US consumers top worldwide spend on shoes

Recent research suggests that US-based consumers bought more shoes and items of clothing per head of population during 2013 than shoppers living in any other country. On average, each individual – including children – purchased (or had bought for them) 7½ pairs of shoes and 64 garments, totalling $1,141. Footwear and apparel are said to have contributed a record $361 billion to the US economy in 2013 – more than most sectors, including what was achieved from the sale of alcohol, new cars and toys.

Efforts to encourage American consumers to buy domestically produced goods resulted in the sale of footwear labelled ‘Made in USA’ increasing by 8.5 per cent. Despite this growth, however, some 98 per cent of all shoes sold in the USA are reportedly imported. US trade bodies have called on Congress and President Obama’s administration to take immediate action on ‘long-pending trade legislation and trade agreements’ in order to help the nation’s footwear industry workers.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 2 of the March 2015 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---