Women’s lingerie portals on an upward swing

E-commerce has changed the way consumers shopped

and one category that has gained the most in India is the innerwear or lingerie segment. While fashion portals are struggling to break even, lingeri selling websites are a hit among consumers, because it not only provides the privacy but also a wide choice of styles like cellulite-controlling innerwear, swimwear and shapewear and brands in all sizes at a mouse click.

According to the research, India’s lingerie market is currently pegged at Rs 9,500 crores and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 14 percent. And Data by Internet and Mobile Association of India shows that India’s e-commerce market is expected to see a 33 percent growth by the year end and is expected to touch Rs 62,967 crores by the year from Rs 47,349 crores as of December 2012.

The e-commerce market is expected to cross the Rs 10,000 crores mark by 2013 end. E&Y estimates that the Indian lingerie and nightwear market, which was valued at about two billion dollars (Rs 11.7 crores) in 2011, is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 15 percent until 2015.

Interestingly, male customers shopping for women’s lingerie are much higher than the women shoppers. As per a Economic Times report, online lingerie retailer Zivame, which was set up in 2011, is said to be growing at 400 percent annually and is expected to earn revenues of about Rs 300 crores this fiscal, while others like Moods of Cloe, Peri Peri Skinwear, Under Cover Lingerie and Pretty Secrets, have also made their mark.