SANTA MONICA, Calif., Mar 15, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Three out of five American shoppers plan to invest in a spring wardrobe this year, according to the Spring 2005 Shopping in America report released today disclosing the hottest trends. Conducted for The Macerich Company (NYSE:MAC) by August Partners, the survey shows that consumers aged 12 and over will spend an average of $359.81 on new clothing and accessory purchases, with cropped trousers, floral prints, and trendy accessories and shoes topping women's shopping lists.
Among adult shoppers, 31 percent say they will spend more than last year, 52 percent will spend the same, and 18 percent plan to spend less. Of these adult shoppers, the 45-54 age group plan to be the biggest spenders ($445.68), followed by the 25-34 year-olds ($414.38) and the 55-64 age group ($411.03) this spring.
"Luxury spending is living up to its name this spring as shoppers from $100,000+ households plan to spend $537, much more than the national average," said Garry Butcher, Macerich vice president of marketing and consumer research. "Regionally, shoppers in the South will spend the most ($390.08) followed by the Midwest, the West and the Northeast."
Women's Fashion
While Easter is just around the corner, women will spend the bulk of their spring wardrobe budget on casual apparel -- selected by 40 percent of survey respondents (more than double the 18 percent who spend on dressy apparel). Shoppers ranked cropped pants/trousers, floral prints, embellished denim and full/ruffled skirts among the hottest clothing trends. The new tunic look ranked among the lowest with shoppers.
Clothing Trends Shopper Responses ----------------------------- ------------------- Cropped Pants/Trousers 27.5% ----------------------------- ------------------- Floral Prints 14.5% ----------------------------- ------------------- Embellished Denim 14.4% ----------------------------- ------------------- Full/Ruffled Skirts 13.1% ----------------------------- ------------------- Pleated Skirts 9.2% ----------------------------- ------------------- Embroidered/Applique Tops 8.1% ----------------------------- ------------------- Shrunken/Fitted Jackets 4.4% ----------------------------- ------------------- Tunics/Caftans 1.1% ----------------------------- ------------------- Cardigans 0.9% ----------------------------- ------------------- None of the Above/No Opinion 6.8% ----------------------------- -------------------
Accessories "Female shoppers (66 percent) are virtually twice as likely as their male counterparts (34 percent) to plan a new seasonal wardrobe," said Garry Butcher. "Accessories are hot this spring, with bright colors and metallics selected as favorites among women consumers."
Hottest Accessory Trends Shopper Responses -------------------------------- ------------------ Colorful Leather Handbags 23.4% -------------------------------- ------------------ Metallic Handbags/Shoes/Sandals 17.5% -------------------------------- ------------------ Ballet Flats 13.3% -------------------------------- ------------------ Layered Necklaces 10.6% -------------------------------- ------------------ Wedge Heels 10.4% -------------------------------- ------------------ Macrame Handbags 8.2% -------------------------------- ------------------
The Look?
The survey shows that just about anything goes when it comes to fashion this spring. Among women shoppers with an opinion on the top style, the vintage (21 percent) modern bohemian (18 percent), urban (17 percent) and sporty (14 percent) looks were among the most popular selected. The glamorous (12 percent), preppy (10 percent) and Asian-inspired (7 percent) styles ranked last.
American shoppers may be split on which look is the hottest, but most agree that shopping for style is crucial. Shoppers chose, by more than a three-to-one margin, that style (65 percent) is more important than a brand name (21 percent).
Are shoppers still pretty in pink? The popular hue was named the top spring color for female shoppers (32 percent), followed by green (15 percent), yellow (13 percent) and blue (11 percent). By comparison, only 3 percent of shoppers selected black and 6 percent chose white.
Men's Fashion
When it comes to men, the greatest percentage of shoppers will stock their closets with casual spring apparel (selected by 37 percent), followed by dress shirts (20 percent), and shoes (12 percent). Sports jackets/blazers and suits, both 11 percent, ranked next on the list for male wardrobe spending.
Men surveyed reflected their affinity for casual apparel when they selected fashion jeans (19 percent) and fitted polo shirts (19 percent) as the hottest male fashion trends for this spring, closely followed by brightly striped shirts, graphic T-shirts and sport/team jerseys (each tied at 14 percent).
About Shopping in America
Shopping in America is a national shopper intercept survey that studies consumer shopping trends. The Spring 2005 survey was conducted among more than 4,200 shoppers in twelve regional shopping centers geographically spread throughout the United States. Total results have a reliability factor of +/- 1 percent. Not all results are stated in this release and some are rounded to the nearest whole number. To view complete Shopping in America results and graphics, past survey results and the latest Fashion Icon Report, please visit www.shoppinginamerica.biz.
Look for additional Shopping in America survey results on prom and tween fashions to be released in March and April.
About The Macerich Company
The Macerich Company is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. The Company is the sole general partner and owns an 81% ownership interest in The Macerich Partnership, L.P. Macerich now owns interests in properties totaling approximately 63 million square feet consisting primarily of interests in 64 regional malls. Additional information about The Macerich Company can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com.
SOURCE: The Macerich Company
Lovell Public Relations
Tresa Hardt or Kim Craig, 972-788-4511
thardt@lovellpr.com