Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Overview
- Issue: 40% of women are shopping four or fewer times a year
- Opportunity: engage with both the emotional and functional sides of women to drive shopping occasions
- Issue: alternative purchasing options introduce new competitors into the market
- Opportunity: consider offering options that promote circularity and sustainability
- Issue: social media is an emerging shopping destination
- Opportunity: using content to aide commerce
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Growth will be small, but stable
- Increase in diverse and independent women introduces new shoppers, with varying preferences
Market Size and Forecast
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- Modest but stable growth expected
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of market, at current prices, 2014-24
- Figure 2: Total US sales and forecast of women’s clothing, at current prices, 2014-24
Market Factors
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- More women living independently signals potential increase in clothes spending
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- Figure 3: Single-person households, 2008-18
- Culture influences style and shopping preferences
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- Figure 4: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2014-24
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Emerging competitors make for a more-crowded market
- Versatile styles are in, separate wardrobes are out
- Women are evolving into conscious shoppers
Competitors to know
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- Traditional specialty retailers overshadowed by younger sub-brands
- Alternative purchase options threaten traditional competitors
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- Figure 5: American Eagle email campaign, February 2019
- Figure 6: New York & Co email campaign, June 2019
- Social media: the new competitor?
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- Figure 7: Shop Instagram profile, May 2019
What’s In?
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- Streetwear isn’t just for the streets
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- Figure 8: Off White Instagram post, July 2019
- Figure 9: Nike Instagram post, May 2019
- Figure 10: Lululemon Instagram post, July 2019
- Making a monochrome fashion statement
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- Figure 11: Kate Spade Instagram post, February 2019
- Figure 12: Carolina Herrera Instagram post, June 2019
- Consumers are nostalgic for the ’90s
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- Figure 13: Jcrew Instagram post, June 2019
- Figure 14: Rent the Runway Instagram post, July 2019
What’s Out?
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- Not much difference in wear-to-work and wear elsewhere
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- Figure 15: Editorialist email campaign, June 2019
What’s Next?
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- Influencers are the new designers
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- Figure 16: Nordstrom email campaign, September 2018
- Figure 17: Amazon The Drop Instagram post, May 2019
- A circular economy will play a bigger role in fashion/clothing market
- Sustainable style is fashionable to younger generations
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- Figure 18: H&M email campaign, September 2018
- Rentals and resellers offer sustainability and affordable style
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- Figure 19: West Elm email campaign, July 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Most women shop frequently and do so in warmer months
- Most women are practical and affordable shoppers, but they don’t always need a specific reason to buy clothes
- Women prefer casual, versatile clothing
- Alternative purchasing options are a growing threat, but can also engage more shoppers
Shopping Frequency and Seasonality
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- Key takeaways:
- More than half of women shop frequently, signaling multiple opportunities to connect with shoppers
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- Figure 20: Shopping frequency, June 2019
- Shopping frequency slows with age, but income is less restricting
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- Figure 21: Shopping frequency, by age, June 2019
- Warm weather motivates women to shop
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- Figure 22: Shopping seasonality, June 2019
Types of Shoppers
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- Key takeaways:
- The priorities: practicality and affordability
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- Figure 23: Shopper segments, June 2019
- Young women want the trends, but at a value
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- Figure 24: Types of shoppers, by generation, June 2019
- Women will tailor where they shop to get what they want
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- Figure 25: Retailers shopped by shopping segment, in-store and online, June 2019
Retailers Shopped
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- Key takeaways:
- In-store shopping is most popular, but majority of women are shopping both channels
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- Figure 26: Retailers shopped, in-store versus online, June 2019
- Younger and affluent women are core online shoppers
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- Figure 27: Shopping method, by age and income, June 2019
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- Figure 28: Everlane email campaign, December 2017
- Amazon’s appeal isn’t felt by all females
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- Figure 29: Retailers shopped online, by age and income, June 2019
Items Purchased
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- Key takeaways:
- Versatile, casual clothing is most purchased
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- Figure 30: Items purchased – NET any purchase, June 2019
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- Figure 31: FORWARD by Elyse Walker email campaign, May 2019
- Streetwear drive sales among young women
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- Figure 32: Items purchased – NET any purchase, by generation, June 2019
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- Figure 33: Nike Women Instagram post, March 2019
- Figure 34: Zara Instagram post, June 2019
- White women embrace activewear more than others
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- Figure 35: Items purchased – NET any purchase, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2019
Reasons for Shopping
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- Key takeaways:
- Most women can’t turn down a deal or a chance to reward themselves
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- Figure 36: Reasons for shopping, June 2019
- Older women are more practical shoppers, while their younger counterparts live for the moment
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- Figure 37: Reasons for shopping, by age and presence of children, June 2019
- Figure 38: Madewell email campaign, November 2018
- White women are mostly strategic shoppers, while Black women shop for self and savings
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- Figure 39: Reasons for shopping, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2019
- Figure 40: Vineyard vines by Target email campaign, May 2019
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- Figure 41: Madewell email campaign, June 2019
Preferences for Shopping
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- Key takeaways:
- Casual clothing is here to stay
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- Figure 42: Preferences for shopping, June 2019
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- Figure 43: Anthropologie email campaign, May 2019
- Young women are multichannel shoppers and seek advice along their journey
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- Figure 44: Preferences for buying, by generation, June 2019
- White women shop for casual clothing, and Black women buy outfits
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- Figure 45: Preferences for shopping, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2019
Attitudes toward Shopping for Clothes
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- Key takeaways:
- Alternative purchasing methods can encourage more women to shop
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- Figure 46: Attitudes toward shopping for clothes, June 2019
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- Figure 47: amazon email campaign, June 2019
- Figure 48: Michael Kors email campaign, July 2019
- Young women see synergy between content and commerce
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- Figure 49: Attitudes toward clothes shopping, by age and generation, June 2019
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- Figure 50: Jcrew Instagram post, May 2019
- Figure 51: Madewell Instagram post, June 2019
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 52: Total US sales and forecast of women’s clothing, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
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