Pockets are a Significant, Untapped Market

What starts with a P and ends with an S that every single woman dreams about? POCKETS!

Real world pocket CTA in store!

We pulled data from Semrush to make this point: people want pockets!  It took us a few minutes to do this data-dive that reveals an enormous, untapped market. Across just four main clothing categories, there is a combined total of over 257,300 monthly searches for items with pockets. This staggering volume confirms that pockets are not a minor detail but a primary, non-negotiable purchasing criterion for hundreds of thousands of shoppers.

Key Finding: Market Demand Exceeds a Quarter of a Million Monthly Searches

Pockets Breakdown by Clothing Category

Checking Semrush quickly, we can see that shorts, dresses, skirts and women's pants are sought with pockets. The demand is not evenly distributed. "Shorts" are the clear leader, accounting for over half of the total search volume. There’s a caveat: this specific query is gender-neutral. Men also want shorts with pockets. They want shorts with pockets with such an intensity that they represent almost 50% of the shorts category we looked at. 

This is likely driven by athletic and lifestyle needs, as evidenced by top keywords. We have some running shorts, biking shorts, gym shorts, running shorts, you name it! Disclaimer: we did some back of the napkin data analysis. We’re not paid for this, we just want pockets! However, if you are curious like us (and want pockets), check out this table breaking down the top monthly searches for each category:

Clothing Category	Total Monthly Search Volume	Top Commercial Keywords
Shorts	143,800	biker shorts with pockets (1.9K), running shorts with phone pocket (1.9K), bike shorts with pockets (1.6K)
Dresses	75,300	dress with pockets (1.9K), dresses with pockets (1.9K), black dress with pockets (720)
Skirts	24,500	skirts with pockets (1.0K), skirt with pockets (720), maxi skirt with pockets (590)
Pants	13,700	women's cargo pants with pockets (590), women's pants with pockets (480), women's yoga pants with pockets (480)

The Strategic Implications of Pockets

The data reveals more than just volume; it exposes user intent, frustration, and a clear path to higher conversions if you help customers find clothing items with pockets. 

1. High Commercial Intent: Shoppers use specific, long-tail keywords like running shorts with phone pocket and biker shorts with pockets. This shows they are actively looking for a solution to a specific need and are ready to buy.

2. Active User Frustration: Search queries for pants include questions like why do women's pants not have pockets. This is a direct signal from the market that a core need is being consistently ignored, creating an opportunity for any brand that listens.

3. DIY Intent Proves It's a "Must-Have": For dresses and skirts, users are searching for instructions on how to add pockets to a dress (260 monthly searches). When customers are willing to perform alterations themselves, it proves the feature is a necessity, not just a preference.

4. Clear SEO & UX Mandate: This data provides an undeniable business case. Creating dedicated filters, categories, and landing pages for clothing "with pockets" is the most direct way to capture this high-intent traffic, improve the user experience, and increase sales.

5. We really, really, really want pockets. It bears repeating.

   
   

Build the "Pockets" Filter Now

Given the high search volume for women's clothing with pockets, particularly in categories like shorts and dresses, online clothing brands should implement a pocket filter in their women's section. This filter would cater to the substantial number of shoppers actively seeking garments with pockets, as evidenced by specific search terms like "running shorts with phone pocket" and "dress with pockets." Implementing such a filter would significantly improve user experience, streamline the shopping process for customers with this specific need, and likely increase conversion rates by directly addressing a key purchasing criterion. We advise you to create landing pages or category pages for men’s shorts with pockets. 

The Glorious Annex

Here’s some information straight from Semrush: