Indian consumers are more conservative than their western counter parts so there is an increase in footfalls for intimate wear in the country’s e-commerce platform mainly due to the privacy provided by it.
According to industry representatives, the lingerie buyers of the country get more exposure to the international brands and latest fashion trends through online portals.
In a conversation with fibre2fashion, Ms. Neha Shah, marketing and sales manager at ShopImagine.in, an online boutique of luxury lingerie and stylish apparels in India, said, “The online lingerie shoppers in India are smart, well exposed to latest international fashion, price conscious and at the same time, is very particular about quality and fit.”
According to Zivame.com, the online portals offer complete privacy to a woman while purchasing lingerie. “The buyer can explore newer options which she might otherwise feel embarrassed to buy in offline stores. So we do see a change in consumer buying behavior since the lingerie business has made online,” says the representative of Zivame.com.
In a similar vein, Mr. Nischal Puri, managing director of Brandis, one of the leading suppliers of branded lingerie in India, says, “The lingerie market has evolved over the last decade and consumers are far more confident in exploring the varieties of brands as well as styles available in the market.”
Explaining further, the representative of Zivame.com says, “Although we do see a change in consumer buying behavior, 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong sized bra as they do not know their correct size or they do not find their right size in a neighborhood store, hence they settle for an alternate wrong size.”
Echoing Zivame.com, Mr. Puri says, “The retail fraternity has not done much to increase the consumer confidence and comfort.”
When asked about various steps to be taken by retailers to attract consumers, Ms. Shah says, “A smart and innovative online and offline sales as well as marketing strategy; accurate size and style chart; excellent customer service through trained lingerie stylists who are very crucial in creating a delighted and loyal customer base, etc are some of the key differentiating factors which can draw the attention of the consumers towards the lingerie shops.”
