Rapid changes in fashion trends and increase in disposable income of consumers, resulting in purchase of different kinds of swimwear products based on their comfort, activities, and fashion appeal are projected to augment the industry demand. Luxury swimwear that offers value-added features such as convenient cuts and trendy prints and enhance the slimming effect is gaining popularity among women of different regions. Growth of beauty and spa industries and increased demand for speciality swimwear by women are also driving the swimwear and beachwear market to some extent. Added to this is the growing traffic of beach tourism which scenic sites in India like Goa, Kerala, Maharastra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu provide. In fact, next to Brazil or Argentina, India is blessed with a long coastline and the young millennials are discovering the joy of sun, sand and the surf like never before. A lot of Indians are headed to Bali, Seychelles, Maldives, Fiji, Australia, etc for their holidays carrying their swimming gears.
What’s in-store for swimwear industry?
The swimwear industry in India has come a long way from an exclusive apparel only for professional swimmers to a fashionable piece bought by regular consumers. Let’s dig a little deeper to know more about what’s in-store for swimwear industry this year
The swimwear industry in India is growing at a great pace with increasing health consciousness and more and more people indulging not only in swimming but also in other water related activities. The segment itself is expected to grow further creating a huge demand for various styles and colours across all age groups. Most of the retailers agree that the highest growing segment is of womens and kids. The swimwear market size is currently estimated at about Rs 1500-2000 crore.
Growing awareness of swimming
There’s a growing awareness of the importance of swimming and its allied health benefits. Thus, more and more individuals have started to include swimming to their fitness regimes.
In the last couple of years, parents have understood the importance of physical activities in their kid’s routine; they are also encouraging them to pursue swimming as a mainstream activity.
Earlier swimwear was exclusive apparel only for professional swimmers but today brands have realized the importance of introducing fashionable swimwear for regular customers. Due to the easy accessibility to resorts, beaches and international destinations, fashionable swimwear has become an integral part of retailers selling agenda.
Latest trends in swimwear:
Nand Badlani CEO Enkay, when talking about the style or trends in swimwear mentions, “Thanks to the experts working to add more to swimsuit , we can now rest easy knowing the selection ahead for bikinis and one-piece are some of the coolest out there. 2020 is definitely looking like the year, where you should finally take all those warm-weather vacations you’ve been dreaming of, because the newest swimsuit trends deserve ample photo ops and long walks on the beach.
The high-cut trend has been around for a couple of seasons now, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. High-cut styles are designed to elongate and lengthen and look amazing on almost all body shapes. Pairing high-cut bikini bottoms with a wide waistband also adds a flattering finish on the waist. “Poolside Hi Cut Pant has been one of our best-selling styles and is a cut we’ll be continuing through and it’s very reasonable too,
When talking to Jawahar from Mitushi how is using he trends to their credit, he mentioned, “We always keep ourselves updated about trends, find out about trends that swimsuit experts say are reigning supreme in the next year. Between embroidery, fresh new colours, and leopard print, there’s no need to choose a favourite—they’re all good. “We use polyester, nylon, neoprene, spandex, and many more fabrics in sublimation, ambo zing, mesh etc. too.”
Harish Dhawan, owner, Lycot when talking about the upcoming swimwear trends for 2020, explains, “We have creatively knitted a blend of modern fabrics to create another dimension in fluid fashion. Not just because it’s a fusion between lycra and cotton, but because when you slip into it, you defy gravity. With endurance as its DNA, Lycot’s comprehensive range of active wear is 100% chlorine resistant to prevent snagging and fading. Made of quick dry technology, it just sets you up for the next level, nicely and if this wasn’t enough, it retains its original shape and fit after every swim to offer you unparalleled comfort –just like day one.” When elaborating about the collection this year Lycot has come up with new innovation in digital printing and we are using lots of neon colours to shape our patterns.
A new brand which is set to launch in 2020 is Oceanic. Mr. Raju Narwani the owner has over 20 years of Sales and Marketing experience in Swimwear industry. When talking about the trends to look for in swimwear in 2020, mentioned, “As it is rightly said, variety is the spice of life. With our brand we are doing exactly that. We have enormous variety of both plain and printed swimming wear. Each design further has various colour choices. At each stage we are offering options. Starting from plain design or printed design to choices of colour in each pattern selected.”
Samar Ghosh, Brand Head, Lobster says, “Lobster swimwear churns out distinctive styles, cuts, and colours keeping in mind the athletic sensibility. He further adds “We believe our collection is as edgy and ultra-chic while maintaining an excellent fit to suit the Indian personality, which caters to all sizes as per Indian fit needs”.
When talking about innovation, he mentions, “luxury premium fabrics of polyamide lycra content from the state of art mills across the world coupled with special finish such as UV protection, extra fine feel and softness, shape retention, abrasion resistance, extra breathability, quick drying and chlorine resistance are used, colour -trends forecast initiated prints and solid colours gives the required spice to the collection.”
Mr Abhay Chappia, Partner, Attiva started selling swimwear in 2005 through their brand Attiva.
Bodycharms Swimwear, another brand that has been offering value for money started selling swimwear in 2002. For Manish Bokaria the brand has progressed quite well and today they have created a name for themselves in this growing segment. Apart from this, Bodycharms also makes customised swimwear for bigger sizes.
Madmax has been around for the last decade or so catering to the needs of urban milieu in search of fashionable swimsuit at down to earth prices. ”
The brand Rovars has created waves in the market, emerging as a reputed name in the categories of swimwear, swim accessories, skating wear, cycling wear, training wear designed for newborns up to 15 years and Men and women of all age group. Apart from Rovars also manufacturers swimwear & skating wear for men and women. The brand is headed by Rohit Gandhi.
Dinesh Rawat, SwimX a recent brand started in 2016, which has created waves in such a short time, establishing himself in the market provides variety of products for all age groups.
According to Rohit Gandhi of Rovars, “The new innovation this season are their own digital designs, and the colour scheme is based on floral and geometric themes.”
Amanté offers five main swimwear silhouettes varying coverage and design, they come in a variety of trendy prints and colors that are sure to be fashion statement. Amanté also has a range of stylish wraps and cover ups that women can pick up to complement their swimwear and make for any easy fit at any pool party or family vacation
“Premium Fabrics, YKK Zippers on all our swimwear, Body-Specific Fitting, Hydro-Dry Technology, Printastic Prints and Anti-Tan Mechanism are a few of the new features that we have incorporated in our 2020 swimwear range,” says Abhijeet Parkhi of Champs
Brand offerings:
According to Amanté, the beach culture picking up with the number of people choosing to travel more for either short weekend getaways or beach vacations. Women have become open to hanging out in their swimwear by the poolside or the beach during their travel or for parties. This has created a need for swimwear has become a prerequisite to get into a pool and a fashion statement. Swimwear has steadily become an important category in the intimate wear space.
Smita Murarka, Head of Marketing & Ecom states, “While there has been a significant shift in the mindset of Indian women towards swimwear, there are still roadblocks being faced in this category. One of the biggest roadblocks is accessibility and silhouettes that flatter the Indian body type. Amanté has always been attuned to women’s needs and requirements and catering to the evolving needs of women. We were one of the first lingerie brands to offer swimwear because we saw a vacuum that had to be filled. While there are brands that offer functional swimwear, there are none that blends function with fashion.
We have a range of silhouettes designed for the body of the Indian woman and what she would be comfortable and confident to wear especially when conservation perception is still prevalent to some extent. We have launched various styles and silhouettes meant to address the woes of Indian women who struggle to find swimwear to complement their frames and tastes.”
Innovations in fabrics:
To lure the customers, brands have come up with innovations in their offerings. Smita Murarka, states “When it comes to swimwear, quality of the fabric and fit is very crucial in context to chlorine in the water and its effect on one’s skin. As a lingerie brand, we already understand the nuances of a woman’s body and the need for a flattering fit and comfort. Keeping this in mind, we have designed a range of swimwear silhouettes with finer detailing that is complementary to the Indian woman’s body irrespective of her shape and size. We have gone beyond a bikini and monokini to skirtinis and swim dresses that give more coverage and modesty. Our swimwear is certified with OEKO TEX fabric which is kinder to the skin and is gentler on the environment.”
“Enkay has developed 100s of New Trendy Swimwear Innovative Designs & Styles for New Collection 2020. Like Flowery Prints, Leather Finish & Water Proof Fabrics. Multi Coloured Swimwear, Florescent colour swimwear etc.” states, Mr. Nandkumar Badlani – CEO, Enkay.
On Innovation, Mr Abhay Chappia, Managing Partner, Attiva states, “We are proud to say that we use fabrics made by Carvico S.p.A., Italy only. We are using fabric Vita, which is sand proof and chlorine proof. While Manish Bokaria of, Bodycharms Swimwear-has Sublimation prints which are in trend along with spandex and polyester.
Nilesh Furia of MadMax provides various swimsuits in nylon fabric with new prints and latest styles which offers easy movement in water.
Dinesh Rawat, of SwimX also offer products made with fabrics like nylon, 4 way stretch spandex fabrics. Mr Abhay Chappia, will be launching Econyl fabric made by Carvico using regenerated Nylon yarn for a more sustainable environment in the coming summer season
Changes in the past five years:
According to Smita Murarka, “Indian women have changed their attitude to swimwear, and an awareness of health and fitness is taking over. The swimwear market has steadily grown over the years with the changing sensibilities of women towards beach and resort wear. Women are now more conscious of their bodies as well as more comfortable in their own skin. Amante’s swimwear, too, has changed—with offering a wider range of silhouettes like monokinis, skirtinis and skirt dresses.
With women being more exposed to social media, travel and vacations, they now want to own swimwear that can be worn for summer and decked up for honeymoon or weekend getaways during other seasons. They want swimwear that goes beyond functionality, one that is stylish and suit’s their body shape. Our swimwear collection takes this into consideration and we have designed more silhouettes that accentuate the figure and conceal any flaws that make women feel more comfortable and positive about wearing their swimwear.
For instance, we have a high-waist fit bikinis with extended band to cover the stomach and give a full hip coverage to give a look of slender waistline. We continue to keep the Indian woman’s body shape in mind when designing the swimwear.
Swimwear is a very season driven category and though there is a steady growth for the category attributing to lifestyle changes, it is still going to be relatively smaller compared to other intimate wear categories.
The swimwear industry has progressed a lot since in the past few years and changed quite dramatically. Today, the consumer is aware of what she wants and wants it at the earliest. Our goal is to not only be available, but to make sure that an informed decision is taken on the type of swimwear being offered.
While there are women who are wearing one-piece and bikinis, the larger audience of shoppers are still cautious. They are still hesitant to invest in a revealing swimsuits and expect brands to offer swimwear that is more modest even if they are open to trying new styles. A few foreseeable macro trends in swimwear would need for sustainable swimwear and plus size swimwear. The main reason for the growth is the changing lifestyle, social media and their need to experiment and be more open with their bodies. While there is still some reservation towards swimwear, it is a steady growing category and as a brand that goes beyond lingerie, it has been a natural course for us to cater to this market and make it more accessible to women.”
According to Mr. Nandkumar Badlani – CEO, Enkay “The last few years have been great for the swimwear industry with a steady year on year growth in terms of sales and market acquisition. The numbers have been improving, and this gives us plenty of reasons to smile. There has been a complete overhaul in the mind-set of the consumers, and this has greatly contributed to the industry’s growth. Swimwear has come a long way from being only a necessity to becoming a style statement. Consumers who used a single swimwear for years have moved on to the trend of having a different style of swimming garment for each occasion.”
He goes on to say, “Growth in population, rise in health awareness, and product innovation are likely to propel the swimwear market growth in developed economies. Additionally, growth in participation rate of water sports and fitness among Indians is expected to influence the swimwear market in the Indian subcontinent.
As India’s working class is expanding, foreign travel is becoming more and more common. This has provided further impetus to the swimwear industry. The swimwear market is also expected to see a rise in the men’s section, even while women’s swimwear continues to represent 70 per cent of the total market.
Swimwear is bound to grow in popularity due to increasing interest in fitness. The rising health-consciousness among the people has made them eager to slip on swimwear for medical reasons.
The beauty and spa industries are also encouraging the swimwear culture in some countries. Apart from this, India is seeing the beach culture pick up with rising number of tourists, which helps in boosting the swimwear business.
Evolving Customer base:
With changes in consumer demographic, teenagers, now have a say in what they want to wear, which is bound to push swimwear sales. Thus, swimwear is attracting old and young alike, and brands are happy to widen their reach.
Consumers are now attracted towards multifunctional cover-up swimwear and beachwear which is likely to support the swimwear market growth. Increasing expenditure on lifestyle goods, coupled with an increasing preference for swimming as a leisure and recreational activity, are driving the growth of the swimwear market.
Most of the customers tend to incline toward habit and comfort. Brand loyalty and fitting of the swimsuit play a key role followed by style. Moreover, growing demand for luxury swimwear by women, increase in number of private and public swimming pools and clubs is influencing the market growth from last few years.”
Swimming is the most popular sport in many countries such as Russia, China, Europe, and Australia. Increase in the participation rate of water sports also contributes to the industry growth. However, swimwear requires some special kind of systematic processing and designing of raw materials and fabrics such as polyester, nylon, polypropylene, spandex, and neoprene to produce the desired texture, design, look, and other fashion attributes of swimwear. Price volatility of these raw materials affect the size of the market to a greater extent. Huge investments are required for R&D to cater the fluctuating demand for different designs, which leads to high cost of designing, thereby hampering the growth of the market.
The Growth Pattern:
Mr Jawahar says “The growing number of residential complex across India have increased the number of swimming pools. Several swimming pool clubs are offering exclusive monthly and yearly packages with discounts to attract customers. Other factors such as the increasing participation in fitness activities such as swimming by the millennial, and geriatric population and the increasing number of participants in Paralympics are driving the demand for swimwear. Expected growth will be around 6.5% IN 2020. While, as per CAGR report and forecast the expected growth in the next 5 years will be 8.4%.”
The market is evolving like never before. Talking about the evolving market, Abhijeet Parkhi, Creative Director, Champ Sports Pvt. Ltd., says, “Due to the open economy, a lot of international styling has now started showing in the Indian swimwear designs. Since the advent of internet and e-commerce, the consumers now have matured into their specific style which makes it easier for brands to target specific types of users now. To cater to this demand, we have come out with body-specific swimwear styles and patterns this year under our VELOZ brand.”
Market Last Year:
Harish Dhawan of Lycot mentions that the swimwear market has experienced a slowdown currently, due to demonetization and back to back GST implementation and some local and political issues. However, he hopes that in the next 5 years the swimwear sector is about to grow by 10% to 15% YoY.
Further, when talking about economy, Samar of Lobster too agrees with Harish, “Well the current economy meltdown as definitely affected the sales, though we have maintained a steady sailing. The market is still at its nascent stage showing a great potential for upward growth of swimwear in this country. The swimwear market is witnessing a steady growth, driven by growing health consciousness, rising popularity of beach culture, water sports. Increasing emphasis on active and healthy lifestyle. The trend of holidaying and exploring the changing lifestyle in India has expanded the fashion sensibilities of Indian consumer towards swimwear and beachwear and its poised to have great potential growth in years to come.”
Mr Abhay Chappia, also reiterates the same viewpoint, “This year, the market has been very slow compared to previous years. But fortunately we have not done too bad either, but not had a visible growth though”
Manish Bokaria on the contrary has had a good growth this year in spite of the economy not doing well. May be because he is offering really value for money products at down to earth prices. So his products are always in demand and he envisages a growth of 25% again this year. Nilesh Furia of MadMax- too has had a good year of sales in 2019 and he feels he could continue the same in 2020 with a growth of 15% the forthcoming season as well.
Dinesh Rawat of SwimX is equally gung-ho about the prospects of a good growth in 2020 by clocking a growth 20%.
Retail Speaks:
The industry players are witnessing a steady growth in the category. Sanjay Murjani, Founder, She Emporium, Ahmedabad, says, “Every year the demand of swimwear is increasing as people have now become more health conscious, they are spending time on heath activities, they want to go out, enjoy and spend some time on activities. The number of clubs and water parks has increased so the demand of swimwear is increasing every year.” The company is witnessing about 10-15% increase in this category. The company is selling two swimwear brands including Mitushi and its in-house brand Scoopy.
Vishwam T, Properitor, Vijetha Enterprises, which is a distributor of Speedo, says, “We are witnessing a growth by about 15-20% growth. The knowledge of fitness is growing and parents are planning some activities for their kids.” He further says that in gents the price varies from INR 899-5000 and in ladies its INR 2000-25000. However, the female price range most in demand is INR 2000-6000.
Hitesh Shah, Manager, Sony Sports and Fitness, a retailer in Andheri, however, shares some different facts. He says the company is witnessed a decline this year due to market conditions.
Mukul Choudhary, Manager, Sprint Sportswear, manufacturer and retailer in Belgaum Karnataka, says that this year the company has witnessed about 10 times growth. Growing sports awareness and importance of swimming are the growth drivers. He further says that earlier when people used to go for vacation, they used to buy swimwear. But now the trend is changing. People have incorporated swimwear in their lifestyle and they are buying it for swimming.
The company sells Lobster brand which has both casual and professional style. INR1200-1800 is the preferred price range for ladies and INR 500-1000 are gents.
“Markets are changing right now. It is required for the brands to be clear about their message to the user. Now, that there has been a surge in the organized formats for retailing, we can expect a good sized growth this year,” Abhijit Parkhi adds.
What’s trending:
Talking about the trends, Murjani from She Emporium, says, “The females are preferring full and covered pieces because of the tan and chlorine in water, they don’t want to damage their skin. Males are preferring knee length swimwear which is neither too long nor too short. The price range preferred among gents is INR 250-400 and for ladies in lycra INR 1500-2000 and in normal polyester fabric INR 800-1000 is in demand.
Shah says, “Black and blue colours are more in demand. For ladies the popular price range is INR 1500-2000 and for gents INR 400-500. Sharing what customer demand, Choudhary says, “People do prefer sober colours. The demand of plain and in combination have increased. Printed pattern demand has fallen.
Where is the segment headed to:
The future of swimwear market looks promising as more and more Indians are taking up the swimming as part of their fitness routine. The leaders expect the industry to grow at about 15-20%. “In the next 5 years, the swimwear and active wear market is expected to pick up atleast 15-20% due to a very clear requirement from the user and the organised retail that links the brand to the consumer,” mentions Parkhi. Raju Narwani of Oceanic adds, “Swimwear market for manufacturers and producers in India is going to remain a niche market only. This is mainly because of high production cost, high investment, seasonal demand and the biggest challenge is offering the best quality in competitive market price.”
Mr Abhay Chappia, Attiva feels that for next five years the market will steady growth as there is an increase in customers buying two piece swimsuits. Also, due to more international brands coming in India, the swimwear market has a lot of future scope in India.
Manish Bokaria and Nilesh Furia feels that the swimwear market will grow around 10 to 20 per cent in the coming five years. There are many things to explore in the market, from innovative fabrics to new designs. As swimming has become quite a popular sport among consumers.
Dinesh Rawat, Swim states that “ People are now opting for more healthier lifestyles by indulging in various fitness activities, swimming being one of them. Social media marketing also plays an important role in influencing maximum number of people to switch to more fashionable options in swimwear. Looking at these factors and consumer behaviour, I think the market will grow around 20 per cent in the future.”
To stay ahead of the competition, brands need to tap changing consumer behavior and change in fashion trends. Retailers too have taken note of the growing swimwear market and have started catering to it by innovating their offerings. Innovation in fabrics, from heavy to light, is one such change that has helped retailers to increase their sales.
Even online players like Nykaa, Myntra, Amazon, Limeroad, Ajio, Voonik, among others are garbing a share of the pie.
Product offerings by various swimwear brands
Enkay
Ladies: 2 Piece Bikini,
Modern V-Shape for the Teen Beauties, Shorts Style, Skirt Style, Shorts & Skirt, with or without sleeves for gorgeous girls, Short or Long Sleeves and Ankle or
Full Legs One Piece Swimsuits
or Body / Yoga Suits
Gentlemen: Long short ,
cycling shorts, boxer shorts and
v-shape for champions.
Girls: v-shape, shorts style, skirt style, shorts and skirt, with or without sleeves for girls and short or long sleeves and ankle or full legs one piece swimsuits or body and yoga suits.
Boys: Long Shorts,
Cycling Shorts, Boxer Shorts
Accessories: snorkelling & diving
Total No. patterns in all: 160+
Price Range: 400 to 2000
SwimX
Women: Sleeveless, half sleeves swimming costumes, bodysuit, capri, tights, cycling shorts, shorts, etc.
Sizes: L to 4XL
Price Range: INR 1145 to 1995.
Men: Shorts, trunks, long jammers, etc Sizes: S to 4XL
Price Range: INR 495 to 595.
SwimX also Boys & Girls: Age between 2 to 16 yrs.
Girls: 2-piece swimsuit, bodysuit, jumpsuit,
Price Range: INR 695 to 1295.
Boys: Shorts, jumpsuits, bodysuits, etc
Price Range: INR 330 to 1245.
Swim accessories: swimming cap at price range INR 95 to 349, swim goggles at INR 165-495 and earplugs at INR 105-175.
Bodycharms Swimwear
Ladies: One piece swimwear in frock style and full suit swimwear along with two piece swimsuit consisting of tops, shorts and leggings.
Price Range: (women) INR 280 to 750.
Men: Jammers, Sando T-shirt
Price range: INR 150 to 300. They Kids: Skating range
Price Range: INR 250 to 500.
Lycot
Gents: Jammers, Long u cut
Price Range: INR 885 to INR 645, Ladies: hi-neck zip full sleeves and sleeveless and full length frock and A line Cut with and without sleeves Price Range: INR 2025 to INR 1405.
Girls:-hi-neck full sleeves full length skirt and top two pcs set
Price range: INR 1135
Boys: Hi-neck zip half sleeves legs shorts and jammers
Price Range: INR 690 to INR 640
Champ
Ladies: Half frock swimwear and full bodysuits
Price Range: INR 300 – INR 2000. Mens: Trunks, long shorts
Price Range: INR150 – INR 1500.
Kids: full bodysuits and sleeveless frocks with shorts
Price Range: INR 200 to INR 1000
Amante
Ladies: one piece swimsuits to bikinis, skirtinis and swim dresses.
Price Range: Bottoms at INR. 695, Swimsuits at INR 1,995 onwards
Attiva:
Ladies: swimwear in skirts, leggings, burkini, racerback and cross back tops, bikinis
Price range: INR 1200 to 2500.
Men: Trunks, jammers, etc
Price range: INR 600 to 900.
Sizes: M& L, XS to 6XL
Madmax
Ladies: frock swimsuit, t-shirts and leggings, shorts, bodysuit, etc
Price range: INR 1500 to 2200. For
Men: Trunks, boxers, jammers,
Price range: INR 550-850.
Sizes: Ladies-M to 3XL,Men-M to 4XL
