ASK THE EXPERT: ARE WE AT THE END OF THE CLOTHING BOOM?

Q: After a couple of solid years of business, I noticed that suit sales have finally slowed in my store. Are we at the end of the clothing boom?

A: Our data shows a 4% decrease in suit sales last month and the 90-day trend slowing to 0%. This may indicate potential slowdown in the clothing business, but I believe that further analysis and data would be needed to determine if this is indeed the end of the clothing boom cycle.

I would look at sales data for other types of apparel, as well as examining broader sales indicators and trends.

Blacks’ data also shows that sports coat sales were still up last month, which suggests that the decrease in suit sales may not necessarily be indicative of a larger trend. This could mean that the decrease in suit sales is an isolated event, or that other factors are at play. Many times, we have seen short-term tradeoffs in demand that do not indicate long-term-trend changes.

So, let’s wait to get some more data next month and in the meantime, contact all your good customers about new clothing events, fabrics, and accessories for the season ahead. Keep the excitement up until we anticipate that the customer is ready for something new.

Photo, at top by Ruthson Zimmerman.