Retail: Clothing the gap

While the FMCG market saw a significant decline in terms of volume in the first half of the year, clothing items sold quite well, the latest data from market research company GfK Hungária shows.

Following a strong setback in the last few years, the clothing market seems to be on the way out of decline: Hungarian households spent nearly as much on clothes in H1 2011 as they did in the first half of 2010.

But there are wide differences within the sector; while shoes sales went up both in volume and value during the period, the sales of outerwear fell back.

The role of fashion chains, hyper- and supermarkets and second-hand shops has increased. In the overclothes segment, fashion store chains are the first port of call when shopping: their market share is more than 15%.

When looking for under- and outerwear, accessories, sportswear and dungarees, the research reveals that Hungarians’ first choice is hyper- or supermarkets. But the most popular articles here are baby clothes, with a more than 20% market share.

Second-hand shops have also seen a growing number of shoppers. In the first half of the year, more than 25% of purchased baby clothes came from such shops. But while families with little kids visit second-hand stores quite frequently (due to the good quality/price ratio these stores offer), those under 40 with a higher income are more likely to go to boutiques and fashion store chains.

Clothing stores specializing in underwear have seen shoppers from all ages up to about 50; however, those older than 60 rarely go to such stores. The research indicates that the latter age group is a frequent visitor of hyper- and supermarkets and also Chinese markets when it comes to clothes shopping.