Retailers Go Global

For online clothing retailers the race to ‘go global’ is on. 

In August, Gap Inc. expanded its ecommerce presence by offering shipping on its ecommerce site to 55 countries, including Australia, Brazil, and Mexico.  By year’s end Gap will make online shopping available in up to 65 countries.  This month, Zara, Europe’s second largest retailer, launched ecommerce sites in six European markets, including Spain, UK, Portugal, Italy, and France. 

Why are retailers reaching out to global markets now?  Unlike the U.S, where online shopping for clothes and shoes has been popular for a decade, it is just now hitting its stride in European countries.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported that in 2008, 13% of European consumers purchased clothes online – up 100% since 2004, according to Datamonitor. 

The opportunity for online clothing retailers continues to grow.  Germans alone spent $10.3 billion online on clothing and footwear last year.  While residents of France, Italy, and Great Britain together spent more than $11.4 billion, according to Datamonitor.  With more and more retailers entering the global online market, these numbers will certainly continue to grow.