At first sight, swimwear would appear to be an easy clothing category to define. It is what we wear to swim in. But it is also what people wear to be seen by the beach, the pool or even in the recreation areas of hotels, spas, health clubs and gyms. However, it is difficult for current sources of data to correlate with each other. There is currently little ‘joined-up’ analysis of the swimwear and beachwear market.

just-style believes that it is invalid to segment the market rigorously into swimwear and beachwear worn for leisure, and swimwear worn for serious sport. One person’s performance is another’s fashion statement. Consequently, swimwear and beachwear are analysed in this report holistically by product and by geographic market.

This report addresses this information gap, by using data from a variety of sources. just-style believes that this report provides the most-up-to-date and rounded information available on the swimwear and beachwear markets worldwide.

This latest edition fully quantifies the global market, providing volume and value data for swimwear by demographic and by region across all major markets.

This report is published at a time when extremely volatile changes in financial markets are having their effect on the apparel industry. We have taken this effect into account when preparing our analysis and data.

In this latest edition, a number of themes are explored. They include:

• ageing demographics in the developed world;
• affluence in parts of the world and poverty in others;
• cultural, social and religious barriers to the acceptance of swimwear;
• polarisation of swimwear between being serious about sport, or serious about fashion; and
• consumer attitudinal factors. Is your swimwear a glamorous fashion statement, a practical and comfortable mode of dress, serious performance sportswear or a ‘surf’ attitude?

The report begins with an executive summary and an introductory chapter.

Chapter 3 commences with definitions of both product and market. The data approach and what is included and excluded from swimwear and beachwear is then explained in more detail.

Chapters 4 through to 7 look at the swimwear and beachwear market at different reference years, concentrating on a number of pivotal years based on previous editions and the considerable influence of the Olympic games on the industry. The key pivot in this edition's analysis is 2008 and the Beijing Olympics. In 2008, the swimwear industry is valued at retail consumer prices at US$13.15bn. The fundamental marketing issue in swimwear is the dramatic split between the developed and the developing world.

Forecasts are made in Chapters 6 and 7 for swimwear and beachwear consumption for the landmark event for swimming of the London Olympics of 2012, and further forward to 2014, thus deriving a past and future span of twelve years.

These chapters provide data covering consumption per person, market volume and value and population growth statistics. Full data tables are provided for 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2012. In addition, this data is also condensed into one table trending for each year from 2004 to 2014. These chapters build a picture of where the likely volume growth will come from in the market over the forecast period.

Chapter 8 provides 2003-2014 market value and volume data by major world regions. Given the current downturn, it also provides alternative scenario forecasts that factor in a worst-case scenario to 2014. Full commentary and analysis of the data is also provided.

Chapter 9 addresses the market structure of the industry now and in the future and reviews the market by brands, retailer own-label and anonymous merchandise. It also reviews the supply chain, producer to consumer and prices, costs and garment added value. A detailed price-fashion matrix is also provided, showing the market landscape by each major brand.

Chapter 10 provides a review of the importance of brands in the swimwear product group, including interviews with Mike Hammersley, chief executive, Zoggs, Pamela Scott, editor, Underlines Magazine and Andrea Daems, PR representative of the German swimwear brand, Maryan Mehlhorn, part of the Maryan Group.

Finally in Chapter 11, future market and product trends are considered, providing an insight into where just-style believes the best growth prospects in the world lie over the coming years.

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Read more about this report with just-style's research article here

Chapter 1 Executive summary
Introduction
Swimwear and beachwear
The current swimwear and beachwear market, 2008
The future swimwear and beachwear market, 2012
The just-style time lines 2003-2014
Brands, retailer own-label and anonymous merchandise
The swimwear price-fashion matrix
Defending diversity through branding in the swimwear market
The market and product future

Chapter 2 Introduction
Background
Report methodology and coverage
Themes

Chapter 3 The nature of the swimwear and beachwear market
Product and market definitions
Market data and estimates
Sports swimwear and fashion swimwear
Swimwear’s place in society

Chapter 4 Swimwear market past: 2003 and 2006
The market in 2003
Market growth, 2003 to 2006
Population, 2006
Consumption per person, 2006
The market in units, 2006
Prices, 2006
The market in US dollars, 2006

Chapter 5 The swimwear market in 2008
Headline market information for 2008
Population, 2008
Consumption per person, 2008
The market in units, 2008
Prices, 2008
The market in US dollars, 2008

Chapter 6 Swimwear market future: 2012
Headline market information for 2012
Population, 2012
Consumption per person, 2012
The market in units, 2012
Prices, 2012
The market in US dollars, 2012

Chapter 7 Swimwear market future: the longer view to 2014
The longer view
The market in US dollars in 2014 compared to 2008
The market unit volume in 2014, compared to 2008
Population, 2014
Consumption per person, 2014
The market in units, 2014
Prices, 2014
The market in US dollars, 2014

Chapter 8 Long-term timelines and an alternative scenario
The economic situation
The just-style time lines, 2003-2014
The alternative scenario: the just-style time lines 2003-2014

Chapter 9 The structure of the market
The supply chain, producer to consumer
The branded supply chain
The retailer own-label supply chain
Prices, costs and garment added value
Fabric and fibre added value
The swimwear price-fashion matrix
Prices, market volumes and market value shares

Chapter 10 Brands in the swimwear industry
Defending diversity in the swimwear market
Brands continue to maintain their position in Europe
Swimwear for sport
Body care and assistance for the older consumer
Marketing performance in sport and recreation
Emerging markets

Chapter 11 Future market and product trends
The swimwear market worldwide
The best growth prospects in the world
Health, activity and fashion
Long- and short-term marketing of swimwear
just-style’s conclusions on the future

List of tables
Table 1: International currency exchange rates as of 15 October 2008, and at 31 January 2009
Table 2: Summary swimwear market information, 2003
Table 3: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2006 (m)
Table 4: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2006 (%)
Table 5: Per annum consumption of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2006 (units)
Table 6: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2006
Table 7: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2006 (%)
Table 8: Prices by gender and age by major region, 2006 (US$)
Table 9: Market value of swimwear by gender and age, by major region, 2006 (US$bn)
Table 10: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2008 (m)
Table 11: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2008 (%)
Table 12: Per annum consumption of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2008 (units)
Table 13: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2008 (m units)
Table 14: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2008 (%)
Table 15: Swimwear prices by gender and age by major region, 2008 (US$)
Table 16: Market value of swimwear by gender and age, by major region, 2008 (US$m)
Table 17: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2012 (m)
Table 18: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2012 (%)
Table 19: Per annum consumption of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2012 (units)
Table 20: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2012 (m units)
Table 21: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2012 (%)
Table 22: Swimwear prices by gender and age by major region, 2012 (US$)
Table 23: Market value of swimwear by gender and age, by major region 2012 (US$bn)
Table 24: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2014 (m)
Table 25: World population by gender and age, by major region, 2014 (%)
Table 26: Per annum consumption of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2014 (units)
Table 27: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2014 (m)
Table 28: Units of swimwear by gender and age by major region, 2014 (%)
Table 29: Swimwear prices by gender and age by major region, 2014 (US$)
Table 30: Market value of swimwear by gender and age, by major region 2014 (US$m)
Table 31: Swimwear units and retail market value by region, 2003-2014 (m units, US$bn)
Table 32: Swimwear percentage growth in units and value per annum, by region, 2003-2014 (%)
Table 33: Alternative timeline: Swimwear units and retail market value by region, 2003-2014 (m units, US$bn)
Table 34: Alternative timeline: Swimwear percentage growth in units and value per annum, by region, 2003-2014 (%)
Table 35: Branded, retailer own-label and anonymous merchandise, 2008 (US$ and %)
Table 36: Added value in the supply chain

List of figures
Figure 1: The supply chain, producer to consumer
Figure 2: Swimwear price-fashion matrix