States with the highest spending per household on women’s apparel.
Ever think about how much money your household spends on women’s clothing each year? Ever think about how much your state spends? MapInfo, in Troy, N.Y., has listed the states that spend the most on women’s apparel per household annually. Conspicuously absent is New York. Why? The data reflects an average of all the households in an entire state — not just one area, like Manhattan — and what they spend on women’s apparel. “Of course, there are plenty of people spending money on women’s apparel in Manhattan, but that doesn’t mean they all live in the city of Manhattan,” said Sebastien Rancourt, product manager for MapInfo. “We count all households, which include poorer neighborhoods and communities where families spend very little on apparel. Areas like these will ultimately bring those averages down.”
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- Connecticut
Average dollars spent per household annually: $974.77
It may come as a surprise that such a small state takes first place in average annual household spending on apparel. But Connecticut has some of the wealthiest counties in the country — Fairfield, Litchfield and Middlesex. And with more and more businesses moving into cities such as Stamford, retail development is sure to follow. Stamford Town Center, for example, is an enclosed mall boasting six levels of retail space and houses Macy’s, The Limited and Saks Fifth Avenue. In May, plans were announced to expand the 855,000-square-foot center to serve the growing downtown office and residential populations. Another destination is Waterbury’s Brass Mill Center (pictured), home to H&M, American Eagle and Old Navy. - New Jersey
Average dollars spent: $948.49
When in New Jersey, shop in Short Hills. The Mall at Short Hills (pictured) is the most exclusive, upscale shopping center in the state. Anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, the mall reflects the affluence of the area’s population; average annual household income is more than $150,000 within a five-mile radius of the center. And, there is no sales tax on apparel. The rest of the state is scattered with luxury malls, discount malls and plenty of boutiques in affluent areas such as Westfield and Summit. - Massachusetts
Average dollars spent: $929.02
In October, WWD reported that Boston’s Newbury Street (pictured) was one of the most expensive retail streets in North America, with stores averaging $130 in rent per square foot. Designers Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson both have set up shop along this stretch. Other apparel hot spots
are found where residents spend their summers, such as Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. Bojangles, Brides By the Bay, Cynthia Gardner and Cape Cod Sweats & Tees are just a few of the shops on Cape Cod that carry apparel for women, from casual to bridal. - Delaware
Average dollars spent: $917.73
The tiny state of Delaware should be given a little credit here: Its 328,558 households are taking advantage of the state’s zero sales tax, which keeps residents in-state when they shop. Delaware’s largest city, Wilmington, is the center of retail activity in this state. Brandywine Town Center there has 850,000 square feet of retail space and is being expanded. The mall houses Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target. And on Delaware’s beaches and boardwalks — places like Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach (pictured) and Rehoboth Beach — retailers are sure to sell a few Ts each year. - New Hampshire
Average dollars spent: $912
Outlet malls are plentiful in this New England state. Two of the largest are Tanger Outlets (pictured) — which houses Coach Factory, Eddie Bauer and Bass outlets — and the Lake Region Outlet Shops, where consumers will find Banana Republic and Polo Ralph Lauren factory stores. And L.L. Bean, which has begun expanding out of its home state of Maine, has set up shop with an factory store in North Conway. Perhaps the cold winters prompt residents to buy more clothing? - Virginia
Average dollars spent: $910.82
Virginia’s historic Richmond region is bustling with shopping opportunities. The area is home to five major shopping malls, including Stony Point Fashion Park (pictured), an open-air shopping center with more than 90 restaurants and specialty stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton and Anthropologie. Tysons Corner Center in McLean is the largest shopping mall in the state. Some of its tenants are ICING by Claire’s, The Limited
and Ruehl, Abercrombie & Fitch’s retail concept that caters to 18- to 22-year-olds. And Potomac Mills, in Woodbridge, is Virginia’s largest discount shopping center, featuring over 200 outlets and off-price stores. - California
Average dollars spent: $902.76
Shopping is abundant in California, plain and simple. Three out of the 10 largest malls in North America (by gross leasable area) are located in the state — South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa (pictured), which ranks second in North America to the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada; Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, and Lakewood Center Mall in Lakewood. And famed Rodeo Drive, one of the most expensive retail streets in the country — where rent per square foot is $300 — houses such upscale boutiques as Chanel and Christian Dior. - Georgia
Average dollars spent: $900.97
Over 40 percent of Atlanta’s population is women between 18 and 44 years of age. Atlanta was ranked third in July on WWD’s list of metro areas with the highest percentage of women in this age bracket. The Underground Atlanta mall (pictured), built under the city’s bridges, offers over 100 stores, including specialty shops Atlanta Resort Wear and Gold Mine. Georgian shoppers in search of women’s apparel can also find the goods in Savannah, one of the country’s most popular historic destinations. The Oglethorpe Mall on Abercorn Street contains over 150 restaurants and shops, among them Sears, J.C. Penney, Gap and Stein Mart. - Maryland
Average dollars spent: $899.76
Maryland’s coast offers plenty of apparel shopping opportunities, especially in places like Ocean City, where many residents spend their summers. The Gold Coast Mall is conveniently located among several hotels, and such specialty shops as Island View and Ocean Wave sell beach-appropriate apparel. In Baltimore, there are more apparel possibilities at the Inner Harbor (pictured). The Harborplace and the Gallery house approximately 200 specialty shops that sell everything from women’s apparel to children’s toys and candles. A a few popular shopping options are Talbot’s, Ann Taylor, Gap and J. Crew. - Utah
Average dollars spent: $893.98
Not only is Utah for ski lovers, it’s definitely for shoppers. The Salt Lake City-Ogden area (pictured), which was featured in WWD in July as one
of the regions with the highest percentage of women ages 18 to 44, boasts plenty of exclusive retailers, including O.C. Tanner Jewelry and Utah
Woolen Mills Clothiers. Ogden’s Historic 25th Street houses such stores as Ume’, a chic women’s apparel and accessories shop. And Provo’s downtown features buildings that were built between 1880 and 1910. City renovations turned the area into a prime retail open-air shopping street. Retailers include the Wight House Women’s Clothing and Walkers’ Brides Emporium.
Source: MapInfo, based in Troy, N.Y.; To determine average annual dollars spent, MapInfo used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey