• Get insight into trends in market performance
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• Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive environment

Executive Summary

Consumer spending on clothing and footwear keeps on growing With low unemployment rates, cuts in income and consumption taxes, and a strong overall economy, Canadian consumers were in upbeat spending mood in 2006, which translated into solid sales of clothing and footwear. The strong level of consumer confidence is expected to continue into the forecast period as a result of Australia's booming petroleum and commodities sector.

Move over brands, here come private labels Private label clothing now accounts for a larger share of total sales in Australia than brand name clothing. Not only do private labels offer retailers better margins, they also help to distinguish them from competitors. However, for large mixed retailers and department stores, such as Wal-Mart and Sears, to be successful in the clothing market, they must provide an appropriate mix of both private label and brand name products in order to capture as many consumers as possible.

Household Debt Delays Spending

In the early half of this decade consumers were spending heavily. The accumulation of this debt, combined with three interest rate hikes in 2006, resulted in high levels of household debt. To pay off this debt consumers cut back on spending and one of the easiest facets to cut back on was clothing.

Fertility Rates Rise

Children’s clothing and footwear were given a boost as Australia’s fertility rates increased over the past two years. The average age of parents also increased, as Australians put off babies in favour of their careers. However, this means that when Australians do have babies they tend to have higher disposable incomes than their parents did, allowing them to spoil the children more.

Good Fashion For All

As the global village becomes increasingly connected by the internet, fashions are spreading at an ever increasing rate. In order to satisfy consumer demand for the clothes they see on the catwalks or celebrities, retailers became experts at sourcing accurate imitations of high class fashion and providing it to the consumer at affordable prices. The fastest growing chains in the youth market are therefore those who can best and quickest get the latest fashions into their stores.

Manufacturers Finding a Niche

As retailers increasingly decide to source their clothes from China and other developing countries, those that remain in Australia found that the best competitive advantage they have is producing for niche markets and boutiques where they can charge higher prices. This is likely to be a sustainable competitive advantage as Asian manufacturers are still only interested in producing long runs for the mass market that will give them economies of scale.

Ding Dong the Department Store is Dead

The influence of the department store is on the wane as consumers increasingly prefer to patronise large retail chains that provide a more tailored and precisely targeted value offering. With a major retail chain to cover every demographic segment, these retailers better understand their target group, are better able to provide them with appropriate fashion and have thus become a more convenient outlet than department stores which have to cater to all demographic segments at once.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Household Debt Delays Spending
Fertility Rates Rise
Good Fashion For All
Manufacturers Finding a Niche
Ding Dong the Department Store is Dead

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Tariffs Tumbling Down
From the Cat-Walk to You in Weeks
Winters Heat Up
Specialist Retailers Rise
Attack of the Direct Factory Outlets (DFOs)
Department Stores Fight Back
Casual clothing becoming more the norm

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 - AUSTRALIA

BLUNDSTONE PTY LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - AUSTRALIA
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 2 Blundstone Pty Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 3 Blundstone Pty Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
Summary 4 Blundstone Pty Ltd: Production Statistics 2006
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 5 Blundstone Pty Ltd: Competitive Position 2006

JUST GROUP LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - AUSTRALIA
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 6 Just Group Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 7 Just Group Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
Summary 8 Just Group Ltd: Production Statistics 2006
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 9 Just Group Ltd: Competitive Position 2006

NONI-B LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - AUSTRALIA
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 10 Noni-B Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 11 Noni-B Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 12 Noni-B Ltd: Competitive Position 2006

PACIFIC BRANDS HOLDINGS - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - AUSTRALIA
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 13 Pacific Brands Holdings: Key Facts
Summary 14 Pacific Brands Holdings: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
Summary 15 Pacific Brands Holdings: Production Statistics 2006
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 16 Pacific Brands Holdings: Competitive Position 2006

SPECIALITY FASHION GROUP LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - AUSTRALIA
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 17 Specialty Fashion Group Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 18 Specialty Fashion Group Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 19 Specialty Fashion Group Ltd: Competitive Position 2006

CLOTHING IN AUSTRALIA

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 AUSTRALIA

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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