Abstract
The state of the market over the past few years paints a bleak picture - negative growth, sluggish volume, falling margins - which suggests a market in decline. And while competition is intense, particularly at the value end as new entrants come into the market, some footwear retailers and manufacturers are fighting back and those with strong enough propositions are thriving. Some solid innovations keep footwear in eye of the media and customers.
Customers, especially women, are prepared to buy more at higher price points. Impulse buying is high, and can be tapped into with clever promotion. Fashion footwear is treated as an accessory to an overall ‘look' , in the same way as handbags, scarves and jewellery are worn. Many women have more than 16 pairs of shoes. In contrast, retirement age consumers, especially men, see little need to buy new shoes unless their existing ones fall apart. The silver pound remains a challenge.
Table of Contents
- Issues in the Market
- Main report themes
- Definition
- Market in Brief
- Market in a nutshell
- A fashion item for the young
- Concentrated retailer share
- Fragmented and competitive market
- Falling but sufficient margins
- Future outlook
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points:
- Sourcing strategy reduces prices
- Margins squeezed by anti-dumping levy
- Fast fashion
- A taste of on-trend
- Fragmented market
- Deflation/declining prices vs premium
- Scope for innovation
- Media exposure
- Designers and celebrities
- Image is key
- Obsession with the self
- Figure 1: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, by gender, 2007
- Unpredictable weather impacts sales
- Holidays on the march
- Figure 2: Domestic and overseas activity holidays, 2000-05
- Overseas activity holidays lead the way
- Figure 3: Type of holiday taken for last holiday, 2003-07
- Sports
- Figure 4: Regular participation in selected sports/activities, 2003-07
- Ethical/Organic
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points:
- Populations
- Economic factors
- Growing affluence
- Figure 5: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2002-12
- Pressure on family budgets
- Competitive Context
- Key points:
- Footwear has no direct competitor
- Clothing dictates
- Accessories rise up
- Footwear brands feel pressure
- Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points:
- Market size
- Figure 6: UK consumer expenditure on footwear, by volume and value, 2002-07
- Volume growth impacted by falling prices
- Figure 7: Footwear, average price, 2002-07
- Margins squeezed
- Volume
- The future
- Forecast
- Sluggish value growth
- Volume drops from 2008 onwards
- Figure 8: UK retail sales of footwear, by volume and value, 2007-12
- Factors used in the forecast
- Segment Performance
- Key points:
- Formals give way to casuals
- Figure 9: UK consumer expenditure on footwear, by main style type, by value, 2003-07
- Casuals lead
- Fashion blurs footwear
- Men, women and children
- Figure 10: UK value sales of footwear, by segment, 2002-07
- Figure 11: UK volume sales of footwear, by sector, 2002-07
- Figure 12: UK average price of footwear, by segment, 2002-07
- Women lead
- Men flirt with fashion
- Children
- Internet issues
- Schools are influential
- Market Share
- Key points:
- Brands and retailer brands crossover
- Companies and Products
- Key points:
- Manufacturers rush to retail
- Footwear specialists
- C&J Clark (UK)
- Stylo
- Shoe Zone
- Stead & Simpson
- Kurt Geiger
- Brantano
- Faith
- Dolcis
- Shoe Studio Group
- Sports footwear
- Nike
- adidas
- Puma
- K-Swiss
- Skechers
- Footwear brands
- AirWair International (Dr Martens)
- Bally
- Crocs Footwear UK
- Ecco
- Other brands/retailers
- Brand Communication and Promotion
- Key points:
- Advertising spend consistent
- Figure 13: Footwear advertising expenditure and sales, 2003-07
- Footwear companies and retailers
- The Top 25 advertisers
- Figure 14: Main monitored advertising spend on footwear, leading brands and retailers, by spend, 2002-07
- Brantano is number one advertiser in 2007
- Clarks
- Sports brands get more support
- Skechers
- Who else advertises?
- Channels to Market
- Key points:
- Specialists still dominate
- Figure 15: UK retail sales of footwear, by type of outlet, 2003-07
- Specialists under threat
- Sports retailers
- Sports Direct International
- JJB
- John David Group
- Foot Locker
- Department/variety stores
- Marks & Spencer
- Online retailers
- Supermarkets
- Tesco
- Asda
- Clothing retailers
- Arcadia
- New Look
- Next
- The Consumer -- Purchasing Patterns
- Key points:
- Purchasing patterns
- Figure 16: Purchasing of footwear, by type and gender, 2003-07
- Men boot out trainers
- Men and sandals
- Over-55s -- more choice for women
- Pairs bought
- Figure 17: Number of pairs of shoes bought in the last year, September 2007
- The Enthusiasts -- young female C2DE
- The Reluctants -- over-55s, particularly men
- Adult shoe expenditure
- Figure 18: Expenditure on footwear in the last 12 months, 2007
- More choice required to tempt non-purchasers
- Affordability is key
- Figure 19: Expenditure on shoes and boots in the last 12 months, 2003-07
- Shoes losing out to boots
- Boots are successful
- Spending on children' s shoes
- Figure 20: Expenditure on children' s footwear in the last 12 months, 2005 and 2007
- Children' s spend breaks the £100 barrier
- The Consumer -- Buying Habits
- Key points:
- Replacement, quality and impulse rule
- Figure 21: Consumer buying habits/attitudes, September 2007
- Foot fetishists
- Retail therapists
- Price planners
- Replacement -- real and perceived
- Quality and value
- Gifting
- Factors influencing purchase
- Figure 22: Number of factors affecting purchase, September 2007
- Emotions run high
- Appendix
- Advertising data
- Abbreviations
- UK population trends
- Figure 25: Structure of the UK population, by age and gender, 2002-12
- Purchasing patterns -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 26: Men' s purchasing of shoes and boots in the last 12 months, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, ACORN category and household size, 2007
- Figure 27: Men' s purchasing of trainers and sandals in the last 12 months, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, ACORN category and household size, 2007
- Figure 28: Women' s purchasing of shoes and boots in the last 12 months, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, ACORN category and household size, 2007
- Figure 29: Women' s purchasing of trainers and sandals in the last 12 months, by age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, ACORN category and household size, 2007
- Pairs bought -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 30: Number of pairs of shoes bought or had bought for in the last year, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket used and household size, September 2007
- Consumer Buying Habits -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 31: Consumer footwear buying habits, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket used and household size, September 2007
- Figure 32: Consumer footwear buying habits, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket used and household size, September 2007
- Figure 33: Number of pairs of shoes bought in the last year, by buying behaviour/attitudes, September 2007
- Figure 34: Factors influencing purchase of shoes, by buying behaviour, September 2007
- Consumer Attitudes -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 35: Consumer attitudes towards footwear, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket used and household size, September 2007
- Figure 36: Consumer attitudes towards footwear, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, age of own children, Mintel' s Special Groups, working status, region, ACORN category, media usage, commercial TV viewing, supermarket used and household size, September 2007
- Cross-analysis of Purchasing Patterns with Attitudes towards Footwear
- Figure 37: Cross-analysis of factors affecting purchase with attitudes towards footwear, September 2007
- Consumer Typologies -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 38: Consumer footwear typologies, by gender, age, social grade, marital status, lifestage, working status, ACORN category, commercial TV viewing, region, media usage, supermarket used, age of children and Mintel' s Special Groups, September 2007
- Figure 39: Footwear typologies, by number of pairs bought in the last year, September 2007
- Figure 40: Consumer typologies, by buying behaviour, September 2007
