The change from a classic retail store with personnel-intensive and expert advice to a service-optimized, pure online shop is a process that is currently being observed. As arguments for opponents of this development have been and are always the jobs that are lost. The question of whether this creates new jobs often plays a subordinate role, just as many customers do not care about whether they destroy jobs through their purchasing behavior.
The market for children’s clothing is stable for about 5 years, even though some crisis years have passed since 2008. The market is growing continuously with a “black zero” of up to about 1% per year and will reach an annual volume of just under € 3 billion by 2013. The dependency of the market for baby and children’s clothing on birth rates in Germany has an impact However, much of the decline in the birth rate is offset by a noticeable increase in spending on children’s fashion, leading to a slight increase in sales Increasing birth rates are essential for significant increases in growth rates.
On the one hand, the market for children’s fashion and baby clothing is directly dependent on the short-term and seasonal needs of everyday consumers. On the other hand, the focus is increasingly on other properties of the articles such as freedom from pollutants or additional protective functions such as UV protection. The sustainability of the brand manufacturers in the production of their goods with regard to the ecological balance rests here a special attention. Despite these aspects, the main argument remains unchanged in its meaning, the actual outfit / the actual fashion, because only if the above criteria are combined with fashionable or cool outfit, This leads to a purchase decision due to the constantly increasing fashion level in the children’s market. This combination of relevance is evident in the lower price segment as well as in the premium price segment.
More than half of the turnover of the entire children’s clothing industry is generated in purely specialized retailing. Nevertheless, it is convenient for consumers to find out about fashion trends online, compare prices and order directly. Today’s consumers place the highest demands on structuring their daily routine in order to be always up to date. Here online shops offer the perfect opportunity to meet these requirements, especially if they are characterized by trustworthiness and reliability. Well and professionally managed online stores for children’s fashion and baby clothes are a significant part of the future of this industry. Online shopping is a useful addition to traditional retailing, because it will be a pleasure in the future to go shopping in a stylishly furnished shop, to get good service and to consult the expert salesman. Through creative and innovative ideas online shops will confirm their reason for being and offer the customers what they are looking for.