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Summary
The global swimwear market was valued at $19.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $26.86 billion by 2026, representing a CAGR of 6.29%. Despite setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the market is on an upward trajectory, fueled by demographic expansion, growing participation in water-based leisure activities and demand for high-quality products.
The French swimwear market, which forms part of this international trade, has seen growth in an overall declining apparel sector. Although faced with declining sales, the segment has growth potential thanks to digitization and a move towards sustainable and ethical products. The introduction of innovative, eco-friendly materials and greater inclusiveness in product offerings are responding to changing consumer preferences, which is having an impact on the market's future development. France remains a net importer of swimwear, but its trade coverage rate improved by 21.3 percentage points between 2020 and 2021, indicating a stronger position in international trade within this sector.
Trends and dynamics in the French swimwear market
In France, the swimwear market, which comprises products for both men and women, including technical and leisure swimwear, has seen mixed fortunes. Despite a global market that is expected to flourish, and a European market set to bill nearly five billion euros by 2022, France's domestic swimwear segment is experiencing fragile growth within a broader apparel market that is in structural decline. The French market grew by a modest 1.3%, but faces the challenge of low apparel consumption, especially considering that women account for three-quarters of swimwear customers. One strategy for market players is to capitalize on dynamic exports and use digitization to meet growing demand for ethical, environmentally-friendly products.
The swimwear market showed an upward trend, with 11.5 million pieces sold, an increase of 5.3%. However, sales fell by 3.4% to between 225 and 235 million euros, under the pressure of aggressive pricing by fast-fashion newcomers. Consumer preferences play a key role in market trends. Women prefer one-piece swimwear, which accounts for a significant proportion of sales. The men's sector, though smaller, is expanding, as shown by growth of 7.4%, and men's spending on swimwear is growing faster. Seasonality has a considerable impact on sales, with peak interest in the summer months (June, July and August).
Buying criteria vary from gender to gender, but appearance, fit and price are generally important factors. However, women are particularly concerned about the fit of swimwear, which underlines the importance of physical stores for product fitting. On the supply side, globalization dominates the production chain, with the majority of clothing production outsourced abroad, mainly to Asian countries, due to lower costs.
France maintains some production, mainly in the luxury sector, but even this is experiencing a degree of delocalization. The swimwear sector is experiencing an influx of digital players who are leveraging the Internet to influence consumers and position themselves in the market. Newcomers are using online platforms to gain visibility. In terms of swimwear offerings, the diversity of materials, cuts, colors and models has evolved to adapt to changing fashions and consumer demands. Technical fabrics with chlorine resistance and stretch characteristics are in high demand for performance and comfort.
Regulations also play a role, with strict requirements on labeling, recycling and business practices influencing the industry. The market is segmented into several categories based on price.
Key players shaping the swimwear landscape
The swimwear industry, though diverse and extensive, boasts some major players who set trends and define market standards. Their varied offerings address different market segments, from high-end luxury to sportswear giants, specialty boutiques and up-and-coming online retailers. Here's a look at the major players making waves in the swimwear world.
High-end elegance by the pool
Eres, Vilebrequin and Pain de Sucre attract a high-end clientele with their sophisticated designs and premium materials.
- Eres, known for its iconic, elegant silhouettes, has become synonymous with chic, luxurious swimwear that is as much about fashion as it is about comfort.
- Vilebrequin brings a touch of Côte d'Azur glamour with its high-quality men's swim shorts, and also ventures into women's and children's lines.
- Pain de Sucre offers a range that combines sexy with elegance, with bold cuts and intricate details.
Access to the general public with a touch of style
- Princesse Tam Tam, Mon petit bikini, and Etam offer fashion-forward swimwear options without the luxury label. These brands offer a wide selection of contemporary styles to suit the daily lives of consumers looking for aesthetic appeal and functionality. Undiz completes the offering with its youthful, vibrant collections that resonate with a younger demographic.
Athletic prowess in aquatic sportswear
- Arena and Decathlon step in with swimwear designed to enhance athletic efforts in the aquatic environment. These brands meet the needs of both casual swimmers and competitive athletes with technical fabrics and functional designs. Go Sport also offers a range of swimwear for people with active lifestyles.
Digital diving: online swimwear sensations
- Zalando and Noo have become top destinations for a seamless online shopping experience. These digital players offer a vast selection of swimwear models from different brands, becoming a one-stop shop for consumers. Fashion and lifestyle giant Zalando offers an extensive range of brands and sizes for all body types, while Noo specializes in selected collections that combine trend and originality.
This overview gives us an idea of the dynamic nature of the swimwear market, and the players who cater to the diverse preferences of consumers
to understand this market
Detailed content
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 10/11/2022
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Presentation of the swimwear market
The swimwear market in France refers to the economic activity related to the production and sale of swimwear, with a focus on women's and men's swimwear. It is a garment intended to be worn in the water, particularly for swimming or recreational bathing. The swimwear market includes different products for men and women, in particular briefs and shorts, as well as one-piece swimsuits, bikinis and trikinis.The swimwear market can thus be divided into two main categories
- "technical" swimwear used by swimmers in the pool or by athletes
- "leisure" swimwear used for swimming in the sea and on the beach
The market can also be segmented by:
- Type of swimwear: women's swimwear, men's swimwear, goggles, swim caps
- Sales distribution channel (online and physical stores)
In 2020, the global swimwear market accounted for USD 19.5 billion despite huge losses due to the Covid-19 health crisis in the same year, and is expected to reach USD 27.6 billion by 2027. The European market, on the other hand, will invoice almost 5 billion euros in 2022. The global dynamic is driven by population growth, the development of seaside and poolside activities, particularly in developing countries, as well as the move upmarket to meet the growing demand for increasingly sophisticated products.
The French swimwear market grew by 1.3% in 2017 but is part of an overall apparel market characterized by a structural decline in consumption. The swimwear segment is less affected than the rest of apparel but its growth remains particularly fragile in the domestic market. However, swimwear market players can count on dynamic exports and several important growth drivers, in particular the digitalization of the sector and the development of eco-responsible and ethical products, for which demand continues to grow.
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 ...
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 ...
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 Analysis of the demand
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
3 Market structure
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
4 Analysis of the offer
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 ...
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 ...
5 Regulation
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 ...
6 Positioning of the actors
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
List of charts
- Size of the global swimwear market
- Size of the French market for women's swimwear
- Women's preference for the type of swimsuit
- Market share of different women's swimwear
- Consumption of women's swimwear in the domestic market
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Latest news
Ysé opens 6 stores in France - 11/05/2024
- Ysé created 12 years ago
- 7th boutique inaugurated in February
- Announcement of 6 new boutiques planned for summer
- Doubling of Ysé's retail presence in France by 2023
- Sales doubled since merger with Etam group 5 years ago
- 40% growth
- Opening of future boutiques in London and Brussels in 2024
Intersport and Go Sport hot on Decathlon's heels in France - 11/04/2024
- Stabilization of like-for-like sales last year at Intersport.
- Increase in sales following the acquisition of Go Sport: 3.65 billion euros, i.e. **an increase of 11.2% compared with 2022.
- Projected openings: Between 15 and 20 new stores to be opened each year
Paris 2024: Le Coq Sportif gets back in touch with Olympism - 12/01/2024
- Le Coq Sportif will be supplying around 400,000 items for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- The outfits will be supplied for around 4,000 people, including 840 athletes (560 for the Olympics and 280 for the Paralympics).
- Le Coq Sportif's Romilly-sur-Seine site employs 147 people.
- Le Coq Sportif generated sales of 141 million euros in 2022, of which just under two-thirds in France.
- The company is hoping for a 20-30% increase in sales with the Paris Olympics.
- The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics plan to sell 2 billion euros worth of licensed products.
Le Slip Français, the daring bet of made in France - 09/11/2023
- Le Slip Français was founded 12 years ago.
- Le Slip Français has sales of 20 million euros.
- On the French market, 3% of garments are made in France.
- Le Slip Français achieves 40% of its sales during the Christmas period.
- The company supports 300 jobs, 85 of them directly.
Intersport plans to sell around thirty of its stores - 07/11/2023
- Around thirty Intersport stores could be sold to Schiever.
- Intersport is France's second-largest sporting goods retailer.
- Intersport is a cooperative of nearly 300 entrepreneurs.
- The Intersport network comprises some 800 specialist stores.
- Jacky Rihouet, CEO of Intersport, may sell 20 Intersport stores and five Intersport outlets that he owns.
- Four Blackstore ready-to-wear stores and two Go Sport stores could also be sold to Schiever.
Zalando's challenges for growth on the European scene - 12/10/2023
- Sales volume in 25 European markets: 14.8 billion euros
- Sales: 10.4 billion euros
- More than 16,000 employees, including over 3,000 in technology
- 12 logistics sites in Europe and 3 under construction, including 1 in France, at Montereau-sur-le-Jard (77)
- More than 50 million active customers
- It references 7,000 brands Its market share by volume in online fashion in France is 3.4%, placing the company in 5th position, behind Vinted (12.6%), Amazon (9.1%), Shein (8.4%) and H&M (3.9%) (source: Kantar, 1st half 2023).
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