Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LONDON, Mar 1, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Spurred by plunging prices, British women are buying twice as much clothing as 10 years ago -- so-called "fast-fashion" that may be worn briefly and pitched.
Women's clothing prices have fallen 34 percent since 1995 as new chains have moved into Britain. Supermarkets have added clothing and budget stores carry fresh French designs within weeks of their release in Paris.
"We're in uncharted waters," Richard Hyman of retail analyst Verdict Research told the London Daily Mail.
"Our forecasts do not anticipate any major increase in retail price inflation ever again," Hyman said. "Over the last 10 years, we calculate that women have doubled the average number of items they buy themselves in a year."
Prices have gotten so low that many women use clothing briefly and, rather than washing it, simply throw the fast-fashion garment away.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
