The lingerie market - France (2024)

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, **** - ****, in % 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

Including the nightwear and footwear segments, the French lingerie market is estimated at *.** billion euros in March **** (***). In detail: the underwear market was worth *.** billion euros in March ****, compared with *.** billion euros in March ****. After a slight recession during the covid period, the market returned to its pre-covid level.

The sector is therefore up *.*% in value terms on the previous period (***), but down *.*% on its pre-Covid level. KANTAR

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

Excluding the footwear and night/interiors segments, the French lingerie market has also been shrinking in recent years, but has appeared relatively stable since ****, worth *.** billion euros over ****/****. French lingerie market size France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

However, the decline in sales is not negligible, amounting to **.*% between **** and ****.

This is due to the fact that the women's apparel market has been in continuous crisis for over ten years now, with sales falling by **% to **% since ****, depending on the market category.

This general decline in women's apparel consumption in France applies to the lingerie market, all the more so as lingerie purchases are becoming increasingly functional and lingerie budgets are falling. Thus, in ****, the decline in the lingerie ...

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. Taking the "bras and brassieres" category as an 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: ****

When it comes to exports, the top five are exclusively European partners, all of them neighboring countries. In ...

2.1 Consumer profile

Who's buying?

Consumer profiles remain broadly the same, and trends are likely to become more pronounced. Indeed, the main segment of the population consuming women's lingerie is made up of women aged ** and over. As the French population ages, these trends are likely to become more pronounced in the years ahead.

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

Women over ** are the biggest buyers of lingerie, accounting for **.*% of French lingerie consumption. The trend is as follows: the older they are, the more lingerie they buy. Nevertheless, in recent years, the **-** segment has been particularly dynamic (***).

Breakdown of lingerie spending by age France, ****, in Source: Salon international de la lingerie However, it's important to look at these figures in relation to the percentage of the female population that these age groups represent. Breakdown of female population by age group France, ****, in % Source : INSEE This graph shows that the **+ age group over-consumes more than the others, with a **% gap between its weight in the female population and its share of lingerie expenditure. Between August and October ****, women's lingerie accounted for *.*% of total fashion spending. The average budget allocated to lingerie in the physical network is down by * euros in ...

2.2 Demand drivers

Buying criteria

The chart below illustrates the main lingerie characteristics that women are looking for.

Comfort, cited by **% of women surveyed, is by far the top lingerie purchasing criterion. This condition is confirmed by another Ipsos survey, which shows that when choosing between wearing lingerie that is above all sexy or above all comfortable, **% opt for comfort. This trend seems to be gaining momentum, and brands are rapidly turning their attention to comfort. In fact, Kim Kardashian launched her Skims lingerie brand in ****, featuring bras without underwire and for all types of breasts. This brand, which focuses on comfort and practicality, quickly became a hit with women: sales rose by **% during **** before reaching a valuation of *** million euros[***].

Sensuality, however, is the second most important criterion for buying lingerie, with **% of women surveyed citing it and **% citing it first.

To a lesser extent, women also look for simplicity (***).

Women's expectations of their lingerie France, ****, in Source: ****

By contrast, according to men, who make up *% of the customer base, sensuality is the top purchasing criterion, being cited by **% overall and **% first. Comfort (***).   Barriers to purchase However, women can encounter difficulties when it comes to buying lingerie, which can slow down their purchases. ...

2.3 Demand trends

Functional purchasing and comfort

Purchases seem to be refocusing on functional products, with the growing success of nude shades, for example, the bralette model, considered more comfortable because it has no underwire, or sports lingerie.sales of the bralette rose by *% between **** and ****[***]. In this vein, sports lingerie is also growing in popularity. Many classic lingerie brands now carry a range of sports lingerie: this is the case for Etam, Dim, Darjeeling and Chantelle.

Body diversity and inclusive fashion

The lingerie industry is transforming itself to become more inclusive. The celebration of body diversity is replacing the standard beauty codes that used to dominate the lingerie sector.

The lingerie market is characterized by a mismatch between supply and demand, particularly when it comes to sizes. Sizes ** and ** are the most common women's sizes in France, yet sizes ** and ** are the most common in stores. Women wearing size ** have * times more choice than those wearing size **[***].

The range is diversifying to meet demand in terms of size and color. Similarly, brand communications and advertising increasingly feature muses and models with varied profiles and bodies. This is particularly true of the Victoria's Secret brand, which recruited * new models in ****: Lorena Duran, wearing a ...

2.4 Les marques de lingeries préférées des Français

D'abord, nous pouvons déterminer les marques préférées de lingerie des Français. 

Marques préférées des Français **** France, ****, en % Source: ****

Regardons de plus proche les différences genrées, d'âge et de classe sociale selon les profils sociologiques des Français.  

Répartition genrée du top * des marques de lingerie France, ****, en % Source: ****

De plus, on peut analyser les différences de consommateurs entre certaines marques. Par exemple, Etam semble attirer une clientèle plus jeune que Aubade Lingerie par exemple 

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 ****, **% of lingerie distribution in France will be concentrated in supermarkets. 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. [***]

Market share of top * retailers in terms of lingerie sales 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 Prices

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: ****

We can see that the sector has been strongly affected by inflation from **** onwards.

Furthermore, women's lingerie prices vary according to product range and distribution channel. Lingerie is generally less expensive in the mass-market and general ready-to-wear channels. 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 springing up, 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 ...

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 to 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 were 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