Brand-Conscious Shoppers Spend Twice as Much as Price-Focused Buyers

Quick Facts

30% of brand-conscious shoppers spent more than $200 on clothing in the last three months, versus 15% of price-conscious shoppers.
Only 24% of Americans say brand matters most when buying clothes, trailing price (66%) and fit (55%).
Nike leads brand consideration among brand-conscious shoppers at 57%, followed by Adidas at 47% and Levi’s at 43%.

Brand loyalty is a minority position among American clothing shoppers. But that minority spends at a dramatically higher rate than the rest of the market, according to a YouGov Profiles analysis published Monday.

Just 24% of U.S. clothing shoppers say brand is a primary factor in where they shop. Price drives 66%, and finding the right fit influences 55%.

Despite their smaller numbers, brand-conscious shoppers punch above their weight. Three in ten spent more than $200 on clothing in the past three months. Only 15% of price-conscious shoppers reached that threshold.

Who These Shoppers Are

Brand-conscious shoppers skew male and millennial. Men account for 53% of this group, compared to 46% of price-conscious shoppers. Millennials make up 32% of brand-conscious buyers versus 29% of price-conscious ones.

Income differences exist but are not the full story. Some 13% of brand-conscious shoppers fall into higher-income brackets, versus 10% of price-conscious shoppers. But lower-income consumers still represent 31% of the brand-conscious group, showing that emotional attachment to brands cuts across income levels.

Price-conscious shoppers were more likely to have bought nothing at all in the three-month window: 20% versus 13% of brand-conscious shoppers.

What Drives Each Group

Quality is the clearest motivator for brand-conscious buyers. Some 28% cite best-quality products as their main reason for choosing a retailer, compared to 17% of price-conscious shoppers. Price-conscious shoppers flip that script: 26% cite cheapest overall prices as their top motivator, versus 15% of brand-conscious buyers.

Special offers attract both groups at nearly identical rates, 17% and 18% respectively.

Which Brands Win

Nike holds the highest consideration among brand-conscious clothing shoppers at 57%. Adidas ranks second at 47%. Levi’s sits third at 43%, followed by Old Navy at 42%.

Calvin Klein and American Eagle show the largest relative gap between the two shopper types. Calvin Klein scores 31% consideration among brand-conscious shoppers versus 20% among price-conscious ones. American Eagle matches that spread, 30% to 20%.

Old Navy draws more evenly across both groups, with 42% consideration among brand-conscious shoppers and 38% among price-conscious ones, giving it broad reach but less audience differentiation.

The Broader Pressure on Brand Loyalty

The economic backdrop is working against brand-conscious spending. Deloitte surveyed 9,000 U.S. consumers between September 2024 and May 2025 and found four in ten Americans now qualify as value seekers. Sixty percent of consumers say they switched from a brand they were loyal to because of cost in 2025.

Consumers buying only brand-name products dropped from 21% to 10% year over year. Those mixing brand-name and private label products jumped from 56% to 68%.

Forrester projected brand loyalty would decline by 25% in 2025 as rising prices push shoppers toward value-driven decisions.

Deloitte retail research leader Lupine Skelly said retailers must move from broad tactics to targeted ones. “Winning in this environment will entail strengthening loyalty programs, providing improved shopping experiences through AI and machine learning, focusing on shopper convenience, and ensuring retailers have the right mix of discounts and promotions,” Skelly said.

What This Means for Operators

Brand-conscious shoppers represent a small but high-value segment. They buy more, spend more per transaction, and are less likely to walk away empty-handed. For DTC brands competing on identity and quality rather than price, this segment offers real upside.

The risk is retention. Deloitte found that 65% of consumers would consider switching brands if prices feel too high. Loyalty programs and personalized value propositions are becoming the tools brands use to hold this audience as economic pressure builds.