Hamburg, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/05/2012 -- The yStats.com report focuses on international retail trends in the underwear sector. Based on secondary market research, it highlights individual transnational regions and 18 selected countries in detail. Aside from the general category of underwear, bodywear and individual sub-categories such as lingerie, shapewear and hosiery are analyzed. More than 40 of the most important market players are profiled in depth – mainly manufacturers who also participate in the retail business. The report covers business models, market position, product range, revenue figures and the latest company news.

Shapewear as a new international trend
In 2010, more than one quarter of all global underwear sales were made in the EU-27 - followed by the USA, Russia and China. An important global trend in the undergarment market highlighted in yStats.com's "Global Underwear Market Report 2012" was shapewear. Its popularity soared worldwide in all important markets.

Specialist retailers for underwear leading in the USA
In the USA, the market for ladies' underwear grew by one third from 2004 to 2010, while it only increased by 10 % for male underwear in the same period. In 2010, almost 80 % of all lingerie purchases by women were for daytime lingerie and corsetry. Most products were sold by specialized chains.

Growing revenue in European underwear market
In 2010, the highest spending on lingerie in Europe was reported in France, followed by Germany and Great Britain. The total revenue generated in Europe in 2010 was estimated at 15 billion EUR. According to the "Global Underwear Market Report 2012" by yStats.com, revenue generated in the British underwear market in 2010 increased only marginally by 1 %. More than two thirds of all British online lingerie retailers reported an increase in revenue from 2010 to 2011 - achieving a stronger growth than small retailers and chains combined. In Germany, the majority of market revenue was generated from single bra sales, while panty and bra combinations accounted only for a very small share. In France more than 20 % of all clothing purchases made by women in 2010 were for bodywear.

Encouraging outlook for lingerie markets in Asia and the Middle East
In 2010, Asia was the second largest regional market for lingerie spending following the EU-27. In Japan, the market value for ladies' underwear, nightwear and swimwear totaled 5 billion EUR in 2010, while it decreased compared to 2009. In 2011, breast reduction bras and fat-burning underwear were the major trends there. In the Middle East, the underwear market showed an upward trend due to high purchasing power, growing market volume and the fashion consciousness of Muslim women.

Many international competitors plan to expand
The "Global Underwear Market Report 2012" by yStats.com gives a detailed account of important retail chains, department stores and home shopping as well as online shopping players in the European underwear market. Other information in the report includes underwear related news about department stores and fashion retailers such as Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Karstadt and Esprit.

The underwear market is dominated by manufacturers who also sell their products to consumers. HanesBrands generated almost 4 billion EUR in net revenue in 2011, far more than Wacoal or Etam. Victoria's Secret opened its first European outlet and plans to open more stores soon. Baci Lingerie, one of the leading players in the USA, plans to expand to other countries such as Spain, Brazil, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and UAE. Other successful competitors include Calida, Chantelle, Hunkemöller, Lindex, Maidenform Brands, Triumph, Warnaco and Wolford. Players who showed a weak performance in this dynamic market were Austrian underwear specialist Palmers, which was up for sale in 2011, and La Senza UK, which went into administration at the end of 2011.

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