Western Europe

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

After a challenging end to 2022, when the holiday sales season’s underwhelming results left retailers apprehensive for the year ahead, 2023 started on a more positive note in womenswear. German consumers took a conservative approach to…

Sportswear in Germany had a shy start to 2023, after the last quarter of 2022, when consumer confidence was at a record low. Despite initial pessimism about the economy in 2023, given the spike in energy prices, winter was less rigorous than…

After seeing slow volume growth and exceptional current value growth in 2022, menswear is set to turn to volume decline in 2023, and much slower, although still significant, current value growth, largely driven by high inflation. In value terms,…

Levi Strauss Germany is set to maintain its leading position in both men’s and women's premium jeans in Germany in 2023, and stores have seen a consistently positive business performance. Levi’s enjoys long-time brand recognition amongst consumers,…

In 2023, hosiery in Germany has continued experiencing a shift in consumer behaviour, which started along with the reopening of businesses. Given the return to events outside of the home, such as socialising, travel, and office work, sheer hosiery is…

After seeing close to double-digit current value growth in 2022, footwear has been facing challenges in Germany in 2023, and growth is set to slow. Several insolvencies have been filed in 2023 – an increase compared with the year before –…

Childrenswear in Germany is expected to continue to see current value growth in 2023, given the high inflation rate and resultant price increases. Nevertheless, volume sales are set to decline, reflecting the cost-of-living crisis and low consumer…

In Germany, inflation and interest rates have remained high in 2023, and real GDP has remained relatively flat, negatively affecting consumer spending and demand for non-essential goods such as fashion items. Despite the expectation of an increase…

Volume demand for apparel accessories is expected to see a notable decline in 2023, demonstrating a shift in behaviour from German shoppers. Although the pandemic is over, changes in consumer behaviour have remained. The need for apparel accessories…

Turkey has seen a very strong recovery from the slump in inbound tourist numbers caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and related bans and restrictions on consumer and border movements. In 2021 and 2022, the numbers of inbound trips…

In 2023, the performance of womenswear will exhibit the same dynamics as the overall apparel industry, recording a decline in retail volume sales, while current retail value is set to remain positive, primarily driven by inflation and rising unit…

Womenswear registered a weaker performance in 2023, with the rate of both volume and constant value growth slowing compared to the previous year. This was due to the high cost of living, which impacted disposable incomes. While the rate of inflation…

The impact of COVID-19, followed by the war in Ukraine, has led to high inflation rates in Portugal. While apparel and footwear did not experience a major increase in average unit prices, inflation rates have impacted overall purchasing power,…

As the largest category within apparel, the trend visible in the overall apparel category is, naturally, also visible in womenswear in 2023, namely a decline in volume terms and muted current value sales as a result of a growth boom during the…

As in other apparel categories, sportswear in Turkey is seeing significant activity in terms of collaborations between companies and brands. Collaborations have many advantages for brands, in terms of communication and marketing, as well as in terms…

Despite facing a high degree of maturity, in 2023, sportswear will continue to display faster growth than the overall apparel and footwear industry. Sportswear performed relatively well during COVID-19, with consumers taking an even larger interest…

Sportswear continued to recover in 2023, but the rate of growth slowed over the previous year, with retail constant value sales remaining below their pre-pandemic (2019) level. This slowdown was largely due to the difficult economic situation, with…

Although the short-term impact on sportswear was negative due to lockdowns and restrictions, COVID-19 has boosted consumers' interest in health and fitness. The pandemic has increased consumers' interest in long-term health, with a rising number of…

Health and exercise became even more important during the pandemic, with many local consumers believing it to be key for good mental health. Norwegians, who were already very outdoorsy, increased the frequency with which they undertook activities…

Menswear is projected to see slower retail volume and current value growth than womenswear over 2023. There tended to be a higher level of price-sensitivity amongst men in Turkey, which limited their frequency of shopping for apparel during the…

Menswear is expected to develop in line with the overall apparel landscape in 2023, displaying a retail volume decline while retail value sales remain positive due to inflation and rising unit prices. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, menswear was…

Retail sales of menswear in Spain registered a slowdown in growth in both volume and constant value terms in 2023, with the high cost of living being the key factor behind this trend. With many households exposed to rising interest rates, given the…

Following the impact of COVID-19 and the major downturn menswear registered in 2020, the landscape was poised to see significant retail volume growth. However, this expectation was hindered by high inflation rates in 2022 and 2023, slowing down…

As with the overall performance of apparel and footwear, menswear has seen volume sales decline in 2023, while current value growth has slowed but remains positive due to inflation and rising unit prices. This follows two years of growth thanks to a…

The shift from skinny jeans to extra-baggy and extra-comfortable styles was already noticeable during the review period. The changes in lifestyles with the reopening of society, as the threat and related restrictions of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)…

Jeans is predicted to register a decrease in retail volume terms in 2023, with current retail value remaining positive due to inflation and rising unit prices. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, jeans struggled with retail volume growth, with…

Jeans fared better than many other categories within apparel and footwear in 2023. Such products tend to be viewed as an essential part of Spanish wardrobes, being worn by men, women and children throughout the year. The casualisation of workwear…

Jeans is set to register positive retail volume growth in 2023, with sales encouraged by consumers viewing jeans as a staple item. Jeans are also appreciated for versatility and suitability to wear with various garments and footwear, in both formal…

As with apparel in general, jeans has seen a decline in volume sales and a modest increase in current value sales in 2023, primarily driven by inflation and rising unit prices. Since jeans is one of the more durable apparel categories, it is easier…

In 2023, the demand for hosiery continued to recovery from the steep decline recorded due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in 2020. The rate of growth in retail volume sales increased during 2023, although the market size of hosiery is not…

Hosiery is set to display a retail volume decline in 2023, in line with overall apparel and footwear. The landscape experienced an upswing in performance with the return of in-store shopping following the COVID-19; however, the cost-of-living crisis,…

Retail sales of hosiery saw minimal growth in constant value terms in 2023. This was partly due to the high cost of living, in the context of elevated inflation and rising interest rates, which led a significant number of local consumers to trade…

Hosiery registered positive retail volume growth in 2023 while recovering from the downturn it experienced in 2020. Sales of hosiery are often driven by products needing to be replaced, as well as the essential element of items such as underwear.…

Following two years of solid performance, hosiery is registering a decline in volume sales in 2023. However, modest value sales growth will result from inflation and rising unit prices. As local consumers have returned to apparel and footwear retail…

All categories of footwear are projected to post retail volume growth over 2023, led by a double-digit increase for children’s footwear and moderate rises for women’s and men’s footwear. Both children’s and women’s footwear are projected to exceed…

Similar to apparel, footwear is projected to exhibit a decline in retail volume growth in 2023, with retail value sales remaining positive, primarily attributed to inflation and rising unit prices. The sector faced a steeper decline than apparel…

Retail sales of footwear saw fairly modest growth in volume terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous yearly. With wallets being squeezed due to inflationary pressures and high interest rates, a growing number of Spaniards were forced to…

Following the major downturn registered in 2020 caused by COVID-19, retail volume sales of footwear continued to recover in 2023. However, growth rates slowed significantly, and demand for footwear remained well below the pre-pandemic level. In 2023,…

Like apparel, footwear registered declining volume sales in 2023 following two good years, as local consumer spending began to shift away from goods back to services. Inflation and rising unit prices positively impacted current value sales, however.…

The demand for childrenswear is dampened by demographic trends, with the fertility rate and 0-3-year-old population seeing a downward trajectory in the country. In addition, the 4-14-year-old population started to drop towards the end of the review…

In 2023, childrenswear in Sweden is anticipated to follow the overall apparel trend, showing a decrease in retail volume sales. The landscape remained relatively stable during COVID-19, but similar shopping patterns influence it, as some Swedish…

Retail sales of childrenswear in Spain registered relatively modest growth in constant value terms in 2023, with the high cost of living being the key factor behind this trend. With many households exposed to rising interest rates, given the high…

After the decline registered in 2020 due to COVID-19 and successive lockdowns, childrenswear registered noticeable growth in 2021. Nevertheless, in 2022 and 2023, retail volume slowed down, lower than levels seen in men and womenswear, as parents…

Childrenswear has seen volume sales decline in 2023, while inflation and rising unit prices have boosted current value sales, similar to the overall trend in apparel. While childrenswear did not experience the same fluctuations as other apparel…

Economic instability and high inflation continued to restrain retail volume sales of apparel and footwear in Turkey at the end of the review period. The Turkish economy is taking longer to recover than many the economies of some other countries. This…

Apparel and footwear in Sweden is expected to display weaker current retail value and volume growth in 2023. Retail volume will post an overall decline, while retail value is set to remain positive, albeit lower than levels experienced in 2021 and…

Retail sales of apparel and footwear in Spain registered a slowdown in growth in both volume and constant value terms in 2023, with the high cost of living being the key factor behind this trend. With many households exposed to rising interest rates,…

The outbreak of COVID-19, followed by the war in Ukraine, has led to high inflation rates in Portugal throughout 2023. Despite apparel and footwear products only witnessing moderate price increases, energy and packaged food saw high rises, impacting…

Apparel and footwear in Norway is expected to see a decline in retail volume terms and a modest current value sales increase in 2023, boosted by inflation and rising unit prices. The notably lower growth in 2023 follows two years of growth, which saw…