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What is the assessment of trends in the KIDS PLUS SIZE CLOTHING market?
Hello! Thank you for asking Wonder to make an assessment of trends in the kid's plus-size clothing market within the US.
The most useful sources I found to answer your question are a report from Report Linker that outlines the total US children's clothing market and a report from the CDC that gives the percentage of over-weight and or obese children in the country.
The short version is that children's plus-size clothing is hard to find in stores, mostly sold online and lacking in contemporary styles. There is a need for more options and/or specialty stores to cater to a demographic that can be as high as one-third of the adolescent population in the US.
Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
I began by searching for the total market size of the children's plus-size clothing market. This information is not available online, so I decided to make some calculations in order to come up with the percentage of the children's clothing market that would be plus-sized. I used the total US children's clothing market statistics and found the obesity statistics in the US for children and multiplied these by each other. This gave me the figure for the US plus-size children's clothing market. I added the most current informational reports available on the subject in regards to trends.
FINDINGS
Children's Plus-Size Clothing Market
In the United States, according to a market report in 2014, the children's clothing market is over $55 Billion. According to the CDC, the percentage of children that are obese or overweight is approximately 17%. The total market of clothing for plus-size children would equate to more than $9.35 Billion. The CDC listed the break-down of obesity within the following age ranges: "8.9% among 2 to 5 year-olds compared with 17.5% of 6 to 11 year-olds and 20.5% of 12 to 19 year-olds." Even in 2010, according to a report by Marketresearch.com, most stores estimated their plus-size children's sales at 27%. While a report from IBIS states that in 2016, the children's and infants' clothing stores in the US brought in $10 Billion, revenues are projected to decline somewhat due to lowering prices. "Over the next five years, revenue is anticipated to increase as per capita disposable income increases more rapidly, boosting spending on children's clothing and as the number of children aged nine or under is expected to increase."
Children's Plus-Sized Clothing Trends
Just like the rest of the American population, children in the US are wearing bigger sizes. These children are about 6 million strong and want to fit in. School shopping can be a grueling experience for these plus-size kids. With one-third of the children ages 6-19 being overweight, many large retailers are coming to the answer with specific lines catered towards the plus-sized kids. Companies such as Macy's, Gap, Old Navy and Ambercrombie are offering plus-sized lines.
There is a need for stylish, plus-size kids clothing, however, most of the larger sized options are online only. "Global Purchasing Co., a retail strategy planning and training firm, notes that the availability of attractive, flattering and stylish children's plus-size clothing is scarce, and that mothers and children alike are dissatisfied with the selection and styles." There is evidence of a growing sector of businesses that cater to plus-size children. One such company called, Hey Mom, It Fits!, has placed themselves on Kickstarter.com in order grow seed money and has raised over $12,000 so far.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, the children's plus-size clothing trend in the US is that the market sector is growing and is projected to continue to grow. The US children's plus-size clothing market is over $9 Billion and there are over 17% of the children in the US in this category. There is a need for stylish, contemporary clothing in the children's plus-size market. There is also a need for children's plus-sizes in store locations.
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