LONDON, U.K.: Newly released consumer research conducted by QSA Partners Ltd and Icaro has revealed striking insights into consumer behaviours around fashion purchasing, resale and rental, particularly highlighting substantial differences among regular and high intensity shoppers.
The research comprised a survey of 1,000 high frequency shoppers, made up of UK adults who purchase 2 or more items of clothing and accessories every month (including a subset of these shoppers – luxury shoppers - purchasing higher numbers of items and spending over £200 per month). Results have been benchmarked, where possible, to a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK consumers.
The research explored attitudes toward clothing purchase and resale habits. Their habits uncover trends for brands aiming to strengthen their circular and customer engagement strategies.
Key findings include:
- Returns and 'Wardrobing' Risks: Only 6% of UK consumers admit to wearing clothes once and returning them. However, this practice spikes to 32% among high frequency shoppers and an alarming 59% among luxury shoppers, indicating significant impacts for retailers, bottom line and brand reputation.
- Rental Potential Underexploited: Despite its growing appeal, only 4% of UK consumers currently rent clothing, rising to 27% among high frequency shoppers and an impressive 56% among luxury consumers.
- Resale Market Thriving: While nationally 31% of UK consumers resell clothing online, this increases dramatically to 54% among high frequency shoppers and jumps to 67% among luxury buyers.
Kristina Bull, a Partner at QSA Partners, commented: “Wardrobing or free-renting is where a shopper buys an item with the explicit intention of wearing it once, with the labels in, and returning for a refund, it’s happening under the noses of brands and retailers, even those with a rental option." She continued, “The message is crystal clear - brands, particularly luxury, must urgently deepen their understanding of customer behaviours around returns and rentals. Connecting your buying and rental teams isn't just smart; it’s essential. Brands must move beyond renting only niche, runway collections to also include sought-after mainline items, ensuring an exceptional rental journey for customers which will in turn make it less appealing to return worn items."
Phil Downing, Research Director at Icaro, added: "Our research underlines distinct behaviours within key shopper segments. Understanding these nuances can empower brands to better cater to the sustainability-minded, resale-savvy, luxury consumer. Ignoring these trends is simply no longer viable."
Brands at all market levels, and especially in luxury, are encouraged to leverage these insights strategically, boosting both green credentials and customer loyalty through refined resale and rental experiences.
As part of QSA Partners’ mission to drive circularity in the fashion and textiles sector we have made this research and insights freely available to brands and businesses. If you want to truly understand what your regular customers are doing and their motivations, contact us today and we can use our expertise to work alongside you to tailor deep insights research to empower your circular decisions. Tailored insights drive smarter decisions.
QSA PARTNERS is a specialist consultancy that works with global brands, pioneering startups and industry coalitions to develop sustainability and circular strategies.
- With established expertise across consumer markets, mobility, and infrastructure, QSA enables companies to set their net zero pathway, reduce waste, extend product lifecycles, and unlock new commercial value through sustainable innovation.
- QSA believes circularity is a pathway to resilience, growth, and long-term relevance in a rapidly changing world.
ICARO is a social research agency that delivers insight to change behaviour. We are a team of senior researchers who are highly experienced in working across public policy and commercial research. We are a Market Research Society Company Partner.
