EK Retail: Early and mild autumn boost for clothing sales

The autumn started off well this year in terms of weather. No long Indian summer, but autumn-like temperatures and occasional showers. This turned out to be positive for clothing sales. EK Retail notes that customers quickly started craving new colors and items from September onwards.

The fact that clothing sales in the autumn picked up thanks to the weather is also reflected in the figures from EK Retail. As a result, there has been a 6 percent increase in women's fashion sales in the current winter season up to week 48. Part of this increase can be attributed to higher prices, as has been the case for some time. Fortunately, more units are also being sold (4%).

The sell-through rate up to week 48 is now at 58%. “So, there’s still some stock to clear before we start seeing the first signs of sales in the shopping streets. Are we, as better independent women’s fashion stores, once again able to extend the season this year by discounting less early?” wonders EK Fashion. Ultimately, achieving a good final margin is partly responsible for a strong net result.

Good sell-through of jackets

The good start to the autumn is reflected in the strong sales of jackets: this category achieves the highest sell-through rate of all product groups, with an average of 65 percent. In comparison, the average sell-through rate for all items is currently 58 percent. In terms of revenue, jackets generated 6 percent more sales on average. “What's striking is that the average price of the sold jackets is 7 percent lower than last winter's price,” says Natascha van Ree of EK Retail. This means significantly more units have been sold. 'Especially in the mid-price segment, there is a larger offering of jackets this season.

Another standout product group is jeans, which is achieving the best revenue increase within women’s fashion this sales season. Natascha van Ree: “In some stores, even 50% more jeans are being sold compared to the same period last year.”

Sharper calculation

The revenue increase for pullovers is an average of 9 percent, but this product group achieves the highest gross margin of all product categories. The average selling price for this group is just under 3 percent higher than last winter. “Here too, the offering in the mid-price segment is large, and the calculations are sharper. Due to lower prices and good results in this segment, less discounting is needed.”

According to EK Retail, margin and inventory management remain key pillars for the buying round for winter 2025-2026. It proves to be effective to find the ideal mix between margin drivers and image builders. “At Modefabriek, retailers and suppliers meet and can engage in conversations with each other. It will be great to see all the collections and put together the ideal mix for the store, both in terms of fashionability and profitability.”

Written by Rosita van der Kwaak in collaboration with EK Retail