Infographic2026 Sector Outlook: US Apparel and Footwear Retailing—Moderate Growth in a Stabilizing Macro Environment Aditya Kaushik, Analyst Sector Lead: Anand Kumar, Associate Director of Retail Research December 18, 2025 Reasons to ReadOur 2026 Sector Outlook data graphics provide forward-looking data, insights and conclusions for US retail sectors. Across the series of 10 snapshots, we cover US retail (overall); apparel and footwear; beauty; consumer packaged goods (CPG); department stores; drugstores; grocery; home and home improvement; luxury; and mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs and discount stores. Discover the forces reshaping US apparel and footwear retail in 2026—from consumer shifts to AI-powered innovation. Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions: How is the US apparel and footwear market projected to grow in 2026, and what macro factors could influence consumer spending? What are the key sector drivers and challenges, and how are categories like athleisure and comfortwear performing? Which trends—like GLP-1 use, generative AI and immersive retail—are set to shape consumer behavior and retail strategies? What surprising factors are influencing brand loyalty among apparel shoppers? Companies mentioned in this report include: Walmart, Ralph Lauren, Shein, Temu, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lululemon Athletica, DXL (Destination XL). Data in this report include: US apparel and footwear market size and growth forecasts; category growth performance; GLP-1 consumer behavior trends; AI adoption rates in retail; and shopper sentiment on value and loyalty. Find our full selection of US Consumer Survey Insights reports and data graphics here Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Analyst Corner: Holiday Spirit, Bigger Budgets: US Consumers’ Plans for the Fourth of July, Labor Day and the Holiday Season, with Aditya KaushikInflation Up, Sentiment Down: Alarm Bells for the US Consumer Economy?Analyst Corner: Chinese Consumers Still Embrace International Brands—If Those Brands Deliver: Three Key Findings from a New Study, with John HarmonUS CPG Sales Tracker: E-Commerce Sales Surge, Outpacing In-Store Growth
