Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are disrupting the fashion industry in Germany, with milder winters reducing demand for heavy clothing, making forecasting difficult for retailers.
Winter Wear Market Analysis — Current Landscape
In Germany, winter fashion is all about practicality, with the majority of shoppers prioritising functionality and durability. Particularly older consumers often favour practicality over style, whereas, younger shoppers demand a balance of both.
Mintel’s winter wear market analysis shows that consumers now delay purchases, expecting items to always be available, and only start to think about buying winter fashion as it gets colder. To adapt, brands must implement flexible strategies, such as geo-targeted promotions, to stay competitive.
However, amid such challenges lie opportunities with city centres experiencing a 1.5% increase in footfall in 2024, and over half of German winter fashion shoppers enjoying festive in-store experiences, providing an opportunity to deliver immersive in-store brand experiences to drive higher customer engagement and potential impulse purchases.
Winter Fashion — Market Statistics
- Consumer Behaviour in the Winter Wear Market: 75% of German shoppers prioritise functionality and durability when buying clothes.
- Winter Wear Market Opportunities: 57% of German shoppers enjoy festive in-store experiences when buying winter fashion.
Winter Fashion Industry Analysis — What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- The impact of weather volatility on winter fashion sales.
- The role of functionality and practicality in fashion choices.
- Stand-out opportunities for the winter wear market in the fourth quarter.
- Purchase time and channels in the fashion industry in Germany.
- Items purchased, and occasions for which they were purchased.
- Interest in retailer offerings during the fourth quarter.
- Emerging trends in fashion retail and consumer behaviour.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Silke Lambers, Principal Analyst. Silke joined Mintel in 2022, writing about fashion and retail trends in Germany. Prior to this she has been working as a trend forecaster, journalist, and analyst for agencies and companies in the US, UK, France, and Germany. Silke has a Master’s degree in Fashion Engineering and Design.
Q4 is critical for the fashion industry in Germany, fuelled by Black Friday, Christmas, and demand for premium winter items. However, unpredictable weather and cautious spending behaviour are a challenge. Blending style with functionality, leveraging technology, and tapping into nostalgia hold opportunities for brands.
Silke Lambers
Principal Analyst — Fashion, Germany
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Innovation highlights
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Make functionality a sales driver
- Functionality, durability and practicality are a top priority for Germans
- Practical steps to make ‘functionality’ a core sales driver
- Profit on the season of sales without selling out
- Rethinking seasonal strategies
- Simplify decision-making and offer thoughtful touches
- Capture the spirit of holiday shopping with innovation and nostalgia
- Capture occasionwear shoppers with AI-driven styling tools
- Enrich the festive in-store shopping experience
- Tap into the festive power of fashion gifts
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THE CONSUMER
- Purchase channels for winter fashion
- How German consumers split shopping preferences and spending
- Graph 1: purchase channels for fashion items in winter 2024/25, 2024
- Fit, comfort and impulse drive in-store footwear and accessory sales
- Graph 2: categories purchased, by channel they were purchased through, 2024
- Fashion items purchased
- Germany’s winter wardrobe trend 2024/25
- Graph 3: fashion items purchased for winter 2024/25, 2024
- Sweaters, coats and boots are winter must-haves
- Graph 4: types of fashion items purchased in winter 2024/25, 2024
- Winter weather fashion challenges
- Bridge generational gaps to engage every age group
- Graph 5: repertoire analysis of different types of fashion items purchased, by age group, 2024
- Seasonal trends for women and practicality for men
- Graph 6: winter formal wear buyers, by gender and age, 2024
- Timing of fashion purchases
- Adapt to consumer behaviour with geotargeted weather promotions
- Graph 7: timing of winter fashion purchases, 2024
- October and November are peak months for winter fashion
- Graph 8: timing of winter fashion purchases, by household size, 2024
- Engage dual-parent families through early planning strategies
- Leveraging Christmas shopping patterns for retail success
- Graph 9: channel for winter fashion purchases, by time items were purchased, 2024
- Shopping for special occasions peaks in December
- Graph 10: reason for purchasing winter fashion items, by time of purchase, 2024
- What should I wear? – Winter fashion shoppers need direction
- Align marketing strategies with seasonal search trends
- Graph 11: online conversations around Christmas fashion shopping, 2023-25
- Understanding the winter fashion shopper mindset
- Purpose of fashion purchases
- Maximise opportunities with seasonal shopping triggers
- Graph 12: purposes of winter fashion purchases, 2024
- Address young male shoppers with occasionwear
- Outdoor sports inspire fashion trends
- Blend trendiness and functionality to expand appeal
- Graph 13: behaviours relating to winter fashion, by age group, 2024
- Capture urbanites with stylish outdoor fashion
- Outdoor apparel services appreciated by the urban youth
- Broaden the reach of popups through influencer engagement
- Deliver stylish, multi-functional options for budget-savvy shoppers
- Graph 14: repertoire of purposes of fashion purchases, by financial situation, 2024
- Interest in retailer offerings
- Discounts are appealing, but must be used with caution
- Maximise sales with discounts, trust-building policies and time-saving perks
- Engage budget-savvy couples with discounts that align with their lifestyle goals
- Strategies to balance winter discounts and brand value
- Drive Christmas gift sales through unique gifting services
- Introduce ready-to-sell bundles that fit seamlessly into holiday displays
- Capture young families’ demand for exclusivity and service
- Parents expect to spend more for Christmas
- Graph 15: expected change in spending habits for clothing, footwear and accessories as gifts, 2024
- The importance of the experience
- Monetise celebration-driven spending with premium offerings
- Graph 16: behaviours towards buying winter fashion, 2024
- Tap into festive nostalgia to drive in-store engagement
- Tie digital Christmas promotions into in-store events
- Extend the festive feeling to online shops
- Multisensory holiday shopping ideas
- Boost engagement with ugly Christmas sweater swaps
- Blend festive fun with sustainable style
- Swap & celebrate: ugly Christmas jumper fun
- Sustainability
- Cater to a generation redefining ownership
- Graph 17: behaviours towards purchasing winter fashion for winter 2024/25, 2024
- Turn replacement habits into retail opportunities
- Graph 18: behaviours towards winter fashion, by financial situation, 2024
- Tap into repair, customisation and community
- Reinvent repairs: from sustainability to golden ticket excitement
- Support undecided customers with rental packages
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MARKET DRIVERS
- Spending plans show some positive indications
- Golden quarter is the strongest in fashion retail
- Graph 19: chain index of retail turnover in clothing per quarter, 2018-24
- Unpredictable weather patterns
- Rising footfall in city centres
- Shifting habits amid rising fashion costs
- Graph 20: consumer price index for clothing, 2020-24
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Products covered in this Report
- Generations
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- TURF methodology
- TURF Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Infegy Atlas – coverage and full list of search terms used
- Mintel Spark
- A note on language
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