UK fashion industry statistics (2024)

FAQs

What are the stats on the UK fashion industry? ›

The fashion and textile industry in England, Wales and Scotland employs 500,000 people, made up of 88,000 employed in manufacturing, 62,000 in wholesale, and 413,000 in retail. There were 34,045 businesses operating in the UK fashion and textile sector in 2020, across retail, wholesale and manufacturing.

Clothing has always been big business for the UK. The wool trade once accounted for 80% of exports from the British Isles. Now the UK's Fashion industry is worth £26 billion & 800,000 jobs to the economy , making it the UK's largest creative industry.

This can be attributed to fashion industry's many challenges, and fragmented and competitive nature, making the success rate fairly low. According to Statistic Brain, the percentage rate of businesses that still operate after the first 4 years of operation in the retail industry is 47%.

Revenue in the Apparel market amounts to US$85.08bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.46% (CAGR 2023-2027). The market's largest segment is the segment Women's Apparel with a market volume of US$47.11bn in 2023.

Revenue in the Fashion segment is projected to reach US$56.86bn in 2023. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 8.28%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$78.15bn by 2027.

The UK's textile and clothing industries, which are mostly represented by micro firms, usually financially constrained and less capable of quickly adjusting to trade shocks, are among those sectors which are most affected by these changes. Brexit has stifled exports and imports as well as caused labour shortages.

UK fashion brands are known for their unique twists from classic to highly creative and innovative styles. With the industry continuously growing and recruiting the best and most talented, customers have grown to expect high quality work.

Why is fashion important to the UK? The fashion industry not only contributes £28 billion in GDP to the British economy, but it also employs 880,000 people, supports our country's reputation for creative excellence, and is one of the most diverse industries in the country.

It's estimated that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK, more than any other country in Europe. That amount produces nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions, the same as driving 162,000 miles in a car.

Out of the global workforce of 3.4 billion people, approximately 430 million work in fashion, clothing, and textile production. This means that about 12.6% of people working around the globe are contributing to making the world's clothes, shoes and accessories.

What country leads in fashion? ›

France is the leading country for the fashion industry in the world, according to the Brands Countries IPX by IFDAQ.

After experiencing 18 months of robust growth (early 2021 through mid-2022), the fashion industry is again facing a challenging climate. Hyperinflation and depressed customer sentiments have already resulted in declining growth rates in the second half of 2022.

Things to Remember About UK Sizes

Women have to go for bigger sizes for clothing. Men can buy the same size of clothes they buy in usual US sizing.

Things to Remember About UK Sizes

Women have to go for bigger sizes for clothing, but smaller sizes for shoes. Men can buy the same size of clothes they buy in usual US sizing. But they will have to consider smaller sizes of shoes using the UK standard.

The UK's ethical fashion industry is currently worth approximately £175 million (Mintel, 2009) and is growing faster than almost any other ethical sector, at 71% per year (Coop 2008). Mintel's 2009 report also stated, 'The widening availability of ethical fashion is central to this growth.

Because UK-based fashion designers and developers/technicians have an excellent global reputation, European organisations actively look to attract them. If you're looking to develop your career, experience abroad can give you a great insight into global trends and demands.

London. London is known worldwide for being the fashion capital of the UK, given its huge population, the array of famous designers, and of course London Fashion week.

The UK economy is estimated to be 5.5 per cent poorer now than it would have been had it stayed in the EU, according to a study by the Centre for European Reform that compares the UK's current performance with a counterfactual UK that did not leave the EU.

Scope of Fashion in the UK

In the United Kingdom, the fashion and textile industry contributes almost £20 billion to the economy. Source: UKFT's Compendium of Industry Statistics and Analysis 2020, September 2021.

How has Brexit affected luxury fashion? ›

The Brexit deal saw the end to both a VAT rebate on luxury goods, as well as a cessation of a zero-tariff and zero-quota trade for luxury goods between Britain and EU.

UK fashion has a unique spirit and energy that ignites the imagination of the world. From its cutting-edge trailblazers to the refined craftsmanship of its star designers, the originality and professionalism found in the UK make it one of the most influential fashion hubs in the world.

Tax and incentives

The UK has the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 and is highly competitive within Europe. We're business-friendly and offer a range of tax reliefs to give flexibility to domestic and international companies.

What is sustainable fashion? Sustainable fashion is a term for items of clothing made taking the human and environmental impacts of production into account to support a more just supply chain.

United Kingdom: Top 10 Fashion online stores

Sainsburys.co.uk is leading the Fashion e-commerce market in the UK, with e-commerce net sales of US$3,022 million in 2021 generated in the UK, followed by next.co.uk with US$2,380 million.

The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is nearly £21 billion according to a major new research study released today.

There are 11,235 Clothing Retailing businesses in the UK as of 2023, a decline of -0.5% from 2022.

The Dark Side of Fast Fashion

It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

There are no specific fast fashion laws in the UK. However, there are many laws that you will need to comply with if you set up a fashion business. These include the following: Modern Slavery Act 2015.

By understanding the current trends and statistics, businesses can make informed decisions about their strategies and marketing efforts. The fashion industry is an ever-changing and dynamic industry, and it is important for businesses to stay informed of the latest trends and statistics in order to remain competitive.

What is the importance of statistics in clothing industry? ›

It is an important tool for foreseeing fashion trends, making supply chain decisions, analyzing the behavior of customers and their preferences. Retail analytics, also referred to as Big Data, is a crucial component in the dynamic fashion industry, where the demand keeps changing, and the competition keeps growing.

Do Fast Fashion Statistics Vary by Country? 10 countries dominate the market for retail purchasing: China 40 billion, USA 17 billion, India 6 billion, Japan 3.3 billion, Germany 2.2 billion, UK 2.1 billion, Russia 2 billion, France 1.5 billion, Italy 1.3 billion and Brazil 2.3 billion.

Paris, New York, London, and Milan are the most recognizable fashion capitals of the world, but sometimes Tokyo is also added to that list. This is what put them on the map as the fashion capitals of the world. What is the fashion capital of Europe? It has to be Paris.

China is the largest textile exporter in the world. The country's exports account for over half of the supply in the global market. Germany and Vietnam focus on manufacturing high-quality products and not so much on producing larger quantities. Bangladesh supplies textiles to numerous western fashion brands.

The countries that account for the majority of this apparel demand are the United States and China, both generating substantially higher revenues than any other country. It is perhaps no surprise that the same two countries play a significant role in international trade.

The target audience for fast fashion is consumers aged between 18 and 24, while women and young girls consume fast fashion more than any other demographic group.

Today, in fact, fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output—more than international flights and shipping combined, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. It also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year.

The sector is also an important source of plastic leakage into the environment. With between 200 000 and 500 000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles enter the marine environment each year, the textile industry amount for 35% of microplastics pollution in the ocean.

Women's clothing sizes in the US are typically two sizes smaller than their UK counterparts. So, if you were to subtract four from your regular UK size, you would get its US equivalent. For example, if you want to buy a UK size 10, you need to look for a US size six.

What is the UK dress size in the US? ›

A few easy rules to remember:

Minus 2 sizes to get your US size (for example, a UK dress size 6 is a US dress size 2)

The UK Fashion eCommerce market is predicted to reach US$56,865.0 million by 2023 and accounts for 34.1% of the total eCommerce market in the United Kingdom. It is expected to increase over the next years.

Revenue in the Apparel market amounts to US$85.08bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.46% (CAGR 2023-2027).

Fashion accounts for a 31% share of the UK eCommerce market

In the UK, the fashion e-commerce segment generates a revenue of US$37 billion in 2021, which amounts to a 31% share of the entire e-commerce market in the United Kingdom.

Known for being unique, creative and innovative, UK fashion has much to offer. Designers here take pride in creating fashion products that set the trend.

Revenue in the Luxury Goods market amounts to US$16.37bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 4.25% (CAGR 2023-2028).

France is the leading country for the fashion industry in the world, according to the Brands Countries IPX by IFDAQ.

Who buys the most clothes UK? ›

Fashion segment e-commerce users UK 2021, by age group

While people aged between 25 and 34 were the biggest purchasers in the apparel and bags & accessories market segments, people between 35 and 44 of age bought more shoes than any other age group.

Home to some of the most successful British high-end fashion designers including Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, London is a major player in the fashion industry and has rightfully earned its place as one of the most important iconic fashion capitals in the world.

Since its development, London has been an attraction point for many people, mainly because it has developed the traditional handcrafts of tailoring, shirt-making, shoemaking, and hat-making that have promoted profoundly the images of the English gentleman, a vivacious sub-cultural club, and a street scene across the ...

14, 2021. Whether it's calf-leather Italian Prada bags or classic, checkered British Burberry trench coats, South Koreans are the world's biggest spenders on personal luxury goods per capita, Morgan Stanley said.