That’s according to GlobalData, which said 19.3% of those aged 16-44 around the world said they’d bought more clothing since the start of the outbreak, despite having few or no social occasions to attend.The figure for those aged 45 and over was a small 7.4%.

Looking at the figures in more detail, 18.3% of those aged 16-24 have bought more clothing while 20.7% of the 25-34 age group have done so. For the 35-44 group, it’s 18.1% and it’s 9.9% for those in the 45-54 group. Some 8.2% of the 55-64 age group have boosted their fashion purchases but only 3% of 65+ consumers have done so.We can’t ignore the fact that younger consumers tend to buy more fashion in normal times anyway. But given the the huge shock to the system delivered by the coronavirus crisis, the lack of occasions on which to wear new fashion purchases, and how money for many younger consumers has been tight, the extent to which some have been spending is something of a surprise.Pippa Stephens, Associate Retail Analyst at GlobalData, said: “Though 16-44s already had a higher tendency to purchase clothing online before the outbreak, almost a fifth have spent more time during lockdown browsing retailers’ websites to keep themselves occupied as they stay at home during lockdown. “Online clothing purchases have also served as a treat, and helped to uplift younger consumers’ moods throughout the pandemic, especially for those that have continued working and have had more disposable income, due to cancelled holidays and social activities.”It all means that as the end of lockdown and social distancing begins to get closer, retailers are likely to experience the greatest uplift in trade from younger demographics, as they seek new clothing to wear for future events. But in the evolved, post-pandemic world, they need to get their marketing right with a focus on fully inclusive campaigns.