Online Lingerie Wears Well in Economic Downturn

Sales of lingerie are proving relatively resilient during the downturn, with sales of more risqué products holding up well.


While overall retail sales, excluding online and grocery shopping, are expected to drop by 4 per cent in 2009, the lingerie market will decline by 0.8 per cent, according to data by Verdict Research.
Bra Queen predicts further growth in 2009.
She said that as couples stay at home, rather than going out, to save money, more women were tending to invest in sexy apparel to add spice to their relationships.
She said: "It makes women feel good about them selves and we all need a bit of cheering up at the moment."
Ann Summers, a lingerie retailer with 134 stores, has also reported its recent growth to people spending more time at home.
In a trading statement in February, it said it had broken all of its sales records around Valentine's Day.
In the week to February 15, sales rose 14 per cent on a like-for-like basis and internet sales rose 47 per cent. As people are opting to go online to by lingerie without the intimidation of the sales staff, males and females are thinking alike. With detailed information on sizing that is available on the net it is much easier to purchase online.
Elsewhere in the A to C Cup sector, the lingerie market is still challenging due to ferocious competition and pressure from discount retailers. However there is still a huge gap in the market when it comes to catering for the larger cup sizes.