There are four main product categories for the apparel and footwear market: womenswear, menswear, sportswear, and childrenswear. Womenswear was the bestselling apparel category in the world as of 2017, with sales of about 643 billion U.S. dollars. The United States alone generated 115 billion U.S. dollars in womenswear sales, and about 86 billion dollars in menswear sales. Another important category with a high level of growth is the sports apparel market, which was valued at about 155.2 billion in 2018. There is also a thriving market for pre-owned, or second-hand clothing through vintage stores, thrift store, or consignment stores. This apparel resale market value increased from 20 billion U.S. dollars to 24 billion dollars between 2017 and 2018. Denim, a classic staple of a casual wardrobe, is only getting more popular across every type of clothing item.
Although there are countless apparel retailers across the world, both big and small, the biggest companies control the majority of the market. As of 2017, the three top selling apparel and footwear retailers were TJX Companies, Inditex, and H&M. In terms of casual apparel, The Gap, Inc. was the top selling retailer, with sales of about 16.5 billion U.S. dollars. Luxury clothing, on the other hand, was led in sales by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.E., an enormous French luxury goods conglomerate. In terms of individual brands, some of the most valuable brands in the world include Nike, H&M, Zara, Adidas, and Hermes.
