The changing drivers of fashion purchases in France

Kantar in France has just published their annual report on the fashion industry Référenseigne 2019. The report, which covers the period June 2018 – 2019, makes clear that the time for hyperconsumption in fashion has passed. The second half of 2018 suffered a 3.6% reduction spend on clothing, only recovering by 2.7% in the first half of 2019.

The environment in France is contributing to this, on the one hand some people are concerned about their finances and making ends meet while others are concerned about the environment.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a long-term challenge for the fashion industry and brands cannot ignore the importance that many people attach to ethical production and business behaviour. Price is still an issue, but consumers do expect brands to reflect their concerns. Developing a value proposition that reflects this is a good move for brands, but they need to be sure that what they offer is credible. The report reveals that 30% of French people have already purchased second-hand clothes and 36% want the number of imports from Asia to be limited.

Top Risers

This data is for the clothing/footwear/accessories sectors of each brand. Kantar’s panel in France is 12,500 individuals.

Of the brands that are performing well, affordable pricing is key but not the only issue. Brands such as Action, Lidl, Primark and Intersport have opened points of sale with a clear market position which has allowed them to attract more customers and grow share. Action, Lidl and Primark have focused on the consumer need for value, while Intersport benefits from the strong pull of lifestyle brands.

E-commerce is still growing well, gaining an additional one percentage point increase.  Amazon registered 2.5 million additional orders for clothing in France this year and has expanded their range to include the top 15 fashion brands. H&M is also reaping the benefits of its online investments which now accounts for 80% of their growth.

So in summary, fashion brands that are looking for growth need to be mindful of consumer needs, communicate a clear position and a competitive price point.

If you’d like to learn more about France’s Référenseigne annual report on the fashion industry, please send us a message through the button at the right of this page.