As the pandemic raged on in India and lockdown became the norm, everyone turned to online shopping with offers flooding our phones every day. There is one category that has witnessed a boom in the market unbeknownst to most us, Lingerie.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that endlessly locked us indoors has wrought an incredible change in the online shopping behaviour of people all over the world and we Indians are no exception. E-commerce giants have made their mark and are here to stay. The pandemic ensured that innumerable niche players jumped on to the online bandwagon. And one category that has emerged as one of the fastest growing categories in recent times is lingerie.

According to recent studies, The Indian lingerie market reached $3 billion in 2017 and is estimated to touch $6.5 billion by the year 2023. The rising middle-class population with disposable income and an increasing number of financially independent women can be seen as the prime factors behind this robust growth of the Lingerie market in India. Here are the 5 major factors pushing the growth of online sale of lingerie in the Indian market

1. Shopping behaviour – Lingerie shopping has shown tremendous growth in the retail fashion industry, and is no more a clandestine thing. Amidst the pandemic, the purchase of lingerie has undergone a drastic change. Women chose to buy innerwear from physical stores but Zivame changed the online game for innerwear long before the pandemic hit. However, due to COVID-19 and the mandatory lockdowns, customers were forced to stay indoors triggering a shift in purchasing behaviour. Women now are buying their innerwear solely from e-commerce platforms that offer them varied designs at good discounts along with doorstep delivery with better privacy.

2. Social media outreach – The extensive smartphone and internet usage along with ever-present social media that we scroll day and night, with its extensive reach has played a crucial role in tapping the target category of women and has helped in increased sales of lingerie via e-commerce platforms.

3. Comfort & privacy – Spending the whole day at home during the pandemic was a challenge in itself and casualwear, lingerie along with lingerie brought comfort and a pleasant experience. The comfort factor while working at home also served as a catalyst in online sale of lingerie, as people tend to explore what a site has to offer before clicking on the order now button on the screen. Moreover, social media helped consumers understand the importance of self-hygiene, wellness and the merits of investing in good quality lingerie. With millions of women working from home, the trend definitively reflects that they opted for comfort and self-care.

4. The supply market – Tapping into what today’s fast-paced career women need and crave, manufacturers and popular international brands have come up with whole new collections that online aggregators sell at reasonable rates with a host of attractive offers.

Online shopping comes with benefits and memberships that ensure availability of a wide variety and variations of the same product and also made available in different sizes, well stocked shelves that offer exhaustive information about the fabric, care and washing directions, how to style the product, and so much more. There is a whole new range of bralettes, activewear, resort wear, sports bra, chemises, bodysuits, hosiery, plus size lingerie, designer lingerie and lots more to cater every whim and wish of the modern-day women.

5. The upward curve – Experts say the Indian innerwear and lingerie industry foresee tremendous growth in the coming years for all reasons ranging from international brands taking a curious interest in the Indian market trends to financial independence of young women who are confident in their choices and investments.

The lingerie industry has the potential to grow exponentially in the times to come owing to the increased demand for more luxurious lingerie and growing awareness of Western trends. Consumers are prioritising their lingerie shopping needs, they say. As the purchasing power of the consumer increases with availability of disposable income, the demand for different categories within the innerwear segment such as shape wear, active wear and bralettes, has increased significantly.

6. Survey Report – A recent survey, conducted by lingerie company Groversons Group, shows the Indian innerwear market is poised to grow at a robust CAGR of around 15% by the year 2023. The survey shows that an Indian woman now has at least eight pieces of brassieres in her wardrobe as compared to four-five in the past. Similar is the case with underpants–a woman owns at least 10-12 pieces on an average.

The report shows women in the 20-30 age group are more experimental with their choices and make up for the largest share in demand. Shoppers in this segment have a stronger purchasing power as they are much aware of the benefits of good lingerie.

“The times are truly changing and in time people’s perception of lingerie is evolving positively. Ladies’ innerwear segment is no longer a clandestine subject, rather has become informative with regards to women’s health, educating a large number of consumers of this segment. Everybody wants to look good and feel good, not just on the outside but from within too,” says Siddharth Grover, director, Groversons Group.

Back in the day, in the Indian market specifically, lingerie was a mere necessity in a woman’s life. But during the past few years, especially post pandemic, the modern female consumer group has increased awareness when it comes to innerwear and lingerie needs and choices. The increasing young population with quick disposable income, experimental fashion choices and trends, expanding number of female shoppers in the market and need-based lingerie solutions have contributed to the upward trajectory of the innerwear and lingerie segment