When it comes to holiday gift giving, new clothes are a top choice for shoppers to gift. As reported by eMarketer.com, total holiday apparel sales in the United States for 2018 increased 7.9 percent from the previous year. And retail sales overall enjoyed a 5.1 percent jump, accounting for over $850 billion in sales.

 

Clothing and footwear were the most popular items parents planned to give their children for the holidays. A September 2018 study by Field Agent found that 80 percent of parents involved in buying presents for daughters and 68 percent of parents involved in buying presents for sons planned to purchase clothes, footwear and/or wearable accessories.

 

Closer to the 2018 holidays, from December 3 through December 12, the National Retail Federation surveyed almost 7,000 U.S. consumers. Over half (53 percent) had already bought some type of clothing for gifts.

 

Gift cards were the second most popular holiday gift item in 2018, with 38 percent of U.S. consumers opting to give gift cards. Toys (37 percent), video games, books and movies (32 percent), food or candy (24 percent) and electronics or computer-related accessories (23 percent) rounded out the list of top holiday gifts.

 

Amazon, the world's largest ecommerce retailer, had record-breaking holiday sales in 2018. In a December 26 Press Release, the company highlighted its fashion sales, noting:

 

• One of the most popular brands sold on Amazon during the holiday season was Carhartt, with over one million of its items ordered.
• Some of the most popular brands bought with Prime Wardrobe during the holiday season were Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual and Goodthreads, in addition to Calvin Klein, Champion, and UGG.
• As a top trend, athleisure was a holiday gifting favorite this season with a wide assortment available on Amazon from customer-loved brands including Champion, Alo Yoga, Nike, Adidas and Monrow.
• Amazon Essentials and Simple Joys by Carter's, along with Adidas, Columbia, and Nike were some of the most selected fashion brands added to Amazon Wish Lists this holiday season.

 

Amazon and other ecommerce clothing retailers can expect prosperous apparel sales for the coming years.

 

EMarketer forecasts retail ecommerce sales of apparel and accessories to reach over $118 billion in 2019, and continuing to grow to more than $171 billion by 2022.

 

The growth can be partly attributed to consumers who are becoming more comfortable buying online. There's also the convenience factor.

 

Editor’s Note: Realtree, the world’s No. 1 camo company, wants to help you grow your business. We have solutions whether you’re a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer. To find out how Realtree branding can help you increase sales, contact us today!

 

Check out our recent research blogs:

 

• Fitness Industry is No. 1 in Growth in 2018
• A Closer Look at 2019 Outdoor Sports Participation Trends
• Digging Deep into 2019 Outdoor Recreation Participation Stats
• Making Sense of Hunter Numbers
• Top 2018 Fishing Brands
• Top 2018 Hunting and Shooting Brands
• Saltwater Anglers Spend Big on Their Sport
• Freshwater Anglers Spend Big on Their Sport
• Spending on Sportfishing Continues Positive Upward Trend