The Rising Popularity of Maternity Wear
Maternity clothing refers to that type of clothing that is specially designed for women to be work during pregnancy. These dresses are made out of comfortable fabric that includes elastics, tabs, and spandex that allows the females to have extra comfort during the gestating period.
Global Maternity Wear Market, Forecasts From 2019 to 2025, in US$billion
Source: Knowledge Sourcing Estimates
The figure above represents the global maternity wear market size from 2019 to 2025 which shows the market is expected to reach US$18.899 billion by the year 2025 from US$13.767 billion in the year 2019. The major factors driving the market growth include the rising focus of the pregnant woman regarding pregnancy fashion majorly in the developing regions such as North America and Europe among others. The changing fashion trend has led to an upsurge in the adoption of various types of maternity dresses as the females are increasing their consciousness towards wearing fitted dresses. Moreover, the rising fashion sense and a decent growth in the female working population are also some of the additional factors that play a significant role in propelling the business opportunities for the major market players over the next five years. Earlier, the maternity wear was used to hide the baby bumps but over the years the trend has changed which has led to an upsurge in the adoption of various type of maternity dresses for the showing off of the baby bumps. The market is also poised to witness a healthy growth on account of the expansion of distribution channels, especially across the developing economies such as India, China, and Indonesia among others. Furthermore, the penetration of new players in online business has also augmented the demand for maternity wear in both developed and developing economies. Also, the investments by various startup companies with an aim to gain a competitive edge and tap the potential that the market holds further provide an impetus for the market to witness a healthy growth in the near future.
Segment Overview:
The global maternity wear market has been segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel, and geography. On the basis of product type, the segmentation of the market has been done on the basis of dresses, bottom wear, lingerie, and others. By the distribution channel, the segmentation of the market has been done on the basis of online and offline. Geographically, the market has been distributed into North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.
By product type, the dresses segment is expected to hold a substantial share in the market throughout the forecast period on account of the presence of a wide variety of products under this segment coupled with the considerably higher price of these products among other product types. Furthermore, the rising demand for formal wear on account of the increasing pregnant working population in major developing economies such as India, China, and Brazil is also a key factor boosting the growth of this segment over the next five years. Also, the presence of players in the market such as H&M and GAP also offers a wide variety of product offerings under this segment is also a major factor supplementing the share of the market over the next five years. The lingerie segment is expected to witness a healthy growth as the rising number of conscious women that take necessary care of themselves while undergoing several body changes has led to an upsurge in the demand for lingerie that caters to the requirements of the women during their pregnancy phase.
By the distribution channel, the online segment is anticipated to show fast growth during the next five years. The major factors that supplement the growth of this segment include the booming internet penetration and smartphone penetration in both developed and developing economies of the globe. Also, the expansion of distribution channels by various retail chains to capture a greater share of the population has led to an upsurge in the sales through online sales channels, thereby supporting the share of this segment during the next five years. For instance, AKS aa leading ethnic wear brand based out of India announced the launch of a new product line of maternity and nursing wear collection on its e-commerce store in June 2019. Similarly, in March 2018, H&M announced the launch of its online store in India with an aim to accelerate its market share across the country. The offline distribution channel is expected to hold a considerable market share throughout the forecast period on account of the presence of a considerable large population base that is reluctant towards online shopping. Also, the presence of a vast number of retailers especially in the developing economies also plays a significant role in shaping up the growth of this segment during the next five years.
Regionally, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness a considerable growth in the market throughout the forecast period on account of the increasing urban population and increasing purchasing power of the women in countries like India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam among others. Furthermore, the booming e-commerce industry across these countries is also significantly driving the global maternity wear market growth during the course of the next five years. Also, a significant increase in working pregnant women is also bolstering the adoption of maternity wear market throughout the forecast period. According to the data from the World Bank Group, GDP per capita (current US$) in India and China reached 2,104.146 and 10,261.679 respectively by 2019 from 1,357.564 and 4,550.454 in 2010.
GDP Per Capita (Current US$) – India and China, 2010 to 2019
Source: The World Bank Group
Furthermore, the North American region is expected to hold a substantial market share throughout the forecast period on account of the presence of a large fashion-conscious female population base in countries like the United States and Canada. Furthermore, the higher purchasing power of the people in these countries also supplements the demand for numerous types of maternity clothing which is a key factor supporting the share of the North American maternity wear market over the course of the next five years.
