Women are unique in every way, and this uniqueness is also represented in the intimate apparels they wear. The delicate secrecy of feeling that one is secretly wearing something pretty underneath gives every woman a confidence, boosts her self-esteem, and makes her feel prettier and far more desirable. Customers do not need as many garments as they buy, and this is more visible in women's lingerie. They buy intimate wears just because, it looks beautiful, and fits under certain apparels. Western wears along with lingerie will rise as one of the fastest growing segment in US, and organized players are expected to constitute 40% of the intimate apparels market by 2009.

 

During the past 25 years, lingerie underwent a metamorphosis and has blossomed into a huge money making segment of apparels. Since the removal of quotas in 2005, the lingerie industry in US is undergoing a rapid transformation. US apparel market is estimated to be around $9.6billion during 2007. Women's apparel market in US is expected to grow at the rate of 1.9% every year during 2004-2009. Retailers are now recognizing that lingerie market gives higher profits, and are launching new lingerie products or giving a new make over to their existing products. Lingerie vendors now, give more preference on making partnership with specialty stores than with department stores because the latter cannot store all the products of one brand.

 

On average, American women spend $100 on the purchase of intimate apparels; annually. Almost 65% of the global lingerie is sold to Western Europe and North America. Success of undergarments can be judged by the growth of domestic lingerie market. A New York based market research firm concludes that US retailers sell over $10.5 billion USD worth of lingerie's annually. Apart from its domestic consumption and exports, the country also imports intimate wears. Majority of the intimate apparel imports into US is from China. Due to this, the domestic retailers face a decrease in their profit margins due to the competition of cheap textile imports from China.

Lingerie giant and retailing pioneer Victoria's Secret has created a lucrative market for lingerie business. They were the pioneers in creating a 'kaleidoscope of looks' for intimate apparels that would be sexy enough to tempt the shoppers. Kohl's, Target, J.C.Penny, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's Lane Bryant, and American Eagle Outfitters are some of the retailers who have followed Victoria's Secret and have added new products to their existing lines or come up with new intimate wears. Janes World boutiques are the leading edge in the lingerie business both in price and quality. Competition in the lingerie market in US has heightened as compared with the period two decades before when Victoria's Secret had a well established market all for itself.