Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s Germany Fashion Market Report 2024. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, German fashion shopper trends, and consumer behaviours. Get a 360° view of the fashion industry in Germany including a growth forecast to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Our Report Delivers Key Insights On
- The impact of inflation and the economic outlook on the fashion industry in Germany.
- The impact of the development and role of experiential retail, social media, and social commerce on the German fashion shopper.
- The current state of retail media in the fashion market Germany.
- Consumer behaviour and preferences in the fashion market Germany, with insights into the shopping journeys of different demographics.
- A range of specific marketing strategies from different brands and initiatives.
The Fashion Industry Germany: A Market Overview
Shopping for fashion goes beyond necessity, as over half of German buyers purchased fashion items to feel good.
However, rising prices are making shoppers more price-conscious, affecting online and in-store sales. Brands offering good deals and affordable prices will attract almost 80% of buyers in Germany, as they consider using promotional offers or discounts a great way to save money.
German Fashion Industry Analysis: What Consumers Want and Why
- German Fashion Shopper Behaviour: 58% of Gen Z fashion shoppers in Germany look at social media for inspiration, indicating a rise in social media as a key channel for fashion inspiration, marking an urgent need for brands to adapt and optimise their online strategies.
- Opportunities in the Fashion Market Germany: Enhancing retail media and social commerce can push the fashion market in the coming years. Despite being conscious about giving out data, German consumers also see its advantages. 34% of Germans believe that personalised fashion ads on social media facilitate the discovery of new brands and products, with 5 in 10 finding them non-intrusive.
More About This Report
This Report aims to assess the German fashion shopper and related consumer behaviours and attitudes. Please note that when referring to ‘Germans’ or ‘German consumers’ in the Report, all consumers in Germany are included, not only German nationals.
Meet The Expert
This report was written by Silke Lambers, Principal Analyst. Silke joined Mintel in 2022, writing about fashion and retail trends in Germany as a Senior Research Analyst. Prior to this she was a trend forecaster, journalist, and analyst for agencies and companies in the US, UK, France, and Germany. Silke holds a Master’s degree in Fashion Engineering and Design.
Our German fashion industry analysis shows that brands and retailers must tactically merge online and offline strategies. Boosting online presence and enhancing experiential retail will help captivate the German fashion shopper.
Silke Lambers
Principal Analyst – Fashion, Germany
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five year outlook for the German fashion shopper
- Market context
- Revival in consumer confidence and in-store preference
- Graph 1: index of retail sales of clothing in real prices excluding tax, 2014-23
- As in-store retail rises, ecommerce falters
- Graph 2: revenue development in clothing ecommerce in €m including VAT, not adjusted for inflation, 2015-24
- Shoppers prioritise affordability as brands pivot strategies
- Graph 3: consumers who set a budget plan for buying fashion items in the past 12 months, 2024
- German consumers prioritise fashion spending
- Graph 4: consumer plans to spend on clothing and accessories (including footwear), 2022-24
- Mintel predicts
- In-store shoppers expect an emotional experience
- The online shopping journey will become increasingly frictionless
- Opportunities
- Enhance physical shops with experiential retail
- Integrate retail media
- Invest in social commerce
- Build brand loyalty through value alignment
- Empower sales in the youth market through influencer partnerships
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 is expected to remain challenging
- Graph 5: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 6: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- The impact of the economy the fashion sector
- Consumer confidence
- The fashion sales surge for clothing specialists continues into 2024
- Graph 7: index of retail sales of clothing in real prices excluding tax, 2014-23
- eCommerce
- Navigating the transition in fashion retail
- In-store retail makes a comeback as fashion ecommerce dips
- Graph 8: online retail sales, clothing, 2014-23
- Check company strategies against ecommerce revenue development
- Social commerce
- Master social media experiences
- Social media will become increasingly shoppable
- Watch the development of social media features
- Align fashion marketing with age-specific platform preferences in Germany
- Spending confidence
- Fashion is a key spending priority for young women
- Graph 9: consumers who would typically spend discretionary money on clothes/shoes/accessories, 2024
- The majority of fashion spending happens at specialists
- Graph 10: estimated distribution of spending on clothing and footwear, 2023
- Support consumers to confidently invest in their style
- Graph 11: consumer plan’s to spend on clothing and accessories (including footwear), 2022-24
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Who they buy fashion for
- Fashion is primarily a personal purchase
- Graph 12: who consumers bought fashion for in the last 12 months, 2023
- Cater to modern family dynamics
- Graph 13: who consumers bought fashion for in the last 12 months by age of children, 2024
- Inclusive shopping for parents and kids
- Encourage partners to express connection through fashion
- Develop strategies to celebrate child-free lifestyles
- Graph 14: consumers who bought fashion for their partner by lifestage in the last 12 months, 2024
- Brax’ campaign shows power couple
- Fashion-gifters are most likely to spend more on clothes in 2024
- Graph 15: plans to spend on fashion in 2024, by person fashion was bought for in the last 12 months, 2024
- How fashion is purchased
- Men are more likely than women to shop instore
- Empower the modern male shopper
- Navigate the dynamic female shopper
- Aim for online excellence and experiential retail
- Graph 16: methods of purchasing fashion in the last 12 months by generation, 2024
- How much they spend
- Spending is fairly consistent online and instore
- Meet consumers’ financial sweet spot
- Cater to high-spending youngsters with an expansive product selection…
- …and luxury capsule collections
- Sources of inspiration
- Aspire to inspire consumers across channels
- Adjust communication strategy to fit the target group
- Graph 17: sources of inspiration for fashion purchases in the last 12 months by generation, 2023
- How to target different generations – from brochures to social media
- Streamline fashion inspiration
- Graph 18: repertoire analysis of sources of inspiration by gender and age, 2023
- Harness peer power with user-generated content
- Fashion-buying behaviours
- Leverage the feel-good-factor of fashion shopping
- Highlight emotional benefits on social media
- Patagonia tells stories about the joy and satisfaction of reuse
- Stimulate spontaneous, emotional purchasing decisions
- Engage with Millennials through custom inspiration strategies
- Target Millennials through user-friendly innovations
- J. Crew launches virtual closet for Apple Vision Pro
- Tap into the desire for an emotional uplift with retail media
- What is the definition of retail media?
- What retail media includes
- Respect different generations’ views on privacy
- Graph 19: attitudes towards personalised fashion adverts on social media by generation, 2023
- Address high earners with retail media that facilitates their online shopping
- 16-34 year olds show the greatest interest in influencers
- Graph 20: consumers who purchased a fashion item advertised by a social media personality in the past 12 months, 2024
- Leverage the power of influencers in online media
- Paid influencer collaborations are perceived positively
- Attitudes towards purchasing fashion
- Germans fashion shoppers love a deal
- Graph 21: attitudes towards purchasing fashion, 2024
- Blend online engagement with value-driven fashion offers
- Graph 22: attitudes towards purchasing fashion, 2024
- Turn prudent spending into loyalty programme engagement
- Graph 23: consumers who set a budget plan for buying fashion items in the past 12 months, 2024
- Empower brands through value-aligned initiatives
- Graph 24: attitudes towards fashion brands, 2024
- Cultivate brand loyalty among young men
- Seize opportunities at the sports-fashion nexus
- Attract parents with a wider product range
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- In-stream shopping with GZSZ and Zalando
- Graph 25: sources used to watch video content in the last three months (NET), 2022
- Mytheresa embraces technological innovations…
- …for an immersive luxury shopping experience
- Breuninger starts retail media
- Crocs x Simone Rocha
- Highsnobiety opens first shop in Berlin
- Arket offers a wide variety…
- …and external brands in second Berlin location
- Bershka embraces experiential retail
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Fashion against Nazis
- Balenciaga’s Closet SS 24 Campaign
- Takko promotes affordability
- Adidas leverages football enthusiasm for marketing campaign
- Louis Vuitton leverages Olympic powers
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
- Infegy Atlas
- CHAID analysis
- CHAID analysis methodology
- Abbreviations
- Generations
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