From January to April this year, affected by the different levels of epidemic prevention and control in various countries, clothing retail in major markets in the United States, Japan and Europe have different performances. The US apparel market has basically returned to its pre-epidemic level, while the Japanese and European markets are still weak, and the prospects for recovery are not optimistic.
EU market
In April, EU merchandise retail sales fell by 3.1% from the previous month. Following the month-on-month growth of 3.6% and 3.5% in February and March, volatility declined, and the decline was greater than the overdue period. The outlook is bleak, and the non-food sector still lowers overall performance.
◆Textile, apparel and footwear: market downturn
The EU textile, apparel and footwear retail continued to perform poorly in the first quarter of this year. Compared with the normal market situation from January to February last year, the retail market in the same period this year has dropped by more than 20%. Due to the heavy hit by the epidemic blockade in March last year and a low base, the retail sales of textiles, apparel and footwear in March this year increased by 50% year-on-year, but it is still far from returning to normal levels.
◆Online shopping: rapid and stable growth
Mail order and online shopping retail markets are still growing rapidly. From January to March this year, the EU mail order and online shopping retail both maintained substantial positive growth, with a year-on-year growth rate of around 40%, and an increase of 18% in April. Looking to the future, as consumers change their shopping habits during the epidemic, online shopping is expected to achieve more vigorous development.