Value for money remains the biggest purchase motivator in womenswear, cited by 78.4% of shoppers. However, quality has now overtaken price as the second most important driver. While retailers will be facing inflationary pressures, they cannot afford to compromise on quality, with this being on the top of the minds of shoppers.

Consumers’ squeezed disposable incomes and higher prices mean that shoppers are cutting back on clothing and prioritising essentials such as food and fuel, with womenswear hit worst. Its volumes are forecast to decline by 0.8% in 2017. Discretionary purchases will remain stifled, with muted volume growth forecast for the next few years. Despite higher inflation, and the spend per head rising by over £100, womenswear will underperform overall clothing by 1.0pp over the next five years.

The online womenswear market is forecast to grow by 48.3% over the next five years, equating to an additional £3.2bn in spend. Continued retail investment in the online shopping experience with a mobile first approach and improvements in fulfilment propositions will drive spend via the channel.

Clothing specialists are expected to win the most shares over the next five years. By 2022, They’re forecasted to account for 75.5% of the market. We expect the likes of TK Maxx, JD Sports and online pureplays like ASOS and boohoo.com to continue to thrive. Young womenswear shoppers have the highest purchase frequency, with 67.7% of 16-24s buying womenswear at least once a fortnight, aided by the faster turnover of fashion ranges, compared to just 4.3% of 65+s.

Social media has a particularly influential role in the womenswear market, inspiring 69.5% of 16-24 year olds’ clothing choices. While its influence drops among older age groups, young shoppers will take their shopping habits with them as they age, indicating that its importance will only grow.

M&S remains market leader, however it continues to cede share, with a 0.2pp decline expected in 2017. The runner up: Next’s share is forecast to fall further, by 0.3pp this year. Both retailers are failing to excite and inspire shoppers, making it difficult to recruit new customers as consumers cut back on spending.

The report “The UK Womenswear Market 2017 – 2022” offers comprehensive insight and analysis of the market (including forecasts up to 2022), the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes. It provides in-depth analysis of: the hot issues impacting the market (the squeeze of the midmarket, the threat posed by Amazon, how technology can enhance the in-store customer’s shopping journey, and also the new entrants in the market), strategies for success, market sizes and forecasts, retailer profiles, retailer market shares, consumer data and future outlook.

Companies mentioned in this report: Primark, Asda, TK Maxx, New Look, Next, Tesco, H&M, ARKET, & Other Stories, COS, Weekday, Matalan, Sainsbury’s, boohoo.com, Lidl, Aldi, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, ASOS, Amazon, Very.co.uk, Arcadia, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Evans, Wallis, Debenhams, River Island, Zara, Peacocks, Missguided, House of Fraser, Reserved.

Scope

• Value for money remains the biggest purchase motivator in womenswear; however, quality has now overtaken price as the second most important driver.
• The online womenswear market is forecast to grow by almost 50% over the next five years, equating to an additional £3.2bn in spend.
• Social media has a particularly influential role in the womenswear market, inspiring 69.5% of 16-24 year olds’ clothing choices.

Reasons to buy

• Learn which segments of the UK womenswear market are highly saturated and which areas are underserved by utilising our womenswear positioning map to inform strategic decisions and seize growth opportunities.
• Use our in-depth analysis of the challenges faced by the big four midmarket retailers to understand how to steal their shoppers and market share.
• Utilise our analysis of new entrants in the UK womenswear market such as ARKET and Reserved to understand the threat they pose to your business.
• Discover what inspires female shoppers’ clothing choices across different age groups to make your marketing campaigns more effective and drive engagement among consumers.