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Drapers and CCI research reveals Quality is King on the High Street.
According to new research released from Cotton Council International (CCI) in association with Drapers magazine, 90% of UK shoppers say value for money is crucial to them. As 2011 sees UK retailers grapple with dropping sales and the soaring price of commodities on the High Street, consumers are increasingly looking for value for money.
With the recession continuing, over half of consumers surveyed say they are spending the same or less on clothing than they did a year ago. But it's quality, not quantity that takes centre stage when choosing what to buy, with three-quarters of consumers looking for better quality items and clothes they know are going to last. This has become particularly prevalent amongst people on more modest incomes of £20,000 or less per annum.
The era of throw away fashion is dead. When summing up what quality means to the consumer, it isn't the cost of an item that counts. Three quarters of the UK public cited the look and feel of clothing fabric as the most important indicator of quality, followed by 57% who equate quality with a fabric's durability. Only three in ten people think that cost signifies better quality.
Today's fashion conscious consumers want clothes that are going to last (50%) rather than following the latest trends (10%) and nine out of ten shoppers think cotton represents good value for money when it comes to choice of clothing fabric. Over half of consumers say that the quality of cotton fabric, as well as its durability, comfort, look and feel, encourages them to buy cotton items.
Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager,
COTTON USA comments: "Our research suggests that a growing number of shoppers are thinking harder about their clothing purchases. As consumers' shopping habits evolve, retailers will benefit from stocking more quality led items that offer value for money, particularly in terms of fabric quality and longevity."
As well as offering value for money on the High Street, one in four UK shoppers expect retailers and brands to be more transparent about where the fabric that makes up their clothes originates from, with only 20% of those surveyed saying it was not a consideration when buying clothes.
