In the strange world between day and night, asleep and awake, a battle is underway, from underwear to outerwear, for the hearts and minds, for the pennies and the pounds, that make up the slumbering giant that is loungewear.
The beast goes by different names from the familiar lounge wear, through home wear, day wear to the lofty Liberty heights of resort wear. Whatever the name, the game is on, with the potential beneficiaries and protagonists swelling from the ranks of lingerie specialists, fashion chains, home accessories retailers, health and beauty brands and some of the biggest names around, with Primark taking its place at the headboard of the home-wear bed.
Its range has grown to departmental proportions from a forest of flannelette to the bold branding of the fashions of the landing, as “Love to Lounge” Every corner is softly covered with subtle segmentation from the outright intimacy of the bedroom, through the personal parameters of the home, to the hybrid styles that are equally appropriate for the a trip to the mini-bar, or a tour in the Mini car.
Mix and match and loose coordination are the king-size Primark propositions, with tops and bottoms populating expansive wall displays, supported by the soft trappings of cardigans, knitwear, leggings, jeggings, thermal tops to slipper socks. The offer is as compelling as a day on the sofa, the lure of a lycra TV meal, the mass appeal of a classic couch cinema session.
In this battle of the heavyweights, Primark continues to dominate in an area that it could rightly argue it invented, but as loungewear, home-wear and resort wear evolve from the sleepy world of slumber to the sophisticated concept of leisure living and hybrid wardrobes, watch this space with commercial interest from the boudoir boutiques, through the suppliers of solitary santuaries to the decidedly decadent displays where daylight meets the divas of the duvet.
Are you awake to opportunities within your customers’ lifestyle?
Is your assortment on the fast track or wandering into the sunset of opportunity?