The lingerie market - France (2025)

1.2 Strong growth in the global lingerie market

growing rapidly, the global lingerie market is estimated at US$**.* billion in ****, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% between **** and ****, reaching US$**.* billion in ****.

Global lingerie market size World, ****-*****, in billions of US dollars Source: ****

This market can rely on various growth levers, such as the increase in the number of active women, the multiplication of online offerings and influencer strategies, and product innovation[***]. Share of working women in the population European Union - North America - East Asia, **** - ****, as % of working population Source: ****

There is a general upward trend in the proportion of working women in the population, with more marked growth in the EU, which has caught up with the USA. The share of women in the EU workforce has risen by five percentage points in ** years.

1.3 French lingerie market in decline

To begin with, to study the lingerie market, we can look at the place this sector occupies among the best-selling new garments.

underwear and hosiery will be one of the top-selling clothing categories in France in ****, with nearlyone billion new units sold.

Top * best-selling clothing categories France, ****, in millions Source: ****

They account for almost **% of apparel sales, as shown in the chart below.

Apparel sales by category France, ****, in Source: ****

Below, we can determine the sales of the lingerie, hosiery and nightwear segments. In ****, sales of women's lingerie totaled *.** billion euros. The market is thus declining in both value and volume (***).

French lingerie and footwear market size France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Similarly, at the start of ****, the lingerie sector isat half-mastlikeimage of the overall fashion sector. Thus, during thefirst quarter of ****,**% of French people bought lingeriecompared to **% in early ****.

This decline is reflected in the graph below:

Spending in millions on the lingerie market France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

So, the aim of the lingerie sector today is to attract and capture both in-store and online purchases.

1.4 International trade: dependence on imports

The figures in this section are obtained from the following UN Comtrade codes: Jumpsuits and petticoats: ******, ******, ******, ****** Briefs and panties: ******, ******, ****** Pyjamas and nightgowns: **** Nighties, robes, bathrobes: ******, ******, ****** Bras: **** To obtain the coverage rate, we apply the following formula: Coverage rate = (***) x ***. On the lingerie market, France's coverage rate is **%. The trade balance is therefore negative. We also note that the trend is towards imports, with *.** billion euros worth of products imported in ****. France's lingerie trade balance France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

The growing importance of imports in the balance of trade can be explained by the fact that many brands export part or all of their production to foreign countries, mainly Asia. In the "bras and brassieres" category, for example, China alone will account for around */* of French imports by ****.

Main export partners for bras, girdles, corsets, suspenders (***) France, ****, in Source: ****

In ****, China was by far France's leading supplier of bras, girdles, corsets, suspenders (***), accounting for almost a quarter of total imports. Vietnam and Bangladesh complete the podium with *.*% and *.*% respectively.

Main export partners for bras, girdles, corsets, suspenders (***) France, ****, in Source: ****

2.1 Lingerie: a deprioritized purchase

For some years now, we've been witnessing a visible loss of customers in stores and on the Internet.

In fact, there are several factors that may explain this drop in consumption.

The first is the rise of the "no bra" trend, describing"the fact of not (***) wearing a bra". It asserts the liberalization of women's bodies. It's also a way of reclaiming one's body, of accepting it and of increasing comfort. Finally, for some women, it's a militant act aimed at denouncing the hypersexualization of the breast.

In France, nearly *% of women never wear a bra, and nearly**% of **-** year-olds, showing that a new generation of "no bra" is developing.

Proportion of European women never wearing a bra France, ****, in Source: ****

This trend has become more democratic and has largelyemerged in the wake of the Covid confinement, a period during which more women decided to stop wearing bras, notably for comfort.

No-bra practice: the legacy of confinement France, ****, in Source: ****

The inflationary context also has a direct impact on the global apparel industry. Thus, as shown in the graph below, underwear is the first piece of clothing that women decide to cut back on, between **** and **** .

Number of items of ...

2.2 Demand drivers

age of French bra wearers France, ****, in Source: ****

The main segment of the population consuming women's lingerie is made up of women aged between ** and **. However, the other segments, apart from the under-**s, are still well represented.

With France's aging population, these trends are likely to become more pronounced in the years ahead.

average age of women France (***), **** - ****, in years Source: ****

in addition, the following graph shows the distribution of the female population by age bracket.

Breakdown of female population by age group France, ****, in % Source: INSEE Source: ****

We can also see that bra wearing is more marked among middle-class and working-class women than among upper-class women.

Social classes of bra-wearing women France, ****, in Source: ****

What's more, bra-wearing is also very marked among people in couples, whetheror not they live together, more so than among single people, according to the following graph.

Marital status of women not wearing a bra France, ****, in Source: ****

On the other hand, when it comes to bra buyers, and not just those likely to wear them, we can observe the following male/female breakdown according to the different lingerie products.

Gender profile of women's lingerie customers France, ****, in Source: ****

In particular, the Institut Français ...

2.3 Demand trends

Let's take a look at the consumption habits of French men and women when it comes to lingerie.

First, let's look at the timing of lingerie purchases, as shown in the graph below.

Frequency of lingerie purchases by women France, ****, in Source: ****

Seasonality of sales

The graph below, which describes the variations in searches for the word "lingerie" on Google, highlights the seasonality of the lingerie market.

The results reflect the proportion of searches for a given keyword in a specific region and time period, compared to the region with the highest rate of use of that keyword (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword was used half as often in the region and period concerned, and a value of * means that the data for this keyword is insufficient.

It appears that interest in lingerie is particularly strong at the end of the year, notably due to the festive season, when lingerie shopping is particularly popular.

Search interest for the term "lingerie France, ****-****, Google Trends index Source: ****

Furthermore, the graph highlights the decline in consumption that characterizes the lingerie market we discussed in a previous section.

What are they buying?

The graph below highlights the elements considered most seductive. ...

2.4 France's favourite lingerie brands

First, we can determine the favorite lingerie brands of the French.

Preferred brands of the French **** France, ****, in Source: ****

In addition, we can analyze consumer differences between certain brands. For example, Etam seems to attract a younger clientele than Aubade Lingerie.

Gendered breakdown of top * lingerie brands France, ****, in Source: ****

3.1 Lingerie production

French women's lingerie manufacturers are listed in the Insee register under the code :

NAF **.**Z: manufacture of men's, women's and children's underwear and nightwear from fabrics, knitted fabrics, lace, etc.

Although this code refers to a broader category than the scope of this study, it is still indicative of the evolution of lingerie production.

Sales of lingerie manufacturing France, ****-****, in billions of euros ex VAT Source: ****

Despite the "made in France" trend, French lingerie production is declining and is in the minority. In fact, the number of establishments and employees registered under NAF code ****Z is falling.

Number of establishments and employees in the lingerie sector France, **** - **** Source: ****

According to the Fédération indépendante du Made in France, French manufacturing accounted for less than *.*% of sales by value and *.*% by volume in ****. However, new brands are emerging and meeting with growing success, such as Jolie Frenchy or La Jarretière Française.

Among French women's favorite brands analyzed in section *.*, only Dim manufactures part of its range (***) in France.

According toInsee, **% of women's lingerie production is outsourced.

3.2 Lingerie distribution

Lingerie distribution in France is dominated by inner-city chains , which hold **% of the market by value. In June ****, GSAs will account for **% of lingerie distribution in France. This is followed by online sales and out-of-town chains.

Breakdown of lingerie distribution by channel France, ****, in Source: ****

From a dynamic point of view, specialized chains still dominate the sector. Mass retailers (***) and independent multi-brand retailers, on the other hand, are losing market share and are affected by falling sales. Other channels remain relatively stable. [***]

Below, we can also see the different market shares of the players in lingerie spending. The biggest lingerie brands are Etam, Leclerc and Rougegorge.

Market share of players in lingerie spending France, ****, in Source: ****

In addition, the proportion of purchases made over the Internet is increasing rapidly, whether on the websites of chains operating in both physical and online networks, those of pure-players or those of distance-selling players.

While the weight of online spending had reached almost **% in January ****, the reopening of stores has signalled its decline. Over the quarter, online sales accounted for **.*% of women's lingerie sales, down *.* points on the same period in **** and *.* points on ****. [***]

4.1 Typology of the lingerie offer

The table below provides a non-exhaustive overview of the types of products that make up the lingerie market in France.

The lingerie market can be broken down into four categories: corsetry, daywear, nightwear and footwear.

Source: ****

The bra segment is the most important in the sector. They account for around **% of women's lingerie sales. [***]

4.2 Pricing lingerie

Women's lingerie is listed in the Insee register under code : **.*.*.*.*: Lingerie, women's nightwear.

Consumer prices for lingerie are relatively stable, as shown in the graph below.

Consumer price index for lingerie and women's nightwear France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

However, we can see that the clothing sector in general, and lingerie in particular, has been hit by inflation, with consumer prices rising as early as ****.

Now, let's take a closer look at the average budget dedicated to thepurchase of panties and bras.

Average budget for panties / bras France, ****, in Source: ****

In addition, the average budget spent may vary according to the distribution channel, i.e. web or in-store.

Average budget by distribution channel France, ****, in euros Source: ****

Below, we list the different lingerie brands accessible by price according to the OpinionWay **** survey.

Brands accessible by price France, ****, in Source: ****

Prices for women's lingerie vary according to product range and distribution channel. Lingerie is generally less expensive in supermarkets and general ready-to-wear stores. conversely, specialized brands are often characterized by higher prices.

4.3 Supply trends

Gender-neutral lingerie

In recent months, collections/brands of "gender neutral" lingerie have been multiplying. New brands are emerging, such as KON, launched in ****, which has seen the concept of gender-neutral lingerie take off: whether it's for the demand for unisex lingerie or because comfort is now a priority. According to BCG data, between *% and *% of people in European countries identify themselves as non-binary, transgender or fluid. In the United States, one adult in five knows someone who uses a gender-neutral pronoun.

Demand for gender-neutral products is strongest among younger consumers, such as Generation Z and millennials. More than half of them believe that the binary division of the sexes is outdated, and instead support "queerness" and the abandonment of labels. What's more, almost half (***) of other generations appreciate brands that don't define products by gender, according to a McKinsey study.

Lingerie is one of the fashion sectors that is adapting most rapidly as barriers come down. Brands already established in the market have chosen to be at the forefront of these evolutions: Undiz and Etam have entered this segment in **** and **** respectively.

The new sexy lingerie

In the same vein, we're seeing the emergence of a new concept for lingerie brands: ...

5.1 Regulations

The lingerie market is subject to the same regulations as the wider clothing market. The main rules are as follows.

In-store sales

In-store sales are subject to certain rules summarized by Legalplace:

Safety and accessibility standards[***] [Service Public Mandatory employee signage Indication of prices inside and outside the store in euros and including VAT Mandatory contribution to SACEM if music is played on the premises

Clothing labels

Clothing labels must include :

Composition label: This is mandatory and must be affixed to the product, legible and written in French. Care label: This is optional, but helps avoid professional liability in the event of care-related problems. Size designation: This can be numerical or alphabetical.

[***]

Made in France and labels

The "Made in France" label is obtained by complying with the non-preferential rules of origin applied to imports by customs authorities. In short, the product takes its origin from the country where it underwent its last substantial transformation. [***]

Made in France labels guarantee greater visibility on the origin of products. For example, the France Terre Textile label guarantees that at least **% of the manufacturing stages have been carried out in France[***]

The Made in responsable website describes several textile labels and their limitations. ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Etam Lingerie
• DIM Brands international
• Kiabi Europe
• Asos
• Zalando
• La Redoute AMPM
• Aubade
• Chantelle
• Victoria's Secret
• Petit Bateau
• Simone et Georges
• Ysé (Etam Groupe)
• Undiz (Etam Groupe)
• Artmartin
• Wolf Lingerie
• Eminence
• Livy
• Odea
• Allande
• Rouge Gorge Lingerie (Groupe Mulliez)