Lingerie retailers cash in on demand for size, fit and style

Beating the blues of demonetisation, lingerie retailers are raking in the moolah and clocking double/triple-digit growth, with innovative products that cater to specific needs among women.

Omni-channel lingerie retailers such as MAS Brands India (Amante), PrettySecrets and Clovia are setting their cash registers ringing by tapping the yawning gaps in the fragmented, under-served ₹20,000-crore lingerie market, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent, with innovatively designed products that are fulfilling three long pending needs of women — size, fit and style.

And going by their growth rates that have long overtaken the rate of industry growth, women around the country, including those in tier II cities such as Imphal, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Coimbatore, are lapping up their wares with much relief and happiness. PrettySecrets, a fashion lingerie brand, which is present in 350 mom and pop outlets and large retail stores such as Globus, Central and Brand Factory, is expecting to close FY2018 at 125 per cent growth and 100 per cent growth thereafter, for the next three years.

Explaining why, founder and CEO Karan Behal said: “While most lingerie stores start with size S (small) for panties, we introduced XS (extra small) and go upto XXL (double extra large). We also offer 22 sizes of bras, while mom and pop stores offer just 6-8 sizes, and cross sell them to women of all sizes.”

Apart from the white, black and nude colours that are the norm, the firm has an in-house design team that dishes out lingerie with polka dots, geometric prints, animal prints, paisleys, etc, in 40 colours, added Behal.

The company does not offer white lingerie. Instead, three shades of nude lingerie will be launched in February, that are suited to different skin tones across the country, followed by six nude shades, thereafter.

MAS Brands India, a subsidiary of MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest supplier of niche intimate wear, introduced Ultimo, a designer lingerie brand for full-figured Indian women, earlier in December, after an extensive market research that identified a gap which can serve 20 per cent of the market.

In less than a month, Ultimo contributes 18-20 per cent of the company’s sales.

“Prior to the launch, when we fitted full-figured women in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata with Ultimo products that have been tweaked for Indian figures, all of them wanted to keep our samples, because many suffered back aches as a consequence of wearing ill-fitting lingerie,” said Smita Murarka, Head - Marketing and E-commerce, MAS Brands India.

Ultimo caters to sizes, starting from 34C up to 42DD, with side slings, minimisers, special fabrics and elastic with cushion straps, supportive wings that provide comfort to minimise pinched skin, inbuilt cushioning in the hook and eye area, etc.

MAS Brands’ international lingerie brand Amante, launched in India a decade ago, is already a ₹100-crore brand that is growing 40 per cent year-on-year.

Clovia is on track to register 80 per cent growth this fiscal at ₹100 crore in annualised gross merchandise value (GMV), largely because of its focus on everyday basics, the largest lingerie category.

“We addressed product gaps in the market by providing basic lingerie for multiple body types in colours for multiple skin tones,” said Neha Kant, founder and Director, Clovia.

“Ninety per cent of our 2,500 products are for everyday use and the rest are for special occasions. As a result, we have seen our average basket size increase from seven to 12 pieces per annum, over the last three years.”

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