Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DISSERTATION
On
To identify changes in consumer perception towards Indian Lingerie Market with
special focus on Zivame brand.
By
Itee Jain
A2324711009
MBA Class of 2016
Under the Supervision of
Dr. Supriti Agarwal
Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Business Administration
At
AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH
SECTOR 125, NOIDA - 201303, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
DECLARATION
The title of Dissertation Report: To identify changes in consumer perception towards Indian
Lingerie Market with special focus on Zivame brand.
I declare that
(a) The work presented for assessment in this Dissertation Report is my original work, that it
has not previously been presented for any other assessment and that my debts (for words,
data, arguments and ideas) have been appropriately acknowledged.
(c) Plagiarism for this report has been checked using Turnitin software and is
%. The
Date:
Itee Jain
A2324711015
B.Tech + MBA
(Class of 2016)
ii
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Itee Jain student of B.Tech (CSE) + MBA (General) at Amity Business
School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh has completed the Dissertation Report on To
identify changes in consumer perception towards Indian Lingerie Market with special focus
on Zivame brand., in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of
Business Administration (General) under my guidance.
The report has been checked for the plagiarism and it is acceptable.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Apart from my efforts, the success of our project depends largely on the encouragement and
guidance of many others. I am highly indebted to AMITY UNIVERSITY, Noida for
providing me with an excellent and friendly environment to work. The departments guidance
and constant supervision played a key factor in completion of this project.
Also I would like to thank my Faculty Guide, Ms. Supriti for constantly helping me with the
project and guiding me through the various stages of the project. My sincere regards go to her
for their guidance throughout our entire project. Their willingness to motivate me contributed
tremendously to my project.
Itee Jain
B.Tech CSE + (MBA)
(2011-16)
A2324711009
Amity Business School
Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida
iv
Table of Contents
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ i
CERTIFICATE .............................................................................................................. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................ iii
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv
List of Tables ................................................................................................................ vi
List of Figures .............................................................................................................. vii
Abstract ....................................................................................................................... viii
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Trends in the Industry .......................................................................................... 2
1.1 Factors Shaping the Lingerie Industry ................................................................. 3
1.2 Factors driving Indian Lingerie Market ............................................................... 4
1.3 Change in Consumer Perception .......................................................................... 5
1.4 Formats for Buying Lingerie ............................................................................... 5
1.5 Hitches in the Indian lingerie Market .................................................................. 6
1.6 Online Lingerie Market in India .......................................................................... 7
1.6.1 Pretty Secrets ................................................................................................ 7
1.6.2 Clovia ............................................................................................................ 8
1.6.3 Bwitch ........................................................................................................... 9
1.7 Zivame ............................................................................................................... 10
1.7.1 Brand Overview .......................................................................................... 10
Chapter 2: Literature Review ....................................................................................... 12
Chapter 3: Research Methodology........................................................................... 19
3.1 Problem Statement ............................................................................................. 19
3.2 Objectives of the Study ...................................................................................... 19
3.3 Research Methodology ...................................................................................... 20
3.3.1 Method of Research .................................................................................... 20
vi
List of Tables
Table 1: Have you ever purchased your lingerie online? & Have you purchased anything from
Zivame?.................................................................................................................................... 40
Table 2: Relation between Do you try lingerie before buying? & Do you feel safe while trying
lingerie in the trial room? ......................................................................................................... 42
Table 3: Relation between Have you been measured recently, to find out your bra size? &
Does getting measured for a bra make you feel uncomfortable?............................................. 44
Table 4: Relation between Do you have a difficulty finding your bra size? & Have you ever
purchased your lingerie online? ............................................................................................... 46
Table 5: Relation between Have you been measured recently, to find out your bra size? & Are
you aware of the 'bra size calculator' feature of Zivame? ........................................................ 48
Table 6: Correlation between Website Design, Product Assortment, Payment Options and
Offers ....................................................................................................................................... 50
Table 7: Factor Analysis of Website Design, Product Assortment, Payment Options and
Offers ....................................................................................................................................... 51
Table 8: Correlation between Discounts offered, Availability of sizes, All brands at one place
and Latest Collection ............................................................................................................... 54
Table 9: Factor Analysis of Discounts offered, Availability of sizes, All brands at one place
and Latest Collection. .............................................................................................................. 55
vii
List of Figures
Figure 1: Zivame brand logo.................................................................................................... 10
Figure 2: Pie chart showing age group of respondents. ........................................................... 23
Figure 3: Bar chart for Lingerie is a fashion statement. ....................................................... 24
Figure 4: Bar chart for Having an assortment of sexy lingerie at home is important to me. 25
Figure 5: Bar chart showing Lingerie is only worn for hygienic purposes. ......................... 26
Figure 6: Responses for places from where women buy their lingerie.................................... 27
Figure 7: Do you try lingerie before buying? .......................................................................... 27
Figure 8: Do you feel safe while trying lingerie in the trial room? ......................................... 28
Figure 9: Bar chart showing whether women feel comfortable asking questions to sales
people about lingerie. ............................................................................................................... 29
Figure 10: Bar chart for I like to have a wide selection of color choices when purchasing
lingerie.................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 11: Bar graph for I normally prefer to stick to the same style of lingerie. ................ 31
Figure 12: Bar chart for How often do you experiment with colors, patterns and prints in
your lingerie? ......................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 13: Have you been measured recently, to find out your bra size? ................................ 33
Figure 14: Does getting measured for a bra make you feel uncomfortable? ........................... 33
Figure 15: Do you have a difficulty finding your bra size? ..................................................... 34
Figure 16: Have you ever purchased your lingerie online? ..................................................... 35
Figure 17: Are you aware of Zivame.com? ............................................................................. 35
Figure 18: Have you purchased anything from Zivame?......................................................... 36
Figure 19: Cumulative bar graph for various factors influencing satisfaction level of
customers of Zivame.com ........................................................................................................ 37
Figure 20: Stacked bar graph for various reasons why women like shopping from Zivame. . 38
Figure 21: Are you aware of the bra size calculator feature of Zivame? .............................. 39
viii
Abstract
Lingerie is an under-served category in India. Also, buying lingerie is an ordeal for most
women in India due to the discomfort involved in the entire process. However, times have
changed for the better for the Indian women like never before in terms of fashion style and
statement coupled with growing wealth. Also, lingerie market in India has experienced a
makeover as consumers experiment with colors, designs and cuts. Indias lingerie market is
valued at Rs. 11,000 crore with a growth rate of 16% p.a. whereas the growth of online
lingerie sector is estimated at 70% p.a.
Indias largest lingerie e-tailer, Zivame (valued at $100 million) has been trying to cash in on
Indian womens awkwardness in underwear shopping.
This study attempts to explore the changes in consumer perception for lingerie market in
India and identify the reasons for those changes by conducting a secondary research. Primary
research will be conducted through an online survey to analyses how Zivame is trying to
revolutionize the way Indian consumers buy their lingerie.
Chapter 1: Introduction
The Indian lingerie industry, at the moment, is seeing a growth that is unparalleled. It has
undergone a transformational change in the past few years due to availability of brands,
changing technology, changing consumer behavior and increased awareness. The Indian
lingerie market is growing at a high rate of 24% and is sized at Rs. 56.28 bn. In fact, as will
be seen later, a few segments within the industry are growing at staggering rates of over 50%.
The lingerie retail market in India is estimated to be approximately Rs.15,000 cr. A CAGR
of 20-25% makes it one of the fastest growing with an estimated market size of Rs.30, 000cr
by 2018. Largely unorganized, the category is apt for online retail. Conservative estimates
suggest an online lingerie addressable market size of Rs. 1,200 cr 1,500 cr within the next
five years.
Lingerie is one of the most understated parts of a womans attire. If chosen and worn
properly, lingerie can bring out a look in her that she deserves. The Indian woman of today is
bolder when it comes to aspirations. She is now choosy and has started giving importance to
lingerie. This has been fostered by the changing social structure. The Indian society is in the
midst of a makeover. The western influence is shaping todays modern women. More and
more women are now working, which has increased their disposable income. Women are
now not hesitant to spend on lingerie that is comfortable and appealing. This change has also
been bolstered by the changing dress codes. The dress codes demand women to select lingerie
that shapes their look, which essentially then boosts their confidence.
Times have changed for the better for the Indian women like never before in terms of fashion
style and statement coupled with growing wealth that is helping the growth of the organized
lingerie industry. From being a market worth Rs. 780 crore (US$175.9 million) in 2003, the
organized lingerie market has almost doubled to Rs. 1645 crore (US$370.3 million) bustling
business in the last five years. Trade analysts and the industry insiders believe that this is
because the whole scale of the Indian market has improved beyond recognition during the last
five years following the advent of multinational brands in the market place and the growth of
organized retail. This, perhaps, is the reason why the premium and super-premium segment of
the lingerie industry, with brassieres priced above Rs. 200 (US$5) and mostly characterized
by the presence of international brands, are witnessing higher growth compared to midmarket
and low/economy segments. In view of the current situation, the premium and super-premium
segments of the industry are advancing following a consumer shift from economy and midmarket segments to the premium segment, while the low and economy segment is gaining
from the industry being more organized. Characterizing the premium segment is either
international brands or joint venture of Indian manufacturers with international companies.
Lovable, Enamor and Triumph have successfully established themselves as premium lingerie
brands and brands that are in expansion mode include Etam, Benetton, La Perla and About U.
The mid-market segment is characterized by the presence of national players like Maxwell
Industries (with Daisy Dee brand), Body Care, Grover sons, Red Rose, Juliet, Jockey, and
Libertina. Factors like growth in income level, preference for recognizable brands and rapid
growth of organized retail is anticipated to increase the current share of the organized lingerie
market of 28% in the next three years
Lingerie is an under-served category in India. Also, buying lingerie is an ordeal for most
women in India due to the discomfort involved in the entire process. However, times have
changed for the better for the Indian women like never before in terms of fashion style and
statement coupled with growing wealth. Also, lingerie market in India has experienced a
makeover as consumers experiment with colors, designs and cuts. Indias lingerie market is
valued at Rs. 11,000 crore with a growth rate of 16% p.a. whereas the growth of online
lingerie sector is estimated at 70% p.a.
Also, among women, extreme ignorance prevails when they make their lingerie decisions.
Being ignorant, most of the women dont know their correct sizes and buy lingerie that is
uncomfortable and unappealing. In fact the ignorance is widespread across the globe. As per a
research, 80% of the women in USA wear the wrong bra size while for India, the numbers
stand at a disappointing 90%. These are huge numbers and, as will be explained later, the
repercussions of this ignorance could be detrimental.
Franchising
International Touch
Online Shopping
Specialized Offerings
Growing number of working women, changing fashion trends, the increased awareness about
better fits, quality, brands, colors, styling, increasing per capita disposable income, rising
level of information and media exposure, and entry of large number of foreign brands have
given the industry a new dimension. Indian women have become choosy and give importance
to lingerie, as discernable from the increased spend on it. This changed attitude is also
because of changing dress codes and the transformations in social mores. Indeed, the modern
woman is boldly going where no woman has gone before, and her lingerie naturally follows.
Lingerie is an essential part of a woman's attire. If worn appropriately, it makes her look good
and feel good. It is perhaps one of the most understated objects of fashion which can
completely change the appearance of a woman and bring out her true sensuousness. The
lingerie of yore was home or tailor made. It was uncomfortable and sometimes painful to
wear. But today things have changed and lingerie has become brand. Apart from being a bare
necessity, lingerie has quietly slipped into the luxury bracket. The lingerie market in India can
be classified in super-premium, premium, midmarket and economy & mass market segment.
The major share of lingerie market is held by the midmarket and economy segment, in both,
value and volume terms. The super-premium and premium segments are relatively smaller
but fast growing segments. In present situation, the premium and super premium segments of
the lingerie industry are advancing following a consumer shift from economy and midmarket
segment to the premium segment.
According to Crisil research, working women form 15% of the total urban population,
which is expected to rise to 20% by 2020. So, the retail spends are going to increase
because there is a lot of difference in the way a working woman shops and a non-working
woman shops. A working womans propensity to spend is 1.3 times greater than that of a
non-working woman.
Organized retail: Retail has become more organized and is covering up a major part of
the unorganized space year on year. The graph below shows the retail consumption
(organized and unorganized), which is expected to grow at a compounded rate of 15% the
next 5 years from Rs 23 trillion in 2011-12 to Rs 47 trillion in 2016-17.
Rising disposable income: The disposable income is rising day by day and more and
more women are now employed. Therefore, consumers have enough disposable money to
dictate their choices. The graph below shows that the share of households with low
income levels has fallen over the years, while the share of those falling in higher income
brackets is on the rise. Households with income between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh have
grown at a CAGR of 9 per cent, while those with income in the range of Rs 5 lakh and Rs
10 lakh have grown at CAGR of 12 per cent between 2001-02 and 2010-11. Likewise
households with income over Rs 10 lakh have grown at a CAGR of 15 per cent during the
same period.
Consumer demographic change: The consumer demographic has changed greatly. The
consumer segment has become younger and this young segment is more aware and
informed. According to Crisil research, the age bracket of 18 to 45 years accounts for a
major part of retail spenders. The graph below shows the age wise split of population. A
great chunk of the population falls in the age bracket of 18 to 60 years.
Along with this, the literacy rate amongst this age group is also increasing which
paves way for more disposable income in the future.
The factors clearly show that the industry is maturing and holds immense potential.
2.
3.
b) Organized retail:
With retail becoming more organized the consumer has far better retail environment
and brands also get to showcase their products un more consumer conducive
ambience
Consumer segment has become younger. With disposable income rising and more
youngsters joining the working class the consumer of today has more resource to
indulge.
There has been reduced price sensitivity. The women of today emphasize more on
comfort and quality. Price has taken a back seat in the minds of women.
Women are more appreciative and responsive to branding. Earlier, women were ignorant
to brands, but now due to the arrival of international brands and increased awareness,
brand names are now gaining importance. Possibly, the concept of brand equity is now
shaping the lingerie industry. Lingerie has now become brand and has slipped into the
luxury bracket.
Women are showing readiness to experiment with new innovative styles and designs.
They are more open to the new products that are on offer. So, if new innovative products
are made available, women would not hesitate to try it out.
Department Store - Department stores work because they capitalize on the impulsive
buying behavior of consumers as they review and buy lingerie even if they are in the store
to buy something else like grocery or home utility objects. The lingerie section is situated
usually in the furthest most, secluded corner of the store. The staffs quiz the customer on
their cup size and offer them a fitting session for the same. There is no help forthcoming
to help the customers identify their right size or style. There are no separate trial rooms
for lingerie buyers which makes it a less private, intrusive affair.
Online Stores - The offline lingerie market is just above $2 billion and online is
insignificant. The value proposition for an online innerwear store is fourfold. First, the
choice online offers to buyers or, in trade parlance, the sheer number of stock keeping
units (SKUs) of lingerie is far higher than for any other category. Retail stores stock only
the fast-moving category and sizes and not all the 85 sizes and 35different styles of bras.
Second, online ensures privacy of purchase. Third, lingerie portals offer unlimited shelf
space and, finally, online rises above the problems of physical distribution. The top10
cities account for 70-75% of online sales. Hence privacy, convenience, more segments-
like shape wear and baby dolls - than a physical store and a wide array of styles and color
ways are the unique selling proposition of an online store. The hitch is that they lack the
touch and feel of a real store. And of course, there is no way to check the fit. Another
problem is that a large percentage of population is not computer savvy and is unaware of
online means and methods of online buying.
Standalone Stores - Standalone store format has emerged the real winner when it comes
to lingerie buying. The standalone store usually offers a more discreet and a personalized
brand experience to the customer as they deal with lingerie alone and not with any other
item of clothing. Hence the consumer gets a discreet and personalized buying experience
right from a dedicated lingerie trial room to a personal interaction with the sales woman
and the buying experience is more discreet as compared to a departmental store. This
format works the most because of comfort and ease of buying and over the counter
discounts which a standalone store offers. The hitch for standalone store format is that
they do not stock the Premium segment of lingerie.
Boutique - The boutiques stores stock the stylish collections, the entire product range of
even teddies &negligees stuff customers love to buy, but not regularly. The collection
stocked is high on young, in-trend style and not much of older styles are available. Even
they provide a discreet and personalized buying experience to the customers, and the
customers can experiment with more stylish innerwear than regular ones. Boutique stores
usually are brand showcases and work because of brand loyalty and brand building.
In 2011, the company launched Mylace.in, a multi brand lingerie ecommerce site, leveraging
its vast experience in product sourcing, retail and customer service. The response was
phenomenal and it dawned on Karan that e-commerce allowed the brand to reach its
customers directly without the burden of the offline distribution channels.
Simply put, while the brick and mortar retail required a complex system of middlemen and
distribution points, e-commerce removed all these bottlenecks and put the brand directly in
touch with the only people who really mattered the customers, points out Karan. Excited
by this prospect, a leap of faith was made and he pivoted the entire company online. He
withdrew the brand from 250 plus points of sale offline and closed the Lace stores, followed
by the launch of online exclusive lingerie brand PrettySecrets.com.
1.6.2 Clovia
Formerly known as Cloe, the startup was founded by husband-wife duo Neha Kant and
Pankaj Vermani along with friends Suman Choudhry and Aditya Chaturvedi in 2013. The
company was renamed in order to better align the name with its future strategy and product
roadmap.
In the online lingerie shopping space, Clovia competes with startups such as Cilory, HerStyle,
PrettySecrets and others. Its most prominent competitor is Zivame, which is backed by IDG
Ventures and Indo-US Venture Partners.
Clovia has been growing at almost 100 per cent every quarter over the last year. IvyCap
Ventures have found a perfect partner to sustain the hockey stick growth curve, stick to the
customer-first fundamentals and work faster towards becoming the number one lingerie and
sleepwear brand in India.
The firm sells its own Cloe brand lingerie and aims to go beyond the e-commerce platform by
targeting sales through offline stores as well.
We strongly believe several niche e-commerce verticals remain relatively untapped in India.
Players with high degree of control over the entire customer experience in this case, right
from sourcing of fabric, to manufacturing, to customization and recommendations based on
deep understanding of the customer, to own-portal sales will create the next wave of value
creation in e-commerce in the Indian context, said Gupta.
1.6.3 Bwitch
Genesis Colors, which operates Bwitch lingerie brand in India, has launched Bwitch.in as an
e-commerce platform to retail Bwitch lingerie online. Genesis has tied up with e-commerce
service provider Net Distribution for the venture. Net Distribution operates several online
stores for large and mid-sized companies in India. According to the company, Bwitch.in has
already received and serviced orders from within India like Jharsuguda, Dibiyapur, Bathinda,
Bilaspur, Moradabad and Vellore.
Genesis Colors was established in 2001 with a vision to create a global fashion conglomerate
on the lines of international fashion houses. While taking premium Indian fashion labels to
the world the company has also pioneered the concept of luxury retail in India.
Commenting on the launch, Jyoti Narula, MD, Genesis Colors says, "Online stores as a
channel of purchasing are fast catching on. For the category of products provided by Bwitch,
the online store is an added convenience for the consumer. It also provides male shoppers
with the option to use this method of shopping for them to be able to browse and purchase
lingerie for their partners."
Ajay Miglani, CEO, Net Distribution feels that lingerie and personal care category for women
needs focused and experiential format of sales, and web store as a channel can address this to
a great extent. Also, most of the traditional retailers will not stock all sizes, and thats where
online retailing of lingerie works well.
10
1.7 Zivame
Figure 1: Zivame brand logo
11
Zivame.com has excelled as one of the online lingerie shopping sites as it has catered
correctly to the needs of the women. Lingerie destinations and especially small shops did not
have women employees and lingerie shopping had turned into a five minute uncomfortable
business for numerous ladies. The conceptualization and putting Zivame into work has really
been beneficial for women. You do not have to go to shops anymore, you can browse various
types, brands and sizes of lingerie and shop them and get them delivered at the door step
without any troubles.
Zivame aims to provide every woman the pleasure of the perfect fit and an open-minded
shopping experience. Since its very beginning, Zivame started doing great. One of the many
reasons of the customers faith is that the customer care services and the support customers
get.
Zivame has also announced the launch of its app, the first dedicated lingerie app for women
in India. The app has been built to facilitate quick product discovery. With about60% of
Zivames traffic coming from the mobile, the company is banking on the increasing
popularity of the smartphone and its expanding penetration to target more users.
With the entry of niche segment players, and changing economic scenario of Indian women,
who now invest a significant amount of time and money with the latest fashion trends,
lingerie shopping has become an easier, more intimate and pleasant experience. At a click of
a button, hundreds of affordable brands and styles are now available to the Indian women.
With its app, Zivame aims to make this experience even more personal. Richa says that the
nature of category is such that a mobile device makes the browsing experience a more
intimate and secures one as compared to desktop.
Going a step further, the brand also plans to open physical experience zones, after opening a
prototype in their office as a part of its strategy to increase consumer touch points. The first
one will be opened in Bangalore, followed by 10 other cities and thereafter to 100 cities.
12
13
issue, as Amartya Sen says in his book The Argumentative Indian, Indian women now
prefer to talk about their innerwear to people who can help offer them the products they are
looking for. However, the scene was extremely different few years back when women were in
the sole discretion of salesmen who used to decide about the piece of lingerie size, fit and
brand that are suitable for them. Indian women consumers are still very shy when it comes
to the purchase of lingerie. But slowly and steadily, they are getting bolder in terms of
selection of their lingerie and as a result they have started demanding lingerie of their choice,
which is in effect helping the growth of branded lingerie in India, according to Mr. Rajnish
Bansal who owns two exclusive lingerie shop in Ghaziabad and who has already found a
place of honor in the Indian Limca Book of World Records for a whopping collection of
22,300 undergarment items.
Neetu Singh (2014) revealed details about the lingerie buying habits of consumers in Pune. It
identified the factors which a lingerie buyer seeks before choosing one brand over another. It
also identified the formats of lingerie buying, the ones most preferred by the consumers and
why. India is largely a conservative market and talking about lingerie in public is still
considered a taboo. But with westernization looming large and advent of international players
in the market, stylish lingerie is now a must for every lady. However, the market is still facing
hitches, which prevent anyone player from being the market leader just yet. Indian women
shun bright colored bras under transparent blouses or let thongs ride up over low rise jeans.
Various cultural sensibilities even within the country prevent one brand from adopting a
common marketing strategy for the entire country. In North India, which accounts for 40
percent of Amante sales, fashion is loud and colorful, as people and personalities they are
also loud. Mumbai is the market most likely to accept Agent Provocateur type fashion; its
cosmopolitan, classy and understands fashion from an international sense. The South is just
the opposite dominated by black, white and skin color bras and briefs. Sizes are also smaller.
Eastern cities like Calcutta are also tight fisted and people look for value. Companies need to
be careful to not be hung up about Indian cultural stereotypes nor be too flaunty with its
designs.
Shramana Ganguly (2015) says that challenging the traditional beiges, blacks and whites,
neons have barged into the lingerie closets of Indian women, so has superman print. The
trend shows how Indian woman is getting down to experiment with her intimate wear,
encouraging homegrown brands such as Soie, Clovia, calibra, Pretty Secrets and Sonari to
14
launch products with vivid styles and patterns, and creating their own niche in the Rs. 11,000
crore market.
Jai Vardhan, Your Story (2014) proposed that over the past five years, online has given a
new channel of sales to businesses and brands. While horizontal e-commerce players and
multi-brand etailers sell goods by various manufacturers, some are launching pure-play online
exclusive brands like Zovi, Freecultr and Yepme. On the lines of the above players, Mumbaibased PrettySecrets launched an online exclusive lingerie brand in 2012. Founded by Karan
Behal, whose family has been in the apparel manufacturing and export business for over three
decades.
Ambika Behal (2015) Lingerie shopping in India has typically been something nobody talks
about. The one size, one style fits all necessary purchases were usually found at the local
market shop, and bundled into a discreet brown paper bag.
In our environment shopping for lingerie is taboo culturally you cant just dash in and out
of a shop to buy something that requires assisted sales, says Zivame Founder and CEO
Richa Kar, we needed a way to let women consult us and make shopping private, discrete,
and fun.
Sipra Tekriwal (2012) comments: India has always been a country where on-screen kissing
still manages Page1 space and actresses interview about wearing a swimsuit if the script
demands. Lingerie has always been a closed door subject in India. But the trend is slowly
changing. Lingerie market has grown tremendously over the years with a CAGR of roughly
14% (see the graph below). This increasing trend is also evident from the fact that many
international lingerie brands are entering the Indian market.
The possible factors responsible for the increase in growth are: Trending kicks sales into
shape - The changing trends is one of the most important factor responsible for increasing
trend of linger in India. Body aware but getting bigger - Rather than following current fashion
trends, demand for shape wear is primarily being driven by something more effective i.e. a
conflict between actual body shape and the current ideal (i.e. the shape you want to acquire).
Technology and celebrities help drive the trend - The lingerie market has also been giving a
helping hand by technological advances in the garment design and lightweight fabrics. On the
other hand, as media had been focusing on celebrity sizes and shapes, shape wear has become
15
an important factor guiding the increase in the trend. Potential to add touch of glamour
Glamour, following celebrities are most important factors guiding the apparel industry. So,
the different lingerie brands have come up with new trends, designs and colors to appeal to
the customers. Increase in per capita income increases the spending power which in turn
accelerates market growth. Growing urbanization and awareness about better fits and designs
have had a major contribution in the growth of the lingerie market.
Indian lingerie business gets lively with e-commerce (2013) Indian consumers are more
conservative than their western counter parts so there is an increase in footfalls for intimate
wear in the countrys 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. 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
16
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.
Nischal Puri (2012) says that the Indian lingerie market has undergone a transformational
phase and is growing at 24% and the unorganized is Rs20bn. Further, his study highlights that
the Indian lingerie market has been unleashed like never before, it has undergone a
transformational phase over the past few years, there has been much innovation in the making
of lingerie and technology has also influenced this. The market is growing at 24% and the
unorganized is Rs20bn. His study segments the Indian lingerie market as follows:
1. Economy (Rs35.06bn growing at 17%)
2. Middle (Rs12bn growing at 22%)
3. Premium (Rs8.32bn growing at 32%)
4. Super premium (Rs900mn growing at 56%)
Changing Consumer Trends in India (2013) says that the last twenty years has seen a
17
18
that winning Enamor and changing their brand speak was a huge opportunity for them to
change how innerwear brands in India showcase lingerie. The brand wanted to make it a
celebration of life, of being a woman. To tell her that she is 'Fabulous, as she is'. Later, she
mentioned that the client was completely in sync with us on this. So they went on with the
thought and made it happen, made lingerie look like an attitude, because that truly is how
women view it.
19
20
Survey
A Survey is a complete operation, which requires some technical knowledge Survey methods
are mostly personal in character. Surveys are best suited for getting primary data. The
research obtains information from the respondents by interviewing them. Surveys and
questionnaires are the most common marketing research methods. The objective of
conducting a survey in this case is to analyze how Zivame is trying to revolutionize the way
Indian consumers buy their lingerie.
3.3.2 Sampling
It is not always necessary to collect data from whole universe. A small representative
sample may serve the purpose. A sample means a small group selected from a large lot. This
small group should be emanative cross section and really representative in character.
This selection process is called sampling.
Sample size
Samples are used for learning about large masses by observing a few individuals.
Here the selected sample is 176 women.
3.3.3 Methods of Sampling
Convenience sampling
Here I have used convenience sampling as it is probably the most common of all
sampling techniques. With convenience sampling, the samples are selected as per the
researchers convenience i.e. as they are accessible to the researcher. Subjects are chosen
simply because they are easy to recruit. This technique is considered easiest, cheapest and
least time consuming.
3.3.4 Research Instrument
Questionnaire
21
2. Secondary Research
The data, which is collected from the published sources i.e., not originally collected of the
first time is called secondary data. The objective of the secondary research was to understand
the changes in consumer perception towards lingerie shopping in India.
Here, the secondary research comprised of reading articles, research papers, reports and
browsing the internet for understanding the Indian lingerie market.
22
involves three main categories: observation, case studies, and surveys. Here, in my
research, I have used survey.
Column chart
Pie chart
Not all women felt comfortable discussing about their lingerie shopping experience.
23
Inference: As per the survey conducted by me, 82.4% of respondents are from the age group
20-25 years. 8.5% respondents are from age group 25-30 years. 6.3% are below 20 years of
age.
24
Inference: 82 out of 176 respondents believe that Lingerie is a fashion statement and is not
just a utility requirement. Whereas, 30 respondents feel that lingerie is not a fashion
statement.
This observation proves that the perspective of Indian women is changing and they no more
feel that lingerie is just worn for hygienic purposes.
25
Inference: 92 out of 176 women like to have a wide variety of lingerie in their wardrobe.
This shows that women in India now no more want to stick to the same style of lingerie for
every occasion. They are aware of the different kinds of lingerie available for different sorts
of outfits which will enhance their physique and their looks.
26
Inference: As seen in the above illustration, majority of women disagree that lingerie is only
worn for hygienic purposes.
That means they are aware of the fact that the kind of lingerie they wear can change the way
they look and carry themselves.
Question 5: Where do you buy your lingerie products?
27
Figure 6: Responses for places from where women buy their lingerie.
Inference: Most women buy their lingerie from shops situated in the Malls or exclusive
lingerie stores. The number of women who shop their lingerie online is still minimal.
Question 6: Do you try lingerie before buying?
Figure 7: Do you try lingerie before buying?
Inference: 55.7% women try their lingerie before buying whereas 44.3% do not want to try
lingerie in the trial rooms.
28
Question 7: Do you feel safe while trying lingerie in the trial room?
Figure 8: Do you feel safe while trying lingerie in the trial room?
Inference: The responses to this question shows that majority of women do not feel safe to
try their lingerie in the trial rooms.
This insecurity and privacy matter can be resolved by switching to online shopping.
Question 8: Sales Associates at lingerie stores make me feel comfortable enough to ask
personal questions if necessary (regarding under garments).
29
Figure 9: Bar chart showing whether women feel comfortable asking questions to sales people about
lingerie.
Inference: 101 out of 176 women do not feel comfortable enough to ask personal questions
regarding their lingerie requirement.
Question 9: I like to have a wide selection of color choices when purchasing lingerie.
30
Figure 10: Bar chart for I like to have a wide selection of color choices when purchasing lingerie.
Inference: 115 out of 176 women like to have a wide selection of color choices when
purchasing their lingerie.
This shows that women are no longer restricted to whites, blacks or nude colors. Consumer
preference towards lingerie has changed in the past decade. They like to pair their lingerie
with their outfits.
Question 10: I normally prefer to stick to the same style of lingerie.
31
Figure 11: Bar graph for I normally prefer to stick to the same style of lingerie.
Inference: Nothing specific is observed from the above illustrations. Approx. 50% women
use different styles of lingerie and 50% women stick to the same style of lingerie.
Question 11: How often do you experiment with colors, patterns and prints in your lingerie?
32
Figure 12: Bar chart for How often do you experiment with colors, patterns and prints in your lingerie?
Inference: 78% women usually experiments with their lingerie in terms of colors, prints or
patterns. This shows that women are no longer restricted to whites, blacks or nude colors.
Question 12: Have you been measured recently, to find out your bra size?
33
Figure 13: Have you been measured recently, to find out your bra size?
Inference: Only 29% women have been measured for their bra size. But 71% women havent
been measured to find out their correct bra size.
Question 13: Does getting measured for a bra make you feel uncomfortable?
Figure 14: Does getting measured for a bra make you feel uncomfortable?
34
Inference: According to the survey, 34% women have never been measured for their bra
size. 12.5% women never want to get measured because it makes them feel uncomfortable.
7.4% women have been measured but it makes them feel uncomfortable.
Question 14: Do you have a difficulty finding your bra size?
Figure 15: Do you have a difficulty finding your bra size?
35
Inference: 38% women have bought their lingerie online at some point or the other.
Question 16: Are you aware of Zivame.com?
Figure 17: Are you aware of Zivame.com?
36
Inference: Only 40 out of 139 respondents who have heard of Zivame have also shopped
from Zivame.
4.1.3 SECTION 3
Only 40 respondents out of 176 respondents reached Section 3.
Please rate the below mentioned features based on your satisfaction level.
1. Question 19: Website design
2. Question 20: Product Assortment
3. Question 21: Payment Options
37
Inference: Customers of Zivame are mostly delighted because of the Product assortment and
payment options.
4.1.4 SECTION 4
Zivame is a better option than other lingerie shopping mediums because of:
1. Question 23: Discounts offered
2. Question 24: Availability of all the sizes
3. Question 25: All the brands at one place
4. Question 26: Latest collection
38
Figure 20: Stacked bar graph for various reasons why women like shopping from Zivame.
Inference: The major factor responsible for attracting customers to shop from Zivame is the
presence of all reputed brands at one single place i.e. customers feel that Zivame is a one-stop
shop for all their lingerie requirements.
Question 27: Are you aware of the 'bra size calculator' feature of Zivame?
39
Figure 21: Are you aware of the bra size calculator feature of Zivame?
Inference: 82.5% respondents are aware of the bra size calculator feature on the Zivame
website.
This feature helps women to find out their correct bra size without having a third person
measure them for the same.
40
Valid
Missing
Percent
Total
Percent
Percent
purchased
140
anything
79.5%
36
20.5%
176
from Zivame?
Yes
No
Total
34
28
62
72
78
40
100
140
Total
100.0%
41
Inference: The cross tabulation analysis clearly displays that out of 62 women who have ever
bought their lingerie online, 34 have also shopped from Zivame.
Also, 6 out of 40 women who have shopped from Zivame have purchased something other
than lingerie (could be shape wear or night dresses or other items sold by the brand) from
Zivame.
42
Cases
Valid
Missing
Percent
Total
Percent
Percent
176
100.0%
0.0%
176
trial room?
Yes
No
Total
65
33
98
73
78
70
106
176
buying?
No
Total
100.0%
43
Inference: It can be noted from the above table that 176 women, 106 women do not feel safe
to try the lingerie in the trial rooms before buying. Out of these, 73 women never try their
lingerie before buying. Out of 98 women who try before buying, 33 women do not feel safe
while doing so.
This privacy and security issue is resolved by Zivame which offers 30 days no questions
asked replacement/refund so that women can order the lingerie, try them at home and in case
of wrong size or fitting issue, she can return or replace the product.
44
Cases
Valid
Missing
Percent
Total
Percent
Percent
Does
getting
176
100.0%
0.0%
176
100.0%
Yes
No
I have never
I'm not
been
interested in
measured for a
ever being
measured for a
bra.
Total
38
43
53
22
13
81
60
22
51
Total
No
125
176
45
Inference: The above analysis shows that 125 out of 176 women have never been measured
for their bra size. 35 out of 176 women feel uncomfortable getting themselves measured
which is why Zivame has launched a bra size calculator which enables a woman to measure
herself according to the instructions provided and the calculator will tell the appropriate size.
In a survey, it was found that 8 out of 10 women don't know their correct size or are wearing
the wrong size lingerie! Many women have been wearing the same bra size for the past 7
years or more. The breasts change shape and size 6 times over our lifetime, so it is important
to get professionally fitted at least once a year. For the same purpose, Zivame has come up
with Fitting Salons.
46
Cases
Valid
Missing
Percent
Total
Percent
Percent
176
100.0%
0.0%
176
100.0%
lingerie online?
Yes
No
Total
10
Sometimes
24
37
61
No
33
67
100
66
110
176
Total
47
Inference: Out of 176 women, 5 have never faced difficulty finding their lingerie size
because they shop online. Only 67 women who shop offline say that theyve never faced any
problem finding their size. 71 women have usually faced difficulty finding their lingerie size
but only 28 out of them have purchased online.
48
Cases
Valid
Missing
Percent
Total
Percent
Percent
40
22.7%
136
77.3%
176
Yes
No
Total
19
22
14
18
33
40
Total
No
100.0%
49
50
Website design
Website design
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
Product Assortment
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
Payment Options
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
Product
Payment
Assortment
Options
.688
**
Offers and
discounts
.770
**
.771
**
.000
.000
.000
40
40
40
40
**
.688
.000
40
.770
**
.709
**
.000
40
40
40
**
.864
.000
40
40
**
**
.000
.000
.771
.864
.709
**
.771
**
.000
40
40
**
.771
.000
.000
.000
40
40
40
40
51
Factor Analysis of Website Design, Product Assortment, Payment Options and Offers
Table 7: Factor Analysis of Website Design, Product Assortment, Payment Options and Offers
Descriptive Statistics
Mean
Std. Deviation
Analysis N
Website design
2.0500
.93233
40
Product Assortment
2.3500
1.05125
40
Payment Options
2.1750
1.05945
40
2.2500
.98058
40
Approx. Chi-Square
df
Sig.
a. Based on correlations
.813
125.477
.000
52
Communalities
Raw
Initial
Website design
Rescaled
Extraction
Initial
Extraction
.869
.665
1.000
.765
Product Assortment
1.105
.919
1.000
.832
Payment Options
1.122
1.010
1.000
.900
.962
.758
1.000
.788
Initial Eigenvalues
% of
Component
Raw
Total
Variance
% of
Cumulative %
3.352
82.590
82.590
.361
8.906
91.496
.210
5.175
96.671
.135
3.329
100.000
Total
3.352
Cumulative %
Variance
82.590
82.590
a. When analyzing a covariance matrix, the initial eigenvalues are the same across the raw and rescaled solution.
53
Component Matrix
Raw
Rescaled
Component
Component
Website design
.815
.875
Product Assortment
.959
.912
1.005
.949
.871
.888
Payment Options
a. 1 component extracted.
54
Discounts offered
Pearson Correlation
Discounts
Availability of
Latest
offered
at one place
collection
Sig. (2-tailed)
.490
**
.001
40
40
40
40
Pearson Correlation
.237
Sig. (2-tailed)
.141
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
Latest collection
**
.001
.490
.141
.237
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
40
.603
**
40
.528
**
.541
**
.541
**
.000
.000
40
40
.819
**
.819
**
.000
.000
.000
.000
40
40
40
40
**
40
40
.490
**
.541
.001
.000
40
40
55
Factor Analysis of Discounts offered, Availability of sizes, All brands at one place and
Latest Collection.
Table 9: Factor Analysis of Discounts offered, Availability of sizes, All brands at one place and Latest
Collection.
Descriptive Statistics
Mean
Std. Deviation
Analysis N
Discounts offered
2.3250
.82858
40
2.6000
.81019
40
2.2000
.79097
40
Latest collection
2.2750
.78406
40
Approx. Chi-Square
df
Sig.
a. Based on correlations
.722
71.935
.000
56
Communalities
Raw
Initial
Rescaled
Extraction
Initial
Extraction
Discounts offered
.687
.356
1.000
.518
.656
.315
1.000
.480
.626
.534
1.000
.854
Latest collection
.615
.488
1.000
.795
Initial Eigenvalues
% of
Component
Raw
Total
Variance
% of
Cumulative %
1.693
65.554
65.554
.516
19.981
85.534
.269
10.421
95.956
.104
4.044
100.000
Total
1.693
Cumulative %
Variance
65.554
65.554
a. When analyzing a covariance matrix, the initial eigenvalues are the same across the raw and rescaled solution.
57
Component Matrix
Raw
Rescaled
Component
Component
Discounts offered
.596
.720
.561
.693
.731
.924
Latest collection
.699
.891
a. 1 component extracted.
58
While there are many players, Zivame clearly owns the majority of the market in the
online space. The broken customer experience in the category ails the industry.
Lingerie as a category is under-served in India.
2.
Retailers stock only fast moving sizes, while tail ends of sizes remain under-served.
Sales personnel only push sales, rather than providing consultation on the right fit and
style.
3.
This being a long tail category, most shops do not keep a comprehensive mix of sizes
and variety that a woman requires; while smaller shops have male salesmen making it
really difficult for a woman to convey what she needs.
4.
For a woman it is quite embarrassing to step into a lingerie store, and have the
salesmen scan her and say, 'Madam, 34 B will fit you.'
5.
It is extremely tough for women to gain education and consultation on the category
anywhere.
6.
The pilot fitting lounge at Zivames office helped them realise that about 4 out of 5
women go wrong in finding their right fit.
2.
Fitting Salon: Zivame has opened Fitting Salons in Bangalore where they have trained
consultants who help women find their right fit. All one needs to do is to book an
appointment and walk into the office to discover perfect support and comfort in total
59
privacy. We plan to launch many more fitting lounges in the next three years across
the country.
While the intimate wear market in India is growing at the rate of 15 percent year on year,
Zivame has witnessed a 300 percent year-on-year growth. This is the result of women
increasingly shopping online for lingerie. The brand sells one bra per minute while
Shapewear as a category has seen a 336 percent increase in a span of one year. Around 60
percent of the company's revenues are from in-house brands. Around 30 percent of business
comes from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. In terms of the quantity of products shipped, Zivame has
seen an increase from approximately two lakhs in 2012 to 10 lakhs in 2015.
60
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62
Appendix A: Questionnaire