The UK Apparel Consumer Insights Report provides consumer data and analysis from the analyst's How Britain Shops Survey conducted in 2024. The report also includes some comparisons to consumer data from 2023.
The apparel market continues to be hit by the fragile economic climate, with the percentage of UK shoppers purchasing apparel in the 12 months to June 2024 down 0.5ppts versus the prior year. Spend remained mainly driven by females and young shoppers, due to their strong appetite for fashion and the latest trends.
The apparel market continues to be hit by the fragile economic climate, with the percentage of UK shoppers purchasing apparel in the 12 months to June 2024 down 0.5ppts versus the prior year. Spend remained mainly driven by females and young shoppers, due to their strong appetite for fashion and the latest trends.
Scope
- Amid the fragile economic climate, consumers have begun shopping less regularly, with the proportion of shoppers buying every 4-6 months down 1.0ppts, whilst those shopping every 1-2 years is up 1.4ppts.
- Value for money, fit and quality remain the top three biggest purchase drivers among apparel shoppers over price. All factors apart from following fashion trends rose in importance this year, as shoppers overall become more cautious over what they are buying and prefer classic styles.
- M&S overtook Primark in 2024 to become the top retailer for clothing purchases, thanks to its classic styles and value-for-money appeal. New Look and H&M witnessed some of the biggest stepbacks, as their ranges fail to entice consumers.
Reasons to Buy
- Identify how economic uncertainty 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
- Women's and Men's Footwear Items Purchased
- ChiIdren's Footwear and 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
- Fashion Preferences
- Experiences When Shopping for Apparel
- Sustainability and Ethics
- SECONDHAND APPAREL PURCHASES
- Secondhand Apparel Purchases
- Future Secondhand Apparel Purchases
- Secondhand Categories Purchased
- Secondhand Purchase Drivers
- Secondhand Channel Preferences
- Instore and Online Secondhand Retailers Used
- Secondhand Purchase Statements
- APPAREL RENTAL
- Apparel Rental Penetration
- Apparel Categories Rented
- Apparel Styles Rented
- Rental Channels Used
- Online Rental Platforms Used
- Rental Drivers
- Rental Inhibters
- METHODOLOGY, DEFINITIONS AND CONTACTS
- Consumers who purchased clothing, footwear and accessories, by demographic
- Menswear items purchased
- Womenswear items purchased
- Girlswear items purchased
- Boyswear items purchased
- Women’s footwear items purchased
- Men’s footwear items purchased
- Children’s footwear items purchased
- Accessories items purchased
- Channels used to purchase apparel, by demographic
- Fulfilment methods used when purchasing apparel online, by demographic
- Top clothing retailers visited and purchased from, 2023 and 2024
- Top footwear retailers visited and purchased from, 2023 and 2025
- Top accessories retailers visited and purchased from, 2023 and 2026
- What was important to shoppers when purchasing apparel in 2024, by demographic
- What inspires consumers’ apparel purchases in 2024, 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 total and demographic
- Top instore retailers secondhand apparel shoppers have purchased from
- Top online retailers secondhand apparel shoppers have purchased from
- Consumers who rented apparel categories 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
- Clothing styles purchased by apparel shoppers
- How frequently shoppers purchase apparel
- Channels used to purchase apparel
- Instore locations shopped at for apparel
- Fulfilment methods used when purchasing apparel online
- What is important to shoppers when purchasing apparel
- What inspires shoppers’ 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 sustainability and ethics
- 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
- What is important to shoppers when purchasing secondhand apparel
- Channels used for secondhand apparel purchases
- 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
- Apparel 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:
- Adidas
- Amazon
- ASDA
- ASOS
- ASOS Marketplace
- BagButler
- Barnado's
- Baujken
- British Heart Foundation
- British Red Cross
- By Rotation
- Cancer Research
- Clarks
- Cocoon
- DCEY
- Depop
- eBay
- Etsy
- Facebook Marketplace
- For The Creators
- Frontrow
- Girls Meets Dress
- Gumtree
- H&M
- Hirestreet
- HURR
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- My Wardrobe HQ
- New Look
- Next
- Nike
- Onloan
- Oxfam
- Pre-loved.co.uk
- Primark
- Rotaro
- Sainsbury's
- Salvation Army
- Shein
- Shoe Zone
- Sports Direct
- Tesco
- TK Maxx
- Vinted
- Zara
