Which brands stand out among brand-conscious clothes shoppers?

Around a quarter of Americans (24%) say the brand matters when choosing where to buy clothes. That places it well behind price (66%) and finding the right fit (55%). But brand-conscious shoppers remain an audience worth examining, particularly given they are twice as likely as price-conscious shoppers to have spent more than $200 on clothing in the last three months.

YouGov Profiles data shows how brand-conscious shoppers differ from price-conscious consumers, and which brands over-index most strongly among them.

Who are America’s brand-conscious clothes shoppers?

Millennials make up 32% of brand-conscious clothes shoppers, compared with 29% of price-conscious shoppers. Gen Z represents a further 28% of the brand-conscious group, against 26% of the comparison audience.

While the differences are not dramatic, collectively they suggest brand-conscious shoppers are more likely to be younger. Gen X accounts for 21% of this audience, while Baby Boomers represent 17%. Among price-conscious shoppers, the corresponding figures are 23% and 21%.

Brand-conscious clothes shoppers are also slightly more likely to be men. Men account for 53% of this group, compared to 46% of price-conscious clothes shoppers.

Income shows an even clearer distinction. Some 13% of brand-conscious shoppers fall into the higher-income category, compared with 10% of price-conscious shoppers. Conversely, lower-income consumers account for 31% of the brand-conscious audience and 36% of the price-conscious group.

Brand-conscious shoppers spend more on clothing

The difference between the two audiences becomes clearer when looking at their clothing spend over the previous three months.

Three in ten brand-conscious shoppers (30%) spent more than $200 during this period, almost twice as many as the 15% recorded among price-conscious shoppers. Price-conscious shoppers were also more likely to have bought nothing: 20% vs 13%

Quality matters more than low prices to brand-conscious shoppers

The clearest difference between the two groups lies in what drives their choice of retailer.

More than a quarter of brand-conscious clothes shoppers (28%) say the best-quality products were their main motivation, compared with 17% of price-conscious shoppers. The pattern reverses for the cheapest overall prices, cited by 26% of price-conscious shoppers and 15% of brand-conscious shoppers.

Special offers appeal to both groups at similar levels, attracting 17% and 18%, respectively. Brand-conscious shoppers are also slightly more likely to cite trust in the company, while a wide product range draws comparable shares.

Which brands appeal most to brand-conscious shoppers?

Looking at the most considered brands among brand-conscious shoppers, several established sportswear brands stand out. Nike has the highest Consideration among brand-conscious clothes shoppers, at 57%. adidas ranks in second place at 47%. New Balance, Under Armour, Sketchers and The North Face rank in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively. Beyond sportswear brands, Levi’s (#3, 43%), Old Navy (#4, 42%), and Calvin Klein (#10, 31%) conclude the top 10.

Calvin Klein and American Eagle show sharper differentiation

When comparing Consideration among brand-conscious shoppers with price-conscious shoppers, strong differences emerge. Calvin Klein records the largest relative uplift in the ranking, with Consideration at 31% among brand-conscious shoppers versus 20% among price-conscious shoppers. American Eagle follows closely, at 30% versus 20%.

Neither leads on absolute Consideration, but both stand out for how much more strongly they appeal to brand-conscious shoppers. Gap also over-indexes with this audience, while Levi’s reaches a larger share overall but shows a much smaller relative difference.

Skechers, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom all record slightly higher Consideration among price-conscious shoppers than among brand-conscious shoppers.

Old Navy is more evenly balanced, with Consideration of 42% among brand-conscious shoppers and 38% among price-conscious shoppers, giving it broad reach but limited audience differentiation.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. The figures used in this analysis are drawn from responses collected between August 2025 and August 2026. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the U.S. and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.