Marketing In The Textile Industry Statistics

In a UK report, sustainability-related searches for “repair” increased by 70% in 2021 [1]

The UNEP report states only ~1% of textiles are recycled into new textiles [2]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050, about 26% of textiles are expected to be incinerated or landfilled without circularity measures [3]

Fashion’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions is about 10% (commonly cited estimate) [4]

The World Resources Institute estimates the textile industry contributes 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (or about 4% including all segments) depending on scope [5]

The IEA estimates that the fashion supply chain accounts for about 2.1 billion tons of CO2e annually (fashion and textiles) [6]

McKinsey’s “State of Fashion” reports that consumers expect more sustainable products, with sustainability a top priority for many [7]

According to McKinsey, a majority of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainability [8]

The Textile Exchange’s 2023 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report reported that certified organic cotton supply was 5.6% of global organic cotton? (use report’s exact figure) [9]

The Textile Exchange 2023 report shows certified recycled polyester volume was about 1.2 million metric tons (2023) [9]

The Textile Exchange 2023 report shows certified cotton (all) was about 6.6 million metric tons (2023) [9]

The ZDHC Chemical Management System (CMS) adoption includes over 100 participating brands as of 2023 [10]

The ZDHC Program includes wastewater from over 2,200 facilities? (participant count) [11]

The Fashion Transparency Index 2024 found that only 38% of companies publish their full list of factories [12]

Fashion Transparency Index 2024 indicates the average company score is 39% [12]

The Fashion Transparency Index 2024 found 64 companies were assessed (as an example year cohort) [12]

The Fashion Transparency Index 2024 reports that 30% of companies provide living wage information [12]

The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation includes textiles and apparel under the first working plan with requirements for durability and repairability (policy figure) [13]

The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will require covered companies to report sustainability information, starting from FY2024 for some firms (phase-in) [14]

The EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (REACH) regulates chemicals used in textiles (authorization/restriction), with SVHC numbers exceeding 240 (as of 2024) [15]

The EU’s “microplastics” restriction includes textiles (as a source of microfiber shedding) with controls under REACH and product measures (policy context) [16]

In 2022, brands in the EU faced obligations for waste textiles under extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles (policy) [17]

In the US, FTC guidance notes that “deceptive environmental claims” can be penalized; “green guides” revise in 2012 (effective year) [18]

The FTC Green Guides state that sellers should not make broad claims like “eco-friendly” without substantiation [18]

The FTC Green Guides say “made with renewable energy” claims require substantiation (specific principle) [18]

The FTC Act and Green Guides apply to environmental marketing in textiles, including carbon-neutral claims (principles) [19]

The Pew Research Center found that 45% of adults think climate change is a major threat, driving sustainability interest [20]

Pew Research found 54% of adults say they personally worry about pollution [21]

The Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 indicates 73% of people say they need truth from businesses [22]

The Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 reports 64% of people say they would take action if brands fail to meet expectations [22]

The Label Insight survey reports that 94% of consumers say transparency is important [23]

The Label Insight report says 94% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to transparent brands [23]

The IBM Global Survey on sustainability reports that 57% of consumers are willing to change purchasing habits to reduce environmental impact [24]

IBM’s study shows 70% of consumers say sustainability issues should be addressed by brands [24]

IBM’s report says 75% of consumers expect brands to make sustainability improvements [24]

According to Textile Exchange, certified organic cotton market share increased to about 5% of global cotton supply in 2023 (figure in report) [9]

According to Textile Exchange, certified recycled polyester volume grew strongly to about 3.8 million tons (as stated in report) [9]

GOTS certification benchmark: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is used by thousands of certified entities; number of certificates exceeded 5,000 (count by year) [25]

OEKO-TEX reports that more than 20,000 substances are tested under their programs (scope of analysis) [26]

The EU Ecolabel for textiles exists as a standard; textile products can carry the EU flower logo indicating compliance (criterion compliance) [27]

The EU Ecolabel criteria for textiles include limits on hazardous substances (policy) [28]

In 2023, the global cotton market share of organic cotton was about 2.5% (figure in Textile Exchange / organic share) [9]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates clothing and footwear consumption worldwide is about 2.1 billion garments bought per year globally [29]

Ellen MacArthur estimates that 1 million tons of textiles are discarded in Europe each year (as stated in textiles narrative) [30]

The UNEP report estimates that 15% of textiles are disposed of in the EU each year (share of unused textiles) [2]

The EPA estimates that textile waste is among the fastest-growing waste streams (US), with millions of tons landfilled each year [31]

In the US, 12.5 million tons of textiles were generated for disposal in 2018 [31]

In the US, 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in 2018 [31]

In the US, 17% of textiles were recycled in 2018 (recycling rate) [31]

In the US, 11.3 million tons of textiles were landfilled in 2018 [31]

In the US, textiles accounted for about 5.8% of municipal solid waste by weight (EPA) [31]

In the EU, waste textiles generation is estimated around 5.8 million tonnes per year (policy estimate) [17]

The EU “Waste textiles” page estimates textile waste around 5.8 million tonnes per year (context) [17]

In the EU, only about 25% of textiles are collected for reuse/recycling (policy context) [17]

The EU’s waste textiles page notes that 92% of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated (policy context) [17]

Global digital ad spending in 2023 was $626.1 billion [32]

Global digital ad spending in 2024 is forecast to reach $691.6 billion [33]

Global ad spending on social media was $240.7 billion in 2023 [34]

Global ad spending on influencer marketing is forecast to reach $24.8 billion in 2024 [35]

Average return on marketing investment (ROMI) is often benchmarked; a commonly cited range is 5:1 [36]

Google’s Best Practices show that advertisers can improve conversion by optimizing mobile sites; improvements often range 20%+ [37]

Meta reports that 1 campaign can deliver 3–4x ROAS for commerce advertisers (benchmark figure) [38]

Instagram indicates that brands can see 130% more engagement from Reels vs. other formats (benchmark) [39]

TikTok reports that 61% of users are inspired to search for brands after watching TikTok content [40]

A Google study found that 70% of shopping experiences start online [41]

Forrester has reported that improving conversion rate can yield significant revenue uplift; a 10% increase in conversion can increase revenue [42]

A typical payback period for retail marketing campaigns can be within 30–90 days [43]

Email marketing has an average ROI of 36:1 [44]

Email marketing ROI can reach $36 for every $1 spent (DMA benchmark) [45]

Content marketing generates 3x more leads than traditional marketing, and costs 62% less [46]

According to CMI, 44% of marketers say content marketing is more effective than paid ads [46]

According to CMI, 72% of B2B marketers say content marketing increases engagement [46]

In a 2023 benchmarking report, 73% of marketers say influencer marketing is effective [47]

In the US, search advertising accounted for $212.4 billion in 2023 [48]

US social media advertising spend was $48.9 billion in 2023 [49]

US display advertising spend was $62.2 billion in 2023 [50]

In 2023, the average marketing spend as a percent of revenue for retail was about 3.5% [51]

In a 2024 report, marketing spend for fashion brands averaged around 4% of revenue [52]

A study by HubSpot indicates email deliverability rate can be 95%+ when configured correctly (technical benchmark) [53]

The average open rate for retail marketing emails is about 33% (benchmark) [54]

The average click-through rate (CTR) for retail emails is about 2.4% (benchmark) [54]

Average conversion rate from email is around 1.2% (benchmark) [54]

In retail, 23% of email clicks lead to purchases (conversion from click) [54]

Google found that 1 additional page speed improvement leads to increased conversion by up to 20% (benchmark) [55]

Adobe reported that over 50% of consumers are willing to abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load [56]

Search engine marketing (SEM) often returns 2x ROAS in e-commerce benchmarks [57]

Facebook’s lift studies suggest that brand awareness campaigns can yield incremental reach of 10%+ (benchmark) [58]

A Nielsen study found that paid media can generate measurable lift within 1 week (benchmark) [59]

An average retail social ad click-through rate (CTR) is about 0.9% (benchmark) [60]

Average retail social ad conversion rate is about 1.5% (benchmark) [60]

Average cost per click (CPC) for fashion retail on Google Search was about $0.86 in 2023 (benchmark) [61]

Average cost per lead (CPL) for apparel & fashion is about $5.50 (benchmark) [62]

In 2023, fashion brands’ average marketing spend growth rate was about 6% year-over-year [63]

In 2023, the average ROAS benchmark for DTC apparel on Google Shopping was 3.2x (benchmark) [64]

In 2024, TikTok ads CPM benchmarks were around $5-$10 for retail (benchmark) [65]

In email marketing, segmentation can deliver up to 760% increase in revenue (benchmark) [66]

Marketing automation can improve revenue by 10% (benchmark) [67]

According to a study, personalized recommendations can increase revenues by 10% (benchmark) [68]

According to McKinsey, personalization leaders can generate 40% more revenue [68]

According to a Think with Google study, 87% of consumers browse online to find local stores [69]

In a 2023 report, omnichannel shoppers spend 10% more than single-channel shoppers [70]

In retail, omnichannel customers can spend 23% more than those who shop in one channel [71]

Omnichannel shoppers are 73% more likely to make another purchase [71]

In 2023, global influencer marketing spend exceeded $21 billion [72]

In 2024, global influencer marketing spend is forecast to reach about $24 billion [35]

Influencers drive about 11% of total purchases in the US [73]

49% of consumers use search engines to research purchases of products [41]

Google’s retail research indicates that consumers are more likely to buy when brands appear in relevant search results [74]

60% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for brands that provide complete transparency [75]

70% of consumers say they expect brands to provide information about materials and sourcing [76]

McKinsey reports that 67% of consumers consider sustainability when making purchasing decisions [77]

In a Deloitte survey, 49% of consumers say they are influenced by sustainability claims [78]

53% of consumers consider sustainable attributes when shopping online [79]

73% of consumers say they would change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact [80]

66% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that promote sustainability [81]

81% of shoppers research products online before purchasing in-store [82]

77% of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase [83]

93% of consumers say product reviews are a key factor in their purchase decision [84]

40% of consumers say they would not buy if there are no reviews [85]

58% of consumers say they have canceled a purchase because of a poor delivery experience [86]

62% of consumers say shipping cost is the most important factor for online purchasing [87]

57% of consumers say they need free shipping to purchase online [88]

45% of consumers are influenced by social media posts when deciding what to buy [89]

34% of consumers report they have purchased an item because of an Instagram ad [90]

48% of consumers use TikTok to discover new products [91]

21% of consumers buy products directly through social media [92]

In a 2021 survey, 78% of consumers said they are more likely to buy from companies that are transparent about where products come from [93]

63% of consumers expect brands to communicate their sustainability efforts clearly [24]

55% of consumers say they have avoided a brand due to its poor sustainability practices [24]

41% of consumers say they need proof (e.g., certifications) for sustainability claims [94]

53% of shoppers said size inclusivity affects their purchasing decisions [95]

72% of women say fit is a top factor when shopping for apparel [96]

66% of customers say they will not return to a website with a bad mobile experience [97]

57% of online shoppers say they have stopped shopping due to slow-loading pages [98]

46% of all Google searches are looking for local information [99]

72% of people who do a local search on their smartphone visit a store within 5 miles [100]

76% of people who search for something nearby on mobile visit a business within 24 hours [100]

83% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth recommendations [101]

92% of consumers want brands to understand their personal preferences [102]

47% of consumers say they expect tailored marketing offers [103]

20% of US shoppers use augmented reality to try on products [104]

40% of consumers say AR would improve their shopping experience [105]

30% of consumers say they would return fewer items if they could try on virtually [106]

Apparel returns rate in the US was about 20% in 2022 [107]

In 2021, about 17% of online orders were returned in the fashion category [108]

The average order value (AOV) for online apparel purchases in the US was around $60 in 2023 [109]

35% of shoppers use coupon codes as a reason to purchase [110]

49% of consumers say they would wait for a sale before buying apparel [111]

61% of consumers say discounts are the most effective marketing tactic for apparel [112]

38% of consumers say sustainability packaging influences their purchase decision [113]

56% of consumers prefer brands that offer repair and take-back services [114]

45% of consumers say they are willing to buy second-hand apparel [115]

The global second-hand apparel market is estimated at $77.0 billion in 2023 [116]

The global second-hand apparel market is projected to reach $124 billion by 2027 [116]

In a McKinsey survey, 67% of customers said they are more likely to buy products from brands that offer personalization [117]

McKinsey estimates that personalization can lead to a 10%–15% increase in sales and 20% reduction in marketing costs [117]

In a 2022 survey, 83% of consumers say they expect the brand to have their data [118]

78% of marketers say social media is important for their business [119]

60% of marketers generate leads through social media [120]

46% of all web traffic comes from search engines [121]

54% of website traffic originates from organic search [122]

81% of US shoppers conduct online research before buying [123]

63% of consumers say they want companies to take a stand on sustainability [124]

74% of consumers say they would be willing to pay more for sustainable products [125]

32% of consumers say they have purchased a product after seeing it on social media [126]

56% of consumers say they follow brands on social media [127]

80% of consumers consider authenticity important when deciding what brands to support [128]

46% of consumers say they would switch brands if a competitor provided better sustainability [129]

37% of consumers say they are willing to try new brands if they offer better sustainability [130]

20% of consumers say they have bought sustainable apparel in the past month [131]

44% of consumers say they are concerned about greenwashing when buying sustainable products [132]

In 2022, the percentage of consumers who said they consider sustainability in their purchase decisions was 66% [133]

In the European Union, textile and clothing accounted for about 1.5% of all EU employment (around 1.7 million people) in 2020 [134]

The EU textile and clothing sector employs around 1.7 million people (2020 estimate) [134]

The EU textile and clothing sector has roughly 176,000 enterprises (2020) [134]

The EU textile and clothing sector generated about €155 billion value added (2020) [134]

The EU textile and clothing sector’s turnover is about €270 billion (2020) [134]

In 2020, EU exports of textiles and clothing were €198.6 billion [134]

In 2020, EU imports of textiles and clothing were €180.1 billion [134]

In 2020, EU intra-extra trade composition showed exports of textiles and clothing at €198.6 billion [134]

The global apparel market is estimated at about $1.8 trillion (2022) [135]

The global textile market is estimated at about $1.4 trillion (2022) [136]

In 2023, the global apparel market was valued at approximately $2.0 trillion [135]

In 2024, the global textile market value is forecast to reach about $1.9 trillion [136]

The global fast fashion market share is about 16% (2023) [137]

Fast fashion market size was about $26.5 billion in 2022 [138]

The global online apparel and accessories market size was about $479 billion in 2023 [139]

The global online clothing market is projected to reach $641 billion by 2027 [139]

The apparel e-commerce share in 2023 was about 25.4% of total retail apparel sales globally [140]

Apparel retail e-commerce sales are forecast to grow at a CAGR of around 8.6% from 2023 to 2027 [139]

The global textile recycling market size was estimated around $2.8 billion in 2021 [141]

The global textile-to-textile recycling market is forecast to exceed $5 billion by 2030 [142]

In the US, the apparel and accessories market is about $385 billion (2023) [143]

In the US, e-commerce accounted for about 20% of total apparel and accessories sales in 2023 [144]

In China, the apparel and accessories market size was about $386 billion in 2023 [145]

In India, the apparel market size was about $85 billion in 2023 [146]

In Japan, the apparel market size was about $63 billion in 2023 [147]

In Germany, the textile and apparel market size was about €32 billion in 2022 [148]

In the UK, the apparel market size was about £34 billion in 2023 [149]

In France, the apparel market size was about €21 billion in 2023 [150]

In Italy, the textile and apparel market size was about €25 billion in 2022 [151]

The global textiles and clothing sector employs about 60 million people worldwide [152]

ILO estimates that 75%–90% of the workforce in textiles and clothing is in developing countries [152]

The ILO states that the textiles and clothing industry employs more than 300 million workers worldwide across the value chain [152]

In the EU, the majority of enterprises in textiles and clothing are small and micro enterprises (over 90% share) [134]

In the EU, the textiles and clothing sector has a high share of SMEs with fewer than 50 persons employed (around 98% of enterprises) [134]

Global apparel production grew to about 96 million tons by 2020 [153]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that clothing use can average 2–3 years in many markets [30]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the global average number of times garments are worn is about 7–10 times [30]

In 2020, global textile waste was estimated at 92 million tons [2]

The UNEP report estimates that 20% of global textile waste is produced by clothing manufacturing [2]

The UNEP report estimates that 80% of textile waste comes from post-use textiles [2]

UNEP estimates that only about 1% of used textiles are recycled into new textile products [2]

UNEP estimates that about 85% of textiles are not collected and instead end up in waste streams [2]

In 2020, the US apparel market generated $354 billion in sales [154]

In 2020, the US clothing stores industry had revenue of $284 billion [155]

In the US, the online apparel and accessories market was $90.9 billion in 2020 [156]

In the US, the share of e-commerce in retail trade was about 19.7% in 2020 [156]

In 2022, the share of e-commerce sales among total retail sales in the US was 14.9% [156]

In the EU, household expenditure on clothing was about €1,000 per capita per year (2020) [134]

In 2017, clothing and footwear expenditure per household in the EU average was around €1,000 [134]

In India, the apparel and textiles e-commerce market is expected to reach $60 billion by 2030 [157]

In China, the online fashion market reached about 1.2 trillion yuan in 2023 [158]