The swimwear market in United Kingdom

The swimwear market can be divided into two broad categories:

Technical swimwear used by swimmers in the pool or in a sporting context;

Leisure swimwear, which is a more fashionable type of swimwear used for example at the beach.

In particular, swimwear is made primarily of nylon, polyester and spandex, with polyester being the most common material. Although Covid has had an effect on swimwear purchases, the swimwear market is globally growing and is expected to continue to grow at a rapid pace. Among the key drivers:

More people are learning to swim;

Swimming is becoming more popular;

Spending on recreation is increasing.

The Asia Pacific region, in particular, is expected to grow the fastest due to the increase in swimming activity. The global market is highly fragmented, with no single player holding more than 1.5% of the total market share in 2019. Some of the largest companies include the Pentland Group, Inditex, Calzedonia, and Adidas.

According to edited, the UK market will continue to grow by 2.3% through 2023, driven by increased public interest in sports, both in a leisure and sports context. The rate of people who can swim in the UK is high, but there is a gap in the age distribution, where the ability to swim decreases with age. In other words, swimwear retailers must keep this demographic factor in mind when implementing marketing strategies.

In particular, retailers are stocking stores in 2020 with what they believe will be fashionable in the future, including comfortable swimsuits, wide waist bikinis and animal prints.