France: Key insights for understanding fashion's transformations in 2026

What drivers will shape the French apparel market in the coming months? Experts from the Economic Observatory met this Thursday at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), where they shared their key insights on 2025 to better anticipate the challenges and opportunities awaiting fashion players in 2026.

According to the latest data from INSEE and the IFM panel, the French apparel market, including accessories, generated a total turnover of approximately 35 billion euros. While this figure shows a degree of resilience, it remains below the 37 billion euros recorded in 2019, marking a 7 percent decline over this reference period.

Accentuated divide between physical and digital

The year 2025 concluded with a slight 1.6 percent decline in sales value compared to 2024. This average, however, masks a stark disparity across distribution channels. While brick and mortar stores experienced a 2.7 percent decrease, e-commerce grew by 1.2 percent. Overall, online apparel and textile sales in 2025 were 12.4 percent higher than in 2019.

For retailers, these figures highlight the necessity of a robust omnichannel strategy, as in-store footfall is no longer sufficient to offset the structural erosion of physical consumption.

Second-hand fashion and ultra-fast fashion: new pillars of volume

The ranking of market players by volume illustrates the disruption in consumer habits. The top ten is now dominated by models based on price or usage, led by brands such as Vinted, Kiabi, Amazon, Decathlon and Shein.

The rise of second-hand fashion is not new. Specialised sites like Vinted and Vestiaire Collective now account for 17 percent of online purchases in France. Interestingly, second-hand fashion constitutes only 4.2 percent of purchases by value among those aged 55 and over, compared to 18 percent for 18-24 year olds. This demographic therefore remains a target yet to be conquered.

The habit of buying second-hand fashion also directly impacts the purchase of new items. According to an IFM survey, 28 percent of respondents said that since they began buying second-hand, they find new products to be excessively expensive. Consequently, they now systematically favour second-hand options.

On the ultra-fast fashion side, the trio of Shein, Temu and AliExpress captures 6 percent of purchase volumes in France. Overall, more than a third of French consumers (38 percent) have already used these platforms, attracted mainly by low prices, depth of product range and a variety of sizes.

For many of these shoppers, the ethical considerations for traditional brands and ultra-fast fashion brands are seen as equivalent. For instance, 38 percent believe that working conditions in the ultra-fast fashion sector are identical to those of other retailers. Similarly, 45 percent consider the environmental impact of ultra-fast fashion platforms to be comparable to that of other brands.

Source: IFM consumer barometer, January - December 2025. Credits: Institut Français de la Mode.

The primary target for ultra-fast fashion platforms is young women aged 16 to 24. They represent 56 percent of consumers in this very low-price channel. Following closely are women aged 25-34, who are the next biggest buyers of ultra-fast fashion at 54 percent.

Source: IFM consumer survey, July 2025. In % of respondents. Credits: Institut Français de la Mode.

Price evolution and key products

In 2025, the average purchase price for the entire fashion sector was 22 euros. In menswear, the T-shirt remains the dominant item at 16 euros. Meanwhile, in womenswear, the top three items by volume are the T-shirt (13 euros), the dress (34 euros) and jeans (32 euros).

Regarding the outlook for 2026, distributors anticipate a cautious approach to their pricing. The average change in in-store selling prices is expected to be +0.7 percent. This indicates that retailers are attempting to preserve their margins without alienating French consumers' purchasing power.

Source: IFM Panel, IFM forecasts based on an ARIMA model, February 2026. Credits: Institut Français de la Mode.

According to IFM experts, apparel and textile consumption is expected to stabilise in 2026 with a slight decline of 0.5 percent in value (in the median scenario).

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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