Blending Away From Consumer Demand: The Impact of the 2011 Cotton Price Spike On Retail Offerings and Consumers' Reactions Towards Fiber Substitution

The cotton price spike in 2011, along with other rising input costs, prompted U.S. apparel retailers and brands to reevaluate and alter their apparel offerings.  While numerous retailers and brands used fiber substitution as a mechanism to cut costs, there is limited research available on the impact of fiber substitution on cotton’s share at retail and consumers’ attitudes shifts in cotton’s share.  This paper will utilize Cotton Incorporated’s Retail Monitor™ and Lifestyle Monitor™ surveys to identify retail channels and product categories in which cotton has lost share and investigate consumers’ reactions towards fiber substitution and other changes at retail.  Results from this paper will give the industry insight into the impact of the 2011 cotton price spike on cotton’s share of apparel offerings at retail, as well as, the consumer fallout over higher-priced, less cotton-rich clothing.