statistics

Global Fashion Industry Statistics

General data

Population: 7.84 billion (in 2021)

Source: World Bank Open Data, July 2022

Labor force: 3.45 billion (in 2021)

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2022

Unemployment rate: 5.9% *2022 global estimate.

Source: International Labour Organization (Ilostat)

GDP per capita (PPP): 16,300 US dollars 12,262.9 US$ (in 2021).

Source: World Bank Open Data, July 2022


The United States and China: largest economies and the largest apparel retail markets in the world

The ten largest economies in the world as measured by nominal GDP are the United States , China, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, India, France, Italy, Canada and South Korea.

The US accounts for 24.67% of the total global economy, China has a share of 17.39%, Japan a share of 5.97%, Germany a share of 4.54% and the UK makes up 3.26%.

Source: Investopedia article, based on The World Bank data GDP 2020. Last updated in June, 2022 .

The largest retail markets in the world are China, the US, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan (more about that in the next paragraph ‘The Global Apparel Market).

In 2021. Source: Euromonitor International, a market research provider

China and the US also play a significant role in international trade. China is the largest exporter worldwide of clothing and the US is second largest importer (more about that in the paragraph ‘Trade Textiles & Clothing Worldwide: Export & Import’).

Source: Statista, March 2022 & World Trade Statistical Review 2021 Report, from the World Trade Organization (WTO)

The Global Apparel Market

Fashion is one of the biggest industries in the world

“Fashion is one of the world’s most important industries, driving a significant part of the global economy. It is one of the key value-creating industries for the world economy. If it were ranked alongside individual countries’ GDP the global fashion industry would represent the seventh-largest economy in the world,’’ stated McKinsey in its State of Fashion 2017 report.

Source: McKinsey State of Fashion 2017 report, McKinsey & BoF, in 2016.

Revenue: $1.7 trillion dollar industry (2021)

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the fashion industry global revenue was estimated between $1.7 trillion and $2.5 trillion according to two different research reports by Euromonitor and McKinsey.

Source: Euromonitor International, a market research provider & McKinsey report 'State of Fashion 2022: An uneven recovery and new frontiers'. Source: McKinsey analysis 2019

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the fashion industry

According to Euromonitor the global apparel and footwear market size shrunk in 2020 by -18.1% (to $1.45 trillion), while McKinsey states that the fashion and apparel industry suffered a 20% decline in revenues for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Source: Euromonitor, June 2021 & McKinsey report State of Fashion 2022: An uneven recovery and new frontier, December 2021

Post-Covid-19 Retail: Revenge Shopping

After lockdown restrictions were lifted in many parts of the world, consumers headed back to the stores. With that the fashion industry returned to pre-pandemic levels.

According to Euromonitor, the global apparel and footwear industry grew by 18.1% at current prices in 2020-2021, to $1.71 billion dollars in market size (retail value USD million) in 2021.

The world’s apparel retail market is expected to enjoy a 7.5% growth in 2021-2022 to $1.84 billion dollars in 2022 and a 6.1% growth in 2022-2023 to $1.95 billion dollars in 2023.

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Worldwide Apparel & Footwear Market Size

*Retail Value RSP USD million

2019 2020 2021 2022 forecast 2023 forecast
1,773,406.9 1,453,277.5 1,716,952.2 1,846,222.0 1,959,592.1

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Worldwide Apparel & Footwear Market Size

*Year on year growth (%)

2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 forecast 2022-2023 forecast
-18.1% 18.1% 7.5% 6.1%

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Largest Apparel and Footwear Markets Worldwide (2021)

The United States and China account for the majority of the global apparel demand. You find the five markets with the highest market size in 2021 in USD million below.

China 427,153.9
USA 364,136.6
United Kingdom 70,734.8
Germany 69,957.3
Japan 65,764.0

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Key Apparel Markets

Revenue generated from the women’s apparel market is much higher than that of men’s or children’s apparel. In 2018, womenswear made up more than half (53%) of global fashion retail spending. Spending on menswear accounted for 31% and childrenswear for 16%.

States Common Objective in article in 2018, based on data from Market research provider, Euromonitor International.

Trade Textiles & Clothing Worldwide: Export & Import

World merchandise exports of manufactured goods were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020: the annual percentage change was -5.2% in total. Clothing saw a -9.1% decline in 2020, while textiles saw a strong increase of +16%, due to the demand for protective personal equipment.

*WTO estimates. Source: World Trade Statistical Review 2021 Report, from the World Trade Organization (WTO)

China is the largest exporter of textiles and clothing worldwide and the EU is the largest importer of these goods

More detailed information in the table below.

Top 10 exporters and importers of TEXTILES, 2020
Value 2020 billion dollars Share in world exports/imports 2020 Annual percentage change 2020
Exporters
China (1) 154 43.5 29
European Union 64 18.1 -3
India 15 4.2 -12
Turkey 12 3.3 -1
United States of America 11 3.2 -15
Vietnam 10 2.8 11
Korea, Republic of 8 2.2 -15
Pakistan 7 2.0 -8
Chinese Taipei 7 2.0 -17
Japan 6 1.6 -14
Importers
European Union 87 24.3 29
United States of America 45 12.6 44
Vietnam 16 4.4 -8
China 14 3.9 -10
Japan 12 3.3 34
United Kingdom 11 3.0 52
Bangladesh 9 2.5 -17
Canada 6 1.8 41
Korea, Republic of 6 1.6 9
Indonesia 5 1.5 -21
Top 10 exporters and importers of CLOTHING, 2020
Value 2020 billion dollars Share in world exports/imports 2020 Annual percentage change 2020
Exporters
China (1) 142 31.6 -7
European Union 125 27.9 -8
Vietnam 29 6.4 -7
Bangladesh 28 6.3 -15
Turkey 15 3.4 -6
India 13 2.9 -24
Malaysia 10 2.2 73
United Kingdom 8 1.9 -7
Hong Kong, China 8 -33
Indonesia 8 1.7 -12
Importers
European Union 168 34.1 -7
United States of America 86 16.8 -14
Japan 82 5.3 -12
United Kingdom 26 5.3 -1
Canada 10 2.1 -6
Korea, Republic of 10 2.0 -12
China 9 1.9 6
Switzerland 8 1.6 4
Hong Kong, China 8 -31
Russian Federation 8 1.6 -5

Source: World Trade Statistical Review 2021 Report, from the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Fashion Companies

To cater to the large, 3,000 billion, textile and garment industry new companies are entering the market every day. Most of these companies remain rather unknown to the consumer audience, better known are the individual brands that are part of these global fashion companies.

Leading clothing companies worldwide by market capitalization (2022)

In March 2022, The LVMH Group was by far the clothing company with the highest market capitalization, at approximately $367 billion dollars. This was over 150 billion dollars more than Nike, the company in second place, with a market cap of $216 billion dollars. Dior came in third with a market cap of $124 billion dollars, followed by Inditex with a market cap of $81 billion dollars, TJX Companies with a market cap of $79 billion dollars, Fast Retailing with a market cap of $55 billion dollars, Adidas with a market cap of $45 billion dollars, Lululemon Athletica with a market cap of $41 billion dollars, Ross Stores with a market cap of $32 billion dollars and H&M closes the top ten with a market cap of $27 billion dollars.

Source: Statista, Clothing companies with the greatest market capitalization worldwide as of March 2022, March 2022

Leading clothing companies with the highest brand value (2021)

Sportswear giant Nike claimed the title of the world’s “most valuable” apparel brand for the seventh year in 2021. Nike maintains a considerable lead over Gucci in second place, which has a brand value of 15.6 billion dollars, down 12 percent from 2020. Its noteworthy that the total value of the world’s top 50 most valuable apparel brands has declined by 8% as the sector negotiates fallout from Covid-19 pandemic.

Brand Brand value US$ %
Nike 30.4 billion -12,5%
Gucci 15.6 billion -11,5%
Louis Vuitton 14.8 billion -9.8%
Adidas 14.3 billion -13%
Chanel 13,2 billion -3.4%
Zara 13,1 billion -9.8%
Uniqlo 13,0 billion +1,5%
H&M 12,3 billion -10.8%
Cartier 12,0 billion -19.5%
Hermes 11,6 billion -2.1%

Coach is the sector’s fastest falling brand, brand value down 31 percent. Rolex is world’s strongest apparel brand.

Source: [the Brand Finance Apparel 50 2021 report, April 2021.](https://brandfinance.com/press-releases/nike-does-it-again-claiming-title-of-worlds-most-valuable-apparel-brand-for-7th-consecutive-year)

The World’s Most Valuable Brands (2020)

Louis Vuitton is ranked the best performing fashion brand on position 9 of all brands (not only fashion) worldwide with a brand value of $47.2 billion dollars. Nike comes second, number 13 worldwide, with a brand value of $39.1 billion. Other fashion brands/companies in the Top 50 of valuable brands are Gucci on position 31 with a brand value of $22.6 billion, Hermès at number 32 with a brand value of $21.6 billion, and Zara on position 41 with a brand value of $14.7 billion. On position 51 you find Adidas with a brand value of $12.9 billion, followed by Chanel on 52 with a brand value of $12.8 billion. H&M is on position 76 with a brand value of $10.4 billion and Uniqlo on 84 with a brand value of $9.2 billion.

Source: Forbes’ 2020 list of the World’s Most Valuable Brands—which looks at the top 100 companies from fiscal year 2019

Fashion’s hottest brands (Q1 2022): Gucci & Balenciaga

Spanish luxury fashion house Balenciaga has retained its spot as the hottest brand on the planet in the first quarter of 2022 according to the latest Lyst Index. Another stable name was that of Italian luxury brand Gucci, which was again in second place in the first quarter of the year. French label Louis Vuitton moved up one spot to third place. In this same quarter the brand presented its final show by late menswear fashion director Virgil Abloh. The 17 hottest brands in the top 20 were Prada, Valentino, Dior, Moncler, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Miu Miu, Off White, Burberry, Loewe, Versace, Diesel, Rick Owens, Adidas, Saint Laurent, Nike, and Alexander McQueen.

Source: [Lyst Index](https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/lyst-index-balenciaga-retains-title-of-fashion-s-hottest-brand/2022042947338)

Labor Force

The clothing, textile and footwear industries together are incredibly labour-intensive.

Different sources name various numbers when estimating the amount of people that work in the garment industry. According to the International Labour Organisation, there are more than 60 million workers around the globe in the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries. This implies that this number is limited to people that work in textile and apparel production.The Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that globally, the clothing industry employs more than 300 million people along the value chain, which can be understood to also include people that work in design, distribution and retail divisions of the fashion industry.

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation & International Labour Organisation, 2019

In Europe, there are 1.3 million people employed in the textile and clothing industry at 143,000 companies. 537,482 people work in textiles and 760,637 in clothing.

*2021 estimates. Source: Report Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry by Euratex, June 2022.

Global apparel production & consumption

Production

The global fashion industry produces more than 100 to 150 billion items of clothing per year.

Sources: more than 100 billion according to McKinsey & the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The World Economic Forum & ShareCloth state that 150 billion garments are produced in a year.

The number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014.

Source: McKinsey, article 'Style that's sutainable: A new fast-fashion formula, October 2016.

Global apparel consumption: How many new clothes are bought each year?

Clothing consumption has grown explosively over the past 20 years. Fashion consumers buy over 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is over 400% more than what we consumed just two decades ago.

Source: website True Cost, a documentary film exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet that was released in 2015.

In 2016 approximately 107 billion units of apparel and 14.5 billion pairs of shoes were purchased worldwide. That amounts to every single individual on the planet buying roughly 13 garments and 2 pairs of shoes every year.

In an article from Common Objective CO Data 'Volume and Consumption: How Much Does The World Buy?', May 2018. Based on data from Euromonitor International

If that seems like a lot, then keep in mind that this number also includes millions of people in extreme poverty who struggle to make ends meet, let alone buy any new clothes. Then you start to realise that in reality a far smaller amount of people are actually buying much, much more.

In 2021, people consumed 16.7 units of apparel & footwear on average worldwide, spending $220,7 dollars on average.

Worldwide consumption Apparel & Footwear

2019 2020 2021 2022 forecast 2023 forecast
Units per capita (retail volume) 17.2 15.4 16.7 17.2 17.6
Total spend per capita (retail value per capita in USD) 232.7 186.6 220.7 235.2 247.4

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Which countries consume the most?

Number of apparel units purchased per country in 2017: China (40 billion units), the US (17 billion), India (6 billion), Japan (3.3 billion), Brazil (2.3 billion), Germany (2.2 billion), UK (2.1 billion), Russia (2 billion), France (1.5 billion) and Italy (1.3 billion). The rest of the world consumed 26 billion units in 2017.

Source: Common Objective CO Data in the article 'Volume and Consumption: How Much Does The World Buy?', May 2018. Based on data: 'Number of apparel units purchased per country, 2017 from Market Research Provider, Euromonitor International.

(You find the 5 markets with the highest market size in 2021 in USD million in the second paragraph ‘The Global Apparel Market’)

Apparel consumer purchasing habits across the globe

Which country spends the most on clothes? How many new items are purchased per person? What is the average value per item?

Country Value spent per person Items purchased per person Average value per item
USA $844 53 $16.04
UK $889 33 $27.33
Brazil $117 11 $10.49
Norway $1150 12 $28.26
Egypt $27 2 $12.63
India $34 5 $7.01
China $198 30 $6.73
Vietnam $24 2 $9.81
Japan $547 26 $20.99

In an article from Common Objective CO Data 'Volume and Consumption: How Much Does The World Buy?', May 2018. Based on data 'Number of apparel units purchased per country, 2017 from Market Research Provider, Euromonitor International

Estimated Consumer Spending in the world

Worldwide consumer spending on clothing and footwear amounts to an estimated $2,032,403.47 million dollars 2021. By 2025, that could amount to an estimated $2,571,939.42 million dollars.

Source: Statista, July 2021.

Average Expenditure on Clothing and Footwear

US households spent 3.5% of their annual expenditures on apparel, footwear and related products in 2010 which amounts to $1700 dollar on average.

Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in 2012.

In 2020 Europeans spent 4.1% of their total household expenditure on clothing and footwear. Europeans spend on average €490 per year on their clothes.

Source Eurostat & Report Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry van Euratex, June 2022. Data: EU household consumption of clothing in 2020. EUR at current prices, per capita, Eurostat

The average wardrobe contains approximately 148 items

Source: CapsuleWardrobeData.com, based on an Instagram research in July- September 2020 with 86 respondents from around the world.

Yet, despite owning large quantities of fashion items, people do not wear at least 50 percent of their wardrobes.

Source: A study with 18,000 heads of households in 20 countries, conducted by relocation and removals company Movinga, 2018

How much are people willing to pay for fashion?

What US women want to pay for their clothing Prices in US dollars ($)

Mass market Premium market Luxe market
Trench Coat 80-90 275-300 900-1000
Classic White shirt 30-40 75-100 300-400
Skinny Jeans 70-80 175-200 100-200
Ankle boots 40-50 225-250 400-500
Midi dress 40-50 2250-250 300-400
Yoga Pants 40-50 75-100 75-100

Source: Retail market intelligence platform Edited, 2017.

E-commerce

General

Online shopping has been growing for years. People buy more and more via the internet.

Revenue

In 2020 e-commerce sales globally jumped to $4.2 trillion and the global trend continued in 2021, causing online sales to culminate in an estimated 2.14 billion online shoppers worldwide, and $4.9 trillion in revenue.

Global ecommerce sales are expected to reach a total $5.5 trillion worldwide in 2022. It’s forecasted that the global online retail sales will exceed $7 trillion dollars by 2025.

Source: Shopify, April 2022 & Manaferra.com Ecommerce Data 2022.

Online sales: 19.6% piece of the retail pie

In 2021, e-commerce accounted for nearly 20 percent of retail sales worldwide. Forecasted is that in 2022 that share will be 21%, and in 2025 the online segment will make up close to 25% of total global retail sales.

Sources: Manaferra.com Ecommerce Data 2022 & Statista 2022 May 2022.

Global Ecommerce Sales: Largest Contributors

Countries with the highest e-commerce revenue are China, US, Japan, the UK and Germany.

Source: Manferra Ecommerce Data 2022 & Shopify, April 2022.

E-commerce in Fashion

Fashion E-commerce Segment with the most users: Apparel

‘Clothing’ was top online segment for global consumers in 2021 for online, both locally and cross-border. The online apparel market grew fas ter year on year in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the years before.

Source: Global Clothing B2C E-Commerce Market report 2021, by Research and Markets, December 2021.

Revenue Global Fashion E-commerce Market: $668 billion in 2021

The Global Fashion E-Commerce Market is valued at $668.1 billion dollars in 2021.

Sources; Source: Fashion E-commerce Global Market Report 2022, Research and Markets, May 2022 &.,Statista, May 2022.

The accessories segment of the global e-commerce fashion market generated a revenue around $261.5 billion dollars in 2021. The footwear market had a revenue of around $122 billion dollars in 2021.

Source: Statista, April 2022.

The e-commerce fashion industry is expected to grow to $744.4 billion dollars in 2022.

Source: Fashion E-commerce Global Market Report 2022, Research and Markets, May 2022.

Statista estimates that the online clothing and apparel industry will reach a value of 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars by 2025, Research and Markets expects the e-commerce fashion industry will grow to $1.1 trillion dollars in 2026.

Sources; Source: Fashion E-commerce Global Market Report 2022, Research and Markets, May 2022 &.,Statista, May 2022.

The top visited websites for purchasing apparel online

In 2021, the top-visited websites for purchasing apparel online were reportedly Amazon and Shein. Asos also topped the popularity chart in the UK, while Target closely followed Amazon in the US. In Germany, online-only retailers Zalando and Zooplus were among the most used.

Source: Global Clothing B2C E-Commerce Market report 2021, by Research and Markets, December 2021

Online and offline share of total fashion retail sales worldwide

Of overall fashion retail sales worldwide, nearly 21 percent are online purchases.

Source: Statista, April 2022.

Most shopping is done in-store

There are no global figures, but in the US 75 percent of all fashion purchases were pre-Covid-19 made in physical stores.

Source: 2018 study consulting firm Oliver Wymann, based on interviews with 1500 across the US.

In 2014, the global online fashion retail sales were $253 billion dollars, 14% of total fashion sales.

Source: Forrester, “Forrester Analytics: Online Fashion Retail Forecast, 2017 To 2022 (Global)”, November 2018.

Last update: July 2022.

Below you find Country facts and figures from 2018.

Country facts and figures

How many pieces of clothing are sold world wide? How many people work in the international fashion industry? What is the total sales of clothing in the world? This is the FashionUnited page with Facts and Figures about the global and US fashion industry. For facts and figures of the fashion industry in other countries and regions, see below.

The International fashion market is a leading industry well known for key players, such as Inditex, LVMH, H&M, Nike, VF Corporation, Richemont, Adidas, Fast Retailing, Abercrombie & Fitch, Prada, Gap, Dior, Urban Outfitters, Burberry.

For the real-time market value and other stock information on these companies, refer to the FashionUnited Top 100.

France

Population: 66.2 million
Labor force: 30.05 million
Unemployment rate: 9.9%
GDP per capita (PPP): $ 42,726

Domestic market value of fashion: $ 43.3 billion
Employment in fashion: 340,000

Fashion Statistics: France

Germany

Population: 80.9 million
Labor force: 42.0 million
Unemployment rate: 5.3%
GDP per capita (PPP): $ 47,627

Domestic market value of fashion: $ 83,6 billion
Employment in fashion: 340,000

Fashion Statistics: Germany

The Netherlands

Population: 16.9 million
Labor force: 9.0 million
Unemployment rate: 6.9%
GDP per capita (PPP): $ 52,139

Domestic market value of fashion: $ 16.5 billion
Employment in fashion: 87,910

Fashion Statistics: The Netherlands

Spain

Population: 46.8 million
Labor force: 23.3 million
Unemployment rate: 22.7%
GDP per capita (PPP): $ 29,863

Domestic market value of fashion: $ 31.1 billion

Fashion Statistics: Spain

United Kingdom

Population: 64.5 million
Labor force: 33 million
Unemployment rate: 6.3%
GDP per capita (PPP): $ 46,297

Domestic market value of fashion: $ 94.1 billion
Employment in fashion: 555,000

Fashion Statistics: United Kingdom

See also:

  • Apparel industry statistics - Colombia
  • Fashion industry facts - France
  • Modebranche facts and figures - Germany
  • Textile and apparel sector statistics - Netherlands
  • Clothing industry facts and figures in the United Kingdom
  • Apparel and textiles industry facts - India
  • Fashion statistics - Spain
  • Fashion retail industry statistics - Belgium
  • Apparel industry facts - Canada
  • Fashion industry facts and figures - Russia
  • Textile industry facts and figures - Switzerland
  • Garment retail facts and figures - Australia
  • Fashion industry facts and figures - New Zealand
  • Retail and textile industry facts and figures - Mexico
  • Apparel facts and figures - Peru
  • Clothing industry facts and figures - Argentina
  • Fashion industry facts and figures - Chile
  • Apparel industry facts and figures - China
  • Clothing industry facts and figures - Italy
  • Clothing industry facts and figures - Japan
  • Bangladesh Garment Industry statistics - Bangladesh
  • Chinese textile and garment statistics, export champion of the world - China
  • Vietnam’s garment industry is having its best time - Vietnam
  • Statistics fashion industry Indonesia - Indonesia

The fashion industry statistics pages are a product of FashionUnited Business Intelligence. For other data, such as the FashionUnited Top 100, the FashionUnited Facebook Index and the List of Richestest People in Fashion, refer to the FashionUnited Top 100.


Sources

General data

Population: 447,0 million (1 January 2022)

Source: Eurostat, July 2022

Labor Force: 195,7 million (in the third quarter of 2021)

Source: Statista, January 2022

Unemployment Rate: 6,2% (April 2022)

Source: Statista, July 2022

Gross domestic product (GDP) Per Capita: 27.830 (in 2021)

Source: Eurostat, July 2022


The European Union

The European Union consists of 27 countries (Member States): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. (On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom left the EU).

GDP European Union 2020

The largest economies in the European Union are Germany Germany (25.1% contribution to the European Union’s gross domestic product in 2020), France (17.3%), Italy (12.4%), Spain (8.4%) and the Netherlands (6%).Together, these economies have a total of almost 70%.

States CBS in July 2021, based on Eurostat data

European Purchasing Power

In 2019, Europeans had an average of €14,739 per person available for spending and saving. Purchasing power per capita increased by about 3.5% in 2019 (year on year). Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Luxembourg have the highest average purchasing power, Moldova, Kosovo and Ukraine the lowest. 16 of the 42 countries surveyed in the study have above average purchasing power per capita, while 26 countries are below the European average.

  • The Netherlands has an average purchasing power of 20,416 euros per capita, almost 39% more than the European average.
  • Germany has an average purchasing power of 23,779 euros per capita, 61% more than the European average.
  • France has an average purchasing power of 20,306 euros, about 38% more than the European average.
  • Italy has an average purchasing power per capita of 17,779 euros, about 21% more than the European average.
  • Spain has an average purchasing power of 14,636 euros per person. This makes it only 103 euros or almost 0.7% below the European average.
  • In the Czech Republic, the average purchasing power is 9,959 euros (-32% below the European average)
  • In Poland, the average purchasing power is 7,589 euros (just over half of the average European purchasing power)
  • In Hungary the purchasing power is 7,416 euros (half of the European purchasing power)
  • In Romania the purchasing power is on average 5,881 euros (that is 60% less than the European average).

Source: 'GfK Purchasing Power Europe 2019' study evaluating 42 countries, October 2019.

Textile consumption in the EU: EU is an important market for fashion

European households consume large amounts of textile products: total consumption in Europe in 2020 was 6.6 million tons of textile products.

In 2020, Europeans bought an average of 15 kilos of textiles. Of the 15 kilos that are bought on average each year, 6.1 kilos comes from clothing and 2.7 kilos from shoes (the other 6.1 kilos is household textiles).

Source: EU Environment Agency, briefing 'Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy', February 2022

Every year, 5.8 million tons of textiles are thrown away, about 11.3 kg per person.

Source: European Commission Factsheet Textiles, March 2022

According to the EU Environment Agency, textiles are in fourth place when it comes to the negative impact on the environment and climate change, if only considering European consumption. Food, housing and transport are number one through three.

In 2020, textile consumption in Europe had the third largest impact on water and land use, and the fifth in terms of resource use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: EU Environment Agency, briefing 'Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy', February 2022

Consumer spending on clothing in the EU: how much do Europeans spend on clothing?

Households in the European Union spent approximately 220 billion euros on clothing in 2020 articles, a decrease of -18% compared to expenditure the year before.

The average European expenditure on clothing in 2020 was 490 euros. Most money was spent in Luxembourg (1130 euros), Austria (810 euros), the Netherlands (770 euros), Denmark (750 euros), Italy (710 euros), Germany (640 euros), Belgium (630 euros), Ireland ( 620 euros), Cyprus (620 euros), Finland (610 euros), Sweden (570 euros), and Portugal (500 euros).

From the Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry report by Euratex, June 2022. Source: Eurostat

In 2020, Europeans spent an average of 4.1% of total household expenditure on clothing and footwear.

Source: Eurostat

In 2019, Europeans still spent an average of 4.6% of their spending on clothing and footwear.

Source: Eurostat, November 2020

On average, Europeans spent around 600 euros on clothing in 2019 (as Europeans also did in 2018), 150 euros on footwear and 70 euros on household textiles.

Source: EU Environment Agency, briefing 'Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy', February 2022

Which European country buys the most clothing?

Household consumption expenditure on clothing in the European Union 2018 was highest in these countries:

  1. The United Kingdom 65.4 billion euros
  2. Germany 62.7 billion euros
  3. Italy 52.4 billion euros
  4. France 35.7 billion euros
  5. Spain 24.1 billion euros
  6. The Netherlands 14.6 billion euros.

Source: Household consumption expenditure on clothing in the European Union in 2018, by country, Statista 2022

Germany is the fourth largest clothing and shoe market in the world

Germany is the fourth largest apparel and footwear market worldwide, following China, the United States and the United Kingdom. The 2021 market size is $69.9 billion dollars.

Source: [Euromonitor International, a market research provider](https://fashionunited.com/companies/euromonitor-international)

Employment opportunities

There are 1.3 million people employed in the textile and clothing industry in Europe at 143,000 companies. 537,482 people work in textiles and 760,637 in clothing.

*2021 estimates. Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry report from Euratex, June 2022.

Euratex states that the sector is a fundamental pillar of the local economy in many EU regions.

Source: Euratex Spring Report 2022 press release, May 2022

The number of people employed and the number of companies in the sector decreased slightly: -3.2% and -3.3% respectively (percentage change from 2019/2018).

Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022.

In 2019, the number of people employed in the textile and clothing industry in Europe was estimated at 1.5 million in 160,000 companies.

Source: Euratex Key Facts & Figures 2020 report.

The majority (+70%) of fashion workers in the EU are women.

Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022.

Fashion companies

Textile and clothing industry There are 143,000 companies in the textile and clothing industry in Europe. Of these, 48,343 (33%) companies operate in the textile industry in the broadest sense of the word, and 94,591 (67%) are active in the clothing sector.

*2021 estimates. Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022.

The sector mainly consists of small companies: 99.8% are micro and SME companies. 88.8% of textile & clothing companies are micro companies with up to 9 employees. Small and medium-sized enterprises, with 10-249 employees, account for 11%, and Large enterprises with more than 250 employees account for about 0.2%.

Source: Facts & Key Figures of the European Textile and Clothing Industry report from Euratex, 2020. Euratex calculations, based on Eurostat data.

The largest producers in the fashion industry are located in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. These countries together account for three quarters of the production in the EU.

States the European Commission on its website, based on CIRCABC database data

The luxury (fashion) sector The luxury fashion sector makes an important contribution to the economy of the EU, according to the European Commission on its website. “European savoir-faire and craftsmanship have built a worldwide reputation.” According to the executive body of the European Union, about 5 million people work in the value chain, and more than 1 million in the high-end fashion industry.

Most fashion production within the EU takes place in Italy, southern European countries such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, and newer EU countries such as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary. The countries with the most companies in distribution and retail are Italy, France, Poland and Germany.

States the European Commission on its website, based on CIRCABC database data

The shoe industry in the European Union In 2018, 19,856 companies were active in the European footwear sector (EU28) and together they employed 260,309 people. In 2012, the total turnover in the shoe industry amounted to 25.24 billion euros.

Source: The European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC)

EU shoe production is concentrated in three countries: Italy, Spain and Portugal. Italy alone accounts for about 50% of production.

Writes the European Commission on its website, based on CIRCABC database data

EU: Home to Leading Retailers Worldwide & Europe’s Most Valuable Brands Worldwide

The largest fashion companies in the world by market value are: Inditex, Nike and LVMH.

Source: FashionUnited Top200

These are the Top 10 Most Valuable Fashion Brands Worldwide, based on 2020 Brand Value in US dollars:

Nike ($36.8 billion), Louis Vuitton ($32.3 billion), Hermes ($18.3 billion), Gucci ($18.2 billion), Zalando ($17.9 billion), Adidas ($16.2 billion), Tiffany & Co ($15.2 billion), Zara ($13.5 billion), H&M ($11.5 billion) and Cartier ($10.7 billion).

Source: [FashionUnited](https://fashionunited.com/i/most-valuable-fashion-brands?_gl=1*6xgql7*_ga*ODU4MjM3ODgzLjE2MDE5OTAwODg.*_ga_P1T026N8GT*MTY1NjUwNjM2Ny42NDkuMS4xNjU2NTA2Nzc0LjA.*_fplc*U3lUeUE2ZHoyNnhocUpSaTN2Q3p3OWFHN0tSYzhSZVJqSHd0djZURGIxdEpiU3M2Tk50bkhzSHV6cW5PM0ElMkZMMEkwRlVFJTJCciUyRnlXZXJDNjQzd0o1QTZiamNvQ2oyWldDeGI5RzRhenV4d3JjeFdGWW9vdXk5ZFBRRUtUbDRnJTNEJTNE*_gid*NjQxMTI3MzY2LjE2NTY0ODQ2MjE)

Looking at these top 10 fashion brands, Europe is home to the world’s largest retailers, such as the Inditex Group, parent company of Zara, Zara Home, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho in Spain and the H&M Group, owner of H&M, COS, Monki, Weekday, & Other Stories, H&M Home, Arket and Afound, in Sweden. In addition, head offices of renowned brands and companiessuch as Louis Vuitton (in Paris), Hermes (Paris), Gucci (Florence), Zalando (Berlin) and Adidas (Herzogenaurach, Germany) are also located in Europe.

Louis Vuitton in Top 10 of Europe’s Most Valuable Brands Louis Vuitton is the only fashion company to be among the top ten most valuable and strongest European brands. Kering brand Gucci is at number 17 in the ranking and Chanel is in 24th place, in the Brand Finance Europe 500 2022 ranking, published in 2022.

The retail and apparel sectors account for 11% and 9.1% respectively of the top 500, with a total of 92 companies in the ranking. Hermes ranks 30th, fast fashion giants Zara and H&M 32nd and 35th respectively. L’Oréal is the only cosmetics and personal care company in the top 50 at 42nd place.

Source: [Brand Finance Europe 500 2022, ranking, published 2022](https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/louis-vuitton-in-top-10-of-europe-s-most-valuable%20-brands/2022062263742).

Europe is also the ‘world capital’ of textile research, innovation and higher education.

From Facts & Key Figures of the European Textile and Clothing Industry report by Euratex, 2020. Source: Eurostat.

Trade in Clothing: Europe is an important importer and (re-)exporter

In 2020, the EU imported 69 billion euros worth of clothing from non-EU member states. EU exports of clothing to countries outside the EU amounted to EUR 30 billion in 2020.

Source: Eurostat 'Where do our clothes come from?', publication 24 April 2021.

The EU textile and clothing market in a global context

The EU plays an important role in the fashion industry worldwide, both as an importer and consumer, but also as a producer and exporter of finished and semi-finished products.

Source: report 'Circular economy perspectives in the EU textile sector' Köhler, A, June 2021.

In 2020, the European Union was the second largest exporter of textiles and clothing worldwide (the leading position going to China). The EU is the largest importer of textiles and clothing worldwide.

Exports & Imports Textile in 2020 Worldwide
Value 2020 (in billion dollars) Share of global exports/imports Annual increase/decrease in 2020
Export European Union 64 18.1 -3
Extra-EU exports 22 6.1 -9
Import Europese Union 87 24.3 29
Extra-EU Import 50 14.1 69

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) World Trade Statistical Review 2021 report

Exports & Imports Clothing in 2020 worldwide
Value 2020 (in billion dollars) Share of global exports/imports Annual increase/decrease in 2020
Exports Europese Union 125 27.9 -8
Extra-EU exports 38 8.4 -13
Imports Europese Union 168 34.1 -7
Extra-EU Import 86 17.6 -9

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) World Trade Statistical Review 2021 report

Turnover development in textile and clothing sector: the pandemic has (negatively) affected the trade in clothing

Sales in the sector fell between 2019 and 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis. The textile sector recorded a 9.3% decrease in the textile sector for the whole of 2020 and a 17.7% decrease in the clothing sector, compared to 2019.

Source: Euratex, publication April 2021, based on economic data up to December 2020

In addition, in 2019 the turnover of the textile and clothing sector in the EU-27 was estimated at €162 billion (of which €88.8 billion in textiles and €72.8 million in clothing).

From Facts & Key Figures of the European Textile and Clothing Industry report by Euratex, 2020. Source: Eurostat.

The turnover in 2021 in the textile and clothing industry is estimated at 147 billion euros, an 11% bump, compared to 2019/2018. Of the 2021 turnover, 81.6 billion euros was generated in the textile industry and 65.3 billion euros in the clothing sector.

*2021 estimates. Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022.

EU Trade Highlights 2021: European textile exports have increased again in 2021

Exports Imports Trade Balance
2020 53 billion euros 115 billion euros -62
2021 58 billion euros (25 billion textiles, 33 billion euros clothing) 106 billion euros (34 billion textiles, 72 billion clothing) -48

Sources: Euratex 2022 Spring Report press release and Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022.

After a dip due to the pandemic in 2020, the export of European textiles and clothing has increased again in 2021. Exports rose by 10.6% in 2021 compared to 2020. Imports of textiles and clothing, however, lagged by 7.5% due to a decrease in suppliers from the United Kingdom and China.

The change in imports and exports improved the trade deficit (difference between imports and exports). The trade deficit in 2021 amounted to 48 billion euros. A total of 58 billion euros worth of textiles and clothing was exported and 106 billion euros imported in 2021.

The increase in exports was mainly due to strong performances in the Swiss, Chinese and US markets. The growth in these markets were partly offset by the decline in exports to the United Kingdom due to new Brexit rules, customs delays and a shortage of truck drivers. Exports to the UK fell by 23% in 2021.

The decline in imports of textiles and clothing can partly be explained by the decline in imports from China and the United Kingdom. European countries imported 28% less from China in 2021 (about -€13 billion) and 48% less from the United Kingdom (about -€3 billion).

Source: Euratex 2022 Spring Report, trade figures European textile and apparel industry in 2021

EU: Where do our clothes come from?

Clothing imports to the EU in 2020: 69 billion euros

In 2020, EU member states will have imported 69 billion euros worth of clothing from outside the EU. Most clothing comes from China: 21 billion euros, about 30% of the total. China is followed by Bangladesh (12 billion euros, accounting for about 18%), Turkey (8 billion euros, about 12%), the United Kingdom (4 billion euros, 6%) India and Vietnam (3 billion euros , 4%) and finally, Cambodia (2 billion euros).

Germany is the largest importer of clothing in the EU Germany imported the most clothing into the EU in 2020, about 17 billion euros and/or 25% of the total import. Germany is followed by Spain (10 billion euros, 15%) and France (almost 10 billion euros, 14%)

Italy is the largest exporter of clothing in the EU Italy exported €10 billion worth of clothing to non-EU member states in 2020, 33% of total extra-EU clothing exports by value. After Italy comes Germany (with 5 billion euros, 17%), Spain (with 4 billion euros, 14%) and France (almost 4 billion euros, 13%).

Sources: Eurostat news 'Where do our clothes come from?', April 2021 & Statista Chart Where The EU Imports Its Clothes From 2021, April 2021

E-commerce

Online shopping is popular in the EU. Total European e-commerce has grown to 718 billion euros in 2021, a 13% increase compared to 2020, when it was still 633 billion euros.

Source: Europe E-Commerce Report 2022

The EU-27 is the driving force behind European B2C e-commerce, according to Ecommerce Europe. “E-commerce turnover [in the EU] has increased by 16% in 2021. More than 90% of the population is an internet user, and the share of internet users who buy online is expected to reach 76% by 2022.”

Source: Europe E-Commerce Report 2022

“E-commerce accounts for about 10 to 15% of total retail sales in the EU,” said Christian Verschueren, director-general of EuroCommerce, the European voice of retail and wholesale, in a 2021 report from E-commerce Europe, which represents the interests of e-commerce companies. “Yet it affects a much larger part of the consumer journey (up to 50% or more), which today includes a mix of physical and online.”

Source: European E-commerce Report 2021

According to Verschueren, ‘70% of retailers, especially micro-enterprises, had no e-commerce offerings before the pandemic.’

Source: European E-commerce Report 2021

There are more than 800,000 online stores in Europe, according to research by Ecommerce News Europe in collaboration with Dataprovider. Nothing is specified for fashion.

Source: Ecommerce News Europe survey with Dataprovider, 2017.

Zoom in on fashion: we prefer to buy clothes online

The percentage of textile and clothing sales generated by e-sales has more than doubled since 2009: in 2020 it was 11%, in 2009 it was only 5%.

The most popular category for online purchases is clothing (including sportswear), shoes and/or accessories. That has been the case for years, by the way. 68% of all online shoppers bought clothes, shoes and accessories online in 2020.

Source: Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry from Euratex report, June 2022. Data: Eurostat

Number of clothing and footwear stores in the EU

Number of clothing and footwear (retail) stores in the European Union in 2019: 275,000 in clothing in the EU and 58,000 in footwear and leather goods.

Source: Statista, April 2022

Attitude towards sustainability

In Europe, only 12% of consumers consider sustainability particularly important in the fashion sector

When asked which sectors sustainability ranks most important to consumers, the fashion industry is not very high on the list anywhere in Europe coming only in eighth place with 12%. Consumers consider sustainability more important in the food industry, energy sector, transport, healthcare, travel industry and technology, among others.

Main criteria for buying clothes

Price (68%) is the most important criterion for European consumers when choosing and buying clothes, followed by quality (61%) and fit (56%). After that, the most important criterion is product life (30%), fabric (24%), production location (16%) and brand (16%). The environmental impact of a product is only important for 15% of European consumers, the [current] fashion trends only for 11%.

Where do you buy clothes?

46% of Europeans buy from fast fashion retailers, 17% from thrift stores, 17% from ethical brands, 12% from resale apps and 6% from luxury brands.

How important is sustainable clothing? What do you pay attention to when purchasing and what are the obstacles?

In Europe, 42% of consumers consider it important to buy ethical and sustainable clothing. Only 10% consider buying ethical and sustainable clothing very important.

The most important eco-friendly elements when buying clothes are sustainable fabrics and materials (39%), less or no chemicals (36%) and cruelty free (i.e. products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world) (36%).

The main barriers to buying ethical and eco-friendly clothing are: price (34%), followed by ‘it is not clear which eco-friendly aspects are met’ (30%) and ‘it is difficult to distinguish eco-friendly brands (28%) .

27% of European consumers have already reduced their clothing purchases for ethical reasons.

Europeans give the clothes they no longer wear to charity (69%), or to those around them (34%) or sell them online (21%). 15% leave the items in the closet and 13% say they throw them away in the trash.

Source: YouGov's European Fashion Report 2021, among 11,500 people in ten European markets. (Fieldwork: France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, from September 10 to September 29, 2021).

Last update: July 2022.

General data

Population: 67.81 million

Source: INSEE, September 2022

| | **Labor force:** | 27.73 billion (in 2021)

Source: Informations sur le marché du travail : site Internet de la Commission européenne de la France, Septembre 2022

| | **Unemployment rate:** | 7.4%

Source: INSEE, September 2022

| | **Real GDP per capita:** | 32 530 euros

Source: Eurostat, September 2022

|

France: Economy, household income and purchasing power

Economy

France is the seventh largest economy in the world and the second largest in the European Union, after Germany (see the EU tab for more information).

Its GDP of €2.3 trillion represents 17% of the total GDP of the EU-27

Source: Publication of the Commissioner for Trade in France: Market Panorama, based on Eurostat information, in May 2020

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in France per capita in 2020: 34,000 euros (just above the EU average of 29,700 euros).

Source: CBS publication in July 2021 based on Eurostat information

Household income and purchasing power

Household disposable income per capita in France, adjusted for price levels, was €26,200 per capita in 2019. France ranks sixth in the EU.

Source:publication of the CBS in a July 2021 paper based on Eurostat information (adjusted gross disposable household income per capita in PPS)

France had an average purchasing power of €20,306 per capita for spending and saving in 2019, 38% higher than the EU average of €14,739.

Source: GfK Purchasing Power Europe 2019, October 2019.

Clothing consumption and household expenditure

Clothing consumption expenditure in France: how much do the French spend on clothing?

Household spending on clothing and footwear in 2020 was 3.1% (as % of total expenditure).

Source:> Household expenditure by category, France, 2020, Clothing and Footwear (as % of total expenditure), Eurostat

In 2020, the French spent an average of 430 euros on clothing. Consumer spending on fashion is lower than the EU-27 average of €490.

From the Key Facts and Figures 2022 of the Euratex European Textile and Clothing Industry report, June 2022. Source: Eurostat

In 2018 the French spent an average of 530 euros per year on clothes.

From the Key Facts and Figures 2022 of the Euratex European Textile and Clothing Industry report, June 2022. Source: Eurostat

In 2018, the French spent €35.7 billion on clothing and footwear, making them the fourth biggest spenders in Europe, after the UK, Germany and Italy. (The UK spent €65.4 billion, Germany €62.7 billion and Italy €52.4 billion).

Source: Household consumption expenditure on clothing in the European Union in 2018, by country, Statista 2022

The French purchased 1.5 billion units of clothing in 2017. In that year, France was the ninth largest retail market in the world.

Source: Common Objective CO Data in the article 'Volume and Consumption: How much does the world buy?', May 2018. Based on data: Number of apparel units purchased per country, 2017 (Source: Market Research Provider, Euromonitor International)

Overview of fashion in France

Direct turnover: €154 billion
Export turnover: €35.7 billion
Added value: €37.5 billion (1.7% of GDP)
Number of jobs in the sector: 616,552

From 'Fashion in France : Evaluation of its economic weight', Institut Francais de la Mode, November 2018. Sources: INSEE, ESANE 2016.

Turnover

The direct turnover of the fashion industry is 154 billion euros.

Textiles / Clothing: €66.3 billion (excluding tax)
Perfumes: €46.4 billion (excluding tax)
Shoes and leather: €21.2 billion (excluding tax)
Eyewear: €8.7 billion (excluding tax)
Watches / Jewellery: €7.3 billion (excluding tax)
Related services: €4.2 billion (excluding tax)

From "La Mode en France : Evaluation de son poids économique", carried out by the Institut Français de la Mode and Quadrat Etudes with the support of DEFI, November 2018. Sources: INSEE, ESANE 2016.

Share in direct sales

Retail sales: 49%
Manufacturing: 26 %
Wholesale: 22%
Associated services: 3%

Fashion in France is a major contributor to GDP and employment

Fashion contributes directly €37.5 billion and indirectly €31.4 billion to a total of €68.9 billion of added value, or 3.1% of French GDP.

In terms of jobs, fashion contributes directly 616,000 and indirectly 384,000 for a total of 1 million jobs in France.

Direct value added: €37.5 billion, 617,000 jobs
Induced effects: €10.2 billion, 115,000 jobs
Indirect effects: €21.2 billion, 277,000 jobs

From "La Mode en France : Evaluation de son poids économique", carried out by the Institut Français de la Mode and Quadrat Etudes with the support of DEFI, November 2018.

French industries

With 2,500 companies, the French clothing industry employs 32,000 people in France and more than 300,000 abroad.

Turnover of the French clothing industry is €15 billion, of which €8.7 billion, or 58%, is generated internationally.

Source: Union Française des Industries Mode & Habillement

French manufacturing

French manufacturing today

450 companies
11,000 jobs
Luxury represents 400 companies and 9500 jobs

Source: Union Française des Industries Mode & Habillement

Import and Export

France is the third largest importer of clothing in the EU and the fourth largest exporter of clothing in the EU.

In 2020, France imported almost 10 billion items of clothing. This makes France the third largest importer of clothing in Europe after Germany, which is the largest importer of clothing with 17 billion, followed by Spain with 10 billion.

France is the fourth largest exporter of clothing in the EU, after Italy, Germany and Spain. France exported almost 4 billion items of clothing in 2020.

Source: Eurostat news 'Where do our clothes come from', April 2021.

Trade FR EU

In 2020, EU imports of clothing increased by 12% compared to 2019 (+66% for textiles).

Exports decreased by 12% for clothing and 14% for textiles, compared to 2019.

Source: Institut Francais de la Mode, ‘EU External Trade : January - December 2020 from February 2021

Import UE-28 2020

Clothing IEU 28 IMPORTS IN THE PERIOD JANUARY - DECEMBER 2020 In millions of euros % Variation 2020/ 2019
Total 77 351 526 -12%

Clothing is mainly imported from Asia (59 219 995 million euros in 2020). Main importing countries: China (1), Bangladesh, Turkey, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Morocco and Tunisia.

Issu de l’Institut Francais de la Mode, February 2021. Importations UE 28 Sur la période Janvier - Décembre 2020 en milliers d’euros. Source: TDM, Calculs IFM.

Export EU-28 2020

Clothing IEU 28 EXPORTS IN THE PERIOD JANUARY - DECEMBER 2020 In millions of euros % Variation 2020/ 2019
Total 25 513 304 -12%

Main exporting countries: Switzerland, the United States, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Australia and Turkey.

Issu de l’Institut Francais de la Mode, February 2021. Exportations UE 28 Sur la periode Janvier - Décembre 2020 en milliers d’euros. Source: TDM, Calculs IFM.

Trade partners in textiles and clothing

In 2019, France’s main textile and clothing trading partners were Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the UK for exports. For imports, its main partners were China, Bangladesh, Italy, Turkey and India for imports.

Source: WITS World bank France Textiles and Clothing Exports, Imports, Tariffs by country and region 2019’

The largest French fashion companies

LVMH Group is the world’s leading apparel company by market capitalisation (2022)

LVMH is by far the fashion company with the highest market capitalization, valued at around $317 billion in September 2022. This is over $150 billion more than Nike, which is in second place with a market capitalisation of $163.1 billion. Dior comes in third place. The market capitalization value of LVMH was roughly equal to that of the seven companies ranked fourth to tenth, according to market and consumer data firm Statista.

Source: Leading clothing companies worldwide as of September 2022, by market capitalization, in billion US dollars September 2022

According to Forbes, Louis Vuitton is the 9th most valuable fashion brand in the world, with a brand value of $47.2 billion.

The most prestigious French brands in the world: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès and Cartier

According to Statista, France has the sixth highest national brand value in the world in 2021.

Louis Vuitton is the most valuable French brand in the world, worth €20.2 billion. Also in the top 10 most valuable French brands in the world (2022) are Chanel, Hermès and Cartier. Chanel is the fourth most valuable French brand in the world with a brand value of 13.16 billion euros, Hermès is sixth with a brand value of 11.64 billion euros and Cartier is eighth with a value of 10.71 billion euros.

Source: Most valuable French brands in the world in 2022, by brand value (in billion euros) Statista, August 2022

In Q1 2022 Louis Vuitton was the third most fashionable brand, according to the Lyst Index (Q1 2022).

E-commerce

E-commerce in France in 2021: the French spent 129 billion euros online

In 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic pushed the French to buy more online (one online purchase per buyer per week on average in 2021). Average purchase value: €60.

Source: Rapport Chiffres clés du e-commerce 2022, Fevad.

The e-commerce sector (products and services) exceeded 129 billion euros in 2021, an increase of 15.1% compared to 8.5% in 2020. The fashion-clothing category continued to grow in 2021 with +6%.

Source: Press release Fevad (Federation of e-commerce and distance selling), February 2022

Last update: October 2022

General data

Population: 83,7 million

Source: Destatis, July 2022

Labor force: 43,848,015 (in 2021)

Source: World Bank Bank Open Data

Unemployment rate: 2.7%

Sources: Destatis, July 2022 & ILO May 2022

| Real GDP per capita: | 35.290 euro (in 2021)

Source: Eurostat, July 2022

|


Germany: the economy, household income & purchasing power

Economy

Germany is the largest consumer market in the European Union, with a population of almost 83.2 million people.

Source: International Trade Administration website, november 2021

Germany is also the largest economy in the European Union. Germany contributed 25.1% to the European GDP in 2020.

Source: writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat

After the United States, China, and Japan, Germany is the fourth largest economy in the world.

WorldData.info, 2021

In 2021 Germany’s Nominal GDP was $3.85 trillion, and it had a 4.54% share of the global economy.

Writes Investopedia in an article, based on The World Bank data GDP 2020. Last updated in June, 2022 .

#### Household income & purchasing power Household disposable income per inhabitant of Germany, adjusted for price levels, in 2019 amounted to 30,100 euros per inhabitant.

Source: writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat (Adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita in PPS)

In 2019, Germany had an average purchasing power of 23,779 euros per capita for spending and savings, 61% more than the European average of 14,739 euros.

Source: GfK Purchasing Power Europe 2019, October 2019.

Clothing consumption, household expenditure and value spent per person

German consumers buy a lot of clothes, but on average Germans spend less on individual clothing items than other nationalities do.

As the largest economy in the EU and the four largest worldwide, Germany has one of the world’s most significant consumer markets for the sale of fashion products.

In fact, Germany is the fourth largest apparel and footwear market worldwide (see tab Global). The 2021 market size is $69.9 billion.

Source: Euromonitor International, a market research provider

Final consumption expenditure on clothing and footwear of households reached a record high of 6.6% in December 1995 and a record low of 3.9% in December 2020.

Writes Trading Economics based on information by Eurostat

.

Total expenditure on clothing and footwear rose by an annual average of 0.5% between 2010 and 2019 after adjusting for inflation.

Source: Study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021. Data: Eurostat, Final consumption expenditure of households by consumption purpose database

Household expenditure on Clothing & Footwear in Germany in 2020: 3.9% (as % of total expenditure)

Source: Household expenditure by category, European Union, 2020 (as % of total expenditure), Eurostat.

Due to the corona pandemic, less was spent on clothing in 2020 than in previous years. Household expenditure on clothing and footwear in Germany was down by 12% in 2020.

Source: Das Statistische Bundesamt (Destatis) Change in household expenditure, 2020 on 2019 %. November 2021

In 2020, Germans spent an average of 640 euros on clothing. Consumer spending on fashion is higher than the European average, which is 490 euros. However, Germans do spend less on fashion than other nationalities. More was spent in Luxembourg (1130 euros), Austria (810 euros), the Netherlands (770 euros), Denmark (750 euros) and Italy (740 euros).

Source: Report Facts & Key figures 2022 of the European Textile and Clothing Industry van Euratex, June 2022. Data: EU household consumption of clothing in 2020. EUR at current prices, per capita, Eurostat

In 2019, Germans spent 76 billion euros on clothing and footwear, which leaves them just behind the UK as the highest spenders in Europe, and sixth highest in the world behind the larger economies of the US, China, India and Japan.

Study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021 Data: Sources: Consumer spending on clothing top 5 European Countries, 2019, Eurostat. & Figures from Oxford Economics’ Global Economics database

In 2018 household spending on clothing in the EU was 62.7 billion euros.

Source: Consumer spending on clothing in the European Union 2018, by country, Statista, July 2021

In that year German consumers spent an average of 760 euros on clothing per person.

Source: Euratex Facts & Key Figures 2020 report. Data: EU household consumption of clothing in 2018, Eurostat.

The German consumer is price-sensitive and pragmatic

German consumers tend to be reserved and pragmatic when it comes to fashion. They prefer garments that are practical and can be worn on many occasions.

The typical German customer who spends most on fashion is older than many might expect. “The over-50 market makes up over 50% of the German market,” said Ulla Ertelt, managing director of Frankfurt-based market research firm HML Marketing in an interview with FashionUnited.

German customers are well-informed and very demanding. They compare and look for the best deal - ‘value for money’ is a central term to the German worldview - before making a purchase.

Turnover, companies and employment in fashion

The Fashion Industry makes a significant contribution to the German Economy

Fashion is a big economic factor in Germany. The fashion sector contributed 66 billion euros to the gross domestic product in 2019.

Study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021

Employment

Around 1.3 million people in Germany have employment thanks to the fashion industry. 770.000 were employed directly by the industry.

Study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021

The German Textile and Fashion Industry

Turnover: 29 billion euros per year
1400 companies
124.000 employees

The German Textile and Fashion Industry is an important economic sector with an annual turnover of around 29 billion euros. The biggest growth driver is technical textiles: the turnover from technical textiles by German producers is approximately 13 billion euros per year. The annual turnover from fashion and clothing textiles is around 12 billion euros. The footwear and leather goods sector and the house and home textiles sector both achieve an annual turnover of 3 billion euros.

Source: Textil-Mode.DE, The Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry

Companies and sales in the fashion trade 2020

Retail sector Company Net sales in million euro
Apparel 13.596 25.843
Textiles 8.819 4.786
House and home textiles, carpet products, wallpapers 3.349 3.212
Shoes 3.147 5.252
Leather goods 1.039 997

Quelle: Statistisches Bundesamt, Umsatzsteuerstatistiek. BTE Handelsverband Textil Schuhe Lederwaren. Source: BTE.DE

Germany’s largest fashion companies (brands & retailers)

Germany is best-known for its sporting goods sector. Some of the world’s most renowned sports brands were founded there and are still based in the country. Well-known German fashion retailers are the Adidas Group, Puma, Hugo Boss, but also Otto Group, the German subsidiary of Swedish retailer H&M and C&A.

The sports retailers with the highest turnover in Germany (2021)

Decathlon is the sports retailer with the highest turnover in Germany. With a total of 81 sales outlets, the French sporting goods retailer and manufacturer achieved sales of 667 million euros in Germany in 2020. This corresponds to an increase of 1.2% over the previous year, with the online shop accounting for a 28% share of sales after returns.

Sportscheck including Karstadt Sports follows in second place with a net turnover of 317 million euros. In December 2019, Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof acquired the multichannel retailer Sportscheck and all its subsidiaries from the Otto Group. One goal of Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof was to expand the omnichannel range with Sportscheck e-commerce. In April 2020, the two sports retailers merged and decided to keep the existing 16 Sportscheck branches. Sportscheck, including Karstadt Sports, has a total of 53 branches and a webshop. A Karstadt Sports branch in Braunschweig changed its name to Sportscheck in May 2021.

The outdoor retailer Globetrotter takes third place in the ranking of the sports retailers with the highest turnover. Globetrotter sells outdoor and travel equipment products via stationary and distance selling. Last year’s sales were 171 million euros. Globetrotter has been part of the Swedish Fenix ​​Outdoor International Group since 2014.

In fourth and fifth place are the two multichannel bicycle dealers Luckybike/Radlbauer from Bielefeld with a turnover of 156 million euros in 2020 and the Bike & Outdoor Company (B.O.C.) from Hamburg with a turnover of 104 million euros in 2020.

Together, the five largest sports retailers in Germany achieved sales of around 1.46 billion euros in 2020.

Source: Statistik-Kompendium „handelsdaten aktuell 2021“ from the EHI Retail Institute, retailers with largest 2020 sales numbers.

H&M tops sales rankings of stationary fashion retailers in Germany (2019)

The Swedish textile chain H&M is the sales leader in the stationary trade with fashion and accessories in Germany. H&M generated total sales of 2.60 billion euros with its 429 German branches in 2018. The company thus led the rankings in the fashion and accessories product segment. C&A (453 locations) came second with sales of 2.45 billion euros. The trio on top is completed by shoe retailer Deichmann with 1.82 billion euros in its 1,376 stores.

The discounter Kik (1.45 billion euros, 2,600 branche) took fourth place, while Peek & Cloppenburg (1.10 billion euros, 68 branches) and Ernsting’s Family (1.09 billion euros, 1,762 branches) also made it into the top ten. Primark (€900 million, 28 stores), Takko (€720 million euros, 1,150 stores), Zara (€545 million euros, 77 stores) and New Yorker (€525 million, 280 stores) complete the list.

Source: Studie from Forschungsinstitut EHI Retail Institute in October 2019

German online retail continues to be dominated by heavyweights Amazon, Otto and Zalando.

More about ‘The largest Online Modehandler in Germany & Marketplaces 2020’ in the paragraph E-commerce.

Source: Studie from Forschungsinstitut EHI Retail Institute in October 2021

Germany’s place in the global fashion economy: manufacturing & production

Manufacturing

Germany is one of the largest producers of clothing in the EU. In 2018, the country’s clothing manufacturing sector was worth 2.3 billion euros in terms of gross value added (GVA), behind Italy as the second largest producer in the EU27.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021. Data: Gross value added is a measure of economic output. Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics database.

Besides clothes, Germany is also a notable manufacturer of textiles. Plus the country specialises in producing machinery for textile, clothing and leather production.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021.

Production

When it comes to production, the German fashion industry does more offshoring (i.e. the outsourcing of operations to other countries) than reshoring. The manufacturing output of clothing and footwear in Germany declined by 91% between 1980 and 2020 in terms of gross value added (after adjusting for inflation).

German consumers purchased 76 billion euros worth of clothing and footwear in 2019, but only 5% of that was made in domestic production facilities.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021.

Germany: Significant imports and exports of fashion goods

In 2019, major trading partners in textiles and clothing for Germany were Poland, Switzerland, Austria, France and the Netherlands for exports. China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Italy and India were important partners for the import business.

Source: WITS Worldbank 'Germany Textiles and Clothing Exports, imports, tariffs, by country and region 2019'

Regarding Export: In 2018, Germany ranked third in the world for textile exports, fifth for clothing exports, and fourth for footwear exports.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021.

Regarding Import: Germany was the world’s second-largest importer of clothing and footwear and the fifth-largest importer of textiles.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021. Data: Destatis

Germany is the biggest importer of clothing in the EU (in 2020) In 2020, almost €17 billion-worth of clothes were imported by Germany from outside the EU (25% of total extra-EU imports of clothes imports by value). Germany imports more clothing from non-EU countries than any other EU member state.

Source: Eurostat news "Where do our clothes come from?", April 2021 & Statista Chart Where The EU Imports Its Clothes From, April 2021.

E-commerce

General

Retail sales from e-commerce have more than doubled over the past decade across Europe. In Germany, online sales growth has been even more. But, statistically speaking, e-commerce appears to be less widespread in Germany than in other European countries. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a massive increase in online activity here in 2020 as it has worldwide.

In 2020, 82% of consumers in Germany shopped online which puts the country in 7th place in the EU.

Source: Source: DEstatis, based on Eurostat data, Internet purchases by individuals 2020 onwards

Retail e-commerce sales compared to the total retail trade

German retailers are less likely to accept e-commerce than other European countries. 28% of retailers in Germany attributed at least 1% of their revenue to online sales in 2019.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021

Revenue Fashion E-commerce

Germany’s fashion e-commerce (clothes and shoes) amounted to 18.7 billion euros in revenue in 2019.

Source: study ‘Status of German Fashion’ from The Fashion Council Germany, January 2021. Data: Statista, Umsatz im Online-Modehandel in Deutschland in den Jahren 2006 bis 2019, 2020.

The largest online fashion retailers and marketplaces in Germany (2020)

The ranking of online shops with the highest turnover is led by industry leader Amazon with a net e-commerce turnover of 13.9 billion euros in Germany in 2020. Otto is the second largest online retailer with a turnover of 4.5 billion euros. You find Zalando with a turnover of 1.9 billion euros in third place.

The largest online fashion retailers in Germany:

Ranking Retailer Turnover 2020
1. Zalando 1,9 billion Euro
2 H&M 712,7 million euros
3 Bonprix 684,9 million euros
4 About You 572,0 million euros
5 Baur 501,2 million Euro
6 Best Secret 361,6 million euros
7 Limango 285,2 million euros
8 S. Oliver 257,4 million euros
9 Breuninger 243,5 million euros
10 Asos 230,1 million euros
11 Nike 225,3 million euros
12 Esprit 218,8 million euros
13 Witt Weiden 199 million euros
14 Heinrich Heine 189 million euros
15 Decathlon 186,2 million euros

Source: writes Textilwirtschaft based on the Study E-Commerce-Markt Deutschland 2021 by EHI Retail Institute & Statista (Netto E-commerce umsatz B2C-Onlineshops im Geschäftsjahr 2020), October 2021

Selected marketplaces in Germany in 2020:

Ranking Marketplace E-commerce Gross Merchandise Volume (GVM) in 2020
1 Amazon.de 35,4 million euros
2 Ebay.de 11,8 million euros
3 Otto.de 5,5 million euros

Source: Study E-Commerce-Markt Deutschland 2021 by EHI Retail Institute & Statista, October 2021

German Online shoppers prefer to pay by invoice or Paypal

While 30.4% of all online purchases in 2020 in Germany were paid by invoice, the share dropped to 28.3% in 2021. Paying with the online payment service Paypal is growing in popularity among German consumers. Paypal was able to increase its German market share from 24.9 to 28.2%. In third place in the popularity ranking of online payment methods is direct debit with a share of 17.4%, slightly lower than it was in the year before.

Written by DPA, based on Kölner Handelsforschungsinstitut EHI, Studie "Online-Payment 2022"

Last update: July 2022.

General data

Population: 47.615.034 (Provisional dates from July 1, 2022)

Source: INEbase, January 2023

| | **Labor force:** | 23,381,993 (2021)

Source: World Bank Bank Open Data, January 2023

| | **Unemployment rate:** | 12.67%

Sources: INE, January 2023

| | **Real GDP per capita:** | 24.590 (2022, provisional)

Source: Eurostat, January 2023

|

Spain: the economy, household income and purchasing power

Economy

Spain’s economy is ranked as the fourth largest within the European Union based on nominal GDP and is also the 14th largest in the world.

Source: European Commission website ‘Labour market information: Spain‘ & Investopedia article 'The Top 25 Economies in the World', based on The World Bank data GDP 2020. Last updated in September, 2022

Spain contributed 8.4% to the GDP in the European Union in 2020.

Source: writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat

Household income

Household disposable income per inhabitant of Spain, adjusted for price levels, amounted to 20,300 euros per inhabitant in 2019.

Source: writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat (Adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita in PPS)

Purchasing power

Spain has an average purchasing power of 14,636 euros per capita for spending and savings in 2019, more or less the same as the European average (which is 14,739 euros).

Differences in purchasing power around the country: Araba/Alava takes the first place in the purchasing power rankings for Spain’s provinces. Inhabitants of this province have €20,305 per person for expenditures. Gipuzkoa has an average purchasing power of 19,225. The capital city province of [fashion capital] Madrid has a per capita purchasing power of €18,262. Spain’s least affluent provinces are all located in the south-western part of the country.

Source: GfK Purchasing Power Europe 2019, October 2019.

Spanish clothing consumption / household expenditure on clothing and footwear

Consumer Expenditure on Clothing and Footwear

Spain 2021 in million €
Consumer expenditure on clothing 17,455.1
Consumer expenditure on footwear 6,086.3
Total (clothing and footwear) 23,541.4

Source: provided by Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request, December 2022.

On average, Spaniards spend 330 euros per year on clothing. The European average amount is 490 euros. Citizens from 17 other European countries spend more on their clothes annually than the Spanish.

From the Eurostat, Facts & Key Figures 2022 Euratex report. Source: EU household consumption of clothing in 2020, source Eurostat.

Spanish household expenditure on clothing & footwear as % of total expenditure, was 3.3% in 2020. For comparison: the European Union percentage on clothing and footwear is 4.1%

Source: Household expenditure by category, European Union, 2020 (as % of total expenditure), Eurostat.

In 2018, Spain was the fifth largest consumer of clothing in the European Union (see more in the tab ‘European Union’).

Source: Consumer spending on clothing in the European Union 2018, by country, Statista, July 2021

The Spanish Fashion Industry

Data of Spain’s textile sector in 2022

General Data Textile-clothing 2019 2020 2021 2022 % 22/21
Companies 8.282 8.119 7.957 7.823 -1,7%
Employment (000) 135 129 128 131 2,5%%
Turnover (mill €) 10.472 8.970 10.468 11.850 13,2%
Imports (mill €) 21.823 19.937 20.391 26.938 32,1%
Exports (mill €) 17.064 13.804 17.646 19.721 12,9%
Trade balance (mill €) -4.759 -6.134 -2.927 -7217 146,6%

Source. Texfor provided on request to FashionUnited. Via press Texfor.

Fashion is an important sector

The fashion industry is considered to be one of the most important and strategic sectors in Spain, with significant importance in both the country’s domestic economy and export market.

The Spanish fashion industry reached a record-breaking international sales, totaling 25.911 million euros, in 2019.

Source: Gedeth.com ‘Recovery of the Spanish fashion sector (I)’ by Laura Perez, July 2021.

Spain Apparel Export & Import

Spain 2019 2020 2021
Total EXPORTS Apparel in million USD 12,644.8 9,483.2 11,861.1
Total IMPORTS apparel in million USD 15,473.6 12,185.0 14,710.3

Provided by Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request. Industrial: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics, December 2022.

In 2020, major trading partners for Spain in textiles and clothing were France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Poland for exports and China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Morocco and Italy for imports.

Source: WITS World Bank 'Spain Textiles and Clothing Exports, imports, tariffs, by country and region 2020'

Production turnover

Spain Apparel Production turnover MSP in 2021: 6,432.3 EUR million

Source: Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request, December 2022.

Employment: how many people work in Fashion?

Number of Employees in Spain 2021 per category

Apparel 46,068.0
Footwear 27,987.0
Fur and Fur Articles 436.0
Knitted and Crocheted Articles 7,859.0
Luggage, Handbags and Saddlery 7,818.0

Average salary in Apparel stands at 30,751.4 USD per annum.

Provided by Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request. Industrial: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics, December 2022.

Most famous Spanish Fashion Companies

Spain is home to leading fashion brands worldwide, and especially some fast fashion brands/high street retailers are internationally established and recognized.

Inditex: the Spanish fashion giant deserves a special mentioning Inditex is the parent company of fashion brands Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home. The company was founded by Amancio Ortega Gaona in 1963 and its headquarters is located in A Coruña, Spain. Ortega is one of the wealthiest clothing retailers in the world, because Inditex is one of the largest apparel retailers worldwide.

Other well known Spanish fashion companies, fashion and clothing brands and Spanish fashion designers include: Puig, Mango, Manolo Blahnik, Loewe, Desigual, Adolfo Dominguez, Ecoalf, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paco Rabanne, Alejandro Gómez Palomo, Bimba y Lola, and Pronovias.

El Corte Inglés is also quite relevant, and the Tendam group (owner of Women’secret, Springfield, Cortefiel, Pedro del Hierro, Hoss Intropia, Slowlove, High Spirits, Dash and Stars, OOTO, Fifty, Hi&Bye)

Largest fashion companies & clothing brands within Spain across 2021

Top 5 largest Apparel and Footwear Companies within Spain across 2021 by Retail Value RSP 1.Inditex, Industria de Diseño Textil SA
2.Associated British Foods Plc
3. Nike Inc
4. Cortefiel SA
5. adidas Group

Source: Company & Brand Shares within Spain across 2021, provided by Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request, December 2022.

Top 5 largest Apparel and Footwear Brands within Spain across 2021 by Retail Value RSP

  1. Zara (Inditex, Industria de Diseño Textil SA)
  2. Primark (Associated British Foods Plc)
  3. Nike (Nike Inc)
  4. Bershka (Inditex, Industria de Diseño Textil SA)
  5. adidas (adidas Group)

Source: Company & Brand Shares within Spain across 2021, provided by Euromonitor International to FashionUnited exclusively upon request, December 2022.

Where do Spanish people shop?

Zara, main shopping destination among Spaniards

As for the main companies at which Spanish consumers make their fashion purchases, according to the data analyzed, which include both purchases made on online platforms and in physical stores, and as is to be expected since they account for almost 80 percent of the total number of transactions completed, fast fashion chains are at the top as the stores chosen by the largest number of Spaniards to make their purchases. This is a list in which the presence of a platform specialized in resale is nevertheless surprising, in what would be a reflection of the gap that second-hand shopping has already begun to make in the purchasing preferences of consumers who are increasingly committed, we do not know whether out of conviction or necessity, to extending the useful life of garments.

According to the study conducted by N26, the list of stores chosen by Spaniards to buy their clothes is headed by Zara, the main brand and flagship of the Spanish fashion giant Inditex, followed by Primark and Vinted, with an average purchase ticket of 47, 28 and 23.5 euros, respectively. Completing the top positions in this ranking, in decreasing order, are the marketplace Zalando, the Chinese retailer Shein, Bershka (also owned by Inditex), Stradivarius (Inditex), the Japanese Uniqlo and the sports multinational Nike.

Source: from a detailed study conducted by the online bank N26, based on anonymized data from more than 70,000 of its Spanish customers, publication FashionUnited November, 2022.

Spain: physical vs online shopping

“Spaniards still prefer physical commerce, but shopping habits evolved and they consolidated their profile as omnichannel users,” said Magda Espuga, co-founder of Kiss Retail, the Barcelona based retail strategy consulting firm, in an interview with Mind Retail.com in January 2022.

How much do the Spanish shop online?

Spain was the 4th country in Europe in terms of e-commerce turnover with € 68.4 billion in 2021. The leaders in B2C e-commerce turnover are the United Kingdom (€236 billion), France (€112 billion), Germany (€93.6 billion) and then Spain.

Source: European E-commerce Report 2021 from EuroCommerce

E-Commerce facts & figures

94% of the population in Spain used the internet in 2021. (Spain holds position 14 from all European countries in the ranking) It’s forecasted that it will stand at 96% in 2022.

The number of e-shoppers in Spain is 74% in 2021. (Spain holds position 20 from all European countries in the ranking). It is forecasted to stand at 73% in 2022.

From the Europe E-commerce Report 2022, E-commerce Europe, June 2022. Source: Eurostat, Statista, United Nations.

Zoom in on fashion e-commerce in Spain

The number of people who purchase fashion items online (e-shoppers) increased from 10.6 million in the year 2020 to around 13.2 million in the year 2021. It is the highest growth in the number of clothing, footwear, accessories, and home textiles shoppers registered in recent years in the Iberian country.

Source, Statista, Number of Online fashion shoppers in Spain, November 2022

In 2021, apparel was the leading e-commerce sector by revenue in Spain, generating approximately 4.3 billion euros.

Source: Statista ‘E-commerce sectors generating the highest revenue in Spain in 2021(in billion euros),’ November 2022

The average range of expenditure on clothing items in Spain is very wide. Online fashion consumers normally spend between 50 and 100 euros per order.

Source: Statista, November 2022

Most visited fashion webshops in Spain Fashion brand Zara, from Inditex, is among the most visited fashion e-commerce websites, with an average of 85 million global visitors per month in 2020.

Source: Statista Fashion dossier key figures E-commerce, November 2022

Last update: January 2023.

General data

Population: 59.24 million (2021)

Source: Eurostat, November 2022

Labor force: 24.954.973 (2021)

Source: World Bank Bank Open Data

Unemployment rate: 7.8% (September 2022)

Tradingeconomics.com based on data from National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)

GDP per capita (PPP): 26.710 (in 2021)

Source: Eurostat, November 2022

Economy

The world’s eighth-largest gross domestic product (GDP) belongs to Italy. It is also the eurozone’s third-largest economy. Italy contributed 12,4% to the GDP in the European Union in 2020.

Source: Investopedia article 'The Top 25 Economies in the World', based on The World Bank data GDP 2020. Last updated in September, 2022. & writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat

Household income & purchasing power

Household disposable income per inhabitant in Italy, adjusted for price levels, in 2019 amounted to 23.000 euros per inhabitant.

Source: writes CBS in an article in July 2021 based on information by Eurostat (Adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita in PPS)

Italy had an average purchasing power of 17.799 euros per capita for spending and savings in 2019, putting the country around 21 percent above the European average that sits at 14.739 euros.

Italy exhibits a striking contrast in purchasing power distribution, with a notable gap between its prosperous north and its less affluent south. Remarkably, all the provinces listed within the top-ten rankings are situated in the northern regions of the country. First place goes to the province of fashion capital Milan with a purchasing power of 25,077 euros per capita, which is almost 41 percent above the national average and around 70 percent above the European average.

Source: GfK Purchasing Power Europe 2019, October 2019.

Clothing consumption: The Italians spend on fashion

Italy was the third largest consumer of clothing in the European Union in 2018. The household consumption expenditure on clothing in Italy was 52.4 billion euros. Only the United Kingdom and Germany spent more (65.4 billion euros and 52.4 billion euros respectively)

Source: Consumer spending on clothing in the European Union 2018, by country, Statista, July 2021

Household expenditure for clothing & footwear in Italy in 2020: 5.4%. For comparison: Europeans spent an average of 4.1% of total household expenditure on clothing and footwear.

Source: Household expenditure by category, European Union, 2020 (as % of total expenditure), Eurostat.

Italians spend on average 710 euros per year for their clothes. The European average stands at 490 euros. Italians are fifth in the ranking, behind Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands and Denmark.

From Facts & Key Figures 2022 Euratex report. Source: EU household consumption of clothing in 2020, per capita. Eurostat.

Italy: a vivid fashion industry

Textile and Fashion is a key economic sector in Italy

Home to some of the world’s most famous fashion houses and luxury brands like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Prada, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Missoni, Moschino, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana, Italy holds a distinctive and unique position within the global market of fashion and clothing.

Source: Sistema Moda Italia, from The Italian Textile Industry - a Key Economic report, published by ITMA Services, organiser of ITMA 2023, 2022 ITMA Services.

According to Claudio Marenzi, President of Confindusria Moda, the Italian fashion, textile, and accessories industry holds a position of utmost significance on the global stage. It stands out for its remarkable revenue generation, considerable employment opportunities, and the involvement of a substantial number of companies.

The Italian fashion industry: turnover, businesses & employees

2019 2020 2021 Forecast 2022
Fashion turnover + related sectors in million €: 90 237 68 761 83 338 96 672
Variation % 0.8% -23.8% 21.2% 16.0%

Source: Fashion Economic Trends. Fonte: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, December 2022 (press conference for the launch of next men’s fashion week).

The sector comprises around 58.000 businesses and employed 560,000 workers in 2020 (latest number available). Source: Fashion Economic Trends Fonte: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, December 2022 (press conference for the launch of next men’s fashion week).

Manufacturing / Fashion Production

The highest concentration of fashion manufacturing activities in the EU can be found in Italy.

Source: European Union website, Fashion and high-end industries in the EU

“‘Made in Italy’ in fashion is synonymous with exclusivity. (..) It’s the know-how and expert craftsmanship that position them in the global market,” said Claudio Marenzi, President of Confindustria Moda to Google Arts & Culture.com.

“Fashion is Italy’s second-largest manufacturing sector. With its extensive influence on retail and related services, the sector directly employs nearly 600,000 workers and impacts an equal number of indirect jobs. The collections of nearly all leading international labels are manufactured by our artisans,” said Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Fashion Camber CNMI, speaking at a press conference in December 2021, reported FashionNetwork.

According to Omniscient Wikipedia , Italian luxury goods have earned worldwide acclaim for their exceptional textile quality and the exquisite elegance and refinement of their craftsmanship. Notably, numerous high-end brands depend on the expertise of Italian craft factories, concentrated in specialized regions like Naples, Tuscany, Marche, Veneto, and Piedmont, to manufacture parts of their apparel and accessories.

Number of wearing apparel manufacturers in Italy in 2019: 29,774.

Source: Statista.

Turnover of the manufacture of clothing in Italy is 27.2 billion euros in 2020, according to Statista.

Italy also produces a lot of shoes: it accounts for about 50% of the shoe production in the EU.

Writes the European Commission on its website, based on CIRCABC database data

Italy holds the top position as the leading contributor to the textile and clothing industry within the European Union

Italy is the largest contributor to the textile and clothing industry in the EU, states Euratex, when it comes to turnover, employment and export.

Italy has the largest member state share: it accounts for 36% of the turnover in the EU textile and clothing industry. Germany makes up for 15%, France for 10% and Spain for 7%.

Italy has the most employment in the total EU. Italy has a member state share of employment of 22%, followed by Romania with 11% and Poland with 11% and Portugal with 9%.

Italy is the largest exporter in the EU. It accounts for 27% of the export, followed by Germany with 19%, Spain by 11% and France by 11%.

Italy: Import & Export

Fashion + related sectors 2019 2020 2021 Forecast 2022
Export (mln €) 71 552 56 168 67 963 80 877
Import (mln €) 39 285 34 677 41 349 52 840

Source: Fashion Economic Trends. Fonte: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, December 2022 (press conference for the launch of next men’s fashion week).

As mentioned in the paragraph above, Italy is the largest exporter of clothing in the EU Italy exported €10 billion worth of clothing to non-EU member states in 2020, 33% of total extra-EU clothing exports by value. After Italy comes Germany (with 5 billion euros, 17%), Spain (with 4 billion euros, 14%) and France (almost 4 billion euros, 13%).

Sources: Eurostat news 'Where do our clothes come from?', April 2021 & Statista Chart Where The EU Imports Its Clothes From 2021, April 2021

#### Major trading partners In 2020, major trading partners for Italy in textiles and clothing were Germany, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States for exports and China, Spain, Germany, France and Bangladesh for imports.

Source: Worldbank 'Italy Textiles and Clothing Exports, imports, tariffs, by country and region 2020'

Fashions hottest brands are Italian

Luxury fashion house Gucci has retained its spot as the world’s hottest brand as Italian label’s continue to reign supreme, according to a previous Lyst Index (October 2022).

Gucci came out on top in a quarter that saw the Kering-owned label grab headlines when it sent 68 sets of identical twins down the runway at Milan Fashion Week.

Italian label Prada jumped up one spot to second place amid reports it was seeking a valuation of 1 billion dollars in a new listing on the Milan stock exchange. Searches for the brand increased 44 percent in the quarter.

Also moving up one spot was Italian fashion house Valentino, which unveiled its Pink PP campaign. Source: Lyst, October 2022.

Miu Miu was named brand of the year 2022 (Lyst, 30 November 2022). E-commerce

Italy’s internet user population stands at approximately 80%, which places it on the lower end compared to other European countries. Among internet-using Italians, 59% engage in online shopping, with over 50% making online purchases at least once in three months, as per the Europe e-commerce Report 2022.

Multichannel retailers are preferred by most online shoppers in Italy, particularly for fashion and beauty products.

Fashion dominates the e-commerce revenue share, accounting for more than one fifth of online sales in 2021.

Source: E-commercenews.eu, E-commerce in Italy.

Last update: November 2022.

General data

Population: 327 million
Labor force: 161.0 million
Unemployment rate: 3.8%
GDP per capita (PPS): 62,500 US dollars

Market share of the fashion industry: 4 percent
Domestic market value of the fashion industry: 406 billion dollars
Employment in fashion-related industries: 1.9 million

New York: Fashion capital

New York City population: 8.55 million
New York City labor force: 4.2 million
Employment in fashion-related industries (NYC only): 185,000
Wages in the fashion industry (NYC only): 11 billion dollars
Fashion industry tax revenue (NYC only): 2 billion dollars
source: NYCEDC (US Census Bureau)

Employment

In the United States an estimated 1.8 million people are in employed in the fashion industry, among whom 232,000 in manufacturing textiles for apparel and other fashion items. (JEC Democratic, Bureau of Labor)

Average annual wages in fashion range from 26,440 dollars, for textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators, to 84,600 dollars for marketing and sales managers in fashion.

About 79 percent of all US employees in fashion work for apparel retailers. The average annual wage at such companies is 26,650 dollars. However in certain occupations the average wages are a lot higher. Marketing and sales managers at apparel retailers have the highest average annual wage of 84,600 dollars. Accountants and auditors receive an average annual pay of 69,960 dollar and buyers and purchasing agents get paid 56,550 dollars, on average.

A smaller amount, 145,000 employees accounting for 8 percent of all employees in fashion work in apparel wholesale and merchandising. The average annual wage in this sub industry is 52,350 dollars. However, some jobs pay less than the average wage. Graphic designers, for instance, receive wages around 48,320 dollars, whereas merchandise displayers and window trimmer receives 35,680. Jobs in production, planning and expediting, with average wages of 47,680, and in installation, maintenance and repair, with average annual wages of 43,430, also pay less than average within apparel wholesale merchandising.

Another 8 percent, 143,000 people are employed in the apparel manufacturing industry where the average annual wage is 34,110 dollars. However, there is a large range within this sub industry of fashion. Whereas computer occupations, such as information analysts, are paid the highest annual wage of 73,220 on average, textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators only receive 26,440 per annum. The wages for tailors, dressmakers and sewers are also in the low range with 27,510 dollars, on average. Maintenance and industrial machinery is paid around the average of this sub industry with annual wages of 36,610 dollars. Other jobs in the high compensation range are in fabric and apparel pattern making and market research and marketing. Respectively these occupations pay an average annual wage of 52,150 and 64,830 dollars.

Apart from the jobs listed before, the United States has room for around 18,000 fashion designers. Their average annual wage is 73,690 dollars, meaning that they receive over 30 dollars per hour.

Apparel manufacturing

  • 14.5 million in 1990
  • 13.1 million in 1995
  • 13.0 million in 2000
  • 24.8 million in 2014

Textiles

  • 19.7 million in 1990
  • 16.8 million in 1995
  • 13.5 million in 200
  • 33.0 million in 2014

Textiles and Clothing

  • 34.2 million in 1990
  • 29.9 million in 1995
  • 26.5 million in 2000
  • 57.8 million in 2014

Fashion companies

Some of the world’s largest fashion companies are based in the United States. Moreover, the currently largest fashion company globally, Nike, is American. Nike is an athleisure- and lifestyle brand with annual revenues of 30.6 billion and a market value of nearly a 105 billion dollars. Nike offers its products worldwide and its largest markets are the United States, accounting for 46 percent of the total revenues, and Western Europe (19 percent). Most of Nike’s income, nearly 94 percent, comes from the Nike brand. The remaining 6 percent comes from Converse, which is a subsidiary of Nike. The brand’s best selling division is footwear, accounting for 64 percent of Nike’s income.

With a market value of 54.5 billion dollars and 2015 annual sales of 30.9 billion dollars, TJX Companies is the second largest fashion company in the United States. TJX operates the majority of its stores in the United States and is best known for its fast-fashion brand T.J. Maxx. Its US sales account for 86 percent, with 26.7 billion dollars. The company is also active on the Canadian and European market with its brands T.K. Maxx, HomeSense, Winners and Marshalls.

The third largest fashion company in the United States is VF Corporation. VF owns several brands including Lee, The North Face, Timberland and Napapijri. In 2015 VF’s annual revenue rose to 12.4 billion dollars with most of its revenues coming from the Outdoors and Action Sports division. The brands The North Face, Vans and Timberland had combined sales of 7.4 billion dollars, accounting for nearly 60 percent of VF’s total income. Currently, VF corporation has a market value of 27.6 billion dollars.

Close to VF Corporation, with a market value of 25.3 billion dollars is L Brands. L Brands is the parent company of Victoria’s Secret and has most of its sales of 12.15 billion dollars, a near 93 percent, domestically. In fifth place of United States’’ largest fashion companies is sports brands Under Armour. The 20-year-old brand managed annual revenues of 4.0 billion dollars in 2015, with 3.45 billion dollar in North America alone. Under Armour is currently valued at 17.8 billion dollars on the New York Stock Exchange.

Consumer expenditure

In million US dollars

In percent

Imports & Exports(2016)

Exports of textiles and clothing: 22.9 billion dollars

The United States are not one of the largest exporters of fashion-related products in the world, however it still supplies a fair share of several textiles for fashion purpose to overseas markets. The largest export products among textile and clothing of the United States are:

Raw cotton: 4.41 billion dollars, 19 percent
Nonwoven textiles: 1.77 billion dollars, 8 percent
Cotton yarn of over 85 percent: 1.13 billion dollars, 5 percent
Artificial filament tow: 1.04 billion dollars, 4.5 percent
Synthetic fila ent yarn: 1.03 billion dollars, 4.5 percent

Exports of footwear and headwear: 1.14 billion dollar

Footwear, with leather body: 306 million dollars, 27 percent
Parts of footwear: 263 million dollars, 23 percent
Other headgear: 139 million dollars, 12 percent
Footwear, with textile body: 85.4 million dollars, 7.5 percent
Other footwear of rubber of plastics: 76.9 million dollars, 7 percent
Other footwear: 74.7 million dollars, 6.5 percent

Imports of clothing: 105 billion dollars

The United States are the largest importer of fashion-related products in the world. It mostly imports manufactured apparel.

Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, etc.: 14.1 billion dollars, 13 percent
Women’s suits, not knit: 9.37 billion dollars, 9 percent
Men’s suits, not knit: 8.2 billion dollars, 8 percent
Women’s suits: 5.63 billion dollars, 5 percent
T-shirts: 5.2 billion dollars, 5 percent

Imports of footwear and headwear: 28.8 billion dollars

Footwear, with leather body: 12.2 billion dollars, 42 percent
Other footwear of rubber or plastics: 6.64 billion dollars, 23 percent
Footwear, with textile body: 4.7 billion dollars, 16 percent
Hats, knitted or crocheted: 1.34 billion dollars, 5 percent

Sources