The lingerie market - France

At a time when a movement was emerging to fight for women's fundamental freedoms, the 60s marked the arrival of flexibility and comfort with the creation of bras, which gradually replaced corsets. Lingerie thus already reflected a certain desire for freedom. Over the decades, lingerie became more democratic and increasingly sexualized. The lingerie market coversall women's undergarments and nightwear. The footwear segment is also included in the scope of the study, while swimwear and men's underwear are excluded, each of these two markets being the subject of a full study. The lingerie market is divided into four segments: corsetry (bras, brassieres), daywear(knickers, corsets, garter belts), nightwear (negligees, pyjamas) and hosiery (stockings, tights). Corsetry is the dominant segment, accounting for almost half of market share. The global lingerie market is booming. It is expected to grow at a CAGR (combined annual growth rate) of 9.2% between 2022 and 2028. The European market accounts for 39% of the global market, and is expected to grow at a similar rate to the global market. The French lingerie market is part of a structural decline in the French women's apparel market. Indeed, the French lingerie market is in decline due to the success of less expensive, comfortable lingerie. Lingerie accounts for 18% of women's clothing budgets. The Covid-19 crisis has largely affected the sector, to the detriment of physical stores and to the benefit of pure-players and digital players. Confinement has also highlighted the main purchasing criterion for lingerie: comfort. The "no bra" trend, which consists in not wearing a bra, is indicative of the difficulties in finding lingerie that suits them. In 2022, 6% of French women never wore bras, compared with just under 3% in 2020 before Covid. This trend is becoming increasingly widespread, particularly among the younger generations, where 13% of them are on the no-bra bandwagon. However, numerous growth drivers are driving the lingerie market, in particular the digitalization of the market, the diversification of the offer for all bodies and inclusive fashion, as well as the development of eco-responsible products.