Footwear Retailing - Europe - April 2021

OVERVIEW 
Key issues covered in this Report:
Definition
Financial definitions
Abbreviations
VAT rates
Figure 1: VAT rates around Europe, 2016-21
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – EUROPE – THE MARKET
 THE MARKET
Consumer spending
Figure 2: Europe (Big 5): Spending on footwear by country, 2016-20
Figure 3: Europe: Spending on footwear by country, 2016-19
Figure 4: Europe (Big 5): Estimated spending on footwear as % all consumer spending by country, 2020
Figure 5: Europe (Big 5): Estimated spending on footwear as proportion of all clothing and footwear spending by country, 2020
Sector size and forecast
Figure 6: Europe (Big 5): Specialist footwear retailers, sales (excluding VAT), by country, 2016-20
Figure 7: Europe (Big 5): Specialist footwear retailers, forecast sales, by country, 2021-25
Specialists’ sales and spending
Figure 8: Europe (Big 5): Estimated specialist footwear retailers’ sales* as % of all spending on footwear*, by country, 2020
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS: LEADING PLAYERS
Deichmann Schuh the largest shoe retailer in Europe
Figure 9: Europe: Leading footwear retailers, sales, 2018/19-2020/21
COVID-19 crisis accelerates store closures
Figure 10: Europe: leading footwear retailers, outlet numbers, 2018/19-2020/21
COVID-19 impacted store traffic drive down store sales
Figure 11: Europe: leading footwear retailers, estimated sales per outlet, 2018/19-2020/21
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS: MARKET SHARES
Figure 12: Europe: Leading footwear retailers, sales as % all spending on footwear, 2017-19
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS: INNOVATIONS
Footwear retailers leverage the power of technology
Figure 13: Trying on AZ Factory trainers using the Farfetch virtual try-on service, 2021
Shopping experience re-imagined
Figure 14: Foot Locker’s new Singapore store, 2020
Race to become eco-friendly and sustainable
Collaborate to differentiate
Figure 15: Slack x Cole Haan trainers, 2020
Figure 16: Veja and Rick Owens latest collaboration, 2020
Make it personal
Figure 17: Examples of shoe sketches released by Jimmy Choo, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – EUROPE – THE CONSUMER
The research
How they shop for footwear
Figure 18: Europe: Purchases of footwear, January 2021 (UK: February 2021)
Where they shop for footwear
Figure 19: Europe: Where people buy footwear, January 2021 (UK: February 2021)
Figure 20: Europe: top three most used Retailers when shopping for footwear, January 2021 (UK: February 2021)
Footwear shopping attitudes and behaviours
Figure 21: Europe: Attitudes to buying footwear, January 2021 (UK: February 2021)
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON FOOTWEAR RETAILING 
 SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM IMPACT ON THE SECTOR
Figure 22: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on online grocery retailing, April 2021
 OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS
Limiting time in-store could present new opportunities
Figure 23: Decathlon’s ‘scan & go’ service, 2020
Using technology to enhance service
Providing a feeling of shopping in-store from home
Brands experiment with new store formats
Figure 24: Dr Martens pop-up at German department store Breuninger, Stuttgart, 2020
Casualisation: a threat to formal and occasion driven footwear?
 HOW COVID-19 WILL RESHAPE THE INDUSTRY
Sustainability will be high on the agenda
Figure 25: Upcycled Melissa x Rombaut collaboration, 2021
Figure 26: The Voronoi runner fully biodegradable trainer, 2020
Rapid delivery could be a key differentiator going forwards
Brands leverage Augmented Reality to help customers see how shoes will look
The physical and the digital increasingly merge
Discounters could strengthen their position in footwear
 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ACROSS EUROPE
COVID-19 concerns remain steady
Figure 27: Europe: Those extremely worried about the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, March 2020-April 2021*
Financial impact of crisis begins to be felt but worse still to come
Figure 28: Europe: Financial impact of COVID-19, March 2021*
More than half of Italians cutting back on non-essential spending
Concern about spending time in-store highest in mainland Europe
Click and collect helps to boost online capacity
Contactless payment demand rises
Local businesses benefit from consumers wishing to stay close to home
Online shopping boom
Figure 29: Europe: Changes to shopping behaviour since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, April 2021*
Clothing and footwear continues to be low spending priority
Figure 30: Net balance* of expected spending on selected items in the next month, April 2021**
Italians most likely to be planning to spend less on clothing and footwear
Figure 31: Europe: expected spending on clothing and accessories (including footwear) in the next month, April 2021*
How the crisis is impacting on key consumer segments
Women tend to be more concerned about the virus
Figure 32: Europe: Those extremely worried about the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, by gender and age, April 2021*
Growth in online shopping is across the board
Figure 33: Europe: consumers shopping more online, by gender and age, April 2021*
Women and older people trying to limit time spent in-store
Figure 34: Europe: consumers trying to limit the time they spend in-store, by gender and age, April 2021*
Older people most likely to be shopping more from local businesses
Figure 35: Europe: consumers shopping more from local businesses, by gender and age, November 2020*
 COVID-19: MARKET CONTEXT
UK
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
FRANCE
 OVERVIEW
Key issues covered in this Report
Areas covered in this Report
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Consumer spending
Figure 36: France: Consumer spending on footwear (including. VAT), 2016-20
Sector size and forecast
Channels of distribution
Companies and brands
Key metrics
Market shares
Figure 37: France: Leading specialist Footwear retailers’ sales as % of all specialist footwear retailers’ sales, 2020
Online
The consumer
Who shops for footwear
Figure 38: France: Footwear buyers by age and gender, January 2021
How they shop
Figure 39: France: Footwear purchasing channels, January 2021
Where they shop
Figure 40: France: Retailers shopped for footwear, January 2021
Footwear shopping attitudes and behaviours
Figure 41: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, January 2021
 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
COVID-19 will increase the importance of sports footwear and sports retailers in the French footwear market
New opportunities in rental and second-hand
 THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
COVID-19 impacts economic growth
Financial insecurity for many consumers
Footwear spending weak
Specialist footwear retailers’ sales decline by a third
Sports shops dominate distribution
 CONSUMER SPENDING
COVID-19 impacts economic growth
2021 may see recovery of over 5%
Footwear market contracted by 20% over 2020
Figure 42: France: Consumer spending on footwear (including. VAT), 2016-20
 SECTOR SIZE AND FORECAST
Figure 43: France: Footwear specialists’ sales, excluding VAT, 2016-20
Figure 44: France: Footwear specialists’ sales, Forecasts, excluding VAT, 2021-25
 INFLATION
Figure 45: France: Consumer prices, Annual % change, 2016-20
Figure 46: France: Consumer price inflation on footwear, clothing and all items annual % change, January 2020-March 2021
 CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS
An increasingly fragmented market
The sports brands are strengthening
Ethics and sustainability are moving up the agenda
A game of two halves in market shares
Online sales growing
 LEADING PLAYERS
Responses to COVID-19
Courir is racing ahead
Besson Chaussures
Former leader Vivarte now has only one footwear brand
Groupe Éram at the forefront of sustainability issues
Historic brand André fights another day
Other retailers
Figure 47: France: Leading specialist footwear retailers, sales, 2016-20
Figure 48: France: Leading specialist footwear retailers, outlet numbers, 2016-20
 MARKET SHARES
Figure 49: France: Leading specialist footwear retailers, sales as % of all specialist footwear retailers’ sales, 2016-20
 ONLINE
Online activity
Shopping for footwear online
Online sales of footwear
Leading online players
 THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS
Younger adults and parents buy footwear most
Stores still dominate but growth in online has accelerated
A fragmented market
Different preferences amongst the genders
Flexibility can motivate more online shopping for footwear enthusiasts
COVID-19 will increase popularity of casual styles
Price sensitivity is likely to increase
 WHO SHOPS FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 50: France: Footwear buyers by age and gender, January 2021
Parents are a core market
Figure 51: France: Footwear buyers by parental status, January 2021
 HOW THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 52: France: Footwear purchasing channels, January 2021
 WHERE THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
No dominant retailer
Sports shops the most popular channel
Pureplayers are weaker than in other categories
Figure 53: France: Retailers shopped for footwear, January 2021
Figure 54: France: Retailers shopped by gender, January 2021
Figure 55: France: Retailers shopped by Parental status, January 2021
 FOOTWEAR SHOPPING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS
Figure 56: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, January 2021
Flexibility can motivate more online shopping for footwear enthusiasts
Figure 57: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, those agreeing with online behaviour statements, January 2021
COVID-19 will heighten consumers’ casual preferences
Figure 58: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, those agreeing with COVID-19 behaviour statements, January 2021
Price sensitivity is likely to increase
Figure 59: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, those agreeing with price related behaviour statements, January 2021
Social media can drive online sales
Figure 60: France: Footwear shopper behaviour, those agreeing with social media behaviour statement, January 2021
 APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations
Data sources
ITALY
 OVERVIEW
Key issues covered in this Report
Areas covered in this Report
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Consumer spending
Figure 61: Italy: trends in annual consumer spending on footwear, clothing and all items, 2015-20
Sector size and forecast
Channels of distribution
Companies and brands
Key metrics
Market shares
Figure 62: Italy: leading footwear specialists’ estimated shares of total specialist footwear retailer’s sales, 2020
Online
The consumer
How they shop
Figure 63: Italy: how footwear purchased by respondents or for their children in the past 12 months, January 2021
Where they shop
Figure 64: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months, January 2021
Footwear shopping attitudes and behaviours
Figure 65: Italy: attitudes and behaviours relating to footwear, January 2021
 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
COVID-19 shifts footwear spending patterns and moves sales online
Value sales dip more than volumes due to trading down
Growth in online sales
An opportunity to increase focus on footcare
Stores can become more experiential…
…and focus on what they do best
Focus on fit
A wider role?
What other ways can footwear specialists differentiate themselves?
Customer service and flexible payment opportunities
Sustainability: retailers need to look at rental, second-hand and recycling
A dedicated sustainability area?
Stocking local products
 THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
COVID damages an already weak economy
Spending on footwear falls by nearly a quarter
Specialist footwear retailers endure a difficult 2020…
…and 2021 set to be little different
 CONSUMER SPENDING
COVID damages an already weak economy
Footwear spending suffers as a result of lockdown
Figure 66: Italy: Consumer spending on footwear (including VAT), 2015-20
Market trends
A growing trend of localism
Sustainability is becoming an increasing priority
 SECTOR SIZE AND FORECAST
Figure 67: Italy: comparison of indexed monthly retail sales of footwear, leather goods and travel items, 2018-20
Figure 68: Italy: Footwear retailers’ sales, excluding VAT, 2016-20
Figure 69: Italy: Footwear retailers’ sales, Forecasts, excluding VAT, 2021-25
Inflation
Figure 70: Italy: Consumer Prices, annual % change, 2016-20
Figure 71: Italy: Consumer price inflation on footwear, clothing and all items annual % change, January 2020-February 2021
Figure 72: Italy: Consumer price inflation on footwear by detailed sector, January 2020-February 2021
 CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS
A fragmented market
Retailers adopting a variety of channels
Flexible payment option could help retailers to differentiate themselves
Online takes off
 LEADING PLAYERS
Globo
Bata
Foot Locker
PittaRosso
Scarpe&Scarpe
Other leading players
Figure 73: Italy: Leading specialist footwear retailers, sales, 2016-20
Figure 74: Italy: Leading specialist footwear retailers, outlet numbers, 2016-20
 MARKET SHARES
Figure 75: Italy: Leading specialist footwear retailers: shares of specialist footwear retailers’ sales*, 2016-20
 ONLINE
Online activity
Shopping for footwear online
Online sales of footwear
Leading online players
Figure 76: Italy: trends in Google searches for leading specialist footwear retailers, January 2020-April 2021
 THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS
Sizing technology could help shift more sales online
Potential for D2C
Specialists need to focus on what they do best
An opportunity to improve levels of customer loyalty
Scope for offering more flexible payment options
 HOW THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 77: Italy: Purchasing of any footwear in past 12 months, 2017-21
Figure 78: Italy: how footwear purchased by respondents or for their children in the past 12 months, January 2021
Figure 79: Italy: in-store and online shoppers, how they break down by type, January 2021
Figure 80: Italy: key footwear shopper demographics (purchasers of any footwear for themselves or their children in the past 12 months), January 2021
 WHERE THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 81: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months, January 2021
Independent shoe shops appeal most to older buyers
Figure 82: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months (footwear specialists), by age, January 2021
Affluent households most likely to buy from independents
Figure 83: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months (footwear specialists), by net monthly household income, January 2021
Multiple specialists heavily reliant on children’s footwear
Figure 84: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months (footwear specialists), by presence of children under 22 in the household, January 2021
Footwear specialists have poor penetration among online-only shoppers
Figure 85: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months, by how they shop for footwear, January 2021
Figure 86: Italy: where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months, by where footwear has been purchased in past 12 months (selected retailers), January 2021
 FOOTWEAR SHOPPING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS
Focus on value likely to increase
COVID-19 impacts on formal footwear
Shopper interest in help with online fitting/sizing technology could help retailers reduce return rates
Investment required in making returns process as frictionless as possible
Potential threat from direct-to-consumer channel?
COVID-19 dividend for sales of sports/exercise footwear
Figure 87: Italy: attitudes and behaviours relating to footwear, January 2021
Sizing advice will reinforce existing online shoppers rather than attract in-store shoppers, who are more concerned about returns
Figure 88: Italy: agreement with statements about sizing advice and returns (% answering yes), by channel used to shop for footwear, January 2021
Younger consumers particularly interested in buying direct from social media
Figure 89: Italy: agreement with statements about buying footwear directly from a social media page (% answering yes), by age, January 2021
 APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations
Data sources
SPAIN
 OVERVIEW
Key issues covered in this report
Areas covered in this Report
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
The economy
Consumer spending
Figure 90: Spain: trends in annual consumer spending on footwear, clothing and all items, 2015-20
Sector size and forecast
Channels of distribution
Companies and brands
Key metrics
Market shares
Figure 91: Spain: Leading specialist footwear retailers’ estimated shares of total specialist footwear retailers’ sales, 2020
Online
The consumer
How they shop
Where they shop
Figure 92: Spain: Where they shop for footwear, January 2021
Footwear shopping attitudes and behaviours
Figure 93: Spain: Attitudes to shopping for footwear, January 2021
 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
COVID-19 pandemic makes digital imperative
Value will be increasingly important
Specialist footwear retailers need to raise their game
 THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
COVID-19 impacts economic growth and financial security
Growth in footwear spending drops off a cliff
Online will not offset lost store-based sales for most specialists
Footwear inflation above overall rate
Specialists still losing share
 CONSUMER SPENDING
COVID-19 hits the economy hard
Spending on footwear plummetting
Figure 94: Spain: Consumer spending on footwear (including VAT), 2015-20
 SECTOR SIZE AND FORECAST
Footwear specialists look set to be among the worst hit by COVID-19
Figure 95: Spain: Footwear retailers’ sales, excluding VAT, 2016-20
Figure 96: Spain: Footwear retailers’ sales, Forecasts, excluding VAT, 2021-25
Inflation
Figure 97: Spain: Consumer price inflation on footwear, clothing and all items, annual % change, 2016-20
Figure 98: Spain: Consumer price inflation on footwear, clothing and all items, annual % change, January 2020-February 2021
Figure 99: Spain: Consumer price inflation on footwear, monthly % change, January 2020-February 2021
 CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
Specialists continue losing share
Clothing stores pose stiff opposition to specialists
Sports stores: a key channel
El Corte Inglés still a major player
Online pureplays led by Amazon
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS
A fragmented sector
Merkal launches a transformation plan
Marypaz announces a new re-structuring following takeover
Deichmann muscles in
Online sales of footwear still relatively modest in Spain
 LEADING PLAYERS
Merkal launches a transformation plan
Marypaz announces a new re-structuring following takeover
Geox: a chain with a clear product differentiator
Loewe strength comes from luxury positioning
Deichmann muscles in
Camper embarks on a new sustainability initiative
Pikolinos focuses on digitization while leveraging AI to predict size
Krack offers footwear sales via WhatsApp video call
French Courir plans to enter Spain
Figure 100: Spain: Leading specialist footwear retailers, sales, 2016-20
Figure 101: Spain: Leading specialist footwear retailers, outlet numbers, 2016-20
 MARKET SHARES
Figure 102: Spain: Leading specialist Footwear retailers’ sales as share of specialist footwear retailers’ sales, 2016-20
 ONLINE
Online activity
Shopping for footwear online
Online sales of footwear
Leading online players
 THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS
Footwear purchasing falls as pandemic means more staying at home
Non-specialists are most popular place to buy footwear
Amazon is the top place to buy footwear followed by Sports shops
Consumer profiles of shoppers at specialists
Sizing advice could boost online sales
Brands are recommended to keep pricing budget-friendly
Potential scope for offering more flexible payment options
 HOW THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 103: Spain: Purchasing of any footwear in last 12 months, 2019-21
Figure 104: Spain: How they shop for footwear, January 2021
 WHERE THEY SHOP FOR FOOTWEAR
Figure 105: Spain: Where they shop for footwear, January 2021
Specialists resonate more with female buyers
Figure 106: Spain: Where they shop for footwear, By gender, January 2021
Figure 107: Spain: Where they shop for footwear, by age, January 2021
Amazon is most popular place to buy footwear followed by sports shops
Figure 108: Spain: Where they shop for footwear, January 2021
Figure 109: Spain: Where they shop for footwear by gender and age, January 2021
Specialists need to up their game
Figure 110: Spain: Where they shop for footwear by net monthly household income, January 2021
Figure 111: Spain: Where they shop for footwear by age of children under 22 in household, January 2021
 FOOTWEAR SHOPPING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS
Focus on value likely to increase
COVID-19 dividend for sales of sports/exercise footwear
Sizing tech would encourage purchasing online
Returns must be simple and free
Figure 112: Spain: Attitudes to shopping for footwear, January 2021
Figure 113: Spain: Attitudes to shopping for footwear by demographics, January 2021
Figure 114: Spain: Attitudes to shopping for footwear, by how they shop, January 2021
UK
 OVERVIEW
Key issues covered in this Report
COVID-19: market context
Economic and other assumptions
Products covered in this Report
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Impact of COVID-19 on footwear
Figure 115: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on footwear, 4 March 2021
The market
Footwear market declined by 14% in 2020
Figure 116: Market size and forecast for footwear, 2015-25 (prepared on 31 March 2021)
Specialists have taken a big hit in 2020
Figure 117: Estimated distribution of spending on footwear, by type of retailer, 2017-20
Footfall across stores declined due to store closures
Figure 118: Year-on-year footfall change, by location, 2015-21
Companies and brands
Sports specialists gain share
Figure 119: Estimated market shares for top 10 retailers of footwear, by value, 2018-20
Opportunities in direct mail advertising
Figure 120: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, by media type, 2019 and 2020
Clarks is the most trustworthy brand while the rest fail to differentiate themselves
Figure 121: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, March 2021
The consumer
COVID-19 has caused many to be uncomfortable trying footwear on in-store
Figure 122: How comfortable people are doing the following activities during COVID-19, 10-19 November 2020
Women’s seasonal and formal styles suffer
Figure 123: Styles of women’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
Men turn to comfortable styles
Figure 124: Styles of men’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
Disruption in schooling has contributed to declines in children’s footwear
Figure 125: Styles of children’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
More shopped for footwear online than in-store
Figure 126: Channels used for footwear purchasing, May 2020 and February 2021
Over two in five shoppers value familiarity
Figure 127: Factors prioritised when shopping for footwear, February 2021
Pain points for shopping footwear online need to be lessened
Figure 128: Behaviours towards shopping for footwear online, February 2021
Exclusive discounts would draw shoppers to one online retailer over another
Figure 129: Factors that help people choose a retailer when buying footwear online, February 2021
 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Life beyond the pandemic: what’s next for online footwear shopping?
Figure 130: Example of the new Instagram Shop option introduced at the start of the pandemic, 2020
What does the future hold for formal footwear?
 THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
COVID-19 has led to 14% decline in footwear
Sports specialists have gained share
Footwear retailers must adapt to the move online
 MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Short, medium and long-term impact on the footwear industry
Figure 131: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on footwear, 4 March 2021
COVID-19 has caused a 14% decline in footwear
Figure 132: Market size and forecast for footwear, 2015-25 (prepared on 31 March 2021)
Figure 133: Market size for footwear, 2015-20
Store closures have heavily impacted the market
Share of the market by women’s, men’s and children’s footwear
Figure 134: UK footwear sales, segmented by market value and percentage share, 2015-20
Figure 135: UK footwear sales, segmented by women’s, men’s and children’s, % share, 2018-20
Market drivers and assumptions
Learnings from the last recession
Figure 136: Value sales of footwear, 2007-12
Figure 137: Consumer spending on footwear, 2007-12
Forecast methodology
 CHANNELS TO MARKET
Specialists have taken a big hit in 2020
Sports retailers gain share
Figure 138: Estimated distribution of spending on footwear, by type of retailer, 2017-20
Department store closures negatively affect specialist concessions
Figure 139: Estimated distribution of spending on footwear, by type of retailer, 2017-20
Online sales have dominated
Figure 140: Estimated online sales of footwear, 2017-20
Online distribution
Figure 141: Estimated distribution of online sales, 2017-20
 MARKET DRIVERS
Number of people buying fashion items has declined
Figure 142: Trends in items respondents have purchased for themselves, December 2019 and December 2020
Footwear experiences deflation
Figure 143: Annual changes in CPIH for footwear (including repairs), 2008-20
Figure 144: Monthly year-on-year change in CPIH for footwear market, by category, 2020-21
Footfall across stores declined due to store closures
Figure 145: Year-on-year footfall change, by location, 2015-21
Reliance on online retail experiences sharp jump
Figure 146: Internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales, 2015-20
Figure 147: Internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales, monthly, 2019-21
Brexit deal causes confusion and delays
Figure 148: Economic outlook towards Brexit, February 2021
Trainers are top purchased sportswear item…
Figure 149: Sportswear and outdoorwear categories purchased, 2018 and 2020
…as more people started walking for leisure
Figure 150: Active adults taking part in sports or physical activity at least twice over a 28-day period, millions of people, mid-March-mid-May 2019 and 2020
 COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS
Many struggling specialists have entered into CVAs
Digital footwear innovations stand out
Opportunities in direct mail advertising
 LEADING FOOTWEAR RETAILERS
Leading footwear retailers continue to see sales declines
Clarks taken over by LionRock Capital
Figure 151: Leading footwear specialists: UK revenues, 2016-20
Kurt Geiger puts expansion plans on hold
Major retailers turn to CVAs or enter administration
Dune sticks to formalwear and applies for CVA
Figure 152: Leading footwear specialists: UK outlet numbers, 2016-20
LK Bennett extends administration and enters CVA
Hotter enters CVA
Soletrader restructures
Aldo UK arm enters administration
Sales per outlet
Shoe Zone shakes up board and shuts stores
Figure 153: Leading footwear specialists: estimated UK sales per outlet, 2016-20
Operating profit
Figure 154: Leading footwear specialists: UK operating profits, 2016-20
 MARKET SHARE
Non-specialists gain share
Figure 155: Estimated market shares for top 10 retailers of footwear, by value, 2018-20
Figure 156: Estimated market shares for top 10 footwear retailers, by value, 2016-20
 LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Fruit and veg footwear
Tommy Hilfiger produces apple skin footwear
Reebok releases shoes with vegetable soles
Zèta Shoes launches footwear made of grape leather
Shoes made from dog hair and mushrooms
Figure 157: Emilie Burfeind’s ‘Sneature’ combining trainers with nature, 2021
Closing the loop
Melissa closes the loop with upcycled shoes
Figure 158: Upcycled Melissa x Rombaut collaboration, 2021
Biodegradable trainers that are home-compostable
Figure 159: The Voronoi runner fully biodegradable trainer, 2020
Salomon designs 100% recyclable shoes
Bottega Veneta unveils 100% biodegradable clog
Footwear collaborations
Cole Haan teams up with messaging platform Slack
Figure 160: Slack x Cole Haan trainers, 2020
Allbirds collaborates with streetwear artist
Birkenstock teams up with CSM graduates
Veja and Rick Owens team up for sustainable trainers
Figure 161: Veja and Rick Owens’ latest collaboration, 2020
Personalisation
Draw your own Jimmy Choo’s
Figure 162: Examples of shoe sketches released by Jimmy Choo, 2020
Luxury footwear brand Malone Souliers launches shoe design service
Nike allows users to customise trainers via smartphone
FAMZON offers customers customisable heels
Experiential stores
Foot Locker opens Singapore store with basketball court
Figure 163: Foot Locker’s new Singapore store, 2020
Adidas’ new Soho store focuses on local creativity
Virtual footwear
Farfetch launches tool to try footwear on virtually
Figure 164: Trying on AZ Factory trainers using the Farfetch virtual try-on service, 2021
JD partners with Sony to enable customers to measure feet online
Buffalo London releases shoes that can only be worn virtually
Figure 165: Buffalo London x The Fabricant Classic BurningFor digital shoe, 2021
Gucci releases digital trainers
Efforts towards inclusivity
Zappos trials single-shoe policy
Nike launches hands-free shoes
 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Total sector advertising spend plunges 26% year-on-year in 2020
Figure 166: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, 2017-20
Stay-at-home rules drive down advertising spend on shoes and boots
Figure 167: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, by product category, 2017-20
Digital accounts for the biggest share of sector advertising spend
Figure 168: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, by media type, 2019 and 2020
adidas is the single biggest advertising spender
Figure 169: Total recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on footwear, by leading advertisers, 2017-20
Sports footwear brands largely eschew TV advertising
Figure 170: Leading advertisers’ total recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on footwear, by media type, 2020
Campaign highlights
Skechers launches its biggest UK brand campaign to date
JD Sports recruits all-star line-up for its Christmas campaign
Dune focuses on its London roots with the help of X-Files star
Clarks honours its iconic Desert Boot and Black creatives in separate campaigns
Figure 171: Clarks Originals x FANGIRL In Her Shoes campaign, 2021
Hotter’s bold TV relaunch campaign
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
 BRAND RESEARCH
Brand map
Figure 172: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, March 2021
Key brand metrics
Figure 173: Key metrics for selected brands, March 2021
Brand attitudes: Clarks trustworthy and great customer service
Figure 174: Attitudes, by brand, March 2021
Brand personality: Schuh and Footasylum are fun brands
Figure 175: Brand personality – Macro image, March 2021
Brand personality: Russell & Bromley expensive
Figure 176: Brand personality – Micro image, March 2021
Brand analysis
Clarks trustworthy, reliable and highly recommended by those who have used the brand
Figure 177: User profile of Clarks, March 2021
Footasylum fun, stylish and an excellent customer experience
Figure 178: User profile of Footasylum, March 2021
Schuh fun and inexpensive
Figure 179: User profile of Schuh, March 2021
Office considered somewhat untrustworthy and not a brand not worth paying more for
Figure 180: User profile of Office, March 2021
Russell & Bromley exclusive, aspirational and expensive
Figure 181: User profile of Russell & Bromley, March 2021
Hotter Shoes functional, but somewhat innovative
Figure 182: User profile of Hotter Shoes, March 2021
Aldo inexpensive, but untrustworthy
Figure 183: User profile of Aldo, March 2021
Reading word clouds
 THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS
COVID-19 has presented issues for seasonal footwear
The rise in online shopping has made Amazon more of a threat
Shoppers now wait for sales before purchasing
 IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
People are cutting back on non-essential spend…
Figure 184: Changes in habits since the start of COVID-19, by gender, 4-12 March 2021
…as savings have declined
Figure 185: Changes in levels of savings since the start of COVID-19, by gender, 4-12 March 2021
Fewer people are buying fashion items
Figure 186: Changes in spending habits since the start of COVID-19, 4-12 March 2021
Online shopping has increased
Figure 187: People shopping more online since COVID-19, 16 April-12 March 2021
People have been reluctant to try product on in-store
Figure 188: How comfortable people are doing the following activities during COVID-19, 10-19 November 2020
Two in five do not expect to be taking a holiday in 2021
Figure 189: Holiday booking intentions for 2021, 4-12 March 2021
 TYPES OF FOOTWEAR BOUGHT
Footwear purchasing continues to decline
Figure 190: Number of people who purchased footwear, across categories, 2019-21
Women’s seasonal and formal styles suffer
Figure 191: Styles of women’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
Men turn to comfortable styles
Figure 192: Styles of men’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
Trends towards casual office attire will damage the formal market
Figure 193: Men’s formal footwear purchased, by employment status, 2019-21
People increasingly likely to buy just one style of footwear
Figure 194: Repertoire of styles purchased, by gender, 2019-21
 TYPES OF CHILDREN’S FOOTWEAR BOUGHT
Disruption in schooling has contributed to declines
Figure 195: Styles of children’s footwear purchased, 2019-21
Children’s footwear purchasing spread fairly equally across genders
Figure 196: Styles of children’s footwear purchased, by gender of purchaser, February 2021
Those with young children likely to purchase several styles
Figure 197: Repertoire of children’s footwear purchased, by age of children in household, February 2021
 WHERE FOOTWEAR IS BOUGHT
More shopped for footwear online than in-store
Figure 198: Channels used for footwear purchasing, May 2020 and February 2021
Fewer young people are shopping via laptops
Figure 199: Online channels used for footwear purchasing, by age, February 2021
Online-only retailers show growth in customers
Figure 200: Types of retailer footwear was purchased from, 2019-21
Younger shoppers tend to prefer clothing or sports specialists
Figure 201: Types of retailer footwear was purchased from, by age, February 2021
Amazon is now the most popular footwear retailer…
Figure 202: Retailers footwear has been purchased from, 2019-21
…and alongside ASOS picked up the most shoppers since 2020
Figure 203: Percentage point change in retailers used for purchasing footwear between 2020 and 2021
Younger shoppers are less loyal to one retailer
Figure 204: Repertoire of retailers used for footwear, by age, February 2021
 PRIORITIES FOR FOOTWEAR SHOPPERS
Over two in five shoppers value familiarity…
Figure 205: Factors prioritised when shopping for footwear, February 2021
…with older shoppers particularly susceptible
Figure 206: Factors prioritised when shopping for footwear, by age, February 2021
 BEHAVIOURS TOWARDS FOOTWEAR
Pain points for shopping footwear online can be lessened
Figure 207: Behaviours towards shopping for footwear online, February 2021
Shoppers now wait for sales before making purchases
Figure 208: Behaviours towards discounted footwear, February 2021
While many put off buying footwear, others invested in practical pieces
Figure 209: Behaviours towards footwear during COVID-19, February 2021
 CHAID ANALYSIS
Parents and those buying shoes from clothing stores want sizing advice
Figure 210: Footwear Retailing – CHAID – Tree output, February 2021
Figure 211: Footwear Retailing – CHAID – Table output, February 2021
 IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN CHOOSING AN ONLINE RETAILER
Exclusive discounts pique shoppers’ interests
Figure 212: Factors that help people choose a retailer when buying footwear online, February 2021
One in five of those aged 16-24 want to try footwear on virtually
Figure 213: Factors that help people choose a retailer when buying footwear online, by age, February 2021
Young parents more likely to rely on discounts and pay-later schemes
Figure 214: Prioritising discounts and the ability to use pay-later schemes when shopping online, by age of children in household, February 2021
 APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Forecast methodology
Footwear forecast
Figure 215: Market size and forecast for footwear, 2015-25
Figure 216: Forecast consumer spending on footwear, 2020-25
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS 
Abbreviations
Data sources