The clothing rental market - France

The clothing rental, or garment sharing,market is a promising sector that is part of the advent of a circular economy, emphasizing the notion of use rather than private ownership. The market can be segmented by product type: luxury, special occasion, everyday or sportswear. Worldwide, clothing rental is expected to grow strongly over the next decade, at an annual rate of 10.60%, a figure that could increase in the face of the climate emergency and consumers' growing awareness of the impact of their purchases. The growth niches are women's and children's fashion, and the target clientele lives in major urban centers. Clothing rental is part of the second-hand market. The global second-hand fashion market is worth 34 billion euros, and is growing eight times faster than the regular fashion market. The French market for second-hand fashion and accessories totaled 7 billion euros, including 1.16 billion for textiles alone. Although garment rental is not as popular in France as second-hand, it is nevertheless booming and is likely to grow strongly over the next few years. In fact, clothing rental enables consumers to reduce their fashion budgets while adopting a more responsible approach to consumption. The market has developed significantly in the event and maternity wear segments , but is now diversifying into everyday wear. In France, the market has a bright future ahead of it. Platforms such as Le Closet, Bocage and Une robe un soir invest in this segment. Ready-to-wear brands are also moving into clothing rental alongside their sales of new (or even second-hand) products. Brands such as Kiabi, Gemo, Maje and Ba&sh now offer clothing rental in some of their stores. Garment rental requires significant investment on the part of companies, as it's a business that involves considerable logistical, transport and inventory management costs. For this reason, many companies in the sector fail to break even, especially as garment rental is still a minority practice in France. In fact, in 2023, only 2% of people questioned in a Kantar Institute study said they had already rented a garment, and 1% said they had taken out a garment rental subscription.