Decline in the UK Fashion Market

According to retail analysts it would appear that buying clothes is no longer the fashionable thing to do and it's having a major effect on the UK fashion market.

"Consumers are switching their spending away from apparel to an extent we have never seen before," said Geoff Ruddell, a retail analyst at Morgan Stanley. Profits have plummeted at some of the biggest retailers, including Marks and Spencer and John Lewis, as the number of clothes sold has dropped by an average 4 per cent in five of the past six months.

But the thing that retailers can't seem to figure out is the reason why?

One factor could be the ever changing British weather. This year we have seen one of the hottest September's on record, with temperatures reaching a scorching 31 degrees. As the weather becomes less precticable people are waiting until a longer colder/warmer period until they purchase their next item of clothing. "Ten years ago you might have been buying your winter clothes now," said Glen Tooke of Kantar Worldpanel, but as more and more people flock to London's fields and parks to bask in the sunlight, no one is going to be buying their winter coat any time soon.

Another reason as to why we're no longer hitting the high street is a change in consumer spending, especially for Millennials. We're no longer prepared to purchase clothing at full price. We want discounts, and we want them now. You know that eventually retailers will cave sooner rather than later, and reduce that item you've been eyeing up for some time now. There's always a sale on some place or other, and people would rather go buy a cheaper alternative than the real thing.

Another theory is that there has been a shift from buying clothes to eating out more and going on more holidays. Food seems to be the new fashion. More and more innovative and inspiring restaurants are opening up throughout the country and people want to explore the latest food concepts.

 Maybe the high street has just become too overwhelming recently and we just want a little breather. Time will only tell if we see a rise or another decline, but guarnateed by Christmas, we'll be back at it.