Apparel / Textiles & Accessories

After more than a year of homewear and sportswear occupying the C position in the wardrobe, industry experts predict that denim will return strongly in the near future. They believe that consumers want to gradually change from the super casual wear that they have gradually become accustomed to during the epidemic, but not to business wear all at once. As the world economy recovers, countries are gradually recovering after the epidemic. Not only American consumers want to buy new denim apparel, but the denim apparel market in China and Mexico also has great potential.

Nothing can replace jeans in my closet

-62% of American consumers talked about it in the Cowboy Survey of Lifestyle Monitor™.

According to Euromonitor International data, by 2030, global clothing expenditures of all kinds are expected to increase by 55% since 2019, reaching US$2.66 trillion. It is estimated that China's clothing consumption will increase by 99% to reach 585 billion U.S. dollars, and the US clothing market sales will increase by 24% to 412 billion U.S. dollars. At the same time, according to Euromonitor's monitoring, the Mexican clothing market was valued at US$18 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow by 37% by 2030, which is faster than its population growth rate.

When it comes to jeans consumption, Euromonitor International predicts that by 2024, global jeans consumption will increase by 9% to reach US$106 billion. US jeans consumption is expected to increase by 4%, reaching 17 billion U.S. dollars, while China will increase by 14% to 13.4 billion U.S. dollars.

When we cannot leave home for a long time, casual wear is necessary. But when office buildings, schools and social spaces were reopened, consumers were given a reason to buy clothing. Whether in the United States (21%), Mexico (28%) or China (19%), according to the Cotton Incorporated Global Lifestyle Denim Survey Report (2020), one of the top choices of clothing that consumers want to feel comfortable is still (22.5%) ).

According to Cotton Incorporated's Denim Research Report (2020), denim is also one of the first choices when consumers want to regain their confidence (23%) and impress (22%).

According to Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor (LifestyleMonitorTM) Survey, perhaps the greatest demand for jeans is in Latin America, in the Global Lifestyle Monitoring Survey of Cotton Incorporated (2018). Consumers with the largest share in this region said they "like or love" wearing jeans (83%). The Global Lifestyle Monitoring Survey also shows that nearly two-thirds of Chinese consumers (65%) hold the same view, and 60% of American consumers also hold the same view.

Mexico has a special affinity for denim because of its cultural atmosphere, thus forming a market conducive to the development of denim. According to data from "Global Lifestyle Monitoring: Mexico" (2018), most consumers seek comfortable (69%), durable (66%), high-quality (65%) and affordable clothing. In addition, Mexico is one of the largest denim manufacturers, and denim has a deep cultural heritage in Mexico. Not surprisingly, 98% of Mexican consumers own at least one pair of denim jeans, and about a quarter (23%) said they wear jeans every day of the week.

According to Cotton Incorporated's Global Lifestyle Monitor: China, China’s middle class is expected to grow from 9.7% of the population in 2015 to nearly a third of the population in 2030 One, so China is also expected to become a huge potential market for denim. Compared with consumers in other countries, they are more willing to pay a higher price (68%) for high-quality clothing made of natural fibers. The percentage of consumers in other countries who share the same knowledge is 58%. Like Mexico, among high-income consumers, the biggest factor driving Chinese consumers is comfort (87%). But unlike Mexico, other drivers of Chinese consumers are style (76%), functionality (69%) and brand (52%).

Of course, American consumers are always attractive to denim manufacturers. After all, thanks to the patents of Jacob Davis and LeviStrauss in 1873, this durable trouser suit was born in the United States and has been popular ever since. Jeans accounted for 32% of the retail market share. However, data from the U.S. Office of Textiles and Apparel (U.S. Office of Textiles and Apparel) shows that denim imports in 2019 (459 million) decreased from the previous year (480 million) and remained the same as in 2018.

The 2020 epidemic has not changed consumers' love for denim. According to data from Cotton Incorporated's 2021 Consumer Epidemic Response Survey (the fifth round, February 27-30, 2021), even though the new crown virus is raging during 2020, 27% of consumers still say they plan to buy new products. jeans.

According to Euromonitor data, in the US apparel retail market, sales of economical and standard-price jeans (up 2.4%) are expected to exceed high-end jeans (down 3.6%) and ultra-high-end jeans (down 4.3%). According to Cotton Incorporated's retail monitoring research, these lower-priced jeans have reduced the average retail price of denim from $50.46 two years ago to $48.83 in the first quarter of 2020.

Although the new crown epidemic has affected the way American consumers buy clothes, according to Cotton Incorporated's 2020 denim survey, they still prefer to buy in-store (69%) rather than online (31%).

Although online shopping is convenient and fast during the epidemic, it is not without its shortcomings. According to Cotton Incorporated's "Sustainability and E-commerce Consumer Survey 2020", American consumers said that the challenges faced by buying clothing including denim from online stores include fit (68%), appearance (65%), Quality (61%) and logistics (54%).

No matter how difficult it is to buy new jeans due to the restrictions of the epidemic or concerns about shopping in physical stores, true fans will continue to work hard for the perfect jeans for the next season. This is because 79% of American consumers say that denim will never go out of style, and 62% say, “There is nothing in my closet that can replace denim.” However, in the United States, even when shopping in physical stores, consumers are There are also problems when buying denim. According to a lifestyle survey, nearly 40% (39%) of people think fit is a problem, followed by size (25%), pants length (14%) and price (11%).

According to Cotton Incorporated's 2020 Cowboy Survey, after more than a year of epidemics and vaccination for several months, most office workers and students in the United States (79%) and Mexico (78%) are still in completely or partially remote areas. But whether you continue to work from home (24% in the United States, 30% in Mexico, and 16% in China), or return to work in the office (plus both home and office work) (26% in the United States, 29% in Mexico, and 16% in China) 17%) or socializing with friends (29% in the United States, 32% in Mexico, and 19% in China) denim is still the first choice for consumers.

As consumers re-enter the workplace and restart their school and social life, they will undoubtedly look for something new that is both comfortable and gives them the confidence to meet with colleagues, classmates and friends again. So retailers and denim brands should be prepared!