The Economics of Fashion: Statistics for the Fashion Industry

Global Drivers of Secondhand Consumption

Driver	Strongly Agree	Strongly Disagree
Affordability/ purchase power	45%	32%
Offer/choice	46%	39%
Trend and uniqueness	43%	38%
Environmental consciousness	36%	34%

Source: The Nines + Vestiaire Collective + BCG

Data Notes: 2020 survey data, Global

Timeframe: May + June 2020

Sample Size: 7,000 individuals in six countries

Global Fast Fashion Market Value Forecast

Year	Market Value (Billions, USD)
2009	22
2019	36
2029	43

Source: The Nines + Thredup + GlobalData

Secondhand market is determined through ongoing retailer tracking, official public data, data sharing, store observation, consumers surveys and secondary sources.

Data Notes: Estimated, Billions of USD

Fastest Growing Fast Fashion Retailer Websites (US)

Website	Growth Rate
shein.com	121%
romwe.com	52%
zara.com	42%
asos.com	41%
uniqlo.com	35%

Source: TheNines + SEMrush + Apptopia

Date Notes: Q4 2019 to Q4 2020

Fastest Growing Fashion Items

Clothing Item	Growth Rate
Gloves	129%
Sweatpants	119%
Slippers	77%
Joggers	73%
Pijamas	68%
Hoodie	66%
Cardigan	60%
Tights	57%
Tracksuit	54%
Shorts	48%
Jeans	47%
Leggings	45%

Source: The Nines + SEMrush

Data Notes: 2020

Most Transparent Fashion Companies Worldwide

Company	Transparency Score
H&M	73
C&A	70
Adidas	69
Reebok	69
Esprit	64
Marks & Spencer	60
Patagonia	60
The North Face	59
Timberland	59
Vans	59
Wrangler	59
Puma	57
ASOS	55
Converse	55
Jordan	55
Nike	55
United Colors of Benetton	55
Calvin Klein	54
Tommy Hilfiger	54
Van Heusen	54

Source: The Nines + Fashion Revolution

Data Notes: 2020

The Fashion Transparency Index reviews and ranks 200 of the biggest global fashion and apparel brands and retailers according to how much information they disclose about their suppliers, supply chain policies and practices, and social and environmental impact.

Share of consumers planning to spend more or less money in fashion in the next five years

Fashion Type	Less	More
Secondhand	-3%	52%
Suistainable fashion	-6%	43%
Amazon fashion	-17%	37%
Off-Price	-13%	36%
Rental	-5%	28%
Subscription	-5%	21%
Mid-Priced Specialty	-27%	18%
Value Chains	-29%	17%
Luxury	-10%	16%
Fast Fashion	-24%	13%
Department Stores	-44%	9%

Source: The Nines + Thredup + GlobalData

Timeframe: December 2019 + January 2020

Sample Size: 3,500 women, 18+, U.S.

Survey Question – Barriers to Sustainable Fashion Purchases

Questions	Percent Responded
Too expensive for me	34%
I prefer the items I have always bought	25%
Items I like have no sustainable options	19%
Places I shop at have no sustainable options	18%
They do not look good	14%
I have had bad experiences with them	10%
I only buy sustainable items	4%
Other	4%
Don’t know	18%

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Survey data

Question: What are the reasons for not purchasing sustainable/eco-friendly fashion items?

Timeframe: February 2021

Sample Size: 890 respondents who purchased clothing in the previous six months, 16+, U.S.

Survey Question – Fashion Items That Were Sustainably Purchased in Previous 12 Months

Questions	Percent Responded
Clothing	42%
Shoes	34%
Accessories	20%
I do not consciously purchase sustainable items	27%
I have not purchased any sustainable fashion items	17%
Other	2%
I only buy sustainable items	4%
Other	4%

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Survey data

Question: Which of these fashion items that you bought in the last 12 months were sustainable?

Timeframe: February 2021

Sample Size: 890 respondents who purchased clothing in the previous six months, 16+, U.S.

Survey Question – Reasons Why People Purchase Sustainable Fashion Items

Questions	Percent Responded
Better quality	42%
Better for nature / the environment	39%
Better for the conscience	35%
Better for one’s health or their family’s	33%
To support projects for a good cause	32%
To support social justice	28%
To support regional suppliers	25%
Other	3%
Don’t know	8%

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Survey data

Question: What are the reasons you purchase sustainable/eco-friendly fashion items?

Timeframe: February 2021

Sample Size: 890 respondents who purchased clothing in the previous six months, 16+, U.S.

Leading European Fast Fashion Brands – Total Revenue

Brand	Revenue
Zara (Inditex)	22,544
H&M	16,829
Marks & Spencer Group	10,377
Primark	7,477
JD Sports	4,718
Nextv	4,167
Sports Direct	3,701
ASOS	2,733
Debenhams	2,277
The Arcadia Group	1,819
New Look	1,348
Matalan	1,104

Source: The Nines + AskTraders

Data Notes: 2019, Millions of GBP, Data collected from annual reports

Leading European Fast Frashion Brands – Units Sold

Brand	Units Sold
Zara (Inditex)	2,981,965
H&M	2,226,037
Marks & Spencer Group	1,323,635
Primark	989,021
JD Sports	601,760
Next	531,556
Sports Direct	472,181
ASOS	348,661
Debenhams	301,190
The Arcadia Group	240,584

Source: The Nines + AskTraders

Data Notes: 2018/19, Units sold in year was calculated by the source using 2018/19 revenues divided by 2018/19 average price per unit in global apparel industry.

Carbon Footprint of European Fashion Brands

Brand	Footprint
Zara (Inditex)	508,012
Marks & Spencer	360,000
Asos	271,016
C&A	139,676
Next	117,604
Sports Direct	110,160
JD Sports	58,509
H&M	56,978
Arcadia Group	38,492

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: 2018-19, Europe, Data collected from annual reports

Global Sales by Apparel Category

In 2021, global retail sales of apparel are projected to exceed $1.7 trillion USD. Women’s clothing is by far the largest category, with projected sales of $786 billion USD. The overall global total also includes menswear ($500 billion USD), children’s wear ($243 billion USD), and sportswear ($175 billion USD).

Category	Sales
Women	786.9
Men	500.6
Children	243.3
Sportswear	174.7
Total	1,705.5

Global GDP (2021 forecasted)	91,031.2
Fashion as % of global GBP	1.87%

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Forecasted, 2021, Billions of USD

Global Women Apparel Sales by Category

In 2020, global women’s apparel sales plummeted sharply as shopping habits shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health restrictions. While sales topped $925 billion USD in 2019, they dropped to $750 billion in 2020 and are projected to rebound just slightly in 2021 to $787 billion USD. Sales of women’s apparel is especially robust in trousers, jerseys/sweatshirts, and dresses and skirts.

Category	2019	2020	2021	2022
Trousers	143.6	116.8	121.9	149.4
Jerseys/Sweatshirts	134.5	107.9	112.4	137.3
Dresses & Skirts	104.0	84.2	88.3	108.5
Clothing Accessories & Other Clothes	89.6	73.5	77.0	94.8
Sports & Swimwear	83.5	67.1	73.5	93.2
Night & Underwear	84.0	67.8	70.9	87.2
Shirts & Blouses	74.6	60.6	63.2	77.0
T-Shirts	71.2	58.0	61.2	75.7
Coats & Jackets	52.0	41.6	43.1	53.7
Blazers	42.7	35.7	36.4	44.2
Socks	24.0	19.7	20.4	25.1
Tights & Leggings	14.2	11.6	12.0	14.7
Suits & Ensembles	7.8	6.2	6.4	7.5
Total	925.8	750.7	786.9	968.5

Global Men Apparel Sales by Category

Sales of men’s apparel is projected to increase sharply in 2022. Affected by shifting shopping habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, sales initially fell from $587 billion USD in 2019 to $477 billion USD in 2020. Some moderate increase is expected in 2021, with projected sales of $500 billion. By far the largest category of sales in men’s apparel is trousers, followed by shirts, and then by jerseys, sweatshirts and pullovers.

Category	2019	2020	2021	2022
Trousers	132.4	107.4	112.6	138.1
Shirts	82.2	65.7	68.6	83.6
Jerseys, Sweatshirts & Pullovers	68.7	55.3	58.1	71.5
Clothing Accessories & Other Clothes	60.7	50.0	52.1	64.0
Sports & Swimwear	55.7	45.6	49.7	63.0
Coats & Jackets	53.9	44.4	46.1	56.8
T-Shirts	44.8	36.5	38.5	47.6
Night & Underwear	27.9	22.5	23.6	29.2
Blazers	27.1	22.3	23.1	28.3
Suits	19.1	15.4	15.6	18.7
Socks	15.0	12.3	12.7	15.6
Total	587.4	477.3	500.6	616.2

Global Activewear Sales by Year

Globally, activewear sales are forecasted to increase steadily from 2021 to 2026. From a low of $353 billion USD in 2021 to a projected high of $439 billion USD in 2026, activewear constitutes a significant portion of overall apparel sales.

Year	Sales
2020	353.5
2021	366.6
2022	380.1
2023	394.2
2024	408.8
2025	423.9
2026	439.2

Global Secondhand Market Value by Year

Sales in the secondhand apparel market have increased steadily since 2012. Initially recorded at $11 billion USD in 2012, sales increased to $28 billion USD in 2019. Sales are expected to continue to climb as digital resale platforms explode in popularity. By 2024, sales of secondhand apparel are forecasted to reach $64 billion USD.

Year	Value
2012	11.0
2013	12.0
2014	14.0
2015	14.5
2016	17.5
2017	20.0
2018	24.0
2019	28.0
2020	33.0
2021	39.0
2022	46.0
2023	54.3
2024	64.0

Global Leading Apparel + Footwear Retailers by Sales

TJX Cos, an American multinational off-price department store corporation with a strong global presence, is the leading apparel and footwear retailer globally, with $41.7 billion USD in sales in 2019. Other leading retailers in 2019 were Inditex, with sales of $31.6 billion USD; H&M, with sales of $24.8 billion USD; and Fast Retailing, with sales of $20.5 billion USD.

Retailer	Sales
TJX Cos	41.7
Inditex	31.6
H&M	24.8
Fast Retailing	20.5
Gap	16.4
Ross Stores	16
Nordstrom	15.5
L Brands	12.9
Foot Locker	8
Burlington Stores	7.3
Zalando	7.3
Ralph Lauren	6.4
Lululemon Athletica	4

China Fashion Revenue By Segment (2021)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Apparel	80,022	111,039	143,104	192,818	227,474	252,495	272,712	291,812	310,915
Bags & Accessories	29,949	37,081	44,205	54,197	61,735	69,271	76,798	84,320	91,841
Footwear	20,396	26,154	30,343	37,295	41,424	44,759	47,460	49,376	51,293
Total	130,367	174,274	217,652	284,311	330,633	366,525	396,970	425,509	454,049

India Fashion Revenue By Segment (2021)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Apparel	2,854	4,352	6,130	8,680	10,596	12,276	13,666	14,768	15,613
Bags & Accessories	1,288	1,838	2,489	3,337	4,027	4,640	5,154	5,566	5,886
Footwear	386	582	815	1,142	1,395	1,619	1,807	1,957	2,074
Total	4,528	6,772	9,434	13,160	16,018	18,535	20,627	22,291	23,574

U.S. Leading Apparel Retailers by Sales (2019)

In the U.S., TJX Companies is the leading apparel retailer, with $3.1 billion USD in sales in 2019. Other leading American retailers include Macy’s ($24.4 billion USD), Kohl’s ($18.9 billion USD), and Ross Stores ($16 billion USD).

Retailer	Sales
TJX Companies	31.5
Macy’s	24.4
Kohl’s	18.9
Ross Stores	16.0
Nordstrom	15.1
Gap	13.3
L Brands	11.4
J.C. Penney Company	10.7
Burlington	7.2
Dillard’s	6.0
Sears Holdings	6.0
Ascena Retail Group	5.7
Saks/Lord & Taylor	4.9
Neiman Marcus	4.5
Belk	4.5

U.S. Women Apparel Sales by Year

U.S. women’s apparel sales have fluctuated since 1992, starting out at a high of $32 billion USD in 1992 and peaking at $42 billion USD in 2012 and 2013. Sales dip significantly at times, dropping from $32 billion USD in 1992 to $28 billion USD in 1996-98, and from $40 billion USD in 2007 to $36 billion USD in 2009.

Year	Apparel Sales (Billions, USD)
1992	31.8
1993	32.4
1994	30.6
1995	28.7
1996	28.2
1997	27.8
1998	28.3
1999	30
2000	31
2001	31.45
2002	31.25
2003	32.57
2004	34.95
2005	37.08

Year	Apparel Sales (Billions, USD)
2006	38.81
2007	40.29
2008	38.4
2009	36.06
2010	37.69
2011	40.05
2012	41.79
2013	41.51
2014	41.02
2015	40.24
2016	39.75
2017	39.21
2018	39.85
2019	38.95

U.S. Men Apparel Sales by Year

Sales of men’s apparel in the U.S. has been in a state of flux since 1992. While annual totals vary between $7 billion USD and $10 billion USD, those changes represent both ebbs and flows in sales trends. Holding steady at $9 billion USD from 2013 to 2019, it is likely that U.S. men apparel sales dropped in 2020 due to the shifting shopping patterns created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year	Apparel Sales (Billions, USD)
1992	10.2
1993	10.0
1994	10.0
1995	9.3
1996	9.6
1997	10.1
1998	10.2
1999	10
2000	10
2001	8.63
2002	8.11
2003	8.25
2004	8.57
2005	8.74

Year	Apparel Sales (Billions, USD)
2006	8.84
2007	8.77
2008	8.35
2009	7.35
2010	7.29
2011	7.86
2012	8.27
2013	8.85
2014	9.25
2015	9.4
2016	9.28
2017	9.3
2018	9.22
2019	9.11

Number of Employees in U.S. Apparel Manufacturing by Year

The number of employees in U.S. apparel manufacturing has significantly and steadily dropped since 1990. Peaking at 903,000 employees in 1990, that number dropped to 91,000 in 2020.

Year	Number of Employees
1990	902.7
1991	876.8
1992	878.7
1993	857.3
1994	832.6
1995	791.1
1996	722.3
1997	681
1998	621
1999	540.51
2000	483.58
2001	415.23
2002	349.93
2003	303.78
2004	278.04
2005	250.59

Year	Number of Employees
2006	232.49
2007	214.68
2008	198.93
2009	167.43
2010	156.43
2011	151.84
2012	148.02
2013	144.66
2014	140.12
2015	136.38
2016	130.8
2017	119.27
2018	113.89
2019	110.37
2020	90.5