COTTON LIFESTYLE MONITOR  FAST FACTS

Global Lifestyle Monitor: Germany

German consumers have been less affected by economic pressures in Europe and worldwide. Consumer confidence is reported to be near its highest levels in three years. Employment is expected to rise in 2011, which could further increase confidence as well as spending budgets. According to the Global Lifestyle Monitor survey, German consumers have settled into more stable shopping and purchasing patterns. In contrast to other European countries, a majority of German consumers plan to spend the same or more on apparel this year. Responses to the 2010 survey show that shoppers in Germany have shifted their shopping preference from independent, catalog and department stores to specialty and chain stores. As discerning shoppers, Germans are quality minded, fiber conscious consumers, seeking out cotton and denim for the clothing they wear the most.

PURCHASING PATTERNS

When asked if they purchased less, the same, or more clothing this year compared to last year, 67% of German respondents said they purchased about the same amount. The percentages of consumers reporting they spent less or more on clothing purchases were approximately equal, 17% and 15%, respectively. As in other European countries, the small group of shoppers who are spending more is made up mostly of younger consumers. Among German consumers who said they purchased more clothing, the majority (74%) were between the ages of 15-34. In this same age group, 65% reported shopping at least once a month, compared with 55% of consumers ages 35-54, although they also spent less on average than older consumers. Fortunately for German clothing retailers, 63% of German consumers are prone to buying clothes on impulse, significantly more than the European average of 46%.

SHIFTING SHOPPERS

The apparel shopping landscape in Germany has seen a significant transition over the last ten years. Since 2001, the retail market has consolidated and German shoppers are showing greater loyalty to established stores, where more than half (54%) make most of their clothing purchases. In 2001, department stores and independent stores tied at 23% as the top destination for German clothing shoppers. The 2010 survey, however, shows that the plurality of German consumers now buy most of their clothing at specialty stores (33%), up significantly from 18% in 2001. Second to specialty stores are chain stores, preferred by 21% of consumers. Catalog shopping has dropped off and is gradually being replaced by online shopping. While shopping destinations have changed, selection and variety of apparel are still the top considerations for German consumers in the stores they purchase clothes from the most, and this has not changed since 2001.

DENIM DEVOTEES

In no other country surveyed were consumers more enthusiastic about denim than in Germany, where 85% said they love or enjoy wearing denim. Germans reported wearing denim apparel frequently, an average of 5.1 days a week, higher than the European (4.6) and world (3.5) averages. Germany ranks third in total denim ownership among all countries surveyed and second among European countries. Since 2001, the number of denim clothing items in an average German closet increased from 11 to 18 pieces. Growth in the German denim wardrobe is not due primarily to increases in the number of denim jeans owned. Other denim clothing such as shirts, jackets, shorts, skirts and dresses, have all increased at a faster rate than denim jeans. Nonetheless, denim jeans remain the most commonly owned denim item for German consumers. German consumers report owning eight denim jeans, which constitute 46% of their total denim wardrobe.

Another way German consumers show their devotion for denim is through their wallet. Consumers pay more for denim jeans than other clothing, �74 on average, which is about 54% or �26 higher than the average price paid for any other clothing item (except formal suiting).

DECISIONS ON CLOTHING AND COTTON

Consumers worldwide consider a garment's overall quality important information to know before purchasing, and German consumers are no exception. Overall quality, finish and color are the three most important pieces of information to understand before they purchase clothing, and these factors have been consistent for German shoppers since 2001. Price, style, and fiber content are also of importance to consumers. Durability and cleaning requirements, both secondary purchase drivers, have consistently declined in importance to German consumers since 2001.

In keeping with their appreciation of quality, German shoppers are fastidiously fiber-conscious. Compared with the average global consumer, Germans are more likely to check the label for fiber content information before purchasing (56% compared with 48%). Most German consumers look for cotton, especially when they are seeking high quality clothing or textiles. Enthusiasm for cotton is very strong in Germany; 87% consider cotton a quality fiber/fabric, and 76% of consumers prefer cotton for the clothing they wear the most. As evidenced in their denim collections, German shoppers are reliable cotton consumers who are confident that cotton clothing will continue to meet their high standards of quality.

ABOUT THE SURVEY
This issue is part of a special series of Supply Chain Insights reporting results from the Global Lifestyle Monitor survey, a biennial consumer research study sponsored by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated. In the 2010 survey, 5,000 consumers (approximately 500 in each of 10 countries) were surveyed via telephone and face-to-face interviews. Respondents were male and female, aged 15 to 54. The following countries were included in the 2010 survey: Brazil, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.