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Executive Summary

Clothing and footwear: a mature market

The UK clothing and footwear market is essentially mature. Although a necessary requirement of life and particularly influenced by fashion trends, both clothing and footwear were by hit by price discounting during recent years. Increased competition at retail level, particularly due to the growing involvement of grocery retailers, caused price deflation in most clothing and footwear. This situation was exacerbated by the growing globalisation of product supply, with UK production increasingly relocated to low-cost centres in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Grocery retailers are becoming important

The profile of UK distribution channels for clothing and footwear changed during the 1990s. There was a major shift away from traditional outlets, such as department stores, clothing independents and variety stores, in favour of grocery retailers and discounters. This reflects both the growing importance of casual formats and the downward pressure of cheaper, imported products on retail price levels. Additionally, shopping is increasingly moving away from traditional high street locations to out-of-town shopping centres, where families may spend a good part of the day browsing and shopping in a wide range of stores.

Designing “in”, manufacturing “out”

There was a major shift in production of both clothing and footwear away from the UK to low-cost production centres, primarily in Asia or Eastern Europe. For example, Marks & Spencer abandoned its previous strategy of sourcing the majority of its products from UK production in 2005 and it now sources around 17% of clothing materials from India and 44% from Asia. To compensate for this shift in production, leading UK manufacturers began to emphasise their expertise in product design in order to add value to the finished product.

Buy fashionable items, dress them, and buy again

The UK consumer increasingly regards an item of clothing or footwear as disposable, rather than an investment. Quality remains important, but fashion plays a much greater role in everyday purchasing, so that an item may not be expected to last longer than one season. This placed an emphasis on price levels and significantly increased availability of 'value' brands in supermarkets and discounters, which stimulated volume sales without contributing to value sales development.

Casual formats became the rule

Although, formal clothing and footwear are normally seen as a symbol of success, taste and sophistication, casual clothing strengthened its position as the most important format. Companies are in general flexible in their dress codes and casual clothes gradually gained position on formal formats. Moreover, in social events such as business meetings, conferences, restaurants or parties, the ‘smart casual’ dress code is typically the norm. There is also a growing emphasis on purchasing clothing and footwear for evening and sports, as lifestyles changed

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Clothing and footwear: a mature market
Grocery retailers are becoming important
Designing “in”, manufacturing “out”
Buy fashionable items, dress them, and buy again
Casual formats became the rule

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS
New lifestyle factors shape consumer demand
Consumer perceptions are changing
Branding is key
Grocery retailers’ aspirations are high
Manufacturing moving away from the UK
Weather plays a role in consumer purchasing
Women’s clothing predominates, but menswear is recovering
Childrenswear an increasing focus

MARKET DATA

• Table 1 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2001-2006
  
• Table 2 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2001-2006
  
• Table 3 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 4 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 5 Clothing and Footwear Company Shares 2004-2006
  
• Table 6 Clothing and Footwear Brand Shares 2004-2006
  
• Table 7 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
  
• Table 8 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2006-2011
  
• Table 9 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2006-2011
  
• Table 10 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
  
• Table 11 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
  

DEFINITIONS
Clothing
Footwear
Summary 1 Research Sources

LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - UNITED KINGDOM

ARCADIA GROUP LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - UNITED KINGDOM STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 2 Arcadia Group Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 3 Arcadia Group Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 4 Arcadia Group Ltd: Competitive Position 2006

MARKS & SPENCER PLC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - UNITED KINGDOM
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 5 Marks & Spencer Plc: Key Facts
Summary 6 Marks & Spencer Plc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 7 Marks & Spencer Plc: Competitive Position 2006

NEXT PLC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - UNITED KINGDOM
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 8 Next Plc: Key Facts
Summary 9 Next Plc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 10 Next Plc: Competitive Position 2006

STYLO PLC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - UNITED KINGDOM
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 11 Stylo Plc: Key Facts
Summary 12 Stylo Plc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 13 Stylo Plc: Competitive Position 2006

UMBRO PLC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - UNITED KINGDOM
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 14 Umbro Plc: Key Facts
Summary 15 Umbro Plc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 16 Umbro Plc: Competitive Position 2006

CLOTHING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

HEADLINES

TRENDS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR DATA

• Table 12 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2001-2006
  
• Table 13 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
  
• Table 14 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 15 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 16 Sales of Men’s Outerwear by Type 2001-2006
  
• Table 17 Sales of Women’s Outerwear by Type 2001-2006
  
• Table 18 Sales of Childrenswear by Type 2001-2006
  
• Table 19 Clothing Company Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
  
• Table 20 Clothing Brand Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
  
• Table 21 Sales of Clothing by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
  
• Table 22 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2006-2011
  
• Table 23 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
  
• Table 24 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
  
• Table 25 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
  

FOOTWEAR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

HEADLINES

TRENDS

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PROSPECTS

SECTOR DATA

• Table 26 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2001-2006
  
• Table 27 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
  
• Table 28 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 29 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
  
• Table 30 Sales of Footwear by Type 2001-2006
  
• Table 31 Footwear Company Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
  
• Table 32 Footwear Brand Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
  
• Table 33 Sales of Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
  
• Table 34 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2006-2011
  
• Table 35 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
  
• Table 36 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
  
• Table 37 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
  

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