Business

Plus Size Fashion Market Is A Big Opportunity For Retailers

Indian brands in women's western wear and fusion wear have long realised the importance of the plus-size market. Brands like Revolution moved into the market over a decade ago, with exclusive plus-size offerings for the Indian woman. Since then, most of the womenswear brands have introduced and expanded plus-size offerings in their portfolios. Indian brands have moved fast to learn the fashion needs of the full-bodied customer, and have been able to successfully cater to this segment.

The West is now taking notice of this large market opportunity. Twenty fashion designers from Russia, Bulgaria, Belarus and Kazakhstan presented their Plus Size collections for women at the Plus Size Week Fest 2016 in St Petersburg, last week.

The festival also hosted a beauty contest among women with XL size and bigger. The organisers believe that many plus-sized women's rejection of their beauty is just the result of low self-esteem and doesn't represent men's real attitude, because beauty can be very different. The Plus Size Week Fest 2016 was a two-day event. A recent report by Plunkett Research has estimated the plus size apparel market to be a US$ 20 billion market opportunity in the US. The research gives some interesting statistics : An avergage American woman wears between a size 14 and 34, according to Plunkett Research. NPD Group has reported that annual sales of women's plus-size apparel - that's size 14 and higher - is up 17% to US$ 20.4 billion this year. And this growth has outpaced overall apparel sales. In fact, nearly twice as many American girls ages 13-17 are buying plus size clothing today compared with 2012, NPD discovered. And while that's partly to do with the growing number of overweight teenagers, it's also down to the fact that plus-size offerings have improved, albeit slightly.

Another trend noticed by NPD and other analysts is that plus-size offerings have lower markdowns and discounts. Giving the instance of Forever 21, its offering for the plus-size market - Forever 21+, makes up 6% of the retailer's entire offering, it has fractionally less discounting than the main line and a median price point that is 14% higher than the regular offering. Furthermore, 17% of Forever 21+ products are replenished, compared to 12% of the main line.

Similarly, Asos Curve has less discounting than the e-tailer's other lines - 54% of products are currently reduced, compared to 67% of the main women's offering - and a higher replenishment rate. But while Asos has more items in its Curve collection than in Tall, Petite or Maternity, its median price point is 17% lower than the regular-sized offering.