$284.8B
U.S. clothing and accessories retail sales
Clothing and clothing accessories retailers reported $284.8 billion in 2022 sales, according to the U.S. Economic Census.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, 2022 ↗Reference page
U.S. apparel retail & clothing industry statistics
Reliable figures for writers, shoppers, retailers and anyone tracking how clothing is made, sold and returned in the United States.
At a glance
Numbers with a source behind them.
Every figure below links to its original source and names the year it represents. Retail data, manufacturing employment and waste data are reported separately, because they measure different parts of the clothing economy.
$86.2B
Electronic and mail-order apparel sales
Electronic shopping and mail-order apparel sales accounted for $86.2 billion in 2022, based on Census bridge statistics for clothing retail.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, 2022 ↗52,909
Clothing retail firms
The United States had 52,909 clothing and clothing-accessories retail firms in 2022, down from 56,731 in 2017.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 ↗121,610
Clothing retail establishments
Those firms operated 121,610 U.S. clothing and clothing-accessories retail establishments in 2022.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 ↗$10.8B
Men’s clothing store sales
U.S. men’s clothing stores recorded $10.8 billion in 2022 sales, up 27.9% from the previous year.
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Retail Trade Survey, 2022 ↗72,000
Apparel manufacturing jobs
U.S. apparel manufacturing employed 72,000 people in August 2026, seasonally adjusted. The preliminary figure was 72,200 in July.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 ↗17M tons
Textiles generated as municipal waste
The EPA estimated 17 million tons of textiles were generated in U.S. municipal solid waste in 2018, or 5.8% of the total that year.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 ↗13%
Clothing and footwear recycling rate
The EPA estimated a 13% recycling rate for clothing and footwear in 2018, using information from the American Textile Recycling Service.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 ↗15.8%
Retail sales expected to be returned
Retailers estimated that 15.8% of annual sales would be returned in 2025. This is a retail-wide measure, not an apparel-only figure.
National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, 2025 ↗How to read these figures
One industry, several useful views.
Retail-sales figures describe purchases through clothing retailers. Manufacturing employment describes U.S. jobs producing apparel. Waste and recycling figures describe materials after use. Taken together, they give a clearer view than treating one number as the whole story.
Dates matter. Some of the most complete public datasets are published after a delay, so the date beside each statistic is the data year, not a claim that every figure represents today.
Methodology & sources
Built for clear citation.
This page brings together public data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Retail Federation. Statistics are reproduced as reported, with context added only to clarify what each measure covers.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census: U.S. clothing and accessories retail sales (2022) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census: Electronic and mail-order apparel sales (2022) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: Clothing retail firms (2022) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: Clothing retail establishments (2022) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Retail Trade Survey: Men’s clothing store sales (2022) ↗
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Apparel manufacturing jobs (August 2026) ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Textiles generated as municipal waste (2018) ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Clothing and footwear recycling rate (2018) ↗
- National Retail Federation and Happy Returns: Retail sales expected to be returned (2025) ↗
Cite this page
Inkspired Creations. “U.S. Apparel Retail & Clothing Industry Statistics.” Updated October 13, 2026. https://inksprd.com/apparel-industry-statistics/