Contemporary and premium brands now make up 31% of department store fashion floors
High-street and mid-range labels hold 22% of the same women's fashion business, the trade body found.
Contemporary and premium brands now account for 31% of the women's fashion business inside department stores, according to a new report from the International Association of Department Stores, or IADS. High-street and mid-range brands hold 22% of the same segment, and a category the IADS calls "advanced contemporary" takes a further 21%.
The IADS gathered the figures from its member stores, which together run more than 563 stores across 32 countries. The trade body frames the split as evidence that luxury remains under pressure while the tiers beneath it gain ground on fashion floors.
The names repeating across the member bestseller lists are consistent from market to market, the IADS said, spanning the United States, Germany, Ukraine and the Middle East. In contemporary, those are Sandro, Maje, Max Mara and Self-Portrait. Higher up the price ladder, Victoria Beckham, Ami Paris and Jacquemus recur most often.
Individual retailers are already shifting stock accordingly. At Tryano in Abu Dhabi, operator Chalhoub identified the €400 to €800 price bracket as delivering the strongest sell-throughs. In Mexico, El Palacio de Hierro has redirected part of its open-to-buy budget toward affordable luxury and entry price points, a move it made to offset weaker sales at the higher end.
Denim is behaving differently by market. The IADS reported declines in some regions alongside what it called "explosive growth" in the United States, where price increases have been absorbed without customer resistance. The body's advice to members is to lean into fit diversity, so shoppers feel they need multiple styles rather than a single replacement for an old pair.
Online sales continue to take share within the women's fashion category. The channel generated about 22% of department store sales in 2025, up from 20% the year before, the IADS figures show.
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