Writuparna Kakati | 14 Aug, 2008
When Samantha Kline, a resident of the City of London, shops for her son, she always has a very specific look in mind: latest and unique fashion.
That is what most of the British mummies look for in these days while purchasing garments for their kids. They want to live out their fashion fantasies through their kids - an obsession that has probably fueled most the rapid growth of the UK children's wear market in the last few years.
Whatever the boost factors, the Children's wear market in the UK represents today a fast-growing sector. Since 1991, the retail children's wear market in the country has grown by over 60%, and it had an estimated market value of $14 billion in 2006.
While there has been a year-on-year increase in spending on children's wear since 2001, value discount retailers have been playing a very important role in the children's wear industry in the country. In 2006, value discount retailers' sales accounted for 36% of all children's wear sales, compared to 24% of the total clothing market.
Along with the value retailers led by Primark, some major grocery chains, such as Tesco and ASDA, have also extended their operations in this field while the high street specialists department stores have fought back investing in new refit programmes, increasing store quality, and focusing more upon customers' changing tastes.
Market segmentation
The children's wear market in the UK can be broken down mainly into boys' wear and girls' wear segments. Clothing for girls accounts for the largest share of sales in the market while boys' wear has seen increased branding only in recent years.
The girls' wear market in the UK can be divided on the basis of age group: under-nines and above-nines. Under-nines are more easily slotted into the traditional children's wear market while the client base is more vocal and discerning, and fashion is a larger and growing over the age of nine. The over-nines are also more brand-conscious and like to perform their own shopping.
Most of the factors, such as increased fashion and brand awareness, are also affecting the boys' wear sector in the country. As a result, this market segment has also experienced growth in the last few years.
With the rise in the UK birth rate since 2002, the infant wear market has also been growing in the recent years. School wear is another most competitive segment of the children's wear market.
In addition, Indian exporters may also consider entering into the children's plus-size market as obesity among boys and girls aged 11 - 15 rose from 14% to 24% and, among girls, it rose from 15% to 26% in between 1995 and 2004.
Buyers of children's wear items
Since 1990, the UK children's wear market has witnessed a reduction in the percentage of sales. This may be partly because of the aging child population. But the country's birth rate has increased recently, and as a result, slight uplift in the market may be expected.
Statistics have revealed that majority of buyers spend less than $100.00 per trip on children's clothing. Women account for the largest share of spending on all price points while only two men in ten buy children's clothing. Within many two-parent households, only one of the two parents usually take the lead but both are likely to be purchasing items.
In the UK children's wear market, the highest purchasing profile is the 25-45 years age group while buying is least likely by the under-20s and over-65s. Around one in ten is active in the market in each of the age groups (under-20s and over-65s) and only few of them are spending more than $100 per year.
Opportunities
Exporters who want to export children' wear to the UK market may consider the following prospects-
- Sportswear for children
- Infant wear
- Licensed characters apparels
- Eco-friendly labels for children, etc.
It is always recommended that exporters enter the UK children's wear market only after thorough market research. Market trends may often change in the market and it requires in-depth market analysis to find out the best prospects with strong possibilities across the children's wear market in the UK.
How to enter into the market
The best and most common way to enter into the UK children's wear market is trough local distributors or representatives who have thorough knowledge of the local market. While advertising your products, keep in mind that the UK customers are highly quality conscious and their purchasing interests could be appealed only by products which are not only trendy but also durable and eco-friendly.
Some other channels exporters may consider to enter in to the UK market are-
- Retailers
- Local manufacturers
- Direct sales to consumers
- E-tailers, etc.
In case of direct sales, massive logistical support is required.
Quality requirements
While exporting children's wear products to the UK, keep in mind that there are some quality requirements (defined the following regulations) must be met-
- The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 apply to all products (new and second-hand) used by consumers, whether intended for them or not.
- The Children's Clothing (Hood Cords) Regulations 1976 specify that the hoods of childrenâs outer garments must not be designed to be secured by means of a cord drawn through the material.
- The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 prohibit the supply of certain childrenâs nightwear that do not meet flammability performance requirements. The regulations also specify labeling requirements.
With increase in the UK birth rate as well as with higher rate of per capita spending on children, demand on the infant and children's clothing has also increased in the country. Luxury brands, vintage chic and prints, branded and character-licensed wear, special occasion outfits are some of the hot popular trends in these days. Market analysts have anticipated that spending on children's products will rise in the coming years. In this scenario, the UK can certainly be considered as a promising market for Indian children's wear exporters.
