| Across the progressively enlarging EU, per capita | | | | fifth between 2001 and 2006, from £ 6.4 bn or |
| spend has barely risen despite the fact that | | | | € 9.3 bn to £ 7.7 bn or € 11.3 bn. |
| average earnings have increased. Europeans are | | | | Among the major markets, Italy upholds its |
| finding the allure of technology (the latest TVs, | | | | reputation for style with top spend at £ 602 or |
| MP3 players, mobile phones and computers of | | | | € 883 per person followed by the UK at £ |
| various shapes and sizes) and property, | | | | 556 or € 815. However, it seems Italians have |
| increasingly attractive. Verdict says that the | | | | revised their budget. When compared to the UK |
| combination of space growth, an aging population | | | | for example, where average spend per head has |
| and muted fashion trends have helped to dampen | | | | risen by £ 38 or € 55 over the last five |
| the attractions of fashion: increasingly, consumers | | | | years, in Italy the figure has actually fallen by £ |
| are making do with what they already have in | | | | 19 or € 28 from £ 622 or € 911. |
| their wardrobes. | | | | Slow or negative growth is evident across all the |
| While growth across the EU as a whole is | | | | six major EU clothing markets: Between them, |
| extremely unexciting, this is far from being a | | | | these countries account for £ 4 out of every |
| uniform picture. The biggest and most | | | | £ 5 spent on clothing in the EU, but combined |
| sophisticated markets of Germany, the UK, | | | | sales in these markets rose by just 3.9 % in the |
| France and Italy are showing some of the flattest | | | | five years to 2006. As a result, retailers in the |
| demand patterns. However, a very different | | | | top six markets - Germany, Italy, the UK, France, |
| story emerges from the smaller and often more | | | | Spain and the Netherlands, are increasingly looking |
| recent recruits to the EU. There is a clear | | | | abroad for new opportunities to grow. |
| message to the expansion-hungry fashion retailers | | | | Leading Continental retailers have already made |
| from the more mature markets: if you want to | | | | major inroads into international markets. The top |
| be able to move into the fast lane of retail sales | | | | five non-UK clothing retailers in the EU: Inditex, |
| growth, you may well have to look to the East | | | | H&M, C&A, Benetton and Cortefiel have |
| where the growing EU fashion markets are less | | | | on average half of their EU stores in |
| saturated and consumer appetites have yet to be | | | | non-domestic markets. |
| sated. | | | | UK retailers pale in comparison to such figures. |
| Verdict Research reports the average spend per | | | | Despite all being large enough to rank in the Top |
| head on clothing in EU member states was £ | | | | 10 EU clothing retailers, the Top Five UK clothing |
| 430 or € 630 in 2006, creating a total market | | | | retailers have just 17 % of their EU stores |
| value of £ 199 bn or € 292 bn. But the | | | | located outside the UK. UK retailers have only |
| amount the average person spends varies | | | | recently turned their focus onto serious |
| dramatically by country. | | | | investment in international operations and need to |
| In Slovakia, for example, average spend per head | | | | make inroads quickly if they want to catch up |
| is just £ 71 (€ 104) – the lowest in the | | | | with their Continental rivals. |
| EU – however this figure is growing quickly. | | | | Across the EU, the market remains highly |
| Since 2001, annual clothing expenditure per capita | | | | fragmented. Inditex holds the highest share of the |
| has risen by an extra £ 19 or € 27 per | | | | EU clothing market with just 2.5 % of the market |
| person – more than 25 %. | | | | value, followed by H&M. Marks & |
| Meanwhile combined clothing sales through the ten | | | | Spencer takes third place, but the vast majority |
| new member states (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, | | | | of its clothing sales are from a single market – |
| Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, | | | | the UK. |
| Slovakia and Slovenia), jumped by more than a | | | | |