Mintel estimates that consumer spending on clothing, footwear and accessories will rise 1.6% to £70.5 billion in 2019, with online expected to account for approximately a third (33%) of the market.

The shift online in the British fashion industry continues and consumers are increasingly fulfilling their fashion purchasing needs online. There is a need for retailers to recognise that the two channels are intrinsically linked as a significant proportion of consumers now shop online after seeing something in-store, and vice versa. The distinction between online and store-based sales is therefore often superficial.

However, the role that stores play is evolving. They are rapidly becoming a marketing tool as much as they are a sales channel and offering a compelling store experience is rapidly becoming a differentiator in a crowded fashion sector.

This Report investigates the process of researching and buying fashion products in the UK, with a focus on the consumer journey to the purchase, both online and offline. It examines the channels that UK consumers prefer to use at each stage of the fashion purchasing process, including how different channels are linked.

For the purpose of this Report and unless otherwise indicated, Mintel defines fashion as the following three categories – clothing (including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and underwear), footwear and accessories.

The market size for this Report includes all consumer spending on men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, footwear and accessories (including underwear but excluding jewellery and watches) through all retail outlets. To give full context into how consumers are shopping for fashion we provide a total and online market size.