Kids clothing grows into a $2bn ‘mini-me’, gender neutral giant
FROM mini-me fashion to the rise of gender neutral designs, babies and children’s fashion has become big business in Australia.
The Australian market for kids’ clothing is expected to grow to $2.5bn in 2025, up from $2.18bn in 2020, an industry report revealed.
The sector has an annual growth rate of 3.1 per cent for babywear and 3.6 per cent for kidswear between 2020-24, according to the latest Childrenswear in Australia report by market research company, Euromonitor International.
And Australian retailers, from mass department stores to boutique brands, are reaping the benefits.
Budget store Best & Less’ baby and kidswear sales grew from $287m in 2019 to $311.2m in 2020. Head of kidswear at Best & Less Vanessa Noy said shoppers were demanding clothes for kids “that looks fun and on trend, in cotton rich fabrications while being functional and durable”. Ms Noy said playful prints, modern silhouettes, and mini-me dressing were key trends in children’s fashion.
“We have seen this (mini-me) trend emerging over a few years where we first saw mini-me dressing driven predominantly by mother and daughter images on social media,” Ms Noy said.
Emma Hawkins, the founder of kids’ label Homegrown, said social media had changed the market for children’s fashion in the past three years. Ms Hawkins said there had been a shift towards gender-neutral dressing for kids and an awareness of environmentally friendly fabrics such as organic cotton.
Mum Kelsey Boot said she spent about $1500 per year on clothes for her three children. “I shop around for best prices and buy off small businesses and friends,” Ms Boot said. “Kids are messy and I want them to be able to be comfortable and play without worrying about their clothes,” she said.