Clothing
Clothing and Footwear

Clothing And Footwear in the US

USA

Euromonitor International's Clothing And Footwear in the US market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Tables: 55  |  Publication date: Sep 2009
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Executive summary

Clothing and Footwear impacted by the recession

The key trend impacting clothing and footwear sales in the US in 2008 was the impact of recession on the US. Many consumers stopped shopping or were looking for deep discounts. During 2008, the housing market collapsed, unemployment started to rise significantly and consumer confidence fell dramatically. The downturn of the clothing and footwear industry was being exacerbated by uninspired fashions in stores. The lack of pressure to conform to one particular style meant that women did not feel they had to update their wardrobes..

Consumers unwilling to pay full price

After seeing good growth in 2007, consumers were largely unwilling to pay full price for products, and retailers obliged by continuing to offer sales. Despite prolonged sales, US retailers continue to struggle with weak sales. Retailers are becoming very anxious about how rampant discounts in the last six months have affected shoppers' psyches and their overall expectations.

Americans are looking to dress up

The "dressing up" trend fuelled sales growth in dresses and skirts and men’s suits. Dresses are becoming almost a uniform for women whereas men are ditching casualwear for a more polished look. The emphasis for young females in dresses is to reveal as much flesh as possible, whereas the shape for the older market is to emphasise female curves or to hide the female shape altogether.

Despite their relatively high prices, suits are again becoming something of a necessity. With unemployment rates climbing, consumers are worried about their job prospects. As a result, men are ditching the casual Friday look for dressier apparel. Men, particularly younger ones, wish to look employable and to ensure they hang on to their jobs are donning suits and ties.

Traditional Players Face New Competition

Both manufacturers and retailers are facing new competitive threats in the US market. Throughout the early part of the decade, traditional players like department stores lost share to mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart and Target. While both are still significant players in the US clothing and footwear market, the past few years saw a rise in popularity of specialty retailers (such as H&M, Zara and Forever 21) that offer more fashionable clothing at low prices. The success of these retailers offering products under their own brand names also cut into sales of traditional own-branded retailers like Gap, and of manufacturers who sell their brands through non-specialty retail channels. In part due to these changing trends in the market, retailers are experimenting with merchandise mix and retail formats to offer a new buying proposition to consumers.

Brighter futures ahead

Sales of clothings are expected to be strong over the forecast period as people start to recover their financial stability. Manufacturers and retailers are expected to reduce their level of discount and increase their prices to a pre-recession level. They are also expected to focus their efforts on meeting the needs of women aged 35+, who have healthy disposable incomes but are increasingly dissatisfied with the fashions available to them.

Table of contents

CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR IN THE US : MARKET INSIGHT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Clothing and Footwear impacted by the recession

Consumers unwilling to pay full price

Americans are looking to dress up

Traditional Players Face New Competition

Brighter futures ahead

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS

The global financial crisis: America suffers economic fall-out but hope for 2010

The plus-size market

Companies looking to green up with Corporate Social Responsibility

Men becoming shopaholic?

Discounting - a double edged sword

Online retailing going strong

MARKET DATA

Table 1 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2003-2008

Table 2 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2003-2008

Table 3 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 4 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 5 Clothing and Footwear Company Shares 2004-2008

Table 6 Clothing and Footwear Brand Shares 2005-2008

Table 7 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008

Table 8 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2008-2013

Table 9 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2008-2013

Table 10 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 11 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2008-2013

DEFINITIONS

Summary 1 Research Sources

LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - USA

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - USA

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 2 Abercrombie & Fitch Co: Key Facts

Summary 3 Abercrombie & Fitch Co: Operational Indicators

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 4 Abercrombie & Fitch Co: Competitive Position 2008

BROWN SHOE CO INC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - USA

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 5 Brown Shoe Co: Key Facts

Summary 6 Brown Shoe Co: Operational Indicators

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 7 Brown Shoe Co: Competitive Position 2008

GAP INC, THE - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - USA

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 8 Gap Inc: Key Facts

Summary 9 Gap Inc: Operational Indicators

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 10 Gap Inc: Competitive Position 2008

JONES APPAREL GROUP - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - USA

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 11 Jones Apparel Group: Key Facts

Summary 12 Jones Apparel Group: Operational Indicators

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 13 Jones Apparel Group: Competitive Position 2008

VF CORP - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - USA

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

KEY FACTS

Summary 14 VF Corp: Key Facts

Summary 15 VF Corp: Operational Indicators

COMPANY BACKGROUND

PRODUCTION

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Summary 16 VF Corp: Competitive Position 2008

CLOTHING IN THE US

HEADLINES

TRENDS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

New Product Developments

Summary 17 New Product Launches 2007- 2008

SECTOR DATA

Table 12 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2003-2008

Table 13 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2003-2008

Table 14 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 15 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 16 Sales of Men’s Outerwear by Type 2003-2008

Table 17 Sales of Women’s Outerwear by Type 2003-2008

Table 18 Sales of Childrenswear by Type 2003-2008

Table 19 Clothing Company Shares 2004-2008

Table 20 Clothing Brand Shares 2005-2008

Table 21 Sales of Clothing by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008

Table 22 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2008-2013

Table 23 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2008-2013

Table 24 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 25 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2008-2013

FOOTWEAR IN THE US

HEADLINES

TRENDS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

New Product Developments

Summary 18 New Product Launches 2007- 2008

SECTOR DATA

Table 26 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2003-2008

Table 27 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2003-2008

Table 28 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2003-2008

Table 29 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2003-2008

Table 30 Sales of Footwear by Type 2003-2008

Table 31 Footwear Company Shares 2004-2008

Table 32 Footwear Brand Shares 2005-2008

Table 33 Sales of Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008

Table 34 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2008-2013

Table 35 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2008-2013

Table 36 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2008-2013

Table 37 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2008-2013

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