Value of the global fashion industry: 3,000 billion dollars (3 trillion dollars), 2 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
| Retail value of luxury goods market: | 339.4 billion dollars |
| Value of of the menswear industry: | 402 billion dollars |
| Value of the womenswear industry: | 621 billion dollars |
| Bridal Wear market: | 57 billion dollars |
| Childrenswear market: | 186 billion dollars |
| Sports footwear market: | 90.4 billion dollars |
Fashion Companies
To cater to the large, 3,000 billion, textile and garment industry new companies are entering the market daily. Most of these companies remain rather unknown to the consumer audience, better known are the individual brands that are part of these global fashion companies.
LVMH, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a French luxury conglomerate is currently the largest fashion company worldwide. LVMH’s annual revenues reached 42.6 billion euros in 2017 and the company is valued around 122 billion euros. The company operates a chain of independent stores and shops-in-shops for fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Dior. LVMH does not only stand for high-end fashion, but provides for every aspect of a luxury lifestyle, from champagne (Moët) to sailing yachts (Royal Van Lent).
US-based athleisure- and lifestyle brand Nike is the second largest fashion company worldwide. In 2017 Nike’s revenues amounted to 34.4.6 billion dollars and a market value of nearly a 105 billion dollars. Nike offers its products worldwide and its largest markets are the United States, 46 percent of the total revenues, and Western Europe (19 percent). Most of Nike’s income, nearly 90 percent, comes from the Nike brand. The remaining 10 percent comes from Converse, which is a subsidiary of Nike. The brand’s best selling division is footwear, accounting for 63 percent of Nike’s income.
Spanish fast-fashion giant Inditex - with a market value of nearly a 92 billion dollars - is the third largest fashion company worldwide. Inditex owns brands like Zara, Pull&Bear and Stradivarius. The Spanish company is valued at 75 billion euros and its 2017 annual revenue was 25.34 billion euros. Inditex has stores is every major city in Europe, which also account for the majority of the company’s revenue.
Imports & Exports (2016)
Total export of clothing: 1.29 trillion dollars
The most exported apparel products are non-knit women’s suits, knit sweaters, knit T-shirts and non-knit men’s suits.
| Non-knit women’s suits: | 108 billion dollars, 8.4 percent |
| Knit sweaters: | 79.2 billion dollars, 6.1 percent |
| Non-knit men’s suits: | 74.1 billion dollars, 5.7 percent |
| Knit T-shirts: | 68 billion dollars, 5.3 percent |
| Knit women’s suits: | 28.2 billion dollars, 3.9 percent |
| Light rubberized knitted fabric: | 60 billion dollars, 4.7 percent |
| Synthetic filament yarn woven fabric: | 44.2 billion dollars, 3.4 percent |
China is the largest exporter of apparel in the world, followed by India and
Total trade of footwear and headwear: 139 billion dollars
Over 40 percent of all traded footwear are leather footwear. Other products that are traded in large amounts are rubber footwear and textile footwear.
| Leather footwear: | 56.7 billion dollars, 41 percent |
| Rubber footwear: | 30.2 billion dollars, 22 percent |
| Textile footwear: | 22.3 billion dollars, 16 percent |
| Footwear parts: | 7.77 billion dollars, 5.6 percent |
| Knitted hats: | 4.8 billion dollars, 3.3 percent |
| Other footwear: | 3.9 billion dollars, 2.8 percent |
| Other headwear: | 2.82 billion dollars. 2 percent |