The recession has not dampened British women's love of fashion as new research shows nearly half of female shoppers have spent the same or more on their clothes in the last year.

A report published by Mintel this week reveals that despite gloomy reports that consumers are tightening their purse strings, over half of UK consumers (54%) did not reduce the amount they spent on updating their wardrobes. More than four in ten consumers (43%) did not change their clothes shopping habits and a dedicated one in ten (11%) followers of fashion said they actually spent more on clothes than they usually would over the past year.

Overall, nearly half of women in the UK (12.7 million) spent the same or more on their clothes despite the economic difficulties.

Tamara Sender, Senior Fashion Analyst at Mintel, said: "Our love of clothes shopping in Britain seems to have overridden economic concerns and the fact that the clothes industry has continued to increase market value is testament to where clothes buying lies in our priorities. While consumers have cut back on leisure activities such as holidays and eating out, they have continued to spend on clothing and footwear - indicating that they are being selective about what to spend their money on and are choosing to buy clothing over a meal out."

Designerwear buyers were the consumers most likely to have spent more on clothes last year, with nearly two in ten of them spending more in 2009 than previously. In addition, over a quarter (1.7 million) adults said they were buying more from premium ranges, such as Designers at Debenhams and M&S Autograph. Almost one in three (28%) consumers invested more in timeless styles instead of the latest trends - particularly those who spent more last year and/or will spend more this year - demonstrating a move away from fast, disposable fashion and towards garments with lasting appeal.

Quality is high on the list for shoppers with just over a quarter saying that they are willing to pay more for clothes that will last longer. This rises to a third among consumers who spent more on clothes last year than usual. The 'buy it now' mentality is also on the wane with nearly a third of shoppers saying they bought fewer clothes on impulse or as a short term treat.

"Quality appears to have risen up the consumer priority list, at least among the higher-spending shoppers, indicating that people may increasingly be looking at their garments in terms of cost-per-wear and therefore consider that something expensive may actually be better value. Retailers should consider highlighting the quality message of their garments and midmarket and upmarket retailers may have the opportunity to benefit even further from this flight back to quality," adds Sender.

However, it seems that despite our love of high end fashion, Brits just can't resist a bargain. Nearly half (47%) of consumers say that they mostly buy clothes on sale or special offer and a third (34%) of big-spenders shop around comparing prices before buying.

The research also reveals mood is another influence on purchasing power for today's consumers, with a quarter (24%) of consumers buying clothes to cheer themselves up when they are having a bad day. Putting consumers at ease could also assist the quarter (23%) of shoppers who feel intimidated in expensive clothes stores.

Anna Scott was launched in 2003 in Amsterdam, Holland. Since then, the brand has attracted a growing community of loyal friends and followers all over the world resulting in the collection being sold in 1,200 multibrand stores, in 12 countries.

Anna Scott first arrived in the UK in January this year and is already showing promising sales results. The brand aims to grow not just in quantity, but also in store quality. It believes that there are many more sales point options waiting to be explored in the markets where the brand is already available.

Anna Scott presents four collections a year, with each collection divided into two delivery schedules with their own unique colour themes. Due to the monthly deliveries the customers can rely on regular renewals, which results in good sale figures as well as favourable margins.

In order to keep up with the latest trends, the presale of the collections takes place three to four months before the final delivery.

The enthusiastic team spares no effort in creating original and up-to-date collections, and they are successfully reaching an increasing the group of loyal customers.

The brand's main target market is the 'new agers' - modern women who want to dress young, but at the same time have the need for mature female fittings. They are active women who enjoy life and have a young state of mind. The Anna Scott styling team aims to give them a fresh and casual collection which is both feminine and on trend.

Anna Scott return to Pure London this August for their second season. For more information call 00 31 20 506666.

Danish womenswear brand Numph is unveiling an Early Spring collection bursting with colour and prints for SS11.

A new sleeker silhouette will appeal to a more grown up customer while stars, stripes and studs embrace the playful side of the brand. The colour palette ranges from black, navy and mustard to sand and soft pansy pink, creating a sophisticated and easy to wear wardrobe.

After four years in the Spirit section of Pure London, Numph will show in the Directional womenswear section of the show for the first time this season. A spokesman for the brand said the decision was driven by a desire to attract new customers who are not yet familiar with Numph. The label currently has around 150 stockists in the UK. In addition to the Early Spring collection of around 130 pieces, Numph also produces a 150 piece main collection as well a smaller high summer range. Wholesale prices start at £7 for T-shirts and £20 for dresses.

For more information call 020 7485 8633.

Warm weather and the World Cup boosted online fashion sales by 32% last month according to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

Overall online sales reached their highest level in two years, with shoppers spending more than £4.5bn on web purchases in May.

Fashion sales were up 32% year-on-year and 5% month-on-month, with multi-channel retailers - who have both a store presence and web shop - seeing particularly strong growth. There were also gains within the fashion sector with sales of accessories up 69% year-on-year and 15 % month-on-month while footwear sales were up 52% on last year and 6% higher than the previous month.

Chris Webster, Vice President, Retail Consulting and Technology at Capgemini, said:
"Throughout the history of the Index, we have seen a noticeable rise in sales of certain goods whenever there is a major sports tournament on. This year's World Cup is no exception, with online retail as a whole growing by the highest level in two years, and sectors such as clothing, alcohol and electricals rising especially rapidly. It's good to see that consumers' spirits haven't been dampened by concerns over government spending cuts, and savvy retailers will have embraced the opportunity to draw in new customers with marketing and price incentives."

Jonathon Brown, Head of Online Selling at John Lewis, said its website saw a 47% year on year increase May. He added "Fashion was boosted by assortment growth and newness as we launched a series of new brands on johnlewis.com."

Ase Anderson
Pure London News Editor

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