Firm Sees Web Clothing Sales Doubling
Sales of clothing on the Internet totaled $1.1 billion last year, nearly double from 1998, according to the NPD Group. Though sluggish for most of 1999, online apparel sales surged during the fourth quarter. With this momentum, the firm expects the category to experience triple-digit growth this year.
"All indications tell us the positive trend in online apparel sales will continue," says Mike Hand, president of NPD Apparel Services. "We foresee 100% growth in online apparel sales this year and expect the market to top $2 billion."
The firm says consumers in the mid-20s to mid-40s are most likely to buy clothing online. And more affluent consumers--those with household income above $70,000--accounted for 61% of online apparel sales.
But offline channels still dominate the apparel category, with online purchases making up just 1% of all clothing sales last year.
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