As the U.S. economy slowly recovered, apparel sales inched up last year, with women’s sales leading the sector after back to back lackluster seasons.
Men’s apparel sales in 2012 increased a feeble one percent to $57 billion, reflecting consumer reluctance to spend while financial problems persisted.
Women’s apparel sales fared better in 2012 posting three percent growth, with total sales of $111 billion. The increase, however, did not represent an increase in unit sales, but reflected instead a five percent rise in prices. Unit volume fell two percent.
Sales figures for children’s clothing were not available, although family clothing stores, according to U.S. Census data, posted sales of $93.2 billion.
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Two of the leading categories of women’s apparel logged increased sales last year, with dresses and jeans both growing by 11 percent to top the others — knit shirts and woven shirts, according to data from The NPD Group, a consumer tracking service.
Commenting on the uptrend in sales of dresses, Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group said, “Dresses have been gaining in sales over the past couple of years but the difference of 2012 compared to the previous years is in the way women are wearing them.
“This year women sported more dresses on the weekends as casual wear and jeans during the week to work, which helped propel the sale of jeans,” Cohen said.
Clothing and accessories stores posted apparel sales of $239.2 billion in 2012, according to U.S. Census data. Sales at general clothing stores were close behind at $177.2 billion.
Men’s clothing stores for the same year were a modest $8.7 billion. Women’s clothing store sales, by contrast, were almost five times higher at $41.6 billion.
Consumers also flocked to discount department stores, which posted sales of clothing in most categories of $119.9 billion.
E-Commerce sales of clothing and accessories in 2012 hit $45.60 billion, according to data from eMarketer, continuing an ongoing upward trend.
