The swimwear market - France

1.2 A constantly growing global market

In ****, the global swimwear market was valued at $**.* billion. It is expected to reach $**.** billion by **** growing at a CAGR of *.**%,

Swimwear Market Size Evolution World, ****-****, US$ billion CAGR: +*.* Source: ****

The growth of the global market is mainly driven by the increase in population, the rise in water activities and vacations by the sea or pool, and the rise in product quality to meet the growing demand for increasingly sophisticated items.

1.3 A fragile market

The swimwear market in France, does not experience the same changes in volume or value.

According to Kantar, in **** **.* million pieces were sold over the past year, an increase of *.*%. But the sector's turnover, for its part, fell by *.*%, to *** million euros.

This decrease in prices is driven by an ever-increasing low-end offer with a multiplication of fast-fashion players investing the market (***)

Size of the French swimwear market France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

The swimwear market is part of a global apparel market that has been experiencing strong difficulties for several years. The sector's sluggishness can be explained by an overall decline in clothing consumption by French households, particularly women, who make up three quarters of the swimwear market's customers.

However, the swimwear market can count on the dynamism of the export market contributing to the increase in the sector's overall sales and on favorable weather conditions over the last few years, the weather being a determining factor for demand in the sector. In addition, there are significant growth drivers, in particular the ethical and eco-responsible segment.

1.4 International Trade

The data provided by Customs was obtained from the following codes:

French trade balance in swimwear France, ****-****, in millions of euros and in % Source: ****

France is a net importer of swimwear, but its coverage rate has greatly improved between **** and ****, gaining **.* percentage points.

2.1 Consumer profile

A majority of women

The women's segment is dominant and accounted for **.**% of swimwear sales in France in **** (***).[***]

In ****, **.* million pieces for women were sold nationwide for a total of *** million euros, an annual decline of *.**%.[***]

Women's swimwear market size France, ****-****, in millions of euros and items Source: ****

However, the revenue generated by women's swimwear sales fell by *.*% while sales volume increased by *.*%. This discrepancy in volume and value is mainly due to the growing weight of downtown and peripheral entry-level and mid-range chains that offer attractive prices.

Consumer preferences

As for the models preferred by French women, the one-piece swimsuit is the great favorite with **.*% of French women turning to this model. The big brands have widely exploited it since it became popular.

Women's preference regarding the type of swimsuit France, ****, % Source: ****

This graph highlights the types of swimwear preferred by the French between **** and ****. According to this survey, more than half of the respondents preferred a stylish one-piece swimsuit. However, about **.*% of respondents preferred a bikini.

According to Les Echos, between ****-****, * million one-piece swimsuits were sold in the hexagon, or nearly **% of all units if an estimated ** million swimsuits were sold. We can see that the purchase ...

2.2 Determinants of demand

Seasonality of sales

The results shown in the graph below reflect the proportion of searches for a given keyword in a specific region and time period, relative to the region with the highest usage of that keyword (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword was used half as often in the region and time period, and a value of * means that there is insufficient data for that keyword.

This highlights the seasonality of the swimwear market, which is reflected in the explosion of sales during the months of June, July and August. However, this seasonality can vary from one year to the next depending on the weather. In ****, for example, the weather was not particularly favorable until August, which delayed the increase in sales that usually begins to rise in April. As a result, June represented only *.*%, July **% and August **%. However, these figures are representative of the importance of these three months, since they accounted for half of the sales by themselves (***). [***]

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

Criteria of choice and brakes to the purchase

There are strong differences between men and women regarding the criteria for purchasing swimwear.

Women are more attentive ...

2.3 Demand trends

In the short term: The models in vogue

Regarding the models in vogue in recent years, several types of items stand out:

The one-piece swimsuit The high-waisted bikini The printed swimsuit The minimal bikini The underwire bikini [***]

In the long term: Eco-responsible, ethical fashion for everyone

In the longer term, a trend is developing that is taking root in the purchasing habits of French swimwear, as well as in clothing purchases in general. Indeed, the clothing market is changing in favor of more sustainable, eco-responsible and ethical items.

In the swimwear market, this change is reflected in the use of new materials, the emphasis on French production and improved manufacturing conditions. In particular, swimwear generally contains between * and **% elastane, a material that is difficult to replace, which encourages manufacturers to innovate and use new materials. [***]

As an example, the swimwear brand Apnea has chosen to partner with the Seaqual foundation to design an "ethical and innovative" line. Seaqual collects plastic waste found in fishing nets and on beaches to transform it into eco-responsible fiber that is then used to manufacture Apnée swimwear [***]

Finally, the clothing market in France is becoming aware of the models offered and the lack of diversity ...

2.4 The budget allocated to swimwear

Number of people buying swimwear by expenditure France, ****, in thousands of people eur Source: ****

In ****, approximately *.* million people spent between ** and ** euros on women's swimwear.

Number of people buying men's swimwear by expenditure France, ****, in thousands Source: Kantar Media TGI In ****, an estimated *.* million people will have spent between * and ** euros on men's swimwear.

3.1 Globalized production

The diagram below describes the different stages of the ready-to-wear value chain as it applies to the swimwear market. Using raw materials, textile producers manufacture and supply these textiles to swimwear producers. These producers make collections of products that are then distributed through various channels to the end users, namely French men and women.

Source: ****

The majority of clothing production distributed in France is subcontracted by market players and concentrated abroad. This relocation is explained by lower production costs and the specialization that some countries have acquired. **% of clothing sold in Europe is located on the Asian continent, particularly in China, India or Pakistan. [***]

It is mainly the luxury brands that maintain French production, even if relocation is increasing in the luxury sector. The production of Chanel, for example, is mainly concentrated in France, as for Hermès. [***]

If consumer demand for sustainable fashion is growing, and in particular the demand for local production, supply does not seem to follow this trend. Indeed, French production of clothing items seems to be shrinking as illustrated in the graph below.

French production of ready-to-wear clothing France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

3.2 Swimsuit distribution

There are several distribution channels:

Sports brands: Decathlon, Intersport, Go sport... Ready-to-wear brands that offer a swim line: Specialized swimwear and lingerie brands: Etam, Triumph International, Le Slip Français, Princesse TamTam, Undiz... Generalist ready-to-wear brands: H&M, C&A, Zara, Kiabi, Célio... Specialist swimwear brands: Eres, Pain de Sucre, Vilebrequin, Banana Moon, Mon petit bikini, etc. Digital pure-players : Amazon, Asos, Zalando, Veepee... Department stores: Galeries Lafayettes, Printemps... Food superstores : Auchan, Carrefour

The graph below represents the weight in value of the different distribution channels in the women's swimwear market, but is representative of the distribution in the total French swimwear market. Sports stores appear to be dominant as they generated **% of the market turnover in ****.

Breakdown of women's swimwear sales by distribution channel France, ****, in % Source: ****

3.3 Increasingly digital newcomers

Like the overall apparel market, online shopping as well as the influence of the Internet on these purchases is growing rapidly. Online purchases of swimwear thus recorded a *.*% increase in value between **** and ****, now representing **.*% of overall swimwear sales. Sales channels of the swimwear market in France   Source: Fashion Network The weight of the Internet in the market is also evident in the growing influence of social networks, advertising and other specialized media. Players can thus rely on the growing influence of digital tools, which are proving effective in transmitting a brand image and making it visible to the greatest number of people.

Young brands such as Noo or Anja are launching themselves first on the Internet, before opening a store and being referenced in department stores. On Instagram, they organize events to seduce the youngest; they organize pop-ups, ephemeral stores or collaborate with established brands like the Noo x Monoprix collaboration.

In addition, the democratization of the try at home facilitates the online purchase Etam thus offers since **** the service "Try at home" which allows to send the ordered swimsuit at home, and to cash the amount only when the customer has confirmed her purchase.

3.4 Interview with Constance d'Amécourt, founder of Happy Duck

Marie: Welcome to the Niche, the podcast that analyzes the niche market with the entrepreneurs who are shaking things up. I'm Marine and I work at Businesscoot, the startup that dusts off market research before you start. Subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast. And now, let's get to the niche of the day the swimsuit market. And for that, I welcome Constance d'Amécourt, the founder of Happy Duck. Hello Constance!

Constance: Hello Marie.

Marie: Well Constance, to start this episode, I'll let you introduce yourself and Happy Duck.

Constance: My name is Constance d'Amécourt. I am ** years old. I am the mother of two little boys. I live in Paris, so since last year, and before that, we lived for four and a half years in London, where I created the swimwear brand Happy Duck, which has the particularity of offering matching swimsuits for dad and kids with exclusive prints. And two years ago, while I was still in London, I took over another swimwear brand called Une souris à Paris, which was a swimwear brand I was following and which was a competitor to Happy Duck, because it's more or less aimed at the same target, ...

4.1 Types of products

Materials, cuts, colors, fabrics and trends are the different parameters and criteria essential to the manufacture of a swimsuit, which will constitute the width and depth of the offer of this sector.

Evolving over time, the swimsuit has undergone many changes according to fashion, the evolution of our societies and sports performance.

We can distinguish the following different products:

The one-piece swimsuit: More or less indented, swimmer's back, crossed straps or adapted to the silhouette to swim; for a few years, it has imposed itself as a trendy piece to be worn also at the beach in strapless version or with more fantasies. The two-piece swimsuit : Triangle top, balconette, bandeau or underwired, it is available as a bra for women with a panty bottom, thong, brazilian or shorty in the same way. The trikini : A real trend and more suitable for the beach, this one-piece swimsuit is connected by a strip of fabric across the belly. The tankini : This swimsuit is composed of two pieces, the top of which is a tank top with slimming power and more coverage. The wetsuit : This swimsuit is more popular with regular swimmers but has been banned from competitions since ****. This swimsuit has more elasticity, ...

4.2 Swimsuit prices

Two effects are cataclysmic to the swimwear market in France:

On the one hand, the growing weight of generalist ready-to-wear chains in swimwear sales (***) have put downward pressure on prices in recent years.[***] On the other hand, the growing demand for increasingly sophisticated products and the development of the eco-responsible and ethical segment are leading to an increase in prices.

As a result, prices can vary greatly from one item to another. The table below provides an overview of the price ranges present in the French swimwear market.

5.1 A strict regulatory framework for remuneration, recycling and openness

Remuneration governed by collective agreement

Swimwear is part of the collective agreement "manufacture of other clothing and accessories" NAF / APE code ****** and ******.

Integration of textile regulations

The labeling of clothing is covered by the European regulation ****/**** which sets the conditions and rules for the labeling and marking of textile products. Since January *, ****, any person who places textile products on the market (***).

Trade practices by the economic law code

In order to open a business, professionals in the sector must respect several rules such as: indication and reduction of prices, opening hours, clearance sales, resolution of disputes and complaints, labeling, display of prices, comparative advertising, estimates and contracts.

6.1 Segmentation

• Eres
• Vilebrequin (G3 Apparel goup)
• Princess Tam Tam (Uniqlo Groupe)
• Le slip Français
• Mon petit bikini
• Etam Lingerie
• Arena
• Go Sport France
• Intersport France
• Sarenza
• Zalando
• LCS Groupe Le Maillot Français
• Arthur
• Le Coq Sportif (LCS International)
• Nabaiji (Decathlon)
• Roxy
• Seafolly
• Sundek
• DNuD
• Triangl
• Ysé (Etam Groupe)
• Anja
• Paul Smith
• Kiwi
• Volcom
• Billabong
• Banana Moon