Specialist lingerie retail: September “subdued to disappointing” as footfall falls
According to the sales barometer of trade magazine SOUS, German lingerie shops suffered mainly from low footfall in September. The brands retailers named most often were Anita, Primadonna and Marie Jo.
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For Germany's specialist lingerie retailers, September was mostly “subdued to disappointing.” That is the finding of the monthly sales barometer from trade magazine SOUS, which surveyed 45 specialist shops and lingerie departments of textile stores between October 5 and 12. The main problem was not shoppers' willingness to buy once in store, but the overall low number of visits. Those who came bought with a clear purpose; impulse purchases became rare, price sensitivity is rising, and reduced items were especially popular.
Unusually warm weather drew people into city centres in some regions but slowed sales of autumn and winter collections. Swimwear declined after the main season. Some shops only reached last year's level in the final days of the month, while others fell well short. Hopes are now pinned on October. For August, the barometer, then with more than 50 participants, had still painted a mostly positive if uneven picture.
Among the brands named most often for lingerie, Anita since 1886 leads with 53 percent of mentions, followed by Primadonna with 49, Marie Jo with 44, Mey with 27 and Rosa Faia with 16 percent. In night- and loungewear, Calida and Mey lead with 27 percent each, ahead of Rösch with 15 percent. In swimwear, Primadonna tops the list with 40 percent, just ahead of Anita since 1886 with 38 percent. Multiple answers were allowed.