Hello Ladies,
I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s discussion of the demographics for our store and region! Today, I will be analyzing what band sizes sell the best for us and will omit cup sizes until my next post. Below is a graph showing the percentage of sales represented by each band size:
Observations and Notes:
- We have sold a few 50+ bands, but the frequency is so sporadic and the amount so trivial that I have not included them in the graph.
- Bands 32-38 account for roughly 68% of our total sales, and if we factor in 40 bands, the figure jumps to 77%. Both statistics are up from last year’s totals of 65% and 74%, respectively.
- The best-selling bands 32-36 are within 2% of each other, but 34 continues to edge out the others as the number one selling band size.
- 28 and 30 bands have gained 0.94% from last year for a total of 8.94% of sales.
- Traditional plus-size bands (38-46) account for 38.17% which is lower than last year’s total of 41%.
The Impact on Smaller Bands
While I advocate the inclusion of smaller band sizes in manufacturers’ collections and have often promoted, participated in, and supported the Bra Band Project, my sales figures continue to be rather low in those sizes when compared to band juggernauts like 32 and 34. Since I am a retailer, I do have to be mindful of my inventory turnover rate, i.e., how quickly I can sell the bras, which means that these band sizes are not stocked as plentifully as the 32-38 bands. Nevertheless, what is not reflected on the sales data is how drastically the demand for these sizes has increased within the last six months. In fact sales have increased 243% from last year in 28 and 30 bands, resulting in a need for us to improve and expand our selection in these sizes.
Mainstream Band Sizes
From examining the data, over three quarters of our sales come from more mainstream band sizes 32-40, and to keep up with demand, we focus on brands which can offer our customers a decent selection in those sizes first and foremost. Given the average American woman wears a dress size 12 or 14, it is unsurprising that correlating band sizes 32-36 would have such a strong presence in our sales.
Plus-Size Bands
While the percentage of sales occupied by traditionally plus-size bands has decreased slightly from last year, we still have a strong core customer base in need of fresh options and a greater variety. In fact, our best-selling brand for the entire store is Elomi. Plus-size women are an underrepresented and undervalued consumer market which deserves more attention from both manufacturers and retailers. These beautiful women have money to spend and want to look and feel good in their bra like any other person, but they’re often shuttled into poorly fitted and/or ugly bras. Elomi, in particular, has made great strides to bring this consumer cute, attractive, and sexy bras that are as supportive as they are beautiful. Factor in the debut of Panache’s Sculptresse line and the expansion of both Goddess’s basic and fashion options, and we can see many positive changes in the 38+ band size market, but we need to keep the momentum moving.
Weigh In: Were you surprised by what bands were most popular? For me, I was happy to see the increase in 28 and 30 bands, an increase attributable to the /ABraThatFits reddit. Our calculator and Bra Naked Truth series are linked there often, and many of our smaller band customers found us through this tool.
Erica
P.S. For a detailed look at last year’s statistics, check out the following links: Demographics, Band and Cup Sizes, and Bra Sizes.
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