Summary

The global swimwear market has experienced robust growth, starting from a valuation of $21.18 billion in 2020, rising to $22.6 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach $28.84 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.7%. This growth trajectory is attributed to growing consumer interest in watersports and seaside vacations, coupled with an evolving fashion sense and higher disposable incomes. Europe remains a major importer of swimwear, despite its relatively smaller share of the overall clothing market, with the EU importing swimwear worth 2.1 billion euros, driven mainly by women's and girls' swimwear, which accounts for 76.2% of imports. China has a strong market presence, commanding a notable percentage of sales for men's (around 52%) and women's (around 49.8%) swimwear in 2022.

Analyzing the Italian swimwear market: understanding consumer behavior and sector dynamics

In Italy, the swimwear market has performed remarkably well, flourishing thanks to innovation and research. Demand is subject to seasonal peaks, with summer bringing an increase in purchases, mainly driven by female consumers. The role of women in this market segment has transformed swimwear into a highly appreciated fashion item. Italy's participation is marked by substantial sales figures, second only to France in the European context, with annual sales fluctuating around $700 million. The Italian swimwear market can be divided into two segments: the "technical" segment, intended for professional aquatic activities, and the "leisure" segment, intended for casual use on the beach or by the pool. Both segments are influenced by fashion trends, technological advances in materials and design innovations. Women's demand has seen the advent of leisure swimwear as a fashion item, while technical swimwear remains a niche for athletes and enthusiasts. The dominance of national brands has given way to a fragmented landscape, with growth in the low- and high-end segments at the expense of mid-range suppliers. Fast-fashion giants are carving out market share thanks to their fast turnaround and trendy designs, while luxury brands maintain their position by attracting a clientele in search of exclusivity and superior quality.

Key players shaping the swimwear landscape

The swimwear market is a vast and varied field, with multi-faceted players catering to the diverse needs of customers ranging from beachgoers to professional athletes. Market segmentation allows for specialization that ranges from luxury brands to fast-fashion retailers to sustainable offerings from eco-conscious start-ups.

  • Calzedonia: Dominating the Italian market, Calzedonia has established itself as a major force in swimwear, offering a variety of styles from beachwear to technical swimwear. Its extensive retail presence and cutting-edge marketing strategies have made it a household name in swimwear fashion.
  • La Perla: this high-end player brings a touch of luxury to the swimwear market. Known for its exquisite craftsmanship and luxurious materials, La Perla offers a range of elegant, sophisticated swimwear aimed at the high-end segment of the market.
  • Nike: As a global sports giant, Nike brings innovation and performance to swimwear designed for athletes. Its technologically advanced materials appeal to those looking for swimwear that can enhance their athletic performance.
  • Primark: This retail giant offers affordable fashion to the masses, including a varied swimwear range that appeals to budget-conscious consumers. The rapid renewal of models ensures that it stays at the cutting edge of current trends.
  • H&M: A leader in the fast fashion sector, H&M offers contemporary, trendy swimwear at mid-range prices. Its global presence and cutting-edge designs make it a popular choice for stylish yet affordable swimwear.
  • PVH: The parent company of iconic brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brings high-end fashion credibility to the swimwear space, offering premium products renowned for their quality and design.
  • Mermazing: This startup has made a name for itself in the sustainable swimwear segment. Using recycled materials such as Econyl, Mermazing offers ecological alternatives to environmentally conscious consumers.
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  • Number of pages : 30 pages
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  • Last update : 05/10/2023
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Summary and extracts

1 Market Summary

1.1 Definition and presentation

The swimwear market can be considered a sub-segment of the broader clothing market and can be divided into two main categories:

  • "technical" swimwear, used by swimmers or sportsmen;
  • "Leisure" swimwear, used for beach or pool wear

In Italy, the swimwear market has been performing exceptionally well recently, driven by a supply that is constantly innovating and researching. Undoubtedly, the market is characterized by seasonal demand and a greater push coming from female consumers, who precisely are responsible in part for the transformation of the swimsuit into a true fashion item.

Historically dominated by a few national brands, to date the market image is highly fragmented, driven by growing demand in the low-end and high-end segments, at the expense of the middle-end. Consequently, fast fashion giants are succeeding in gaining market share even in the swimwear segment, while on the other hand, luxury brands continue to perform well by attracting a different type of clientele.

The Italian industry is therefore facing a series of challenges coming both from the progressive incidence of the online channel and from the stringent competition of an increasing number of players, in a market that becomes highly driven by materials, designs and fashion trends.

1.2 The world market

The swimwear market is swimming at a fast pace reaching a turnover of $**.** billion in ****. The growth has been driven by a gradual consumer appetite for water sports and an increase in the choice of the sea as a vacation spot. The industry took it from $**.** billion in **** to $**.* billion in ...

1.3 The local market

In the European context, Italy ranks as the second largest player, after France, in swimwear sales, with an annual turnover of *** million euros. This is according to Marco Borioli, the president of Maredimoda (***), who believes that the Italian market is mainly composed of chain stores, while independent stores have a share ...

1.4 Foreign trade

Exports, imports and coverage rate are key concepts in the context of international trade, and their analysis is useful in defining the size of the study market even outside national borders; in this specific case, we study both data belonging to the female and male swimsuit typology, since, being profoundly different ...

2 Demand analysis

2.1 Average expenditure

Swimwear, used mainly by those who engage in aquatic activities, protects the wearer from chlorinated water from swimming pools and seawater, which contains salts that can promote skin rashes. The growth rate of the world's population and product innovation, meets new clothing needs for water sports and pool or beach vacations. ...

2.2 Interest in the product over time

The graph shown represents the proportion of keyword searches (***). With respect to the values, a range from * to *** is proposed, within which *** predicts that the keyword was used very frequently; consequently, the closer the numerical values are to *, the more insufficient the data for this word. As can be seen from ...

2.3 Research interest by subregion

Using the same method of researching and interpreting the information provided by Google Trends set forth above, it is possible to obtain a detailed overview of the distribution of the degree of search interest by subregion. This approach makes it possible to analyze how search trends vary by geography, highlighting regional ...

2.4 Italians' favorite types of costumes

The world of fashion is constantly changing, and this also applies to the choice of swimwear. Every year, brands and designers introduce new collections, going on to influence consumer choices in terms of style, color, and design. The dynamic is a reflection of cultural changes, international fashion influences, and individual consumer ...

3 Market structure

3.1 Market structure

In terms of the number of businesses active in the swimwear market (***) saw a recovery, resulting in **** active firms in the sector, almost reaching **** levels.

Firms active in the swimwear sector Italy, ****-****, thousands of enterprises Istat

The most common legal form among companies in the swimwear sector is sole proprietorship ...

3.2 Value Chain

The main materials for the production of swimwear

Lycra

This type of fabric is the most widely used and appreciated, due to its elastic and flexible component, which makes it a more durable than average type of swimsuit. Lycra is breathable and allows light to pass through while still filtering sunlight. ...

3.3 Distribution channels

The multi-brand and independent stores

The boutique/concept store: offers a high-end product; located in the central streets of cities or old town centers, products that are most likely to become the seasonal best-seller are placed in boutique windows. The traditional package store: offers lower-end classic products while maintaining a medium-high ...

4 Supply analysis

4.1 The different products on offer

Materials, cuts, colors, fabrics and trends are the essential parameters and criteria for making a swimsuit. We can distinguish the following products:

The one-piece swimsuit: more or less notched, swimmer's back, crossed straps or adapted to the silhouette for swimming; for the past few years it has become a trendy piece ...

4.2 Different product ranges

The swimwear market is notoriously fragmented, characterized by a multiplicity of players. Different categories of players can be distinguished: from industry giants such as Zara, which sells a wide range of products in addition to leisure costumes, to specialists, including Calzedonia, with an exclusive focus on the production and sale of ...

4.3 A sustainable offering

Environmental awareness has led to the multiplication of suppliers offering designs made from recycled plastic fabrics.

Econyl, Yulex and Seaqual

Most brands offering durable swimwear use Econyl, produced by the Trentino-based company Aquafil. It is a nylon recycled from waste recovered from landfills or garbage collected from the sea, and has ...

5 Rules and regulations

5.1 Regulation

Labeling Standards

Based on directives from the Ministry of Economic Development, the textile and apparel industry is subject to European Regulation No. ****/****, which establishes rules for the labeling of textile products. This regulation mainly requires information such as fiber composition, clothing sizes, fabric care instructions and country of origin to be ...

6 Positioning of actors

6.1 Segmentation of players

6.2 Analysis of online traffic and key players

Two determinant concepts,Organic Traffic and Paid Traffic, are considered below; with the former, we refer to traffic generated by search engines, thus the autonomous search carried out by users, thus not influenced by paid advertising or sponsored ads. Paid Traffic, on the other hand, is determined by the creation of ...

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Latest news

After years of denial, Primark opens the door to e-commerce. - 23/06/2022
  • Primark: king of fast fashion.
  • Strategy: order huge quantities of discounted products, which are then resold on the other side of the world.
  • Well-known for its huge stores - 6,500m2 in London, 8,300m2 in Créteil Soleil.
  • The company reduces every expense to a minimum, including minimal advertising and rent.
  • The company is highly profitable, with sales of £8 billion in 2019, in 14 countries.
  • Click & collect makes it possible to sell at a reasonable price without the cost of delivery.
Green brand Seay chooses crowdfunding to boost distribution - 05/03/2024
  • **Foundation and Philosophy**: Seay aims to be an environmentally sustainable clothing and beachwear brand, focusing on a business philosophy that prioritizes the planet and people. The brand is BCorp certified and emphasizes the importance of traceability and environmental impact measured annually.
  • **Sustainable Practices**:
    • Use of recycled fabrics.
    • Short-run production chain.
    • Carbon neutral distribution.
    • Organic and compostable packaging.
  • **Patented Model Re3**: Initiative aimed at garment recycling that provides for the reuse, resale or regeneration of used garments. The system also allows customers to have traceability of garments via QR code.
  • **Collaboration and Marketing**: Seay collaborates with sportsmen and women related to water sports, rather than using traditional testimonials and influencers, to spread its values and environmental awareness.
  • **Distribution**:
    • Present in more than 180 wholesale stores in Italy and abroad, mainly in Europe.
    • Has an e-commerce site as well as a presence in some marketplaces.
    • Investment in two pop-up stores in Milan and Treviso.
    • Participation, for the second consecutive year, in the Annex segment of Rinascente Duomo in Milan for two weeks in June.
  • **Equity Crowdfunding**: Launch of an equity crowdfunding campaign on Feb. 29 on Mamacrowd with a maximum fundraising goal of €700,000 to help expand distribution and open new channels, including a store in Marsala (Trapani) and a pop-up in Rinascente Annex in Milan.
  • **Future Initiatives**: Planning territorial activities for the summer to increase contacts with loyal customers and attract new customers, with the first dates at XMasters in Senigallia and Wind Fest in Campione.
Oniverse (formerly Calzedonia), revenues at 3.1 billion, strong push on foreign retail - 29/02/2024
  • Total revenues: 3.1 billion euros.
  • Revenue increase from 2022: +2% at current exchange rates.
  • Share of foreign sales: 62% of total.
  • Number of stores at year-end: 5,644.
    • New openings during the year: 314 stores (+6%).
    • Number of stores in Italy: 1,912.
    • Number of stores abroad: 3,732.
  • Countries with most new openings: the United States, France, Spain and Brazil.
  • Total investment: 563 million euros (openings, technology, logistics, ESG).
  • Future initiatives for 2024: development of Intimissimi Uomo and redevelopment of existing Calzedonia, Intimissimi and Tezenis stores.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

Pompea
ABF group - Primark
CSP International
Seay
Calzedonia
Tezuk Srl
La Perla

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