Hosiery in the United Arab Emirates

2020 IMPACT

Category supported by sports-inspired fashion, but suffers under limited social outings and work-from-home policies

Hosiery continues to be supported by purchases of sports footwear, particularly sneakers, since it is among the latest style trends for both casual and sports-inspired fashion. However, demand during the first period of the pandemic was negatively impacted by the lockdown, working from home policies, expatriates leaving the country with their families, and diminished disposable income leading to consumers only purchasing necessities.

Non-sheer hosiery represents majority of sales

Non-sheer hosiery contains natural fibres (cotton, silk, cashmere) or acrylic as its main component and is more comfortable in hot and humid weather than sheer hosiery. As such, non-sheer hosiery holds the largest proportion of shares in the category with more than six times the current value sales of sheer hosiery in 2020.

Landmark Group remains the leading player in hosiery

Landmark Group’s Splash and Max brands provide value-for-money hosiery which is popular among the low- and mid-income population of the country. The company also continues to benefit from its numerous stores in every well-known neighbourhood and shopping centre across the United Arab Emirates.

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Hosiery to see more demand as social occasions and activities resume

Hosiery will continue to be a staple of wardrobes over the forecast period. Hosiery such as socks and tights typically accompany the wearing of formal wear, such as suits for men and dresses for women.

Price-wars expected as retailers strive to appeal to consumers in economically difficult times

Retailers selling hosiery are expected to continue providing greater variety at competitive prices through offline and e-commerce websites. The COVID-19 pandemic caused financial hardship amongst a large proportion of the population; thus, retailers will need to offer attractive deals to appeal to consumers and increase sales.

Casual and sport-inspired fashions to boost hosiery recovery and health and wellness boosts interest in active lifestyles

Casual and sports-inspired fashion is expected to continue supporting sales of hosiery during the forecast period. The category is popular across all age groups and genders and will see increased demand through the growing health and wellness trend that is encouraging consumers to participate in sports and activities.