"Children’s fashion is not a child’s play,” says a recent kidswear advertisement featuring Amitabh Bachchan. Brands and retailers are scratching their heads over how to appeal to kids’ tastes besides keeping parents happy. They are not only consulting kids during their pre-production process besides offering them customised clothes."

“Children’s fashion is not a child’s play,” says a recent kidswear advertisement featuring Amitabh Bachchan. Brands and retailers are scratching their heads over how to appeal to kids’ tastes besides keeping parents happy. They are not only consulting kids during their pre-production process besides offering them customised clothes.

Robust growth predicted, girls’ wear to dominate sales

As per Global Industry Analysts (GIA) estimated, the US market for children’s wear is projected to exceed $76.4 billion by 2024. This would mean a CAGR of 3.9 percent from 2016 to 2024.The survey notes that an average household spends about $108 on kids’ clothes. Out of this, girls’ wear represents the largest product segment.

The Mintel Group also notes the influence kids are having on the children’s wear industry. The firm in its ‘Children’s Clothing US 2019’ report advises retailers and brands to consult kids while developing and designing clothing assortments. This would prove highly beneficial for brands as it help them cut down on wastes besides reducing their producing costs.

According to GIA, the preferred material for children’s clothing is cotton, due to its wash-friendly properties. Around 83 per cent of the surveyed parents opted for the cotton material with around 44 per cent expressing their concern over brands and retailers substituting synthetic fibers for cotton. Nearly half of the parents expressed their willingness to pay a slightly higher price to prevent brands from substituting cotton with synthetic fibers in their kids’ jeans.

Retailers and brands also need to remember that performance features such as shrink resistance, stain resistance, fade resistance, odor resistance and durability coax parents to pay more for their kids’ clothes. The Monitor™ research reveals that while discussing back-to-school apparel, 72 percent of parents expressed their willingness to spend more on shrink resistant clothes. This was followed by those who willing to pay more stain resistant, (70 percent), fade resistant (68 percent) and odor resistant (64 percent) clothes. Around 64 per cent of respondents also prefer clothes with durability enhancement features.

Parents opt for offline stores, kids prefer online shopping

The C&R Research “YouthBeat Shopping” report reveals parents prefer to shop at brick and mortar stores as it’s tough to gauge the exact size of their kids’ clothes without actually trying them on. Around 40 per cent of these parents prefer to shop in stores where they can do additional shopping, either for themselves or others.

While retailers remain their favorite choice, parents are increasingly opting for retailers who offer stylish and affordable clothing, as well as other items on their shopping list. Retailers therefore need to consider other ways to cater to the needs of these parents.

As parents prefer offline stores, kids are increasingly veering towards online stores such as Amazon, Walmart and Target. Amazon has emerged as the top choice among tweens and teens as it offers from toys to clothes, or video games to phone cases. As per C&R Research, Nike is the top apparel brand for children while Justice is the second-most popular brand. Under Armour ranks as the second most preferred brand among tweens.

Older parents go organic

The GIA report also points out that the changing American demographics are creating an increasing number of older parents who are in their late 30s and 40s, have higher disposable incomes and a willingness to invest in their children’s wardrobes. These consumers buy expensive designer outfits from brands such as Dolce and Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and Marc Jacobs. Also, parents prefer to buy the safest available clothes for their kids. This is translating into an increased interest in clothes made of organic and natural fibers, as well as recycled materials.

The Mintel Group notes a growing interest amongst dads about their child’s clothing. Around 45 percent of dads feel it’s important for their children to look stylish. And 26 percent believe price to be more important than quality.