One Of NZ’s Largest Lingerie Designers In Export Expansion As Bust Sizes Increase Worldwide

One of New Zealand’s largest lingerie designers has launched an export expansion programme to meet growing global demand from women with larger bust sizes.

The move comes as Rose & Thorne, which has seen strong revenue growth despite challenging retail conditions, closes its physical store and wholesale channel in favour of a direct-to-consumer online model - allowing it to service international markets from its New Zealand base.

Rich Carey, Rose & Thorne GM, says the New Zealand bra market is valued at $254 million and is growing at 3% annually.[1]

He says unlike many lingerie brands that rely on traditional retail partnerships, their new digital-only model allows the company to offer a broader size range while creating the operational efficiency and inventories needed to service the trans-Tasman market.

“In contrast to our domestic environment, Australia is a $1.7bn bra market and is growing at over 4% each year,” he says.[2]

Carey says the demand for size inclusivity and convenience in the Australian lingerie market is significant and expected to double the size of their business by 2027.

“The challenge with physical retail is the sheer number of sizes you have to stock.

“If you open a lingerie store in a small New Zealand or Australian town, you’re looking at carrying at least 70 sizes of each bra style, and that’s just not feasible. Online, we can offer a complete size curve without the constraints of shelf space,”

Carey says the move to a digital model is designed to help them target a market segment that prefers not to shop for lingerie in store or who live too far away to access a selection that meets their individual needs.

He says they shut their retail store at the start of last year and are now starting to see comparable results from their online operations.

“Some women will always prefer in-store shopping, and we respect that, but we also know that many find buying lingerie online more comfortable.

“In particular, we know that there are logistical barriers for mothers who can't leave their young children unattended in a store while they go through a fitting process.

“We are seeing significant growth opportunity in key market segments, including rural areas, and are now focused on educating the market around our range of products for those needing larger cup or back sizes and the fitting tools we have available to them such as live online fittings,” he says.

Carey says the company is well positioned to capitalise on a global trend which is seeing a steady increase in bust sizes among women.

He says the company recently launched K-cup sized bras into their range, extending their size curve from 10C to 24K and is currently developing even larger sizes.

“It’s widely acknowledged that humans are getting larger, and that’s reflected in demand for bigger cup and back sizes.

“Over 60% of our K-cup sales have been in size 18 or up backs, and our best-selling K-cup size is 24K, which shows just how underserved this segment has been.

“With over 18 months of development we have refined this new size to the point where less than a tenth of products purchased online are exchanged,” he says.

Carey says the company has already carved out a dominant position in New Zealand and is now shifting its focus to Australia.

“The growth of our digital sizing model is allowing women on both sides of the Tasman to have experts support them through the fitting from the comfort of their home.

“Australia is only making up a third of our revenue at the moment, but we know it should be two to three times what our New Zealand market is.

“If we can get the word out there, the multi-million dollar opportunity will be significant for our locally designed label,” he says.

Carey says despite its positive growth trajectory, the company is navigating a tough retail environment.

He says once they have expanded their share of the Australian market, they will look to develop a new distribution model for North America and the UK.

“Most companies are facing double-digit declines in revenue, yet we grew by 10% annually. Once the economic environment improves, we expect to see even stronger gains.

“Another challenge is the rising cost of international shipping, which has made exporting beyond Australasia less viable currently.

“Shipping costs have increased by about 40% over the last few years, which has significantly impacted our ability to sell into offshore markets like the US and the UK.

“Right now, our focus is on cracking Australia, which still represents a huge growth opportunity, but beyond that we will look at other markets where we can enter using other distribution models,” he says.

Carey says they are also focused on expanding their product lines, particularly in wire-free bras for larger sizes.

He says the company is also positioning itself as a leader in the larger-size lingerie category.

“There’s a big demand for comfort, especially among women working from home,”

“Our approach has been to build a consistent, high-quality product range that addresses a long-neglected market segment. We’re investing in R&D to extend our wire-free range up to the largest sizes possible.

“At the same time we believe we already have the largest range of any Australasian-based lingerie brand in our segment.

“That’s a strong platform to build from as we continue our export expansion,” he says.

Notes

[1] Statista. (n.d.). Bras - New Zealand | Statista market forecast. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/apparel/women-s-apparel/night-underwear/bras/new-zealand

[2] Statista. (n.d.). Bras - Australia | Statista market forecast. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/apparel/women-s-apparel/night-underwear/bras/australia

About Rose & Thorne

At Rose & Thorne, we believe that every woman deserves lingerie that fits beautifully, feels luxurious, and enhances confidence and comfort - without the premium price tag. Designed with comfort and style in mind, our New Zealand designed bras offer an inclusive 10C to 24K size curve, and one of the most comprehensive selections of 18-24 back size and G-K cup size bras available in Australasia. Loved by thousands of women across New Zealand and Australia since 2011, the full range is now exclusively available online.

For more information, please visit: https://roseandthorne.co.nz or https://roseandthorne.com.au

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