Number of jobs in clothing retail in the EU

In 2023, employment in clothing retail was 1.188.250. Between 2018 and 2023, the EU clothing retail sector lost more than 100,000 employees, while more than 30,000 stores closed. This corresponds to an overall decline of 7.9% in employment and 10.9% in the number of registered companies. Employment fell most sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, recovered partially between 2021 and 2022, and then declined slightly in 2023. Over the same period, the number of clothing retail stores declined steadily, from more than 280,000 in 2018 to around 250,000 in 2023.

Among Member States with available country data, only Romania (7.6%) and Portugal (0.2%) recorded employment growth in textiles retail over this period. Large markets such as Germany (-22.2%), the Netherlands (-13.6%) and Spain (-6.4%) recorded significant declines.

Although the COVID-19 crisis accelerated these developments, the challenges facing the European apparel retail sector appear to be structural rather than driven by lower clothing consumption. The weakening of physical retail reflects a longer-term shift in consumer behaviour linked to digitalisation (Fasan, 2026). E-commerce and specialised online platforms have increased their sales shares by offering broader product ranges, price comparisons, convenient delivery, and easier returns. In 2024, clothes, shoes and accessories were the most popular product category for private online purchases in the EU, with 46% of internet users having bought or ordered items online (EURATEX, 2025).  

Second-hand platforms have also gained traction, adding pressure on physical outlets selling new clothing (Fasan, 2026). More recently, ultra-fast fashion platforms have added to the pressure. In 2024, around 4.6 billion low-value consignments entered the EU market, roughly twice as many as in 2023, raising concerns about unfair competition for EU sellers and the environmental impacts of the imported goods (EC, 2025a). This includes imports from ultra-fast fashion companies, which benefit from lower social and environmental compliance requirements and regulatory loopholes (EURATEX, 2025).