The underwear market has continued to flourish in recent years, with a global scale of over US$100 billion. As consumers’ demand for quality and personalization increases, the underwear market has ushered in new opportunities. However, competition is increasingly fierce, and businesses need to face multiple challenges such as product design, production and market positioning. This article aims to provide readers who are interested in starting an underwear business with a systematic entrepreneurial guide, covering key elements such as market analysis, product positioning, marketing strategy and customer service, to help readers seize market opportunities and realize their entrepreneurial dreams.

Market research and positioning

Current trends:

Before starting an underwear business, in-depth market research is essential. It can help you understand the current market overview and gain a deep understanding of the demand preferences of the main consumer groups in this category, such as style, fabric, color, price, etc. Understand current trends, such as sustainable materials, innovative design and comfort-oriented features, to identify potential market segments.

Competitors ：

List about 10 major competitors and analyze their market share, product features, pricing strategies, marketing strategies, etc. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors to provide a basis for your differentiation strategy, helping you effectively position your brand and identify market gaps you can fill.

Collect consumer suggestions:

Establish a survey group to conduct a questionnaire survey on a group of consumers to understand what aspects of underwear they value most, considering factors such as fit, fabric, style preferences, etc. This data will provide reference for your product development and marketing strategy, ensuring that your brand resonates with your target audience.

Brand positioning:

Once you have a deeper understanding of the market, you need to clarify the core values ​​of your brand, such as comfort, fashion, high quality, etc. Find the differentiation point and develop a differentiation strategy to make your brand unique in the market. Consider the design of elements such as brand name, logo, slogan, etc. to strengthen the brand image.

Position your brand. First ask yourself a few key questions:

As a brand,

What are your core strengths?

What is your brand mission?

What is your brand personality?

What is your story?

How do you want people to think of your underwear brand?

Fabric selection

The choice of fabric is also crucial, which will affect the comfort of the product and customer satisfaction. Materials containing harmful chemicals should be avoided as much as possible. Some inferior chemical fiber fabrics may contain harmful substances such as formaldehyde. Long-term contact with the skin may cause skin problems such as allergies, affecting customers’ credibility with the brand. You can choose environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton, bamboo or recycled polyester to bring competitive advantages to your brand. Not only will it attract environmentally conscious consumers, but it will also show your commitment to sustainable development.

Design and procurement

Finishing design concept:

Based on the positioning of your target customers and brand, you need to conceive and design products that meet customer needs. This will take some time and effort. Perhaps you can consider working with an experienced designer to get more design inspiration.

Find a supplier:

The next step is to find reliable suppliers, examine the supplier’s reputation, production capacity, and quality control system, and select partners who can provide high-quality raw materials at reasonable prices. You can search through industry contacts or online, and establish multiple supplier channels to deal with emergencies and ensure the stability and flexibility of the supply chain.

Finished sample:

Confirm your sketch with the supplier, describe your design concept, desired color, fabric, logo standard details. Before producing large quantities, you can ask the supplier to make samples first to ensure the quality, comfort and durability of the product.

Bulk orders:

After evaluating the samples and confirming that there are no problems, you can place an order! Please carefully check all the details in the supplier’s final confirmation before placing an order.

Plan your production needs reasonably and enjoy price discounts through bulk purchases.

Legal issues

When starting a lingerie business, applying for the necessary licenses is an important part of ensuring you operate legally. Make sure you comply with all local and international requirements, register your business, and trademark your brand name and logo.

Possible licenses include, but are not limited to:

Business license: As a basic document for conducting any business activity, a business license is necessary. It proves the legal operating status of the enterprise.

Hygiene license: Since underwear is close-fitting clothing, hygiene standards are particularly important. Therefore, in some areas or specific cases, you may need to apply for a hygiene license to prove that the hygiene conditions of the store or warehouse meet relevant regulations.

Special merchandise sales license: If your lingerie store involves special materials or functions (such as radiation protection, body shaping, etc.), you may need to apply for a special merchandise sales license.

Financial planning

Based on market research and competition analysis, set reasonable profit targets and develop a detailed financial plan based on this, clarifying the start-up capital required for the underwear business, including store rent, decoration costs, first batch of purchase costs, employee wages, marketing expenses, etc.

Pricing strategy

Cost plus profit pricing method:

Calculate the cost of the product, including direct and indirect costs, and then add a certain profit markup to determine the final selling price. This method is simple and easy to implement, but may lack market competitiveness and needs to be combined with other pricing strategies.

Market competition pricing:

Analyze competitors’ pricing strategies to ensure your own pricing is competitive in the market. You can obtain competitors’ pricing information through market research, price comparison, etc.

 Value pricing method:

Determine a selling price that reflects the value of the product based on factors such as the product’s value, quality, and function. This method requires consumers to have a full understanding and recognition of the product’s value.

Marketing strategy and promotion

Effective marketing strategy and promotion methods are the key to ensure business success. You can use international social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. to showcase brand stories, product features and fashion combinations. By interacting with users and generating links, customers can understand, recognize, and trade with you. You can also promote products and brands through influencer marketing, cooperate with international fashion bloggers and influencers, and increase brand awareness.

Online store or physical store

Online stores and physical stores each have their own unique advantages and challenges. Combining the two to form an online and offline integrated sales model can bring more comprehensive market coverage and customer experience to the underwear business. Use online platforms to attract customers and guide them to offline physical stores to experience or purchase.

Customer Service

The successful operation of an underwear store or brand depends not only on high-quality products, but also on excellent customer service and continuous product iteration. Customer feedback is the bridge between products and the market. It directly reflects the needs and preferences of consumers and is the key to guiding companies to optimize products and upgrade services. Therefore, we need to establish a comprehensive service system and obtain customer feedback through multiple channels.

conclusion

After reading this article, I think you have a certain idea about how to start a lingerie business. Starting a lingerie business requires a combination of market research, strategic planning, and customer service. With the above guidance, I believe you will soon achieve success in the industry.

Telige is one of the top lingerie manufacturers, so if you are looking for a top lingerie manufacturer, you don’t need to look for other companies. They will follow the needs of customers and do every connection carefully to provide you with the best products