The women’s swimwear market in Western Europe comprises onepiece swimsuits and two-piece bikinis. The market was estimated to be worth US$3.11 bn in 2005, and this figure is forecast to reach US$3.16 bn by 2012.

Designers of swimsuits and bikinis are taking advantage of women’s desires to look fashionable at the beach and by the swimming pool. Styles of bikinis and swimsuits are constantly being revamped to give the consumer a range of choices when deciding on the balance between concealment and exposure.

Italy is the most important market for women’s swimwear in Western Europe. In 2005 it had the most sales in value terms, the highest average prices and the biggest consumption per woman over the age of ten. It was also the only country in Western Europe where there were increases in average prices between 1996 and 2005. Average prices of bikinis are predicted to fall in all the main markets between 2005 and 2012. In the case of swimsuits, prices are expected to decline in all markets except Germany and Spain, where they are likely to remain constant.

CONSUMPTION PER WOMAN
AVERAGE PRICES
PRODUCT DEFINITIONS
ONE-PIECE SWIMSUITS
TWO-PIECE BIKINIS

DATA SOURCES AND MARKET ESTIMATE METHODOLOGY
COMPOSITION OF THE WEST EUROPEAN MARKET
THE WEST EUROPEAN MARKET FOR WOMEN'S SWIMWEAR

MARKET PREFERENCES BY PRODUCT TYPE
MARKET SIZE BY VALUE
MARKET SIZE BY VOLUME
AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES

SUMMARY: CONSUMPTION AND PRICES
Swimsuits and bathing suits
Bikinis

TRENDS IN THE WEST EUROPEAN MARKET FOR WOMEN'S SWIMWEAR

TRENDS IN CONSUMPTION BETWEEN 1996 AND 2005

TRENDS IN AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES BETWEEN 1996 AND 2005

THE FUTURE FOR WOMEN'S SWIMWEAR
List of tables
Table 1: Western Europe: women's swimwear market, by country and type, 2005
Table 2: Western Europe: relative consumption of swimwear per woman and relative prices of
swimsuits and bathing suits by major country, 2005
Table 3: Western Europe: relative consumption per woman and relative prices of bikinis by major
country, 2005
Table 4: Western Europe: consumption of swimwear per woman, by country, 1996 and 2005
Table 5: Western Europe: prices of swimwear, by country, 1996 and 2005
Table 6: Western Europe: women's swimwear market, by country and by type, 2012
Table 7: Western Europe: consumption of swimwear per woman, by country, 2005 and 2012
Table 8: Western Europe: prices of swimwear, by country, 2005 and 2012