Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Industry could use a boost
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of children’s clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 2: Percentage change over prior year for US sales of children’s clothing at current prices and birthrates, 2011-14
- Companies need to get the basics right
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- Figure 3: Top five shopping frustrations, October 2016
- Department stores face more competition
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- Figure 4: Select retailers shopped, October 2016
- The opportunities
- Consider family targeting approach
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- Figure 5: Role of children and other shopping preferences, by gender, October 2016
- Help parents understand what’s in style
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward style, by gender, race, and Hispanic origin, October 2016
- Alternative channels poised for growth
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- Figure 7: Attitudes and behaviors regarding alternative channels, by household income, October 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Sales tick slowly upward
- Nearly half of sales for girls’ clothing
- Under 12 population grows, but minimally
- Modern day families look different than yesteryear’s
- Clothing market at large is soft
Market Size and Forecast
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- Moderate sales expected for the next few years
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- Figure 8: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of children’s clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 9: Total US sales and forecast of children’s clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
Market Breakdown
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- Girls’ clothing accounts for the most sales
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- Figure 10: Total estimated US retail sales and forecast of children’s clothing, by segment, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 11: Total estimated percentage of US retail sales of children’s clothing, by segment, at current prices, 2016
- Active sportswear remains an opportunity
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- Figure 12: Percentage of girls’ clothing expenditures by type, 2015
Market Factors
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- Population of kids grows slightly as multicultural composition expands
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- Figure 13: Boys and girls population by age group, 2012-22
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- Figure 14: Percentage change of population, age 11 and under, by race and Hispanic origin, 2012-17
- Millennials are now parents
- Birthrates may be turning around
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- Figure 15: Number of births by year, 2006-15
- Households with children are declining
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- Figure 16: Percentage of households, by presence of related children, 2006-16
- Changes in parenting dynamics have impact
- Delayed childbirth
- More single parents
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- Figure 17: Percentage of parents with children under age 18 in the household, by living arrangement, 2016
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- Figure 18: Living arrangements of children under age 18, by race and Hispanic origin, 2016
- Obesity lingers as a major issue
- Incomes improve for family households
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- Figure 19: Median household income of families with related children, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2004-14
- Other macroeconomic factors are also positive
- Clothing market at large sees softness
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- New brand launches suggest market vitality
- Sector remains highly promotional
- Remember the basics while creating some news
- Let kids be kids
What’s Working?
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- 2016 saw a few new launches indicating strength in the market, but sector remains highly promotional
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- Figure 20: Carter’s, email ads, December 2016
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- Figure 21: The Children’s Place, email ad for PLACE cash, December 2016
- Figure 22: Target, direct mail catalog pages for Cat & Jack, August 2016
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- Figure 23: Old Navy, email ad for “Instant Happy” sweepstakes, November 2016
- Figure 24: Zulily, mobile ad (left) and online ad (right), November and March 2016
What’s Struggling?
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- Parents are frustrated by lack of sizes, variety, and quality
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- Figure 25: Shopping frustrations, October 2016
- Some retailers continue to face challenges
What’s Next?
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- Pink and blue are for girls and boys
- Gender-neutral clothing becoming a more common theme
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- Figure 26: Attitudes toward gender-neutral kids’ clothing, by generation, October 2016
- Is there opportunity for the luxury market in childrenswear?
- New customer service models
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Wardrobe staples rank on top as sleepwear emerges
- Pre-owned marketplace on fire
- Most parents shop at mass merchandisers, department stores, or specialty clothing stores
- Parents want their kids to be cute and stylish
- Subscription services not an immediate threat
Items Purchased
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- Everyday wear items like T-shirts and jeans rank on top
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- Figure 27: Items purchased, October 2016
- Welcome to the pajama party
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- Figure 28: Items purchased for girls, by age, October 2016
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- Figure 29: Items purchased for boys, by age, October 2016
Method of Acquiring
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- Pre-owned clothing more popular for younger children
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- Figure 30: Method of acquiring, October 2016
- Acquirement method mainly impacted by age of child, number of children, and household income
- Age of child
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- Figure 31: Method of acquiring, by age of child, October 2016
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- Figure 32: Method of acquiring, by gender of child, October 2016
- Number of children
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- Figure 33: Method of acquiring, by number of children under 18 in the household, October 2016
- Household income
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- Figure 34: Method of acquiring, by household income, October 2016
- Resale marketplace continues to thrive
- Parents’ thoughts on pre-owned kids’ clothing
- Open-minded
- Skeptics
Retailers Shopped
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- Mass merchandisers and department stores are parents’ preferred places to shop . . . for now
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- Figure 35: Retailers shopped, October 2016
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- Figure 36: Opinions regarding in-store vs online shopping, by generation and gender, October 2016
- Age of child influences choice of store(s)
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- Figure 37: Retailers shopped, by age of child, October 2016
- Generational differences play a role as well
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- Figure 38: Top retailers shopped, by generation and Hispanic Millennials, October 2016
- In their words
- Favorite stores and brands
- Boycotted stores/brands
Shopping Process
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- Nearly half of moms are loyal to a few favorite stores
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- Figure 39: Shopping behaviors related to where to shop, by generation and gender, October 2016
- Always seeking deals, even at the point of purchase
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- Figure 40: Shopping behaviors related to seeking value, by generation and gender, October 2016
- Parents shop year-round for clothes
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- Figure 41: When clothes are purchased, by generation and gender, October 2016
- In their words
- Planned approach
- Impulse approach
- Combo approach
Shopping Attitudes and Behaviors
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- Why pay a lot when they will just outgrow the clothes?
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward price, by household income, October 2016
- Price – In their words
- “Dressing the part” is important, especially for Blacks and Asian parents
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward style, by gender, race, and Hispanic origin, October 2016
- Style – In their words
- Important
- Not that important
- Subscription services not a big market, but interest improves
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- Figure 44: Interest in subscription services, by key demographics, October 2016
- Parents share advice with each other
Character and Celebrity Influence
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- Kids want to emulate their favorite characters
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- Figure 45: Purchase behaviors regarding character and celebrity influence, by gender and age, October 2016
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- Figure 46: Popular characters, November 2015
- I see, you see, we all see emoji
- Parents on character clothing
Children’s Influence and Involvement
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- Dual-pronged targeting strategy warranted
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- Figure 47: Role of children in shopping process, by generation and gender, October 2016
- In their words
- What do kids think?
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- Figure 48: Children’s attitudes toward fashion – Agree, April 2015-June 2016
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Market
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- Sales data
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- Figure 49: Total US sales forecast of children’s clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 50: Total estimated US retail sales forecast of infant/toddler clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 51: Total estimated US sales forecast of infant/toddler clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 52: Total estimated US sales forecast of boys’ clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 53: Total estimated US sales forecast of boys’ clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
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- Figure 54: Total estimated US retail sales forecast of girls’ clothing, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 55: Total estimated US sales forecast of girls’ clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 56: Total estimated US retail sales of children’s clothing, by segment, at current prices, 2014 and 2016
- Figure 57: Percentage of boys’ clothing expenditures by type, 2015
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- Figure 58: Percentage of infants’ clothing expenditures by type, 2015
- Other market factors
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- Figure 59: Population by age, 2012-22
- Figure 60: Distribution of population, by age and race/Hispanic origin, 2016
- Figure 61: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2012-22
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- Figure 62: Population by generation, 2012-22
- Figure 63: Estimated annual expenditures on clothing by married-couple families, by household income group and age group of child, overall US, 2015
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- Figure 64: Estimated annual expenditures on clothing by single-parent families, by household income group and age group of child, overall US, 2015
- Figure 65: Annual births and fertility rate, 2003-14
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- Figure 66: Births and fertility rates, by race and Hispanic origin, 2003-14
- Figure 67: Households, by presence and ages of own children, 2016
- Figure 68: Percentage of births to unmarried women, 2000-14
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- Figure 69: Percentage of youth with overweight or obese BMI, by age, gender and race/Hispanic origin, 2011-2012
- Figure 70: Median household income, by race/Hispanic origin of householder, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2005-15
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- Figure 71: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2000-16*
- Figure 72: US gasoline and diesel retail prices, 2007-16
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- Figure 73: GDP change from previous period, Q1 2007-Q3 2016
- Figure 74: Disposable Personal Income change from previous period, 2007-October 2016
- Figure 75: Percentage of public schools requiring students to wear uniforms, by school level, 1999-00 – 2013-14 academic year
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- Figure 76: Percentage of private schools requiring students to wear uniforms, by school level, 2003-04 – 2011-12 academic year
Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 77: Carter’s, email ad for Let it Sparkle sweepstakes, December 2016
- Figure 78: The Children’s Place, email ad for My Place rewards, December 2016
- Figure 79: Old Navy, email ad, December 2016
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 80: Purchase incidence for children’s clothing, footwear, any accessories, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 81: Age of child that clothing, accessories, or footwear was purchased for, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 82: Mean amount spent per item, by age of child, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 83: Select stores shopped in past month, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 84: Select favorite stores among kids 6-11, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 85: How often kids 6-11 get to shop at their favorite stores, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 86: Popular characters for children, by age of children in household, August 2015
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- Figure 87: Percentage of kids 6-11 that receive an allowance, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 88: Source of income other than allowance, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 89: Weekly amount earned through allowance/jobs, April 2015-June 2016
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- Figure 90: What own money is spent on, April 2015-June 2016
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