Plus-Size Fashion- 2009 Edition

• Publication date: April 2009

In terms of retail sales value, the total UK market for women's plus-size fashion increased by more than a quarter between 2003 and 2008.Sales have been driven by growth in the proportion of women who are overweight or obese, as well as demographic factors. The latter include the rising number of women aged 45 or over, who are more likely than younger consumers to be overweight. Although celebrity culture promotes being a size zer...

In terms of retail sales value, the total UK market for women's plus-size fashion increased by more than a quarter between 2003 and 2008.

Sales have been driven by growth in the proportion of women who are overweight or obese, as well as demographic factors. The latter include the rising number of women aged 45 or over, who are more likely than younger consumers to be overweight. Although celebrity culture promotes being a size zero, recent television programmes have shown viewers how to make the most of larger figures.

Over the past few years, the practice of `vanity sizing' — i.e. increasing the dimensions of sizes (for example, so that someone who is normally a size 16 can fit into a size 14) — has become widespread. However, a European Standards Committee is working on a new standardised clothing-sizes system to make buying clothes simpler.

Plus-size fashion specialist retailers are now facing more competition from non-specialists, particularly supermarkets. Apart from the rise in the popularity of supermarket clothing, another key factor has been the growth of the Internet. Although non-specialists have traditionally been reluctant to take up display space with less-requested sizes in their high-street outlets, those operating online tend to be more willing to stock such items. Nevertheless, Key Note's exclusive consumer research still found that more than two-fifths of respondents agreed that it was difficult to find larger-sized clothes in the latest fashions.

Key Note predicts that the UK market for plus-size fashion will grow by 15.2% between 2009 and 2013. Market growth will be driven by a continual increase in the number of women who are size 16 and over.

Clothing And Textile Industry in the United Kingdom

Executive Summary

1. Introduction

OVERVIEW

DEFINITION

2. Strategic Overview

MARKET DYNAMICS AND SEGMENTATION

Factors Affecting the Market

Demographic Trends

Table 2.1: The UK Female Population by Age Group (000), Mid-Years 2003-2007

Trends in Women's Weight, Waist Sizes and Levels of Exercise

Body Mass Index

Table 2.2: Women in England by Body Mass Index Category (% of women), 2003-2007

Figure 2.1: Women in England by Body Mass Index Category (% of women), 2007

Waist Sizes

Table 2.3: Proportion of Women in England With a Raised Waist Circumference by Age (% of women), 1993, 2003, 2006 and 2007

Figure 2.2: Proportion of Women in England With a Raised Waist Circumference by Age (% of women), 2007

Exercise

Table 2.4: Proportion of Women in England Achieving the Recommended Level of Physical Activity by Age (% of women), 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006

Social Trends

Commercial Trends

Vanity Sizing

Table 2.5: UK Retailers' Ladieswear Size Guides (centimetres), 2008/2009

A European Standard

Total Industry Value and Growth

Table 2.6: The UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2003-2008

DISTRIBUTION AND COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE

ADVERTISING

THE CONSUMER

MARKET FORECASTS

Table 2.7: The Forecast UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2009-2013

3. Market Analysis

MARKET SIZE

Table 3.1: The UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2003-2008

Figure 3.1: The UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2003-2008

CONSUMER TRENDS

Table 3.2: The Importance of Fitting Into Clothes as a Reason for Dieting or Trying to Lose Weight (% of respondents who dieted or tried to lose weight), August 2008

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

Table 3.3: Main Media Advertising Expenditure on Selected Women's Clothing Brands From Fashion Retail Outlets, Supermarkets and Department Stores (£000), Years Ending December 2007 and 2008

Table 3.4: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Selected Mail-Order and Online Operations Selling Women's Clothing (£000), Years Ending December 2007 and 2008

SEGMENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION

Non-Specialists

Table 3.5: UK Non-Specialist Retailers Offering Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Size Range, 2008/2009

Plus-Size Specialists

Table 3.6: UK Plus-Size Fashion Specialist Retailers by Size Range, 2008/2009

Mail Order and the Internet

Table 3.7: Selected UK Mail-Order and Online Retailers Offering Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Size Range, 2008/2009

4. An International Perspective

THE US

EUROPE

Table 4.1: Prevalence of Overweight and Obese Adults in European Countries (%), Latest Available Figures

5. PEST Analysis

POLITICAL FACTORS

ECONOMIC FACTORS

SOCIAL FACTORS

Table 5.1: Body Mass Index Categories Among Adults in England by Equivalised Household Income Quintiles by Sex (% of men, % of women and kilograms per square metre), 2007

TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS

6. Consumer Dynamics

OVERVIEW

Table 6.1: Summary of Women's Attitudes Towards Plus-Size Fashion (% of female respondents), August 2008

DIETING/TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

Table 6.2: Dieting/Trying to Lose Weight (% of female respondents), August 2008

I Diet/Try to Lose Weight Most of the Time

Table 6.3: Those Who Are Dieting/Trying to Lose Weight Most of the Time (% of female respondents), August 2008

ATTITUDES TOWARDS BEING OVERWEIGHT

It Is Very Important Not to Be Overweight

Table 6.4: Attitudes Towards Being Overweight (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.5: Those Who Strongly Agreed That It Is Very Important Not to Be Overweight (% of female respondents), August 2008

People Should Not Worry If They Are Only Slightly Overweight

Table 6.6: Attitudes Towards Being Only Slightly Overweight (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.7: Those Who Strongly Agreed That People Should Not Worry About Being Only Slightly Overweight (% of female respondents), August 2008

CLOTHING SIZES

I Find That I Need to Buy Clothing For Myself in Different Sizes Depending on Which Shop or Clothing Company I Am Buying From

Table 6.8: The Need to Buy Different Sizes of Clothing Depending on the Retailer (% of female respondents), August 2008

Clothes Sizes Should Be Standardised Across All Companies

Table 6.9: Opinion That Clothing Sizes Should Be Standardised Across All Companies (% of female respondents), August 2008

Size Labels on Clothes Should Show Actual Measurements, e.g. Waist Size, Length, etc.

Table 6.10: Opinion That Size Labels Should Show Actual Measurements (% of female respondents), August 2008

I Would Rather Buy Clothes in Smaller Sizes, Even If I Know the Garment Would Be a Larger Size If It Came From a Different Company

Table 6.11: Attitudes Towards Buying Clothes in `Smaller' Sizes (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.12: Those Who Strongly Agreed That They Would Rather Buy Clothes in `Smaller' Sizes (% of female respondents), August 2008

ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHOICE OF CLOTHING AVAILABLE

There Is Not Enough Choice in Larger-Sized Clothes (16+) For Younger Women (Under 25)

Table 6.13: Opinion That There Is Not Enough Choice of Larger-Sized Clothing Available to Younger Women (% of female respondents), August 2008

It Is Difficult to Find Larger-Sized Clothes in the Latest Fashions

Table 6.14: Agreement That It Is Difficult to Find Larger-Sized Clothes in the Latest Fashions (% of female respondents), August 2008

ATTITUDES TOWARDS CLOTHING RETAILERS

I Prefer to Buy Larger-Size Clothing (16+) From Specialist Shops Rather Than Standard Shops

Table 6.15: Those Who Prefer to Buy Larger-Size Clothing From Specialist Shops Rather Than Standard Shops (% of female respondents), August 2008

INFLUENCES ON BODY CONFIDENCE

Television Programmes Such as Gok Wan's How to Look Good Naked and Trinny and Susannah's What Not to Wear Have Given Me More Body Confidence and Made Me More Accepting of My Body The Way It Is

Table 6.16: The Influence of Television Programmes on Body Confidence (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.17: Those Who Strongly Agreed That Television Programmes Had Improved Their Body Confidence (% of female respondents), August 2008

Images of Slim Celebrities Make Me Feel Bad About the Way I Look

Table 6.18: The Influence of Images of Slim Celebrities on Body Confidence (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.19: Those Who Strongly Agreed That Images of Slim Celebrities Made Them Feel Bad About How They Looked (% of female respondents), August 2008

ATTITUDES TOWARDS LARGER WOMEN

There Should Be More Larger-Sized Women (16+) in Television Adverts, in Magazines and on Catwalks

Table 6.20: Attitudes Towards Larger-Sized Women Appearing in Television Advertisements, in Magazines and on Catwalks (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.21: Those Who Strongly Agreed That There Should Be More Larger-Sized Women Appearing in Television Advertisements, in Magazines and on Catwalks (% of female respondents), August 2008

Larger Women Should Be Proud of Their Appearance and Should Not Be Afraid of Wearing Bright Colours and Fashionable Styles

Table 6.22: Attitudes Towards Larger Women Being Proud of Their Appearance and Wearing Bright Colours and Fashionable Styles (% of female respondents), August 2008

Those Who Strongly Agreed

Table 6.23: Those Who Strongly Agreed That Larger Women Should Be Proud of Their Appearance and Should Not Be Afraid of Wearing Bright Colours and Fashionable Styles (% of female respondents), August 2008

7. Company Profiles

ALEXON GROUP PLC

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.1: Financial Results For Alexon Group PLC (£000), Years Ending 28th January 2006, 27th January 2007 and 26th January 2008

ARCADIA GROUP LTD

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.2: Financial Results For Arcadia Group Ltd (£000), Year Ending 27th August 2005, 53 Weeks Ending 2nd September 2006 and Year Ending 1st September 2007

BRAVISSIMO LTD

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.3: Financial Results For Bravissimo Ltd (£000), Years Ending 31st August 2006-2008

DEBENHAMS PLC

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.4: Financial Results For Debenhams PLC (£000), Years Ending 2nd September 2006, 1st September 2007 and 30th August 2008

ELVI

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

MARKS AND SPENCER PLC

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.5: Financial Results For Marks and Spencer PLC (£000), Years Ending 1st April 2006, 31st March 2007 and 29th March 2008

N BROWN GROUP PLC

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.6: Financial Results For N Brown Group PLC (£000), Years Ending 25th February 2006 and 24th February 2007, and 53 Weeks Ending 1st March 2008

NEW LOOK RETAILERS LTD

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.7: Financial Results For New Look Retailers Ltd (£000), Years Ending 25th March 2006 and 24th March 2007, and 53 Weeks Ending 29th March 2008

YOURS (SIZE UP CLOTHING STORES LTD)

Company Structure and Product Information

Recent Developments

Profitability

Table 7.8: Financial Results For Size Up Clothing Stores Ltd (£000), Years Ending 31st January 2006-2008

8. The Future

POPULATION TRENDS

Table 8.1: Projected UK Female Population by Age Group (000), Mid-Years 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026

OBESITY TRENDS

Adults

Table 8.2: Projected Proportion of Obese Adults in the UK by Sex (%), 2015, 2025 and 2050

Children

Table 8.3: Projected Proportion of Obese Children in the UK by Sex and Age (%), 2025 and 2050

MARKET FORECASTS

Table 8.4: The Forecast UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2009-2013

Figure 8.1: The Forecast UK Market For Women's Plus-Size Clothing by Value at Current Prices (£m at rsp), 2009-2013

9. Further Sources

General Sources

Government Publications

Other Sources

Key Note Sources