back

The Economics of Fashion: Statistics for the Fashion Industry

Sustainability

Global Drivers of Secondhand Consumption

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total Revenue of Leading European Fast Fashion Brands
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

Leading European Fast Frashion Brands
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

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 statistics

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).

Global Sales by Apparel Category Chart
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

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Actual (2019-20) + Forecasted (2021-22), Millions of USD

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

Source: The Nines + Statista

Data Notes: Actual (2019-20) + Forecasted (2021-22), Millions of USD

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.

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

Source: The Nines + Fashion Network + Statista

Data Notes: Actual (2020) + Forecasted (2021-26), Billions of USD

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.

Global Secondhand Market Value by Year
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

Source: The Nines + ThredUp + GlobalData + Statista

Data Notes: Estimated, Billions of USD

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.

Global Leading Apparel + Footwear Retailers by Sales
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

Source: The Nines + Forbes

Data Notes: Actual, Billions of USD

China Fashion Revenue By Segment (2021)

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

Source: Statista + The Nines

India Fashion Revenue By Segment (2021)

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

Source: Statista + The Nines

U.S. statistics

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).

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

Source: The Nines + Kantar + National Retail Federation

Data Notes: Actual, Billions of USD

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

Source: The Nines + US Census Bureau

Data Notes: Actual, Billions of USD

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

Source: The Nines + US Census Bureau

Data Notes: Actual, Billions of USD

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

Source: The Nines + Bureau of Labor Statistics