Are some trade groups gaining market share?
Market share is a very important measure of success for most retailers. With over $307 billion in retail sales in 2002, every retailer and industry analyst wants to know who has the biggest piece of that pie or who is growing faster. In addition, understanding market share is an important step towards understanding the often fickle consumer. Clothing store sales illustrate how market share can change. Table 4 shows that between 1997 and 2002, general merchandise stores (including department stores) lost clothing share. Gains were made by specialised clothing stores and sporting goods stores, with the latter increasing their market share by over half.
