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Summary of our market study
The French children's footwear market is estimated at €1.9 billion, with over 400 million pairs of shoes.
The global children's footwear market was valued at $46.74 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.2%.
One of the main drivers of demand in this market is the replacement cycle necessitated by children's rapid growth. Children consume six pairs of shoes a year. This figure is higher than the average for women and men, who buy around five and three-and-a-half pairs a year respectively.
As children reach adolescence, their choice is more influenced by brand image and media representation.
Online sales of children's shoes account for 12% of total online spending on footwear.
The low birth rate in France is an obstacle to market growth. In ten years, the number of births has fallen from 12.6 to 10.6 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The French footwear sector suffers from a significant trade deficit.
The main players in the French children's footwear market
- Supermarket chains such as Carrefour, Auchan, Intermarché and E.Leclerc offer a significant selection of children's footwear.
- In sports footwear, giants such as Adiddas, Nike and New Balance have a formidable presence.
- Kiabi and Eram offer economical ranges
- Specialized shoe brands, Royer Groupe with Kickers
- Retailers specializing in children's footwear, Bellamy and Pom d'Api (RAS Kids),
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
The children's footwear market in France has been growing steadily since 2017, although volume sales have been falling steadily in recent years. In terms of volume, almost 207 million pairs were purchased in 2023. The wear and tear of children's shoes and the annual change in size justify the dynamic market based on frequent shoe renewal, making children the biggest consumers of footwear.
There are 3 distinct periods in French shoe manufacturing:
- 1980s: before wage harmonization in the European Union, manufacturers turned to Italy and Spain to manage their production;
- Early 1990s: manufacturers relocated south (Maghreb) or to Eastern Europe;
- Late 1990s: the rush to Asia. China and India become the world's leading shoe producers.
The major Western brands of children's footwear, including French brands, continue to produce within the European Union, claiming "made in France" as a guarantee of quality and an effective sales and marketing argument.
Another trend in children's footwear is eco-responsibility. More and more brands are turning to sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices in the design of their footwear. This translates into the use of recycled, organic or eco-friendly materials, as well as more eco-friendly production processes, as is the case for Kickers, a historic brand of leather shoes for children, which is turning to vegetable-tanned, anti-allergenic leather. [Conseil national du cuir]
Since the beginning of 2024, footwear sales have fallen overall compared with the same period last year, due to inflation-induced consumer trade-offs. In the second quarter of 2024, sales of children's shoes were down 5.2% on the same period last year.
1.2 Global and European markets
Global children's footwear market
The global children's footwear market has been estimated at $**.** billion in ****, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% over the **** period to reach $***.** billion in ****. However, while market sales have been rising steadily in recent years, unit sales of children's footwear have been falling by ...
1.3 The French market starts to grow
Overview of the French footwear market
The French footwear market is valued at *.*** billion euros in ****: this is the first time in ** years that the market has reached a value in excess of *.* billion euros, since sales in previous years remained relatively stable at around *.* and *.* billion euros.
Footwear market size ...
1.4 France's foreign trade
According to the Fédération Française de la Chaussure, French exports of shoes and footwear in **** amounted to *.** billion euros, up *% on the previous year.
The ****-**** economic report produced by the French Footwear Federation gives an account of France's foreign trade in footwear, which can provide qualitative trends ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Children are the biggest consumers of shoes
According to OECD data,total French household consumption of footwear will amount to *.* billion euros in ****, up **% on the previous year.
Household consumption of footwear France, ****-****, billions of euros Source: ****
The French buy an average of * pairs of shoes per year per inhabitant. [***] Children are the biggest shoe consumers: they ...
2.2 Demand drivers
Choosing a children's shoe model differs in many ways from choosing adult models, and is specific to this type of clientele. [***]
These requirements in terms of quality and comfort are specific to children's models: for example, for women, the "look" is often the determining factor in their purchasing behavior.
For children's ...
2.3 France's declining birth rate slows down the market
The dynamics of the French children's footwear market are correlated with the annual fertility rate in France, and the resulting number of births. This study concentrates on children's footwear and excludes baby shoes, but studying the number of births still enables us to forecast demand trends over a number of ...
2.4 The second-hand market
Inflation is driving French consumers to make consumer arbitrage. Indeed, the consumer price index for footwear in France has risen by *% since ****, impacting the footwear market.
According to the Kantar barometer, between June and the end of August ****, footwear sales in France reached *.* billion euros, marking an increase of *.*% compared to ...
3 Market structure
3.1 France, Europe's fourth-largest footwear producer
The production of children's footwear is intrinsically linked to the production of shoes, insofar as the same companies produce women's, men's and children's footwear.
According to OECD data, the French footwear industry will have sales of *.* billion euros in ****. The UK is the leading European country, with sales of around **.* billion ...
3.2 A sector focused on production
INSEE distinguishes between an enterprise and a business establishment. A company is a legally autonomous economic unit organized to produce specific goods and services, while a company establishment is a production unit where all or part of the company's activity is carried out. production unit where all or part of the ...
3.3 Shoe manufacturing techniques
The principle behind the manufacture of a child's shoe is the same as for an adult size shoe. The manufacture of a French shoe is recognized as an art, requiring *** different operations to create a volume object from flat parts. [***]
There are four stages in the manufacture of a shoe:
Shoe ...
3.4 A low concentration of distribution
Distribution channels
According to data from the Fédération Française de la Chaussure, children's footwear is largely distributed by sports retailers (***).
Refashion's **** barometer examined product distribution, revealing that the big winners were pure players, with an increase of **.*%, and soldeurs, which grew by *.*%. On the other hand, the big ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 The different types of children's shoes
Leather shoes are the most popular
The latest available figures date back to ****, but can still give an idea of the trends observed for children's footwear. Leather shoes account for almost half of the sales generated by the footwear market in France, with estimated sales of *.* billion euros in this segment.euros ...
4.2 Rising producer and consumer prices
Prices in the footwear sector have been rising in recent years, partly due to a **% increase in production costs over the past ten years. Despite a drop in the years ****-**** linked to the health crisis, the consumer price index has risen overall from **.* to ***.* in **** in the space of ** years. ...
4.3 Children's shoe trends
Children's footwear is subject to various trends that evolve over time. Here are three recent trends in children's footwear:
Comfort and functionality: Today, more and more parents are looking for children's shoes that offer optimum comfort and practical functionality. Lightweight shoes with soft, flexible soles are increasingly popular, as they allow ...
4.4 Developing the second-hand offer
In ****, the Bocage brand created "L'Atelier Bocage", allowing customers to rent a pair of new shoes every two months via a subscription. In ****, to address the issue of what happens to these previously worn shoes, Bocage launched "Comme neuves". This concept involves cleaning rented pairs of shoes, completely replacing the first ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
Children's safety
Children's clothing is subject to regulations designed to guarantee children's safety. These apply to the components of children's clothing, such as cords and laces, buttons, clasps, etc. The standards in force are as follows[***] :
NF EN ***** : Safety of clothing - cords and drawstrings - specifications ; NF EN *****: performance levels ...
6.1 Segmentation
- Nike
- Royer Groupe
- Repetto
- Carrefour Groupe
- Auchan Hypermarches
- E.Leclerc
- Monoprix
- GEMO (Eram Groupe)
- Besson Chaussures
- Kiabi Europe
- New Balance
- Pom d'Api - Shoemakers
- Bellamy
- Orchestra Prémaman
- Okaidi (Idkids)
- Idkids Groupe
- Jacadi (Idkids groupe)
- Cyrillus
- Tartine & Chocolat (Groupe Kidiliz)
- Converse (Groupe Nike)
- Geox
- Humeau-Beaupréau Méduse
List of charts presented in this market study
- Market share by shoe type
- Sales trends in the children's footwear market
- Producer price index for footwear
- Consumer price index for footwear
- Household consumption of footwear
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Latest news
Thanks to Etixia, Kiabi becomes a fully-fledged commercial real estate player - 27/06/2024
- Former creation of Etixia to consolidate Kiabi's real estate assets
- - Sales in 2023: 43.2 million euros.
Orchestra moves forward and modernizes its store network - 04/06/2024
- - 250 stores in France.
- - Nearly 100 affiliates in France.
- - International master-franchise development.
- - 8% of sales generated digitally.
- - Total Orchestra sales of 500 million euros by 2023.
- - 400 stores worldwide. - 3,000 employees worldwide.
Kiabi buys second-hand children's products website Beebs - 24/05/2024
- Beebs, a start-up specializing in second-hand children's products, was acquired by Kiabi after it was placed in receivership last March.
- - Liquidation of Rediv (ex-Patatam)
- - Beebs sold 690,000 second-hand children's items in 2023
Nike e Adidas, fatturati in calo: alla gente piace meno lo sportswear - 27/03/2024
1. **Nike Offerta Sponsorizzazione**: Nike ha offerto 100 milioni di euro alla federazione calcistica tedesca per diventare sponsor principale ed esclusivo. 2. **Calo d'Interesse per l'Abbigliamento Sportivo**: C'è stato un evidente calo dell'interesse per l'abbigliamento tra i desideri prioritari di uomini e donne, stimolato da una riflessione sulle abitudini di vestiario e da un contesto di restrizione economica. 3. **Regressiono Industria Automobilistica**: Diminuzione dell'interesse per l'acquisto di automobili e per la mobilità in generale, soprattutto nella fascia d'età 25-35 anni. 4. **Riduzione Delle Previsioni di Crescita**: Gli analisti hanno notato che le previsioni iniziali per il 2024-2025 sono state riviste al ribasso da Nike e altri grandi marchi. 5. **Importanza delle Fusioni e Acquisizioni**: Viene sottolineata l'importanza per le imprese di rafforzare la propria struttura patrimoniale attraverso fusioni e acquisizioni per affrontare il calo della domanda. 6. **Orientamento Eco-Sostenibile**: La tendenza verso prodotti eco-sostenibili sta diventando sempre più rilevante, tanto in termini di design quanto di materiali. 7. **Resilienza di Nike e Adidas**: Nonostante la revisione degli obiettivi finanziari al ribasso, giganti come Nike e Adidas continuano a ricevere valutazioni positive, evidenziando la loro grande dimensione come garanzia di resilienza e potenziale espansione. 8. **Prospettive a Lungo Termine**: Gli analisti restano fiduciosi sulle prospettive a lungo termine di Nike e Adidas, nonostante le previsioni a breve termine siano influenzate da un calo delle vendite e da incertezze sul recupero dei ricavi. 9. **Attenzione su E-commerce e Sfide Competitive**: La crescita dell'e-commerce e la diminuzione dei centri commerciali sono tra i fattori chiave che influenzano l'andamento del settore dell'abbigliamento.
Okaïdi announces closure of Oxybul chain, 300 jobs at risk - 13/03/2024
- - The IDKIDS group could cut more than 300 jobs.
- - The Roubaix-based IDKIDS group employs 6,500 people worldwide.
- - 70 Okaïdi stores to be rebranded Okaïdi+.
- - Okaïdi SAS groups together the Okaïdi, Obaïbi and Oxybul - Eveil et jeux brands and the IDKIDS stores
- -Excluding franchisees, the group employs 2253 people in France.
- - Sales for the Okaïdi network, which includes the Okaïdi and Obaïbi brands, reached 613 million euros in 2023, compared with 595 million euros in 2022.
- - Sales for Oxybul, Éveil et jeux amounted to 92 million euros in 2023, compared with 95 million in 2022.
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the children's shoe market | France
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