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Womenswear Stores in Australia - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Kayla Wheeler Kayla Wheeler Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: July 2024 ANZSIC OD5171

Revenue

$12.3bn

2024-25

$12.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

53,321

Businesses

7,303

Wages

$X.Xbn

Womenswear Stores in Australia industry analysis

The Womenswear Stores industry has endured fluctuating conditions in recent years, marked by volatile consumer sentiment and stiff competition. Consumer spending has been careful when it comes to non-essential items and they’ve preferred to save in the face of economic uncertainty. During the pandemic, competition from online-only retailers intensified on both domestic and international fronts as customers turned to online shopping because of stay-at-home orders. This shift in shopping behaviours resulted in a large portion of demand being diverted from physical womenswear stores to online retailers. However, a concentrated investment into digital channels buoyed online sales for many industry retailers, particularly the larger players. Industry revenue is anticipated to increase at an annualised 2.9% over the five years through 2024-25, to $12.3 billion. This includes a 0.9% bump expected in the current year, thanks to rising household disposable income.

Trends and Insights

  • The industry’s performance has varied. The rise of online shopping has enabled multichannel retailers to expand their revenue streams successfully. However, the current cost-of-living crisis is encouraging consumers to shop abroad to the detriment of domestic demand.
  • Womenswear stores stock diverse women's clothing, like dresses, pants, skirts, tops and more. With more offices adopting flexible dress codes, these stores increasingly offer casual wear to meet evolving customer demands.
  • Womenswear stores are predominantly located in densely populated areas like New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. This trend results from higher consumer traffic and the concentration of economic activities in these states.
  • Internal competition is intense, with retailers battling for customer attention via price, quality, brand image, marketing, customer service, design and location. Trendy styles and excellent customer service are essential for retailers to differentiate themselves.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $12.3bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Revenue has fluctuated in an era of economic shocks

  • Economic turmoil following the pandemic has hurt earnings for womenswear stores. However, this is a recent saga, with the pandemic delivering a moment of revenue growth for agile and adaptable retailers.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Womenswear Stores in Australia
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising competition will threaten domestic womenswear retailers

  • Competition from department stores, online retailers and global chains will continue impacting domestic womenswear businesses. Australia's expanding economy and high disposable income are set to attract global retail giants.

Biggest companies in the Womenswear Stores in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
COGI
786.9
Country Road
680.5
Premier Investments
611.2

To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Womenswear Stores in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Dresses and suits, Pants, jeans, shorts and skirts and T-shirts, shirts and blouses. Dresses and suits is the largest segment of the Womenswear Stores in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Despite a recent slump, t-shirts, shirts and blouses continue to generate high revenue

  • T-shirts, shirts and blouses are significant revenue generators in the industry, favoured for their affordability, uniqueness in style and versatility, which allows an easy transition from casual to professional looks. They’re typically purchased more frequently than other apparel items like dresses or pants.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Industry companies retail women’s clothing. They range from specialist women’s clothing stores to unisex clothing retailers that sell women’s clothes. Retailers may operate an online platform to complement their bricks-and-mortar stores.

What's included in this industry?

Dresses and suits Pants, jeans, shorts and skirts T-shirts, shirts and blouses Coats, jackets, cardigans and jumpers Underwear and foundation garments Headwear Scarves, gloves, hosiery and socks

Companies

COGICountry RoadPremier Investments

Purchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

POINT OF SALE (POS)FAST FASHIONBRICKS-AND-MORTAR

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 4251 - Womenswear Stores in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The industry’s performance has varied. The rise of online shopping has enabled multichannel retailers to expand their revenue streams successfully. However, the current cost-...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Womenswear stores stock diverse women's clothing, like dresses, pants, skirts, tops and more. With more offices adopting flexible dress codes, these stores increasingly offer...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Womenswear stores are predominantly located in densely populated areas like New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. This trend results from higher consumer traffic and the ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Internal competition is intense, with retailers battling for customer attention via price, quality, brand image, marketing, customer service, design and location. Trendy styl...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Premier Investments, Woolworths International, Mosaic Brands, and Cotton On moderately dominate the Womenswear Stores industry, each contributing over 5.0% of its revenue. Th...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of COGI's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Country Road's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Premier Investments's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for COGI, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Country Road, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Premier Investments, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Womenswear stores are subject to moderate regulations. State governments oversee trading hours to support small retailers, while the General Retail Industry Award sets out em...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Cost structures in the Womenswear Stores industry vary by product type, price, retail operation size and location. A low market share concentration ensures no single firm has...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia in 2024?

The market size of the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia is $12.3bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Womenswear Stores in Australia industry in 2024?

There are 7,303 businesses in the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 5.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 2.9 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Womenswear Stores market in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Womenswear Stores market in Australia are COGI, Country Road and Premier Investments

What does the Womenswear Stores in Australia include?

Dresses and suits and Pants, jeans, shorts and skirts are part of the Womenswear Stores industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Womenswear Stores in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in Australia is COGI.

How competitive is the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Womenswear Stores industry in Australia.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Clothing Retailing in Australia
  • Fast Fashion in Australia

Complementors

  • Department Stores in Australia
  • Footwear Retailing in Australia
  • Online Shopping in Australia

International industries

  • Women's Clothing Stores in the US
  • Women's Clothing Stores in Canada
  • Clothing Retailing in New Zealand
  • Plus-Size Women's Clothing Stores in the UK

View all industries in Australia

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.