New research conducted by scholars at the University of Nevada, Reno and Washington State University finds that clothing retailers that expand their range of product sizes to better serve a wider range of body types can meaningfully improve consumers’ perceptions of their brands and increase sales in the process. 

The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Retailing, finds that offering extended sizing (sizes 00 – 32 or XS – 4XL) increases consumers’ perceptions of the retailer’s inclusiveness and trustworthiness. These positive evaluations translate into a greater willingness to pay for the retailer’s products and increases purchase intentions, even among shoppers who do not wear extended sizes.

“Offering an inclusive range of clothing sizes is good business,” said Deepika Naidu, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business. “When retailers make clothing for bodies of all sizes, consumers recognize, and subsequently reward, that commitment to inclusivity.”  

Co-author Elizabeth Howlett, professor of marketing & international business at Washington State University’s Carson College of Business, emphasized that sizing is both an economic and social equity issue: “Our findings highlight how inclusive product strategies can support fairness while also strengthening customer relationships and improve financial performance,” she said. 

During the study, researchers conducted four studies to test how a retailer’s range of clothing sizes influenced consumers’ brand evaluations. The apparel retailers either offered only standard sizes (up to size 14), standard sizes and a limited assortment of extended-size options (16-32 or XL - 4XL), or a full assortment of both standard and extended-size options. 

Across all studies, consumers considered retailers that offered a full assortment of both standard and extended-size product options to be more inclusive and trustworthy than less inclusive retailers. They were also willing to pay significantly more for products from these size-inclusive retail brands. 

Even just offering some products in extended sizes, as compared to only offering standard sizes, improved consumers’ evaluations of the retailer. 

More than two-thirds of American women wear clothes outside the range of standard sizes, yet many brands continue to limit the availability of extended sizes. 

“Consumers increasingly want to support brands that reflect equity and fairness,” Naidu said. “Inclusive sizing sends a powerful signal about the retailer’s values.”