U.S. Market for Women's Intimate Apparel

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Executive Summary

• Scope and Methodology
• Market in Perspective
• Women' s Intimate Apparel Weathering the Storm
  • U.S. Companies in the Market
  • Slow and Steady Growth After Poor 2008
• Factors Influencing the Market
  • Luxury Segment Has Grown, But Faces Slowdown
  • Economy, Housing, Oil Prices and Inflation are a Drag
  • Online Sales Grow Despite a Struggling Economy
  • Internet is Used for Purchasing and Research
  • Continuing Retail Consolidation
  • Innerwear as Outerwear
  • Innerwear for Teens a Growing Sector
  • Growth in Sexy Lingerie and Adult Novelties
  • Plus-Size Lingerie Still Going Strong
  • Intimate Apparel for Maternity, Mastectomy
  • Sustainable Undies Part of an Environmentally Friendly Movement
• The Competitive Situation: War on Victoria' s Secret
  • Limited Brands/Victoria' s Secret: Sales Down at Retailing Giant
  • Maidenform: Sales of $417 Million in Everyday Undies
  • Hanesbrands: Net Sales of $4.5 Billion in 2007
  • Warnaco: Net Revenues Approach $1.9 Billion in 2007
  • Fruit of the Loom: Net Revenues Nearly $1 Billion in 2007
• Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail
  • Apparel Industry Is Concentrated
  • Continuing Trend Toward Overseas Manufacturing
  • Globalization of Apparel Retailing
  • Apparel Retail Channels: Department Stores Still #1 Choice for Women
  • General Merchandisers Still Dominant
• Key Intimate Apparel Retailers
  • Wal-Mart: Bad Times are Good
  • Target: Chip Chic
  • JCPenney: Updating and Upscaling
  • Victoria' s Secret: Competitors Take a Bite Out of Profits
  • Frederick' s of Hollywood: Back From Bankruptcy
• The Consumer: What Do Women Want?
  • One-Third of Women Shop at Department Stores
  • Price is Important to Women of All Ages
  • Affluent Women Are Cost-Conscious Too
  • Younger Women Want Style, Older Women Want Comfort and Value
  • Where Do They Shop?
  • Playtex Bras Preferred for Comfort and Durability
  • Olga Bras Command Highest Brand Loyalty
  • Liz Claiborne Panties Rank Highest in Brand Loyalty
  • Donna Karan #1 for Fashion and Non-Essential Purchases
• Opportunities
  • Creating a Dynamic Retail Experience
  • E-Commerce Will Grow at Slower, But Still Impressive Rate
  • Continued Growth of Plus-Size Apparel
  • Strong Growth in Sustainable Apparel Through 2012
  • Good Corporate Citizens Will Be Rewarded
  • Intelligent Fabrics, Wearable Technology and Smart Bras

Chapter 2 The Market

• Highlights
• Market Parameters
• Methodology
• Categories and Segments
  • Apparel Essentials
  • Sexy Lingerie
• Distribution and Retail
  • Distribution Channels
  • Retail Channels
  • Mass Retail
  • Specialty Retail
  • Branded Merchandise
• The Consumer
  • A Brief History of Women' s Intimate Apparel
  • Who Wears Bras?
  • Why Go Bra-less?
  • Ways of Wearing (and Not Wearing) Underwear
• Intimate Apparel Product Definitions
  • Bras
  • Panties
  • Shapewear
  • Other Intimate Apparel Terms
  • Types of Fabric
• Market Size and Growth
  • Market in Perspective
  • U.S. Apparel Sales Down in 2008 …
  • … After Modest Growth in 2007
• Women' s Intimate Apparel Weathering the Storm
  • U.S. Companies in the Market
  • U.S. Production Down
• Projected Sales of $11 Billion by 2013
• Factors Impacting Future Growth
• Luxury Segment Has Grown, But Faces Slowdown
• Effects of National Economy, Housing, Oil Prices, Inflation
  • Declining Housing Prices Make Consumers Feel Poorer
  • Rising Consumer Price Index is Bad News
  • Consumer Confidence Down
  • Consumers Postponing Purchases
• Online Activity a Boon, Not a Threat
• Online Sales Grow Despite a Struggling Economy
• Online Sales of Women' s Intimate Apparel Also Growing
• Top Website Destinations for Women' s Apparel Shoppers
• Victoria' s Secret Is Top Apparel Retailer on the Web
• Internet is 411 for Purchasing Decisions

Chapter 3 Trends

• Highlights
• Overview
• Continuing Trend Toward Retail Consolidation
  • Fewer and Larger Retailers Dominate
  • Retailers Rely on Private Labels, Standalone Stores
• Fashion Trends
  • Innerwear as Outerwear
  • Innerwear for Teens a Growing Sector
  • Luring Fickle Young Buyers: Pink, Aerie and Gilly Hicks
• Specialty Lingerie Growing Fast
  • Growth in Sexy Lingerie and Adult Novelties
  • Plus-Size Lingerie Segment Still Going Strong
  • Intimate Apparel for Maternity, Mastectomy
• Sustainable Undies Part of an Environmentally Friendly Movement
  • Sustainability: A Movement, Not a Trend
  • What Is Sustainable Apparel?
  • Fibers and Materials for Sustainable Apparel
  • A Variety of New, Eco-Friendly Innerwear Products
  • The Greening of High-End Apparel
  • Big Retailers Enter the Green Market
  • Sustainable Apparel Market Share by Type of Retail Outlet
  • International Sustainable Apparel Market Estimated at $3 Billion
  • Sustainable Apparel a Small Fraction of Global Apparel Market

Chapter 4 The Competitive Situation

• Highlights
• What Exactly Is Victoria' s Secret?
• The Rise of New Players
• Seven Competitive Profiles Follow
• Competitive Profile: Limited Brands/Victoria' s Secret
  • Overview
  • Limited Brands
  • Sales Down at Retailing Giant
  • New Focus on Personal Care and Intimate Apparel
  • Victoria' s Secret
  • The Creation of a Marketing Machine
  • Eye on Expansion
  • Sales Slide
  • Direct Sales Growth
• Competitive Profile: Maidenform
  • Sales of $417 Million in Everyday Undies
  • Roaring Back After Bankruptcy: 10% Annual Growth Since 2002
  • Basically, the Basics
  • Mass Merchandising Key to Market Share
  • Sales Breakdown
  • An Everyday Comfort Image
• Competitive Profile: Hanesbrands
  • Net Sales of $4.5 Billion in 2007
  • Innerwear is 57% of Net Sales
  • Quality, Style, High Turnover, Low Price
  • Multi-Channel Distribution
  • A Leader in Intimate Apparel
  • The Amazing Wonderbra
  • Sell More, Spend Less, Generate Cash
  • A Push Toward Sustainability
• Competitive Profile: Warnaco
  • Net Revenues Approach $1.9 Billion in 2007
  • Back From the Abyss
  • Sportswear, Swimwear and Innerwear
  • Calvin Klein Brand Becoming Bigger Chunk of the Business
  • A Diversified Retail Channel
  • Competitive Profile: Fruit of the Loom/Vanity Fair Brands
  • Net Revenues Nearly $1 Billion in 2007
  • Low, Low Prices
  • Six Small Specialty Companies to Watch
  • E-Commerce
  • Barenecessities.com: $35 million in Revenues
  • Frette.com: Online Lingerie Sales Jump 77% in One Year
  • Figleaves.com: $49 million in Revenues
  • Sexy/Trashy
  • Leg Avenue: Fantasy and Everyday Innerwear
  • Upscale Specialty
  • Zovo Lingerie: $1 Million in Sales

Chapter 5 Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail

• Highlights
• Overview
• Apparel Manufacturing
• U.S. Manufacturing in Decline
• Continuing Trend Toward Overseas Manufacturing
• China #1 in U.S. Apparel Imports, But Vietnam Surging
• Public Sentiment Against Sweatshops
• Distribution Dynamics
• Globalization of Apparel Retailing
• Trade Liberalization Influences Textile Manufacturing
• Apparel Retail Channels
• Department Stores Still #1 Choice for Women
• General Merchandisers

• Retailer Profiles
• Wal-Mart
• Bad Times are Good for Wal-Mart
• The Big Box Retailer Raises Ire
• Target
• Target' s Target: Cheap Chic
• Target Beats Wal-Mart in Shopping Appeal
• Apparel Nearly One-Quarter of Sales
• JCPenney
• Private and Exclusive Brands are Half of JCPenney' s Merchandise
• Modernizing Intimate Apparel with "Lifestyle" Appeal
• Victoria' s Secret
• Increasing Competition
• Too Sexy?
• Fewer Women Shopping at Victoria' s Secret
• Frederick' s of Hollywood Group
• Back From Bankruptcy with a New Partnership

Chapter 6 The Consumer

• Highlights
• Where Do Women Shop for Apparel?
• One-Third of Women Shop at Department Stores
• More Women Shop at Wal-Mart Than Any Other Store

• What Do Women Look for in Apparel?
• Price is Important to All Women
• The Affluent Shopper: Can She Prop Up the Market?
• Younger Women Want Style, Older Women Want Comfort and Value

• Who Buys Intimate Apparel?
• Who Buys Bras?
• Who Buys Panties?

• Favorite Bra Brands
• Playtex is Preferred for Comfort and Durability
• Preferred for Attractiveness, Olga Also Commands Highest Brand Loyalty
• Donna Karan #1 for Fashion and Non-Essential Purchases

• Favorite Panties Brands
• Liz Claiborne Commands Highest Brand Loyalty
• Donna Karan Again #1 in Fashion and Non-Essential Buys

• Men Who Shop for Women
• What Do Men Need? Help!

Chapter 7 Opportunities

• Highlights
• Focus on the Shopping Experience
  • Creating a Dynamic Retail Experience
• The Future of Internet Sales
  • E-Commerce Will Grow at Slower, But Still Impressive Rate
  • New Ways of Boosting Online Sales
• Continued Growth of Plus-Size Apparel
  • America Continues to Fatten
  • Plus-Size Intimate Apparel to Climb to $6.5 Billion in 2012
• Sustainable Apparel
  • The "Less is More" Consumer
  • Packaged Facts Projects Strong Growth Through 2012
  • Price May Determine Long-Term Viability of Eco-Friendly Apparel
  • Eco-Luxury Could Be a Growth Area
  • Changes in Catalog Printing and Distribution
  • Consumers Will Consider a Company' s Track Record
• Intelligent Fabrics, Wearable Technology and Smart Bras
  • Microfiber Will Grow as Cotton Alternative
  • Smart Fabrics and Intelligent Textiles
  • "Wearable Technology" Now Driven by Sports
  • Technology-Enabled "Smart Bras"