U.S. Apparel Sales Increase With Men Leading the Way
U.S. consumers were busy shopping last year.
Apparel sales in the U.S. totaled $181 billion in 2005, up 4 percent from 2004, according to The NPD Group, a retail information company based in Port Washington, N.Y.
Surprisingly, men’s apparel sales grew at a faster pace than women’s purchases. Men spent nearly $53 billion in 2005, up 5 percent over the previous year. Women’s clothing sales totaled $101 billion, up 3 percent, while children’s apparel sales totaled $27 billion, a year-over-year increase of 2 percent.
“As NPD predicted early last year, the apparel industry saw another healthy year of growth,” said Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief retail industry analyst. “Those who didn’t update their wardrobes two years ago made sure they did so last year.”
Men bought tailored clothing such as suits, suit separates and sports jackets with sales in that area increasing 7 percent to $5 billion. Men’s tops accounted for 38 percent of the men’s apparel market, growing 6 percent in sales. Dress shirts and polo/golf/rugby shirts fueled much of the growth, up 10 and 14 percent, respectively.
“The surge in men’s apparel sales came from some of the most unexpected places, such as young men buying a suit,” Cohen observed, noting that young men have migrated to dressing up to be “cool.”
Women spent heavily on accessories such as hats, scarves and purses. Accessories sales grew 11 percent in 2005 to a total of $2.6 billion. Another winning category for women was pajamas and robes, which saw a 10 percent increase to $4 billion.
Of course, blue jeans were a must-have purchase for women. Sales of women’s jeans were up nearly 10 percent to $7.6 billion. Premium jeans, priced at more than $100, accounted for 18 percent of all denim sales, up from 12 percent in 2004. Women’s T-shirts also posted a 10 percent increase in sales, totaling $10 billion.
“Last year was a clear indication of where the consumer is heading for 2006,” Cohen said. “Today’s consumer enjoys splurging on higher-end products now and then, but their quest for value still remains.” —Deborah Belgum
