Member Article

44% of shoppers now go online for clothes

Brits are increasingly turning online for their clothing purchases, a new study from Cotton Council International has found.

44% of respondents now go online at least once a month or more for their clothing purchases, with 3% doing this daily.

In terms of the nation’s buying habits, clothing is only second to groceries (50%), as consumers move away from chain and speciality stores.

Many consumers (42%) now use the internet to compare products and prices across stores, and a third use online stores to browse the latest styles.

Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager, Cotton Council International
comments: “Our research reveals that there has been a marked uplift for people going online to
research and buy clothing, but not at the expense of quality.

“This trend has seen retailers across the board take more of an interest in their online clothing offering – ensuring the customer experience, delivered both on and offline, is second to none.”

Interestingly, only 10% of respondents spent more than £500 on clothes last year, with the average amount spent being only £230.

Over half of Brits fear they have less money to spend on clothing compared to last year, meaning 40% admitting we buy clothes with at least a 20% discount all or most of the time.

60% of respondents prefer to spend more on better quality items, with 61% of consumers viewing ‘good quality’ clothes as those that are durable and long-lasting.

Stephanie continues: “Today’s shoppers are more vigilant than ever – thinking harder
about their clothing purchases and examining what and how much they need to buy. When shoppers are spending their cash they are ensuring that they get the best value by choosing quality items.”

Independent Media News have put together a video on the Global Lifestyle Monitor report, which can be viewed here.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .