Just 2.7% of UK clothing shoppers purchased from Morrisons in the past year – significantly underperforming the rest of the big four supermarket retailers.
The grocer launched its Nutmeg clothing brand in 2013, focusing on childrenswear, though it expanded into womenswear two years ago. However, greater investment is required if it is to pose a competitive threat to the rest of the UK clothing market.
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Proportion of UK clothing shoppers that visited and purchased from the big four grocers in the past year:
Source: GlobalData’s How Britain Shops survey of 10,000 UK consumers, March 2019. Visitor share is the proportion of UK clothing shoppers that visited Morrisons for clothing in the past year; purchaser share is the proportion of UK clothing shoppers that purchased clothing from Morrisons in the past year. Conversion is the proportion of those that bought clothing from Morrisons in the past year divided by those that visited the retailer for clothing.
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By GlobalDataThough its purchaser share has risen from 1.1% in 2015, Morrisons remains a laggard, some 15.0 percentage points behind leading grocer Asda. Furthermore, it also has the weakest conversion rate, with the retailer converting just 42.4% of visitors into purchasers according to GlobalData’s How Britain Shops survey – while the other three grocers convert at least two-thirds of their visitors.
Competition in the clothing sector is intense, especially at the value end of the market. However with 12 million shoppers through its doors weekly, it is evident Morrisons’ clothing offer is not compelling enough to drive conversion among visitors – which will primarily be its own food and grocery customers. Focusing on quality and value for money will be essential to inspire impulse purchases. Furthermore, the grocer has an opportunity to expand its womenswear range to more stores, as well as widening its offer to include more trend-led products to showcase its fashion credentials.
Building appeal outside of Morrisons’ existing customer base will be vital for Nutmeg to succeed in the long term, with opportunity to further exploit the online channel, both in terms of selling but also building awareness via social media and harnessing influencers’ power to extend its reach. Though Nutmeg does have an online offer via the Morrisons website, this is mainly restricted to school uniform, with just five items of womenswear currently available. A standalone clothing site is imperative for Nutmeg to build a following and to be seen as a clothing brand in its own right.
