuing at the till is the biggest issue for young women
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- Figure 47: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes in-store, by age, December 2015
- Inconsistency of sizing remains a problem
What Women Would Like to See Improved Online
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- Returns process has room for improvement
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- Figure 48: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes online, December 2015
- Urban dwellers demand more delivery options
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- Figure 49: What women would like to see improved when shopping for clothes online, by age, December 2015
- Young women drive the need for smartphone and tablet-friendly websites
Interest in Innovations
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- Technology to help overcome sizing issues has strong appeal
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- Figure 50: Innovations women are most interested in when buying clothes in-store or online, December 2015
- Smart fitting rooms are a key opportunity for young fashion retailers
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- Figure 51: Oak Labs’ smart fitting room technology, 2015
- Varied experiences make stores a destination
CHAID Analysis
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- Methodology
- Sizing technology appeals to female 16-44s
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- Figure 52: Interest towards online sizing technology – CHAID – Tree output, December 2015
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- Figure 53: Interest towards online sizing technology – CHAID – Table output, December 2015
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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- Figure 54: Interest towards online sizing technology – CHAID – Table output, December 2015
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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- Figure 55: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK sales of women’s outerwear, 2015-20
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