The UK Womenswear Market to 2028 report offers comprehensive insight and analysis of the UK Womenswear market, the major players, the key trends, and consumer attitudes. It provides detailed analysis of the key trends shaping the market, market sizes and forecasts, and the performance of key retailers. The report also includes consumer data from 2023.
In 2023, growth of the UK womenswear market remained subdued, as UK consumers cut back on non-essential purchases as discretionary incomes were hit by the increased cost of living. In 2024, the market is expected to perform marginally better, rising by 2.4%, helped by the easing of inflations and the general improvement of the economy. However, growth will continue to be driven by prices rather than volumes, as inflation is expected to remain elevated in the first half of the year, while consumers will continue to prioritise quality over quantity.
Despite the difficulties faced by players such as boohoo.com and ASOS in 2023, the online UK womenswear market outperformed the total UK womenswear market, leading online penetration to rise by 1.1ppts to 43.8%.
Shein was the undoubted winner within the UK womenswear market in 2023, having increased its market share by 0.5ppts. It has benefited from its ultra-low prices and endless trend-led assortment, with UK shoppers overlooking environmental and ethical concerns to prioritise affordability.
The share of clothing, footwear and accessories specialists within the UK womenswear market dropped by 10.3ppts between 2018 and 2023, due to the vast growth of the digital channels amid the pandemic.
Learn how continued inflationary challenges will impact the UK Womenswear market, and which players are most at threat from changing consumer habits.
Identify the key approaches retailers are taking to stand out in the UK Womenswear market, and how you can adapt these to fit your own business.
In 2023, growth of the UK womenswear market remained subdued, as UK consumers cut back on non-essential purchases as discretionary incomes were hit by the increased cost of living. In 2024, the market is expected to perform marginally better, rising by 2.4%, helped by the easing of inflations and the general improvement of the economy. However, growth will continue to be driven by prices rather than volumes, as inflation is expected to remain elevated in the first half of the year, while consumers will continue to prioritise quality over quantity.
Scope
High inflation led UK womenswear sales to decline in 2023, as consumers focused their spending on essentials. Within clothing, womenswear was especially impacted by inflation, as females typically buy higher volumes than males, meaning they had more scope to cut back on their spending.Despite the difficulties faced by players such as boohoo.com and ASOS in 2023, the online UK womenswear market outperformed the total UK womenswear market, leading online penetration to rise by 1.1ppts to 43.8%.
Shein was the undoubted winner within the UK womenswear market in 2023, having increased its market share by 0.5ppts. It has benefited from its ultra-low prices and endless trend-led assortment, with UK shoppers overlooking environmental and ethical concerns to prioritise affordability.
The share of clothing, footwear and accessories specialists within the UK womenswear market dropped by 10.3ppts between 2018 and 2023, due to the vast growth of the digital channels amid the pandemic.
Reasons to Buy
Understand where the demand lies within the UK Womenswear market across various price positionings, categories, and retailers, to allow you to maximise customer acquisition.Learn how continued inflationary challenges will impact the UK Womenswear market, and which players are most at threat from changing consumer habits.
Identify the key approaches retailers are taking to stand out in the UK Womenswear market, and how you can adapt these to fit your own business.
Table of Contents
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- KEY TRENDS IN THE UK WOMENSWEAR MARKET
- UK Womenswear Market Drivers
- UK Womenswear Market Inhibitors
- Key Trends
- Ultra-fast fashion dominates as shoppers seek the latest trends at low prices
- Brands must adapt to continued demand for comfort and versatility
- The fast-growing resale market is changing the face of UK womenswear
- Underserved shoppers represent an untapped opportunity
- Strategies for Success in the UK Womenswear Market
- THE UK WOMENSWEAR MARKET: MARKET SIZE TO 2028
- UK Womenswear Market, 2018-2028
- UK Apparel Market by Subsector Share 2018-2028
- THE UK WOMENSWEAR MARKET: WHERE PEOPLE SHOP
- UK Womenswear Online Market, 2018-2028
- UK Womenswear Channel Usage
- UK Womenswear Instore Location Preferences
- UK Womenswear Online Fulfilment Preferences
- UK Womenswear Market by Channel 2018-2028
- Top 10 UK Womenswear Retailer Market Shares
- UK Womenswear Winners & Losers Outlook
- UK Womenswear Most Shopped At Retailers
- Top 10 UK Womenswear Retailer Competitor Overlaps
- Retailer Profiles
- Marks & Spencer
- ASOS
- Sainsbury's
- Very
- Sosandar & Mint Velvet
- Retailers to Watch
- THE UK WOMENSWEAR MARKET: HOW PEOPLE SHOP
- Who Shops and Where They Are Located
- Womenswear Categories Purchased
- Frequency of Shopping
- Impacts of Inflation on Clothing & Footwear Spend
- THE UK WOMENSWEAR MARKET: WHY PEOPLE SHOP
- Female Clothing Purchase Drivers
- Female Clothing Inspirations
- Social Media Influences
- Female Style Preferences
- Female Consumer Attitudes - Choices Available
- METHODOLOGY, DEFINITIONS AND CONTACTS
- Top 10 UK Womenswear Retailer Competitor Overlaps
- Womenswear Categories Purchased
- How Frequently Females Buy Clothing by Gender and Social Grade
- What’s Important to Females When Purchasing Clothing by Age and Social Grade
- What Inspires Females’ Clothing Choices by Age Group
- Which Social Media Site Inspires Females’ Clothing Choices The Most
- UK Womenswear Market Value 2018, 2023, 2028 (£ bn) with Five-Year CAGR (%)
- UK Womenswear Market Value (£ bn) 2018-2028, Annual Growth (%) and Spend Per Head (£)
- UK Clothing Market Share by Subsector (%), 2018, 2023 & 2028
- UK Clothing Market Annual Growth (%) by Subsector, 2018-2028
- UK Womenswear Online Market Value (£ bn) and Online Penetration (%), 2018-2028
- Online and Offline Growth (%) within the UK Womenswear Market, 2018-2028
- Channels Womenswear Shoppers Used to Purchase Clothing, 2022 & 2023
- Instore Locations Womenswear Shoppers Used to Purchase Clothing, 2022 & 2023
- Fulfilment Methods Womenswear Shoppers Used When Purchasing Clothing Online, 2022 & 2023
- UK Womenswear Channel Shares (%), 2018, 2023 & 2028
- Market Shares (%) of the Top 10 UK Womenswear Retailers 2022 & 2023(f)
- Top Retailers Womenswear Shoppers Visited and Purchased Clothing From
- Where else Marks & Spencer’s womenswear shoppers shop
- Marks and Spencer’s womenswear shopper penetration by demographic
- M&S' 2018-2023(f) UK womenswear market share
- Where else ASOS’s womenswear shoppers shop
- ASOS’ womenswear shopper penetration by demographic
- ASOS' 2018-2023(f) UK womenswear market share
- Where else Sainsbury’s womenswear shoppers shop
- Sainsbury’s womenswear shopper penetration by demographic
- Sainsbury's 2018-2023(f) UK womenswear market share
- Where else Very’s womenswear shoppers shop
- Very’s womenswear shopper penetration by demographic
- Very's 2018-2023(f) UK womenswear market share
- Consumers That Shop for Womenswear by Demographic
- Profile of Womenswear Shoppers
- Womenswear Categories Purchased
- How Frequently Females Buy Clothing
- How female consumers have changed/intend to change their clothing & footwear spend as a result of rising prices
- What's Important to Females When Purchasing Clothing
- What Inspires Females' Clothing Choices
- Which Social Media Site Inspires Females’ Clothing Choices The Most
- Female shoppers’ agreement with statements on their style preferences
- Female shoppers’ agreement with statements on the clothing choices available to them
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adanola
- Alo Yoga
- Amazon
- Another Girl
- Arcadia Group
- ASDA
- ASOS
- Bonmarché
- Boohoo
- Cider
- Debenhams
- eBay
- Fashion Nova
- Frasers Group
- Gymshark
- H&M
- Hirestreet
- House of Fraser
- HURR
- Karen Millen
- Lily and Lionel
- Lululemon
- M&S
- Matalan
- Mint Velvet
- Miss Selfridge
- Never Fully Dressed
- New Look
- Next
- Nike
- Odd Muse
- Primark
- Reiss
- ReSkinned
- Sainsbury's
- Seasalt
- Selfridges
- Shein
- Simple Be
- Soeur
- Sosandar
- Sweaty Betty
- Tala
- Ted Baker
- Temu
- Tesco
- TK Maxx
- Topshop
- Uniqlo
- Urban Outfitters
- Very
- Vinted
- Whistles
- Yours Clothing
- Zara
