The UK Apparel Consumer Insights Report provides consumer data and analysis from How Britain Shops Survey conducted in 2023. The report also includes some comparisons to consumer data from 2022.
Over the 12 months to June 2023, 88.6% of UK consumers purchased apparel, driven by those aged 25-44 at 91.2%, with this demographic tending to have the greatest interest in fashion, and higher discretionary incomes than the younger age groups. With the UK amid a cost-of-living crisis, UK apparel shoppers are tending to favour value brands, with Primark proving the most popular retailer for clothing and accessories, with 25.4% and 18.5% of UK clothing and accessories shoppers purchasing from there respectively in the past 12 months.
Value and premium players remain more resilient amid inflationary pressures, as 89.6% of consumers cited that value for money is an important factor when purchasing apparel, therefore meaning they are prepared to pay extra for better quality, longer lasting products.
16-44s are the biggest purchasers of apparel due to being particularly fixated with the latest trends, with 56.0% of shoppers in the age group citing this as an important factor influencing their apparel purchases.
Over the 12 months to June 2023, 88.6% of UK consumers purchased apparel, driven by those aged 25-44 at 91.2%, with this demographic tending to have the greatest interest in fashion, and higher discretionary incomes than the younger age groups. With the UK amid a cost-of-living crisis, UK apparel shoppers are tending to favour value brands, with Primark proving the most popular retailer for clothing and accessories, with 25.4% and 18.5% of UK clothing and accessories shoppers purchasing from there respectively in the past 12 months.
Key Highlights
34.7% of UK shoppers have purchased secondhand apparel in the last 12 months, with the majority of UK secondhand apparel shoppers citing that saving money drives them to purchase the segment, due to items usually being available at a fraction of the cost of buying brand new.Value and premium players remain more resilient amid inflationary pressures, as 89.6% of consumers cited that value for money is an important factor when purchasing apparel, therefore meaning they are prepared to pay extra for better quality, longer lasting products.
16-44s are the biggest purchasers of apparel due to being particularly fixated with the latest trends, with 56.0% of shoppers in the age group citing this as an important factor influencing their apparel purchases.
Reasons to Buy
- Identify how rising inflation is influencing how and where UK consumers shop for apparel
- Understand where the demand lies within the UK apparel market across various price positionings, categories, and retailers, to allow you to maximise customer acquisition
- Understand consumer sentiment surrounding the UK apparel market and what this means for apparel brands' next steps
Table of Contents
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- WHO SHOPS AND WHAT THEY PURCHASE
- Who Shops for Apparel
- Categories Purchased
- Styles Purchased
- Womenswear and Menswear Items Purchased
- Girlswear and Boyswear Items Purchased
- Womens's and Men's Footwear Items Purchased
- ChiIdren's Footwear Items Purchased
- Accessories Items Purchased
- HOW PEOPLE SHOP
- Purchase Frequency
- Channel Preferences
- Location Preferences
- Online Fulfilment Preferences
- Top Clothing Retailers
- Top Footwear Retailers
- Top Accessories Retailers
- WHY PEOPLE SHOP
- Purchase drivers
- Purchase Inspirations
- Style Preferences
- Social Media Influences
- Fashion Preferences
- Experiences When Shopping for Apparel
- Brand and Retailer Preferences
- Impacts of Cost-of-Living Crisis on Fashion Preferences
- SECONDHAND APPAREL PURCHASES
- Secondhand Apparel Purchases
- Future Secondhand Apparel Purchases
- Secondhand Categories Purchased
- Secondhand Styles Purchased
- Secondhand Purchase Drivers
- Secondhand Purchase Inhibiters
- Types of Brands Purchased Secondhand
- Secondhand Channel Preferences
- Physical Secondhand Stores Used
- Online Secondhand Platforms Used
- Secondhand Brands Purchased
- Secondhand Purchase Statements
- APPAREL RENTAL
- Apparel Rental Penetration
- Apparel Categories Rented
- Womenswear and Menswear Items Rented
- Childrenswear Items Rented
- Footwear and Accessories Items Rented
- Rental Apparel Preferences
- Rental Channels Used
- Online Rental Platforms Used
- Rental Drivers
- Rental Inhibters
- METHODOLOGY, DEFINITIONS AND CONTACTS
- Consumers who shopped for clothing, footwear and accessories, by demographic
- Fulfilment methods used when purchasing apparel online, by demographic
- What is important to shoppers when purchasing apparel, by demographic
- What inspires consumers’ apparel purchases
- Which social media sites most inspire apparel purchases, by demographic
- Consumers who purchased secondhand apparel in the last 12 months, by demographic
- Consumers who would consider purchasing secondhand apparel in the future, by demographic
- Channels used to purchase secondhand apparel, by demographic
- Consumers who rented total apparel, clothing, footwear and accessories in the last 12 months, by demographic
- Consumers who shopped for apparel in the last 12 months, totally and by gender, age, social grade, and region
- Demographic profile of apparel shoppers, by gender, age, social grade and region
- Consumers who shopped for clothing, footwear and accessories
- Categories purchased by clothing and footwear shoppers
- Styles purchased by apparel shoppers
- Womenswear and menswear items purchased
- Girlswear and boyswear items purchased
- Women’s and men’s footwear items purchased
- Children’s footwear items purchased
- Accessories categories purchased
- How frequently shoppers purchase apparel
- Channels used to purchase apparel
- Instore locations shopped at for apparel
- Fulfilment methods used when purchasing apparel online
- Top clothing retailers visited and purchased from
- Top footwear retailers visited and purchased from
- Top accessories retailers visited and purchased from
- What is important to shoppers when purchasing apparel
- What inspires shoppers’ apparel purchases
- How apparel shoppers describe their personal style
- Which social media sites most inspire apparel purchases
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about fashion preferences
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about experiences when shopping for apparel
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about brand and retailer preferences
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about brand and retailer preferences
- Consumers who purchased secondhand apparel in the last 12 months
- Consumers who would consider purchasing secondhand apparel in the future
- Categories purchased by secondhand apparel shoppers
- Styles purchased by secondhand apparel shoppers
- What is important to shoppers when purchasing secondhand apparel
- Why consumers did not purchase secondhand apparel
- Types of brands purchased by secondhand apparel shoppers
- Top physical stores secondhand apparel shoppers have purchased from, by clothing, footwear and accessories
- Top online platforms secondhand apparel shoppers have purchased from, by clothing, footwear and accessories
- Top brands apparel shoppers have purchased secondhand, by clothing, footwear and accessories
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about purchasing items secondhand
- Consumers who rented apparel in the last 12 months, by total
- Consumers who rented apparel in the last 12 months, by clothing, footwear and accessories
- Categories rented
- Womenswear and menswear items rented
- Childrenswear items rented
- Footwear and accessories items rented
- Styles rented
- Channels used for renting apparel
- Online platforms rented from
- Reasons for renting apparel
- Reasons for not renting apparel
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Amazon
- Primark
- TK Maxx
- Marks & Spencer
- H&M
- Next
- Shein
- eBay
- New Look
- ASDA
- Tesco
- Sainsbury's
- John Lewis
- Zara
- ASOS
- Matalan
- Sports Direct
- Clarks
- Adidas
- Nike
- JD Sports
- Shoe Zone
- Sketchers
- Vinted
- Depop
- Etsy
- Gumtree
- Preloved.co.uk
- My Wardrobe HQ
- Girl Meets Dress
- Frontrow
- Endless Wardrobe
- By Rotation
- Bag Butler
- Hirestreet
- For the Creators
- HURR
- Cocoon
- Rotaro
- Baujken
- Onloan
- DCEY
