UK Footwear Retailing Market Report 2024
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
Stay ahead of the curve in the UK footwear retail market and secure future growth for your business with Mintel’s in-depth market research report. Our full report, is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest footwear retailing trends, and the consumer behaviours that are shaping the UK footwear market.
 Key Issues Covered in this Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on demand for footwear
- Analysis of the size of the market and forecast for the next five years
- Market share of major players, how consumers perceive leading retailers and advertising initiatives
- Innovations in footwear retailing
- Consumer purchasing of and attitudes towards footwear
- The opportunities and threats facing brands in the footwear retailing segment
UK Footwear Market – Current Overview
The cost-of-living crisis has not impacted significantly on consumer spending on footwear which, even with inflation stripped out, grew in double digits in 2021 and 2022 and in high single figures in 2023. This can be attributed to the growth in sales of trainers and consumers (men and women) buying multiple pairs of different styles, embracing so-called ‘sneaker culture’ and this trend is expected to continue to drive demand. Additionally, sales of children’s footwear have strengthened.
- UK footwear market size: The UK footwear retail market increased by an estimated 8% in 2023.
- UK footwear retail market forecast: Mintel’s analysts estimate the footwear market to increase to over £15 billion by 2028.
UK Footwear Retail Market Trends and Challenges
Online-only retailers, led by Amazon, are the main threat to specialist multichannel footwear retailers. To stand out, specialist stores must transform into experiential destinations, focusing on new technology such as AR, VR and QR codes to personalise shoppers’ experiences, offering consultations, repairs, in-store recycling drop-off points and hosting events. This strategy is especially vital for attracting Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.
In line with growing consumer concerns around sustainability, more than three quarters of footwear shoppers agree that brands should offer repair services. This suggests an opportunity for retailers to boost their revenues, while at the same time using the presence of repair services as a driver of footfall into stores.
This is just a snapshot of what Mintel’s full UK Footwear Retailing Market Report contains, purchase the full report for a complete analysis of the UK footwear market, alongside market data, exclusive consumer insights, and growth opportunities.
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Meet The Expert
This report was written by Michael Oliver, Mintel’s senior retail analyst. Michael has more than 35 years’ experience writing and researching consumer markets, including food and drink, leisure and retail. He has specialised in the retail industry since 2016.
Spending on footwear has defied the cost-of-living crisis, boosted by strong demand for trainers/sneakers and school shoes that shows no sign of abating.
Michael Oliver
Senior Retail Analyst
Table of Contents
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the footwear retailing market
- Embrace sustainability and ethical consumption
- Capitalise on technological advances
- Become a trusted advisor through providing expert advice
- Respond to growing interest in health and wellness
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size and forecast
- Market predictions
- Spending on footwear unaffected by the cost-of-living crisis but post-pandemic boom set to ease
- Inflation cooling, but cost-of-living pressures persist
- Graph 1: CPIH inflation rate, 2021-24
- Acting in a way that is not harmful to the environment
- Graph 2: "I try to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment*", 2023
- What consumers want and why
- Trainers are the most purchased category across the board
- Graph 3: purchasing levels of trainers, 2022-24
- Stores and online are rebalancing and integrating
- Graph 4: channels used to purchase footwear, by generation, 2024
- Footwear retail is a fragmented sector
- Graph 5: retailers used to purchase footwear in the last 12 months, retailer type and largest retailer in each category, 2024
- Low prices and deals drive footwear purchasing
- Nearly half of buyers likely to try a new footwear brand if they receive a discount
- Graph 6: "Which of the following would most encourage you to try a new footwear brand? Please select up to three.", 2024
- Nearly eight in 10 footwear shoppers think brands should offer repair services
- Graph 7: "Do the following statements about footwear apply to you?", 2024
- Retailer activity
- Clarks commands 7.4% share of total footwear retail sector sales
- Graph 8: leading footwear retailers' percentage market share of all footwear retail sales (excluding VAT), 2022
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Footwear retail advertising spend fell 9.4% in 2023 to £50.5 million
- Graph 9: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, 2019-23
- Launch activity and innovation
- Innovation led by rental, repair and resale initiatives
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Footwear spending finally exceeds pre-pandemic highs in 2023Shou
- Footwear spending finally exceeds pre-pandemic highs in 2023
- Graph 10: market size* for footwear, 2018-23
- Footwear growth outstrips overall spending increases
- Market forecast
- Post-pandemic boom set to ease
- A return to more normal levels of growth
- Market segmentation
- Market settles back down after pandemic disruption
- Graph 11: value sales of footwear by category, 2018-23
- Inflation boosts segment values across the board
- Channels of distribution
- Footwear specialists retain strong market position
- Graph 12: percentage breakdown of value sales of footwear by distribution channel, 2023(e)
- Footwear specialists' share of sales has increased steadily since the pandemic
- Macroeconomic factors
- Economic outlook slowly improving, but consumers still facing tough challenges
- Graph 13: GDP, 2021-23
- Prices moderating, but the trend is still upwards
- Graph 14: CPIH inflation rate, 2021-24
- Interest rates expected to fall in 2024
- Inflation-influenced footwear buying behaviour
- Cost-of-living concerns
- Graph 15: "Have you been affected by any of these issues over the last two months? Please select all that apply.", 2024
- Consumer financial wellbeing recovering, but still well below pre-cost-of-living-crisis level
- Graph 16: the financial wellbeing index, 2017-24
- High-income consumers the most optimistic about their future financial prospects
- Graph 17: the financial confidence index, 2017-24
- Footwear retailers should highlight their sustainable strategies to gain a competitive advantage
- Graph 18: "I expect brands to take the lead on addressing environmental issues*", 2024
- Digital Product Passports to raise the stakes when it comes to transparency
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Types of footwear purchased
- Continued increase in footwear purchasing
- Graph 19: footwear purchasing by category, 2021-24
- Rise of the trainer
- The majority of consumers shop for footwear
- Graph 20: footwear purchased in the last 12 months, by age, 2024
- Casual styles dominate women's shopping
- Graph 21: types of women's footwear purchased, 2021-24
- Trainers are the most purchased women's category
- Graph 22: purchases of trainers by women, 2024
- Men's footwear purchasing gaining momentum
- Graph 23: styles of men's footwear purchased, 2021-24
- All categories of children's' footwear are up, with school shoes and casual shoes growing most
- Graph 24: styles of children's footwear purchased, 2021-24
- Parents of primary aged children buy most footwear
- Graph 25: purchasing of children's footwear by category and age of children in household, 2024
- Trainers – a wealth of opportunities for retailers
- Channels used for footwear shopping
- Online/in-store is rebalancing
- Graph 26: channels used to purchase footwear, 2021-24
- Online still the most used channel
- Smartphone shopping is increasing among older age groups
- Graph 27: usage of a smartphone to shop for footwear, 2023-24
- Younger people combine smartphone and in-store shopping
- Graph 28: channels used to purchase footwear, by generation, 2024
- Retailers used for footwear shopping
- Fashion retailers are the most popular place to buy footwear
- Graph 29: type of retailer used for footwear shopping, 2024
- Footwear categories by channel shopped
- Graph 30: type of footwear purchased crossed by type of retailer shopped, 2024
- Fashion stores attract higher earners
- Graph 31: footwear shoppers at fashion stores, by annual household income, 2024
- Supermarkets draw in busy parents and lower-incomes
- Footwear specialists appeal with broad ranges and expertise
- Gen Z are keen sports store shoppers
- Graph 32: footwear purchasing from a sports goods store, by generation, 2024
- Footwear retailing is a fragmented and diverse sector
- Graph 33: individual retailers used for footwear shopping, 2024
- Evolution of shopper numbers
- Graph 34: leading footwear retailers, percentage point change in usage, 2021-24
- Amazon builds on its post pandemic legacy
- Leading grocers see increased usage…
- …with expansion of their fashion offers
- Graph 35: leading grocers' percentage split of those shopping for footwear, 2024
- Footwear shopping behaviours
- A third of footwear shoppers try on footwear before buying
- Graph 36: pre-purchase footwear behaviours, 2024
- Savvy shopping behaviours are widespread
- Graph 37: pre-purchase footwear behaviours, by income bracket, 2024
- Retailers need to find more ways to offer value
- Sustainability concerns the young most
- Graph 38: numbers that check a brand's sustainability credentials before purchasing, by generation, 2024
- Influence and inspiration factors
- Five in 10 shoppers are likely to switch footwear brand if they receive a discount
- Graph 39: "Which of the following would most encourage you to try a new footwear brand? Please select up to three.", 2024
- 64% of Gen Xs admit they'd try a new footwear brand if it offered them a discount/sale
- Graph 40: footwear shoppers who would be encouraged to try a new footwear brand if it offered them a discount/sale, by generation, 2024
- Use discounts strategically to avoid losing shoppers who happily pay full price
- Leverage the power of family and friends
- Graph 41: footwear shoppers who would be encouraged to try a new footwear brand if recommended by friends/family, by generation, 2024
- 17% of shoppers tempted to switch to a brand that offers sustainable footwear
- Graph 42: footwear shoppers who would be encouraged to try a new brand if it offers sustainable footwear (eg made from recycled materials), by generation, 2024
- Attitudes to footwear purchasing
- Nearly eight in 10 footwear shoppers think brands should offer repair services
- Graph 43: "Do the following statements about footwear apply to you?", 2024
- 'Make do and mend' attitude bolstering demand for footwear repair services
- VEJA prolonging the lifespan of shoes through in-store repair stations and dedicated repair shop
- Opportunity to make the repair experience especially attractive for customers
- Notabene flagship store
- Scope for self-repair footwear, as more people turn their hand at mending things themselves
- Shift towards more casual footwear in the office
- Trainers encapsulate the trend to wear the same style of shoe for multiple occasions
- Adidas' Samba is a crossover success story
- Quality of second-hand footwear a concern for 70% of shoppers
- IRL pre-loved shopping experience can build trust in quality of second-hand footwear
- Trading Desk, London
- Footwear brand loyalty wanes as buyers shop around
- Graph 44: footwear buyers who tend to buy from the same footwear brands each time, by generation, 2023 and 2024
- Entice footwear shoppers with added benefits and rewards
- 53% of footwear shoppers go to stores to get advice from staff
- Graph 45: "In-store advice is important to me when buying footwear.", 2024
- Make customer experience the differentiator
- Opportunity for increasing revenue by encouraging impulse purchasing
- Graph 46: "I buy footwear even if I don't have a specific need to (eg for a treat)", by generation, 2024
- Impulse buying spurred on by social media influence
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Retailer Activity
- Leading specialists
- Clarks the UK's leading footwear specialist by revenue
- Clarks and Schuh's new store concepts and Kurt Geiger's stellar Christmas
- Leading footwear specialists store network
- Footasylum applying a mobile-first approach to new stores
- New Footasylum flagship store on Oxford Street, London
- Shoezone closing stores as new formats rolled out
- Market share
- UK's biggest specialist footwear retailer by revenue Clarks commands 7.4% share of total sector sales
- Graph 47: leading footwear retailers market share of all footwear retail sales (excluding VAT), 2022
- Market leader Clarks losing ground to rivals
- Strong recovery in store footfall boosts Schuh sales
- Office launch in-store stock app to improve the in-person shopping experience
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Footwear ad campaign spend falls 9.4% in 2023
- Graph 48: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, 2019-23
- Shoes and boots account for the biggest share of sector advertising spend
- Nearly 50% of footwear advertising spend is digital (and growing)
- Graph 49: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on footwear, by media type, 2022 and 2023
- Pavers the biggest advertising spender
- Leading advertisers allocate most of their advertising budgets to digital and TV
- Celeb-led campaigns can boost awareness of collaborations
- Embracing inclusivity and diversity can serve as differentiators in the marketplace
- Clarks takes another leap into the gaming metaverse to promote its kids' shoes
- Adidas' 2023 'We Gave the World an Original. You Gave Us a Thousand Back' campaign
- Brands seek to build sense of community
- Launch activity and innovation
- Dr Martens repair service
- Pre-loved a budget-friendly shopping option
- Sustainable footwear made from recycled tyres and reclaimed leather
- Schuh rental
- Dr Martens stepping up its sustainability efforts
- Timberland debuts its first-ever concept store
- New Balance targets younger consumers with new retail concept
- Lululemon and Zalando expand footwear offerings
- HeyDude launches in the UK
- The convenience of online shopping with the personalisation of in-store experience
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Appendix
- Supplementary data – leading retailers
- Leading specialist footwear retailers: market share
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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