Bra galery - intimate details about purchasing bras

The NPD Group, Inc., the leading provider of essential market information collected and delivered online, recently examined the bra purchasing habits of women selected from the NPD Online Consumer Panel. The NPDFashionworldSM Women’s Bra Report reveals that women, on average, purchase bras 3.4 times per year and buy an average of 2.5 bras each time they shop. Two-thirds of women surveyed said that, at least half the time, they buy bras that are "on sale" or offered as part of a "deal."

Bra purchases are not "spur-of-the-moment" decisions. Three in four women say they plan their bra purchases before visiting a store. More bras are bought in discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart or Target. However, younger women (18-24 years of age) are more likely than those over age 35 to shop at a specialty store, such as Victoria’s Secret. Over half the respondents prefer to shop for bras at stores that carry other clothing items.

How do women decide which bra to wear each day? Of the women surveyed, 66% agreed with the statement, "I choose the style/color of bra I wear depending on the clothes I will be wearing." Only 39% wore the first bra they picked up from the top of their dresser drawer.

Age and income affect bra purchase decisions. Women over the age of 55 are more likely than younger women to always buy the same style and/or brand. Two in five women with incomes over $75K say they buy three or more bras in a single outing. Only one out of three women with lower incomes purchase three or more bras in a single shopping occasion.

STYLES WOMEN OWN/WEAR MOST OFTEN

Own Wear Most Often Underwire 75% 57% Seamless 68% 35% Sports 56% 8% Full figure 46% 33% Strapless 37% 1% Push-up 30% 8% Padded 29% 12%

What Women Want Bra Manufacturers/Retailers to Know

Over two-thirds of the respondents say they expect their bras to last only 12 months or less. Three in five also have a difficult time finding bras that fit properly. Further comments respondents want to share with bra manufacturers and retailers include:

Full-figured women want more choices in styles, colors, patterns and panty/bra sets.

Women want underwire bras (the style over half the respondents say they wear the most) that are more comfortable to wear and hold up to repeated washings.

Standard bra sizing among manufacturers and different styles would make fit and comfort easier to achieve.

Many women complain of falling in-between bra sizes or not finding small back sizes with large cups (or vice-versa.)

Women get frustrated with bra styles being frequently discontinued.

The NPDFashionworld Women’s Bra Report was conducted among a sample of women who had purchased a bra within the June 2000 to January 2001 time period. Respondents were selected from NPD’s Online Consumer Panel. A total of over 1,000 respondents completed the survey.

About NPDFashionworldSM

NPDFashionworld offers an array of services that deliver unique insight into American's apparel and footwear purchases. For existing brands or new products, NPD can help maximize marketing efforts. NPDFashionworld offers a suite of tracking services to meet marketing information needs. Using the most detailed point-of-sale (POS) databases available and a consumer panel of more than 750,000 U.S. households, NPD provides a foundation of integrated POS and consumer knowledge. NPD’s services help companies make more effective, informed business decisions and present a clear picture of the competitive forces that shape the apparel and footwear marketplace. For more information on NPDFashionworld, visit www.npdfashionworld.com.

About The Author:

Kathy Cole is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.bra-n-bras.com. A tasteful look at the bra industry, products and manufacturers.