US apparel industry sales reaches $181bn in 2005, reports NPD
21 Feb '06
3 min read
According to leading consumer and retail information company The NPD Group, total US apparel sales reached $181 billion in 2005, a 4 percent increase over 2004. Strong sales in t-shirts, jeans, tailored clothing and pajamas helped fuel growth in the apparel industry in 2005.
Author and NPD Chief Industry Analyst, Marshal Cohen said, "As NPD predicted early last year, the apparel industry saw another healthy year of growth. Those who didn't update their wardrobes two years ago made sure they did so last year.”
Men's apparel led the industry's growth with an increase of five percent, reaching nearly $53 billion in 2005. Sales in women's apparel also grew, reaching $101 billion; a three percent increase from 2004. Children's apparel sales grew two percent, to $27 billion.
Men continued to dress to the nines in 2005. Men's tailored clothing (suits, suit separates and sportscoats/jackets) grew 7 percent, totaling over $5 billion in sales. Young men took the tailored clothing industry by storm; combined sales of suits, suit separates and sportscoats/jackets grew 53 percent among men ages 18-24.
Another big category winner, men's tops - accounted for 38 percent of the men's apparel market, climbing six percent in sales; dress shirts and polo/golf/rugby shirts fueled much of the growth in the category, up 10 and 14 percent respectively.
"The surge in men's apparel sales came from some of the most unexpected places, such as young men buying a suit. Teens and young adult men have finally 'discovered the suit.' When exploring that further, NPD found that young men never owned a suit, never wore a suit and never saw their father in a suit - yet, they have migrated towards dressing up to be 'cool.' We are seeing a shift in the younger generation reaching their image through grooming and dressing up," said Cohen.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
