Apparel, Clothing and Footwear

2023 saw dips in demand for scarves, hats, gloves and similar items of winter apparel as several factors undermined the willingness of consumers to spend money on such items. The most important influence on waning demand for warm scarves, hats and…

Recent fashion aesthetics like 'Old Money' and 'Quiet Luxury' have spurred a surge in demand for classic accessories such as hats/berets, belts, and silk scarves. In 2023, these categories exhibited substantial growth rates, reflecting the evolving…

Apparel accessories registered another year of growth in 2023, as Romanians continued to go out more often than before and, therefore, showed a higher level of preoccupation with their personal image. The difficult economic context meant that apparel…

The obligation to wear a face mask or respirator was completely lifted, even from places like hospitals and retirement homes, in the Czech Republic in early 2022. Since then, the demand for washable face masks has continued to shrink. Despite the new…

The wave of inflation that swept across Europe in the wake of the Russian Federation’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine continued into 2023, with Hungary witnessing the highest core inflation of all European countries during the year after…

The prevailing inflationary pressures in Poland have wielded a substantial influence over apparel and footwear in 2023. Escalating living costs have prompted a gradual shift among Polish consumers towards more affordable brands and private label. As…

Apparel and footwear continued to grow in both value and volume terms in 2023 despite a difficult economic context. Romanians are notably preoccupied with their personal image, and they display a high level of brand loyalty and are attracted to big…

A recovery in consumer demand in 2022 enabled the fashion industry to rebound, although high inflation, geopolitical challenges and the energy crisis affected the cost of living and consumer behaviour in Q4. Although overall business results were…

The high inflation that prevailed in Hungary during 2022 and during 2023 led many consumers to make changes to their consumer habits in an effort to save money. This contributed to the significant shift towards more budget-friendly options that was…

Over recent years, second-hand shopping gained global traction, primarily among Gen Z. This trend has now transcended demographics, notably appealing to parents of small children. With Poland's ongoing cost of living crisis and the rapid growth of…

Romanian consumers are showing a tendency to be more frugal in the context of high inflation with rising prices for raw materials and final products. This was reflected in a slight deceleration of the volume trend in 2023, though growth remained…

Childrenswear is expected to see a further, and stronger, decline in retail volume sales and a moderate, but much slower, retail current value increase over 2023. There was some fluctuation or downsizing about the performance of the category overall.…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

The remarkable sneaker/trainer boom that Hungary is currently witnessing showed no signs of slowing down in 2023 as the huge numbers of sports footwear enthusiasts among the local population continued to prefer sneakers and trainers, especially…

The ongoing fluctuations in global temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns have instigated notable shifts in consumer behaviour. With the occurrence of an unusually cold spring and warm autumn in 2023, Polish consumers have adjusted their…

After the 2021 rebound, volume sales of footwear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023. As Romanians are going out more often than before for work, leisure or travelling, their demand for footwear is also on the rise. This rise in demand is…

Across footwear, sneakers (trainers) and children’s footwear are projected to see the steepest increases in unit prices over 2023, although the demand for sneakers continued to gain traction. Heeled shoes and boots have seen significant increases in…

Store-based fashion retail is heavily concentrated in city-centre commercial areas or shopping malls. Diminished footfall, because of both growing e-commerce penetration and hybrid working arrangements following the COVID-19 pandemic can support…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…