Market Overview

The uniform market size (total four applications: factory & construction, medical & food, office, and school) in Japan for FY2022 was valued at 506,500 million yen, 101.9% on a YoY basis by the shipment value at manufacturers.

Though experienced a shrinkage amid the corona crisis, the uniform market showed robustness that did not lead to serious decline, when compared to general apparel market.

The market recently saw soaring costs, stemming from skyrocketing prices for raw materials and labor, and from weakened yen. In particular, soaring labor cost was not only because of minimum wage increase, but also of aging society with smaller numbers of children and waning working population caused by declining population. To compete for a small number of workers, many companies started reviewing the employment conditions. These led many product price revisions in the uniform market.

Noteworthy Topics

Increase in Sustainable Uniforms

In the uniform industry in recent years, an increasing number of companies address to develop products made of environmentally friendly materials, to recycle, and to upcycle products that is to add values to unneeded products/waste through effective designs and ideas. Such efforts increased as user companies became proactive in SDGs and sustainability initiatives.

Hereafter, companies are required to focus on the initiatives not only by themselves but among the whole supply chain. Therefore, each company involved in parts of business procedures from procurement to sales is needed to make sustainable efforts.

In addition, companies are needed to respond not only from the aspect of environment, but also of gender equality. As seen from genderless approaches in corporate uniforms and addition of trousers for girls’ uniforms in junior high schools, such initiatives are likely to increase furthermore.  

Future Outlook

The uniform market in Japan for FY2023 by the shipment value at manufacturers is projected to reach 508,000 million yen, 100.3% of the previous fiscal year. Despite projections for decreasing users, continuous product price revisions caused by soaring costs are likely to remain the market to a slight increase.

Research Outline