NPD says forty-five plus demographic prefers dressier apparel

27 Sep '05

4 min read

He also included that the success of private label suits is astounding when you consider that branded suits represented 72 per cent of dollar sales in 1994. They have now seen a complete reversal, as private label purchases have surpassed and now dominate the market with 67 per cent of total dollar sales in 2005.

From a retail perspective, all channels of suits and dress shirt distribution are enjoying respectable growth. According to NPD Group research, the men's suiting business continues to be dominated by specialty retail with an 82 per cent dollar share. However, department stores are outpacing other business attire channels with a 36 per cent increase in dollar sales from May 2004 to May 2005.

An interesting trend that The NPD Group continues to monitor is the battle between department stores and specialty retailers for the suits market. Dollar share gains in the suit category in department stores are up from 12 per cent in May 2004 to 16 per cent in May 2005, these have come at the expense of specialty retail, and over the same time period specialty retailers have had a 6 per cent decline in dollar share.

Other key findings:
Average price paid for suits has dropped
- Consumers reported in May 2005 vs. May 2004 a decrease from $250 in 2004 to $235 in 2005

Canadian consumers continue to demonstrate their willingness to spend for quality
- High quality cotton rich dress shirts continue to hold their value when other commodities, such as suits, continue to drop in price

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