See the latest news on UK consumers from COTTON USA's Global Lifestyle Monitor (GLM) in Fibre2Fashion!
Consumers in the UK are shunning man-made materials in favour of natural fibres, says a recent report. Of those who said they would avoid buying certain materials, 28 per cent refuse to buy polyester, 17 per cent avoid synthetic acrylics, and 2 per cent avoid rayon and viscose. Notably, Brits are optimistic about their current financial situation.
UK consumers feel positive about the cash in their pocket in 2018, with almost half of people (45 per cent) saying they feel optimistic about their own personal finance. Compared to 2014’s findings, overall optimism is up by 8 per cent, as per COTTON USA's Global Lifestyle Monitor (GLM) survey.
Additionally, when asked who or what is most responsible for garments made in a non-environmentally friendly way, manufacturers received the most blame from UK consumers (40 per cent). This was followed by brands (21 per cent) and, interestingly, the consumers themselves (17 per cent).
When asked which fibres people feel are safe for the environment, cotton was found to be perceived as the safest (79 per cent), and 69 per cent of UK consumers also believe that cotton is the most sustainable fabric.
Nearly half of UK shoppers (45 per cent) say they would pay more for clothing made from natural fibres, such as US cotton, as opposed to only 4 per cent who would pay more for synthetics. The most cited reasons for preferring natural fibres are that they are considered to be more comfortable (65 per cent), of better quality (57 per cent) and more durable (34 per cent).
About 83 per cent of UK consumers also say that cotton and cotton blends are the fibres they want in the clothing they wear most often, and 80 per cent say cotton is best suited for today’s fashions. Reasons for preferring fibres such as US cotton include comfort (75 per cent), trustworthiness (72 per cent), and softness (69 per cent). Another 80 per cent of consumers also associate the fibre with being authentic.
According to the research, 70 per cent of UK consumers look at fibre content labels at least some of the time before purchasing a garment. Older generations were found to be most likely to look at fibre content labels, (75 per cent), compared to younger consumers (63 per cent).
“Across all parts of everyday life, consumers are becoming more conscious than ever before about how their actions impact the world we live in. Our findings truly reflect how this applies to the consumption of fashion and textiles, and really identifies the shift UK consumers have made in the past few years. However, despite these changes, British consumers continue to favour clothes and garments made from high-quality, natural fibres such as US cotton – a trend that we at Cotton USA are confident will remain and strengthen in the future,” said Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, international marketing manager at COTTON USA.
The report adds that more than half of UK consumers enjoy shopping for apparel, suggesting a broad based interest in fashion and style, over 50 per cent of women under 35 shop for clothes once per month or more.
Internet browsing is popular, especially with younger consumers. Nevertheless, concerns about purchasing apparel online remain. Primary issues are shipping costs (70 per cent), clothing quality (67 per cent) and return policy (58 per cent). Chain stores (59 per cent), department stores (56 per cent), and discount stores (53 per cent) are each cited as channels where a majority of UK consumers say they shop for clothing.
Consumers are most likely to say that fit (87 per cent), comfort (84 per cent), and price (79 per cent) are most important to know before purchasing clothing. When making clothing purchases, 39 per cent of UK consumers say they make clothing purchases on impulse, a slight decrease from 2016, when 43 per cent reported impulse shopping, according to the GLM survey.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, Inc on behalf of Cotton Council International (CCI) on a base of 1,002 people in the UK aged between 15 and 54 by online interviews.