Abstract
The maternity wear market is a small part of the womenswear sector, and has remained relatively static in value size over the past five years. It is a sector that appears to undergo regular churn - non-specialists tend to dip in-and-out - and it has, over the longer period, suffered from the declining birth rate and therefore fewer women getting pregnant and needing maternity clothing.
However, positive factors include the growing acceptance of shopping online - which gives physical retailers much greater reach - and the increasing fashionability of maternity wear, helped by celebrities showing off their ' bumps' in stylish and more figure-hugging outfits.
Still, there are challenges - not least of which are seen from Mintel' s exclusive consumer research which shows that while many women regard maternity wear as comfortable, many also regard it as too expensive, frumpy and unfashionable. They also think there is not enough choice.
Table of Contents
- Issues in the MarketKey issues
- Definitions
- Abbreviations
- Market in Brief
- The birth-rate is increasing
- Figure 1: All live births, 1970-2005
- Who is giving birth?
- Figure 2: Age of mothers at live birth of first child, 1970-2000
- Women born outside of the UK
- Figure 3: All live births, by country of origin of mother, 1995 and 2005
- Where do they buy?
- Consumers have more money
- Growing number of young women
- Figure 4: UK female population, by age group, 2002-12
- Celebrities and fashion
- Challenges for the market
- The future
- Drivers of future retail success in maternitywear
- Industry Insight
- Key points:
- The market
- Celebrities and maternitywear
- Regular fashion -- a threat?
- Catering for a wide spectrum of ages
- The larger size issue -- little demand for over 20
- The product
- Do maternity and special occasion mix?
- The lingerie issue
- Channels of distribution
- Entrants and exits
- Multichannelling maternitywear
- Online shopping is key
- Maternitywear for hire?
- Store environment and service
- Marketing activities
- Marketing to women
- The future
- Key drivers for retail success
- Internal Market Environment
- Key points:
- Female population
- Figure 5: UK female population, by age group, 2002-12
- Women in employment
- Birth-rate
- Figure 6: All live births and all live births within marriage, 1995-2005
- Figure 7: All live births, 1970-2005
- Births within marriage
- Figure 8: Numbers of UK marriages, 1950-2005
- Fertility
- Figure 9: Birth-rates (all births), 2001-06
- Figure 10: Total fertility rate -- UK, 1960-2006
- Age of women giving birth
- Figure 11: Mean age of mothers at live birth, 1995-2005
- Figure 12: Age of mothers at live birth of first child, 1970-2000
- Make-up of live births, by mother' s country of birth
- Figure 13: All live births, by country of origin of mother, 1995 and 2005
- Fashion/celebrity trends
- Broader Market Environment
- Key points:
- Personal disposable income
- Figure 14: UK personal disposable income (PDI), at current and constant prices, 2002-11
- Figure 15: UK adult population aged 15+, by socio-economic group, 2001-11
- Consumer spending on garments/womenswear
- Figure 16: Consumer expenditure on womenswear, at current and constant 2000 prices, 2001-06
- Clothing retail distribution
- Figure 17: Sales through clothing retailers, at current and constant 2000 prices, 2001-06
- Figure 18: Clothing channels of distribution (incl maternitywear), 2006
- Inflation
- Market in Context
- Figure 19: UK retail sales of all womenswear and maternitywear, 2001-07
- Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points:
- Market boosters
- Figure 20: UK retail sales of maternitywear, at current and constant 2002 prices, 2002-07
- Forecast
- Figure 21: Market size and forecast of maternity wear, at current and 2007 prices, 2002-12
- Factors incorporated in the forecast
- The Consumer -- Who Buys?
- Key findings
- Who buys?
- Figure 22: Who buys maternitywear, by age and socio-economic group, January 2007
- Who Buys? -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 23: Who buys maternitywear and when did they buy it, by marital status, lifestage, socio-economic group, working status, tenure, region, ACORN categories, media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, January 2007
- The Consumer -- Where They Buy
- Key findings
- Figure 24: Where shoppers bought maternitywear recently, by age and socio-economic group, January 2007
- Where They Buy -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
- Figure 25: Where shoppers buy maternitywear, by marital status, lifestage, working status, tenure, region, ACORN categories, media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, January 2007
- Retail Competitor Analysis
- Key points:
- Figure 42: Market share, by maternitywear retailer, january2007
- Outlets strategy
- Figure 43: Summary of maternitywear retailers' market position and outlet strategies, 2006/07
- Retailers' performances
- Figure 44: Main maternity retailers' sales and maternity market shares, 2006
- Future prospects -- winners and losers
- Figure 45: Maternity retailers, winners and losers, 2006/07
- The Retailers
- Specialists -- Major retailers
- Figure 46: Major retailers' (specialists) maternity product offer data, 2006/07
- Mothercare
- Figure 47: Mothercare Plc, outlet numbers, 2002-07
- Figure 48: Mothercare, financial performance, 2002-06
- Home shopping
- Mamas & Papas
- Blooming Marvellous
- Figure 49: The Marvellous Group, financial performance, 2001-05
- Formes
- Figure 50: Formes (UK) Ltd, financial performance, 2002-06
- JoJo Maman Bébé
- Figure 51: JoJo Maman Bébé financial performance, 2002-06Specialists -- smaller companies, multichannel
- Figure 52: Smaller maternity (multichannel) specialists product data, 2006/07
- Blossom Mother and Child
- Crave Maternity
- Definitely Baby
- Does My Tum Look Big in This/Bridesnbumps.com
- Home Mummy
- Isabella Oliver
- Nearly9
- Pumpkin Patch
- Push Maternity
- SéraphineCarla C Designer Maternity
- Pea in the Pod
- Polarn O. Pyret
- Internet retailers
- Figure 53: Overview of Internet retailers' maternity product offer data, 2006/07
- Figleaves
- Net-a-Porter
- Amoralia
- Bras4mums
- FunMum
- Melba Maternity
- Tiffany Rose Maternity
- Wondermummy
- YummyMummy
- Mail order (traditional catalogues)
- Figure 54: Mail order retailers' maternity product offer, 2006/07
- Redcats -- La Redoute and Vertbaudet
- N Brown Group plc -- Simply Be
- Other catalogues
- Non-specialist retailers
- Figure 55: Non-specialist retailers' maternity product offer, 2006/07
- Babies R Us
- Arcadia
- Dorothy Perkins
- Topshop
- Gap
- H&M
- Marks & Spencer
- New Look
- Next
- Peacocks
- Warehouse
- Department stores
- Debenhams
