Search interest for Primark is up 58% from the same period last year, while other brands struggle to drive traffic and sales in the fashion sector as shoppers cut back.
Research across leading online fashion sellers in the UK by domain registration site Fasthosts finds that leading fashion retailers are anywhere up to three times the price of Primark for the same outfit, with massive disparity between men’s and women’s clothes.
When comparing data on search interest on Google Trends for each of these brands, Primark is the only one to have an increase from the same period last year, jumping 58%. Next is down 13%, ASOS 5% and Boohoo 16%, while River Island remains unchanged.
By recreating the same outfit of a white t-shirt, jeans, trainers and a bomber jacket across five fast fashion sites, Fasthosts has found which retailers are the best value for money. By looking at the prices for the same outfits across both men and women’s departments for Next, Boohoo, River Island, ASOS and Primark, and averaging out the cost for each, an interesting picture emerges.
1. Primark- average cost of £44.50
With the outfits for both men and women costing just £44.50, Primark seals itself as the best place to go for a cheap outfit when you need it. There’s a reason this establishment is everywhere you go and loved by British shoppers, and when the only cheaper clothing item is ASOS men’s jeans, it’s not hard to see why. When shirts are only £2.50, and jackets are costing £16 for men and £18 for women, those in need of a cheap item of clothing don’t need telling to nip down to their local Primark – they already know.
2. Boohoo- average cost of £65
Taking second place is another online favourite of the UK, Boohoo. While the men’s outfit was £9 more expensive than the ASOS equivalent, coming in at £68, the women’s sits at £62, helping to bring down the average cost. With tops costing both £8 for men and women, rivalling River Island for most expensive, Boohoo’s reasonable prices for other items gets it the penultimate spot on our list.
3. ASOS- average cost of £70
In third place is ASOS, one of the most well-known online retailers in the country. With yet another large disparity between the outfits for men and women, the men’s came in at £59, and the women’s at £81. The latter was thanks to a pricier pair of jeans and jacket, which were £10 more expensive than the men’s.
4. Next- average cost of £96.75
Next on the list (no pun intended) is retail giant Next, who have branched out from their humble beginnings as a local tailoring company to now being on high streets and in shopping centres across the UK, expanding their repertoire to homewares, furniture and sporting goods to name a few. With the men’s outfit coming in at £100.50 and the women’s at £93, Next lands itself in a comfortable 4th.
5. River Island- average cost of £122
Coming in as the most expensive retailer on our list is high street giant River Island, with an average cost of £122 for the equivalent outfit. Not only is it expensive, it also had the highest disparity between outfit prices for men and women, with the men’s outfit costing £103, while the women’s equivalent costing £141. This leaves a considerable gap of £38. Having the most expensive jeans and jacket for both outfits, it’s no surprise it lands itself at the bottom of the list.
