Average prices in the swimwear market have increased by 5%

We focus on one of the essential items of clothing for summer holidays: the swimsuit. A fashion item that has evolved considerably since the first swimsuits appeared in the 1850s. Retviews, Lectra’s artificial intelligence solution specialising in competitive intelligence and automated benchmarking, highlights in its recent study*, published on 13 June, the trends in the swimwear market and the main dynamics of swimwear in Europe in 2024.

In 2024, the global swimwear and sportswear market generated sales of $97.32 billion, with annual growth forecasts of 4.31% until 2028 (according to German statistical organisation Statista), underlining the importance of a brand having a clear swimwear strategy for each summer season and differentiating itself from the competition.

Between the popularity of the thong and the color black

In its trend study comparing the swimwear offering on the European market for the spring-summer 2024 season, Retviews highlights that the bikini remains the must-have model for this summer, although the one-piece swimsuit is gaining more and more space in the collections of fashion brands (it represents 20% of the offer this year, compared to only 13% in 2023).

A bit of history: The bikini, in its modern form, first appeared in July 1946. Provocative in its minimalist design, this two-piece swimsuit was named after the Bikini Atoll, where American atomic weapons were tested.

What is the most popular bikini model today? In 2024, the market share occupied by the thong has increased by 75% compared to 2023 (from 12% to 21%), to the detriment of the Brazilian swimsuit, which is in decline this summer (it loses 15 points, falling to 38%).

“Between 2023 and 2024, we expect the average price of the bathroom category to increase by 5%, from 38 to 40 euros,” explains the Lectra research team. In addition, the analysis highlights a 53% increase in the “reducing” or “compressing” bathroom category compared to last year.

It's time to add colour. The most popular colours among brands are deep blue, deep green and bright pink, as well as timeless black. Lingerie brand Etam is embracing the PE24 trend, while fitness brand Oysho is opting for more classic and neutral colours.

As for men, the study's data shows that brands are focusing more on pale khaki and blue, softer shades than for women and in previous summers.

*Published on 13 June 2024, the Retviews study analyses the latest collections of fashion brands on the European market during the spring-summer 2024 season, comparing them with the same period of the previous year. The countries included in the study are France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany, and the brands analysed are Etam, Calzedonia, Victoria's Secret, Oysho, Primark, H&M, ZARA, Mango and Tezenis.