Extended sizing to push up bra market in the US

Sales of full-figure and plus-size brassiere in the US are gaining steam, indicating the industry's increasing focus on body-positivity, a recent intimate wear report from business intelligence firm NPD Group report revealed.

The study found 38C to be the top-selling bra size in the country, illustrating the importance of extended sizing to market that has shown a slight decline in the past year. Data gathered by the company showed although the overall women's bra sales in the US remained steady at about $7 billion from to 2016 to 2017, the $5.2 billion non-sports bra segment experienced a small decrease during the period.

Full-figure sizes or 38+ versions, however, are a growing category, now accounting for 43 percent of total revenue from non-sports bras. NPD believes this upward trend to continue in 2019, signaling the segment is ripe for opportunity.

In a press statement, Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser at NPD said: "The underserved full-figure and plus-size market continues to be one of retail's major merchandising mistakes. With retailers focusing on assortment productivity, brands adding new styles become a harder sell in proposition, but size extensions are a straightforward way to expand on successful existing assortments."

Alpha sizing, which is commonly referred to as simple-sizing (S, M, L, XL), is also on the rise in the non-sports bra segment. 2017 figures revealed alpha-sized versions accounted for 18 percent of the overall non-sports bra sales, an increase of 3 percent from the previous year. This growth also aligns with the increasing focus on comfort in the overall apparel industry.