Americans want to buy UK, European fashion brands but find obstacles says SoldThrough report

Good news: American consumers are hungry for UK and European fashion. Not-so-good news: brands are “capturing only a fraction of the opportunity.” 

That’s according to new research from US-based fashion logistics and marketplace management company SoldThrough in a survey that found 81% of consumers say UK and European fashion brands “offer something that US brands cannot match.”

This includes higher-quality materials (25%), better craftsmanship (24%), better value for money (24%), greater longevity (14%) and heritage (12%). 

Further good news is that 57% (equivalent to 157.7m US adults) are already purchasing UK and European fashion, spending an average of $219.20 (£166) each a year, a figure that represents a $34.5bn annual market.

And the categories US consumers most want to buy from UK and European brands are accessories (27%), followed by shoes (26%).

But “for a significant proportion of the population, getting from interest to purchase is proving difficult.” 

That translates to 26%, which equates to an estimated 71.9 million US adults, are currently spending nothing on European fashion, representing a potentially untapped market of $15.7bn.

SoldThrough cites shipping costs, confusing sizing, returns, delivery times, and customs among the obstacles that around 215 million shoppers face, while 10% say they can’t buy from a European fashion brand because it doesn’t ship to the US.

The research also shows that when Americans do discover and buy European fashion, online retailers (25%), department stores (21%) and US-based brand websites (21%) are the most common routes.

So the findings “show a clear gap between demand and availability”and  SoldThrough founder and CEO Dan Cate added: “American consumers are telling us they value what European fashion brands bring to the market, and millions are already spending with them.

“But a consumer may know the brand, want the product, and believe it offers something different from what is available domestically, and still abandon the purchase if delivery is too expensive, sizing is unclear, or returning an item is difficult.”

He added: “For UK and European brands looking to enter the US market, this is about understanding that the US customer expects to shop differently. Having the right retail channels, fulfilment and customer experience in place can make the difference between someone being interested in a brand and actually buying from it.”