Market Overview

The domestic uniform market in FY2018 based on the shipment value at manufacturers attained 525,400 million yen, 101.7% of the size of the previous fiscal year. The demand for factory uniforms for the sites of construction and improving infrastructure for 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games boosted the entire market. On the other hand, office and school uniforms were on the fall. Decline in office uniforms was because of some companies discontinued using employee uniforms and some companies needed smaller number of employees as a result of automating the business processes to improve productivity. Decreasing school uniforms is affected by fewer children in the society.  

Noteworthy Topics

Uniforms with Electric Fans (Air Conditioning Uniforms) Showing Favorable Sales

Uniforms with electric fans (air conditioning uniforms) are newly developed working uniforms that have small electric fans at the right and left sides of the hips, aiming to maintain coolness inside the clothing and to vaporize the sweat by bringing in the fresh air into the surface of the human body. They are mainly used at construction sites.

In the status where construction for the facilities used for 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games and improvement of infrastructure have been in progress, air conditioning uniforms have attracted attention as the solution against the intense heat. The sales of such uniforms have been remarkably good, as some retailers at some regions have sold out. However, in the mid-term view, the demand of such uniforms is projected to be affected by negative influence, as the construction demand in the wake of the Olympic and Paralympic games is expected to fall.

Future Outlook

The domestic uniform market based on the shipment value at manufacturers is likely to achieve 539,600 million yen by FY2021.

As the demands are projected to continue growing for the future by both constructions associated with Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games and services at hotels and restaurants visited by increasing number of foreign tourists, uniforms for construction sites and food services are highly likely to expand. However, the market is regarded to enter decreasing phase for the future, due to uncertain construction demand in the wake of the Olympic Games, diminishing long-term working population, and vagueness in the future inbound tourism demand.

The moves by those companies abandoning office uniforms and having fewer employees due to automated business processes for higher productivity are to increase, the market of school uniforms, too, is projected to scale down, because of smaller number of children and price hike of wool. Therefore, both the office and school uniforms are expected to decline.

Research Outline