The Men's Clothing Stores industry has proven to be especially sensitive to the economic recession. Sinking consumer sentiment, brought about by skyrocketing unemployment and a slowdown in personal disposable income growth, limited downstream demand for apparel during the recession.
As a result, IBISWorld expects revenue to decline at an average annual rate of 1.6% to $8.7 billion since 2008. “A turnaround in sentiment and high-end purchases, however, is expected to push revenue up 1.4% through 2013,” says IBISWorld industry analyst Nikoleta Panteva.
A pattern of merger and acquisition activity has also characterized the Men's Clothing Stores industry over the past five years, and is expected to continue through 2018. The number of firms has declined at an average annual rate of 1.5% since 2008, totaling an estimated 8,193 in 2013.
“Industry major player Phillips-Van Heusen finished its acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger in 2010,” adds Panteva. “This event, along with similar ones earlier in the decade, indicates a more highly concentrated industry where the companies are fewer but larger.” IBISWorld forecasts this trend to continue.
The industry is expected to have a medium market share concentration; over the five years to 2013, this percentage has increased. Due to the poor economic environment and the shrinking size of the industry, employment and wages have declined since 2008. In an effort to cut costs, employers have slashed aggregate wages at an average annual rate of 3.5% during the five-year period, bringing wages to $1.3 billion in 2013. The number of workers has declined at an average rate of 4.2% per year in the same time.
The future looks a little brighter for industry operators. Revenue is forecast to rebound over the five years to 2018. As consumers regain their purchasing power and unemployment returns to near-normal levels, discretionary spending on apparel will begin to grow.
With the rise of offshoring and importing in the upstream manufacturing industry, input costs will likely fall. This will allow for low-cost purchases for apparel retailers and consumers. Clothing is, of course, an essential part of daily life, so although this industry is currently experiencing a downturn, revenue will return to growth once the economy fully recovers.
Source:
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=145693
