This period was attractive for both local and international apparel retailers in China as Chinese apparel retail enjoyed double digit sales growth. The next decade will bring lower growth, a higher importance of lower tier cities, a significant share for online and nationwide market share gain for the new entrants’ generation. This will lead to a market that will be very different from how we know it today, a market that will require different models to survive and win. How should local and international apparel retailers respond to these changes and win in this market?
To better understand what the future will bring, we conducted extensive interviews with operators, analysts, mall operators and department stores supplemented by more than 500 in depth street interviews with Chinese apparel shoppers in Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities in Central China.
