Abstract
This report offers in-depth discussion of the following topics:
- How product innovation in styles, colors and materials has worked to keep the market fresh for younger consumers- especially since this segment is more likely to buy, and buys more).
- How the growth of premium men' s apparel in general has impacted the types of underwear offerings on the market.
- How the availability of low-cost foreign imports has kept consumer prices low and has impacted how U.S. companies are run.
- The significant role age plays in the market, with younger men being more willing to experiment (behavior that starts in their teens, according to Mintel' s consumer research); and older men being more set in their style preferences and motivated largely by comfort.
- Why women play a key role in the men' s underwear market, not just as a motivation behind purchases, but as purchasers in their own right.
- The direction in which the men' s underwear market is heading.
Estimated at $4.5 billion in 2006, the men' s underwear market registered just 2% growth at constant prices over the review period (2001-06). Consisting of men' s briefs, boxers, boxer-briefs, thermal underwear and T-shirts, purchases are largely driven by necessity (as opposed to the luxury that frequently characterizes the women' s underwear market). Although some consumers have gravitated toward more expensive performance items in the men' s market, a widening array of choices at any price point has made it more difficult for manufacturers to convince the average consumer to spend more.
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Executive Summary
- Little real term growth
- The men' s underwear consumer
- Older consumers form stable base, but future of market is in youth
- Younger respondents more likely to buy and more likely to buy more
- Notable differences in purchase by race/ethnicity
- Younger and older consumers look for different things in underwear
- Underwear goes upscale
- Women help drive the market
- Foreign trade matters figure prominently in men' s underwear
- The future
- Market Drivers
- Demographic shifts
- Young male population grows, increases sales
- Figure 1: Adult male population, by age, 2001-11
- Minority populations grow
- Figure 2: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2001-11
- Figure 3: Age distribution of the population, by race/ethnicity, 2006
- Blacks
- Hispanics
- "Premiumization" seen in the overall men' s clothing market
- Underwear gets an upgrade
- Retailer consolidation means greater competition
- Increased price competition
- Women are active market participants
- Figure 4: Enjoyment of clothes shopping, by gender, May 2004-May 2005
- Market Size and Trends
- Market size
- Figure 5: Retail sales of men' s underwear, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 6: Graph: Retail sales of men' s underwear, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Market Segmentation
- Overview
- Figure 7: Sales of men' s underwear, by garment type, 2004 and 2006
- Figure 8: Graph: Sales of men' s underwear, by garment type, 2004 and 2006
- Undershirts
- Figure 9: Sales of men' s undershirts, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 10: Under Armour ad featuring young, tough black athletes
- Briefs
- Figure 11: Sales of men' s briefs, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Boxers
- Figure 12: Sales of men' s boxers, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Boxer-briefs
- Figure 13: Sales of men' s boxer-briefs, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Thermal
- Figure 14: Sales of men' s thermal underwear, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Supply Structure
- Foreign trade
- Overview
- Imports
- Figure 15: Total U.S. imports of men' s underwear*, by country/region, 2004 and 2006
- Exports
- Figure 16: Total U.S. exports of men' s underwear*, by country/region, 2004 and 2006
- Selected company and brand profiles
- Fruit of the Loom
- Hanesbrands Inc
- Jockey International
- Joe Boxer
- Calvin Klein/Warnaco
- Smaller/growing brands
- Advertising and Promotion
- Newcomers go directly to the consumer
- Company and brand activity
- Hanesbrands
- Figure 17: Hanes ad featuring the ComfortSoft Waistband
- Fruit of the Loom
- Figure 18: Fruit of the Loom ad featuring "Blues Collection"
- Jockey
- Calvin Klein
- Retail Distribution
- Introduction
- Figure 19: Retail sales of men' s underwear, by channel, 2006
- Figure 20: Where men' s underwear is bought, October 2006
- Figure 21: Average price of men' s underwear, by channel, 2004
- Mass merchandisers
- Specialty/apparel stores
- Department stores
- Consolidation impacts number of channels selling men' s underwear
- National discount chains
- The Consumer
- Introduction and Summary
- Introduction
- Summary
- Men' s underwear
- Incidence of purchasing men' s underwear
- Figure 22: Men' s incidence of buying men' s underwear in last 12 months, October 2006
- Figure 23: Men' s incidence of buying men' s underwear in last 12 months, by age, October 2006
- Frequency of buying men' s underwear
- Figure 24: Frequency of buying men' s underwear, mean summary, October 2006
- Quantity bought
- Figure 25: Mean number of men' s underwear purchased, by type, by age, October 2006
- Figure 26: Mean number of men' s underwear purchased, by type, by race/ethnicity, October 2006
- Brands purchased
- Figure 27: Men' s underwear brands purchased in past 12 months, October 2006
- Figure 28: Men' s underwear brands purchased in past 12 months, by age, October 2006
- Figure 29: Men' s underwear brands purchased in past 12 months, by race/ethnicity, October 2006
- Where men' s underwear are purchased
- Figure 30: Where men' s underwear is bought, October 2006
- Figure 31: Where men' s underwear is bought, by age, October 2006
- Reasons for buying men' s underwear
- Figure 32: Reasons for purchasing men' s underwear, October 2006
- Figure 33: Reasons for purchasing men' s underwear, by race/ethnicity, October 2006
- Attitudes towards buying men' s underwear
- Figure 34: Attitudes towards buying men' s underwear, agree summary, October 2006
- Figure 35: Attitudes towards buying men' s underwear, agree summary, by age, October 2006
- Figure 36: Attitudes towards buying men' s underwear, agree summary, by race/ethnicity, October 2006
- Teens and underwear
- Incidence of purchase
- Figure 37: Teens' incidence of buying men' s underwear in last 12 months, October 2006
- Number of underwear purchased
- Figure 38: Number of pairs of underwear bought by/for teens, by type, October 2006
- Reasons for purchase
- Figure 39: Teens' reasons for buying men' s underwear, October 2006
- Where underwear are bought
- Figure 40: Where teens bought underwear, October 2006
- Brands of underwear purchased
- Figure 41: Brands of men' s underwear bought by teens, October 2006
- Teens' attitudes towards buying underwear
- Figure 42: Teens' attitudes towards buying men' s underwear, agree summary, October 2006
- Women' s purchase of men' s underwear
- Incidence of buying men' s underwear
- Figure 43: Women' s incidence of buying men' s underwear in last 12 months, by age, October 2006
- Reasons for buying men' s underwear
- Figure 44: Women' s reasons for buying men' s underwear, by age, October 2006
- Future and Forecast
- Future trends
- Product innovation drives prices higher
- New hope for briefs
- Regulation
- Market forecast
- Men' s underwear
- Figure 45: Forecast of total U.S. sales of men' s underwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Figure 46: Forecast of total U.S. sales of men' s underwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Men' s undershirts
- Figure 47: Forecast of U.S. sales of men' s undershirts, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Men' s briefs
- Figure 48: Forecast of U.S. sales of men' s briefs, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Men' s boxers
- Figure 49: Forecast of U.S. sales of men' s boxers, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Men' s boxer-briefs
- Figure 50: Forecast of U.S. sales of men' s boxer-briefs, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Men' s thermal underwear
- Figure 51: Forecast of U.S. sales of men' s thermal underwear, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Forecast Factors
- Appendix: Trade Associations
- Appendix: Additional Consumer Tables
- Figure 52: Brands of men' s underwear purchased, October 2006
- Figure 53: Brands of men' s underwear bought by teens, October 2006
