Why China is the fastest growing lingerie market and what Indian lingerie retail should learn from China?

Lingerie market in China is bigger than ever and one of the most successful industries and here is why

What makes China a leader in Lingerie market

Chinese population has a strong Western influence. The Women choose Lingerie just like western women. In China lingerie is a new way of expression just like apparels. Chinese women spend 10% of their expenditure on underwear. Having said that Chinese women are a lot more conservative compared to French women. Foreign brands customise their products for Chinese consumers to keep them satisfied.

Why China is a highly demanding country when it comes to lingerie

1.  Adaptation of Western culture

There is more exposure to Western styles and culture compared to India. India is still in a cocoon stage when it comes to Lingerie Market. Yet, It is a fantastic sign for great potential to grow big in future.

2. Rising demand from Millennials

Young Chinese women are knowledgeable, well aware of what is in trend and are avid users of social media. In India, except for metropolis and huge cities women are conservative. They are usually hush-hush about lingerie. There are women who still aren’t aware of the importance of lingerie.

3. Growing number of working women

In China greater number of women started to work which has given them financial independence. These women have forage for stylish and comfortable office bras. They are majority in population which has given way to a soaring demand for posh lingerie. Indian women are increasingly coming out to work for themselves. But when it comes to lingerie the importance is much lesser when compared to Chinese women. But it is only a sign that the boom of Indian lingerie market is round the corner when the women come out of the shell.

4. Online shopping

China’s online retail soared to $1 trillion recently. Both retailers and consumers have benefited from E-commerce. Shopping lingerie from websites is nothing new for Chinese customers. Both women and men love the privacy and experience they get from online stores. India’s online shopping habit has increased in the recent years. Because of user friendly interface, attractive product images and privacy online lingerie business have seen good profits recently.

5. Changing fashion trends in lingerie industry

Lingerie fashion shows are very common in mainland China. The foreign brands particularly showcase Chinese models for their lingerie shows to connect with audience. Apart from this the vast use of social media keep the Chinese women up to date with lingerie trends. Indians are becoming progressive and open-minded. Indian women want to explore and are willing to adapt to new lingerie trends. They love comfortable lingerie. They like how lingerie makes them feel confident and beautiful in their own body. They know that lingerie improves their intimate life. But still Indian women are not well-informed. When it comes to lingerie they have inadequate knowledge. This affects the lingerie market in a negative manner.

Foreign Lingerie Brands

In China external lingerie brands represent 60% of the underwear market. Domestic brands are only a few which accommodate only 10% of the lingerie market. And there are no significant leaders when it comes to home brands.

Why foreign brands cannot takeover Indian lingerie market in a million years?

We can name a few successful foreign brands in India. But usually these brands go over the top without reaching out huge population. Their products are very expensive. Brand name will bring them only high end customers. Apart from that these brands know only a handful when it comes to sizing.  Customising lingerie for Indian women is another challenge they face. Indian lingerie market was worth around $3 billion in 2017. It is predicted to grow to a whooping $ 6.5 billion by 2023. There are a number of reasons why lingerie business in India is “The thing” right now in the market. There is a growing demand for lingerie in particular. There are a combination of reasons

Increase in middle class population. Steep rise of financially independent women from middle class families.  Exposure to Lingerie fashion and social media is a non debatable reason for growth. Besides  that, e-commerce and lingerie sales go hand in hand. Indian lingerie market has a huge potential to grow into a giant in lingerie market in the coming years. There is an increasing possibility of domestic brands with a vision of providing comfortable and stylish lingerie to win the race.

Lingerie trend

In China, the major customers are women between 23 and 36 years old. Most girls in China have cup sizes ranging between A and B. Whereas, Indian women size ranges from A to D cup sizes.  The most common cup size of Indian women is C though. Chinese women like to wear fashionable yet comfortable lingerie. Also there is a demand for customised lingerie. Indian women are in experimental stage. They want to explore more and are very much interested in trendy undergarments.

Chinese are generally superstitious especially when it comes to color. Every color signifies a strong meaning in Chinese culture. They don’t prefer the color white much as it is a color of death. And yellow is a pornographic color in China. Purple signifies divinity and immortality.

Yet, Chinese girls seem to like the palate in pink. There were times that Indian women used only white lingerie especially bras; and, dark undies to go with it. Skin colored bras were a trend as it is well hidden under their apparels. E-commerce plays a big role in changing the scenario. Websites with models sporting luscious underwear with vibrant attitude must have brought changes in their lingerie taste. Nowadays, Indian women understand the concept of luxury lingerie and are not hesitant to buy the same.

Social Media Influence

Chinese women are very active in social media. Chinese fashion bloggers use Twitter and Instagram to showcase their styles. Women dedicatedly follow these Instagrammers to keep up with their lingerie fashion sense. They are very much interested in knowing what their idols and celebrities wear.

Indian social media followers still should break the shell and come out bold. There are bloggers and websites bringing the latest lingerie on stage be it twitter or Instagram. But sadly they reach only a lesser number of audiences.

Demographic conditions that favour Chinese lingerie market.

China is a vast land and hugely populated. High economic and techno metropolis like Tianjin, Sichuan, Hubei, Shangha Sentenceghai, Shan Dong, Fujian, Zheijiang are the regions where people are more interested in buying expensive luxury lingerie.

The sales of lingerie started to boom in China since 2008. In 2013 Lingerie market transformed into a roaring $17.8 billion industry. Growing economy is one of the reasons. Apart from that, the demand for good lingerie has swelled in the recent years.

ETAM

When it comes to China’s apparel market it is inevitable to talk about ETAM. ETAM is Europe’s first and largest women’s lingerie retailer. It is one of the first international fashion companies to launch ETAM group in China in 1994. In 2017 it focused exclusively on lingerie to get back on growth track. ETAM has nearly 3000 stores in China including apparel fashion. ETAM stores in China are more luxurious than in France. This signifies the awareness about lingerie among Chinese women. It is evident that how much west has influenced Chinese lingerie market.

Apart from this La Perla, Italian luxury fashion house has 8 stores in mainland China. Recently, Louis Vuitton opened its store in Beijing in 2018. Next, Victoria’s Secret followed suit and opened its flagship store in the same year. It was on cards leading to heavy anticipation while in 2017 it jazzed its way to China for Annual fashion show.

China is a potential land for foreign brands to grow and it is a safe bet to nurture lingerie business.

Domestic Lingerie brands in China

China’s own brands are Beijing aimer, Maniform and Ordifen. They have improved their quality to compete with overseas brands. They are also started targetting high end customers now.

With all these developments it is predicted to grow to a whooping $33 billion worth industry by the year 2020.

Indian Lingerie Brands

Most of the foreign brands in India work on joint venture, and franchise model. Triumph is a German lingerie company. There is French lingerie company Enamor, and a Canadian brand La senza. Amante is a Sri Lankan brand which has joined the wagon to provide lingerie for high end customers.

But most Indian women purchase their lingerie from Indian stores and websites.  Our own brands offer affordable lingerie for the mass without a compromise on quality.

Online Lingerie Shopping

China’s Online Lingerie Retail

There are considerably a large number of Chinese men who purchase for their women online. They like online shopping more than going into a physical store. Chinese women appreciate the privacy that online stores offer.

In China foreign brands like Etam use only regional language Mandarin on their websites, not English!! They optimize their website for Baidu search engine and not Google. The websites support most commonly used mobile payment methods in China. They still send emails to customers for follow-ups and promotions on a regular basis.

India’s Online Lingerie Retail

There is no second thought that E-commerce has been a game changer in the Indian retail sector. An online lingerie store is more than what Indian women could ask for. It’s a blessing in many ways. Online shopping has increased the awareness about lingerie and the way we looked at lingerie.

Yet, Indian online websites should work towards offering a hassle-free shopping experience for customers to stay on top in a competitive market. Images are the first invite to a website. Stylish and high resolution images pull the customers towards buying the products. It’s important for Indian online lingerie stores to keep new and trendy products in the pipe line.  The products should be available on the website for the customer to purchase. We didn’t know that social media would gain so much importance in a few years. Nowadays Pinterest’s buyable pins and Instagram’s shoppable feeds are easier ways to make the customers to visit websites.

Conclusion

India is transforming into a top potential lingerie retail market. Yet, we have to study other country retail markets especially China to gain more knowledge in lingerie retail business. It will help the Indian market grow in a steady manner and offer unparallel lingerie products in the future. Infact, India can rule the lingerie empire with its own domestic brands unlike China.