Market Overview

The women’s underwear retail market in 2022 diminished to 99.2% of the previous year to 553,500 million yen (based on the retail price). Although 2022 saw no particular hit item that generates huge sales for the industry, sales of non-wire (wire-free) bras was stable. Providing a wide range of non-wire bras that are advertised as “liberating” or “comfy”, and seamless underwear, has become a major trend of the women’s underwear market. Behind this trend is the consumer inclination for avoiding tightness, as well as the release of new wire-free bras with improved function at the level of traditional underwired bras. Meanwhile, new types of bras are increasing, which are not as tight as underwired bras but give slightly more lift than non-wired bras. Now that people are freed from COVID restrictions and going out more often, it is assumed that women’s awareness toward appearance is rising back to the pre-pandemic level.  

The men’s underwear retail market in 2022 also decreased to 99.6% of the prior year to 229,000 million yen (based on the retail price). Since men’s underwear has fewer range of products, the market rarely sees trending items. For this reason, the men’s underwear market cannot expect expansion.

Meanwhile, the legwear retail market in 2022 fell sharper than the previous year, resulting to 95.7% of the preceding year to 507,000 million yen (based on the retail price). The decline owes to the considerable drop in sales of pantyhose. Behind the shrinkage is a decrease of opportunities to wear pantyhose during the COVID pandemic, as people commuted less to office (increasingly worked from home). Even though the sales of women's socks showed slight increase as its demand grew as replacements to pantyhose, the sales did not compensate for the decrease in pantyhose sales.

Noteworthy Topics

FemTech Trends in Underwear Industry

Initiatives related to FemTech and femcare products is increasing in underwear industry in the last couple of years. FemTech is a term coined by combining the words "female" and "technology," which refers to apps, devices, and products that aim to fix or improve women's health and quality of life (QOL) by technology. Products to improve women's QOL are also referred to as "Femcare" products.

FemTech/femcare products in underwear and legwear category include leakproof panties, sleep bras, and maternity underwear, and they are increasing in the market.

Future Outlook

The women’s underwear retail market in 2023 is forecasted to attain 554,000 million yen, 101.1% of the previous year (based on the retail price). Although people’s flow is expected to expand further in 2023, the market size is projected to stay at almost the same level as in the preceding year due to fluctuations in exchange rates, soaring material prices, and labor shortages.

Size of the men’s underwear retail market is forecasted to level off at 230,000 million yen, which would be 100.4% of the previous year (based on the retail price). Marketing of men’s underwear is difficult compared to that for women’s underwear, because men’s underwear does not have as many characteristics to appeal as in women’s in the context of either functionality or design. Products are required to provide values equivalent to or more than its price. In a meantime, as seen in the expansion of FemTech/femcare items in women’s underwear category, “MaleTech” products, such as men's urine leakproof underwear, may attract attention in the men's underwear market hereafter.

Research Outline