How to Market your High-End Lingerie Brand in China

Basques, brassieres, corselets, bodies, panties, G-strings, bras… all these elegant and sexy undergarments have been filling the Chinese lingerie market for several years. Why this unexpected boom in the luxury lingerie market in China? High-end lingerie sales increased by 30% last few years. It is not surprising that international and local players are paying attention to this big opportunity to enter into this lucrative market.

What Top manager should know about this market

Sustainable Luxury: The eco-conscious wave hits high-end lingerie, with a surge in demand for organic, ethically sourced materials and sustainable production practices.

Smart Intimates: Incorporation of wearable technology in lingerie for health monitoring, offering both luxury and functionality to the modern woman.

Custom Fit Elegance: Tailor-made, bespoke lingerie services are on the rise, providing personalized fits and designs that cater to the unique needs and preferences of each customer.

Cultural Fusion: Designs that blend traditional Chinese elements with modern lingerie aesthetics, appealing to consumers’ pride in heritage and desire for contemporary style.

Body Positivity Movement: A growing trend towards inclusive sizing and designs that celebrate all body types, breaking the conventional standards of beauty in the lingerie market.

Athleisure Meets Lingerie: The blurring lines between activewear and lingerie, with high-end sports bras and performance underwear gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers.

Experiential Retail: Luxury lingerie brands are enhancing the shopping experience with personalized fittings, private consultations, and immersive store environments to create memorable moments for their clientele.

Virtual Try-On and AR: Leveraging augmented reality technology to offer virtual try-on experiences, making online lingerie shopping more convenient and accurate for consumer

Chinese customers are becoming more confident

In the digital age, where the narrative of luxury lingerie intertwines with the zeitgeist of social media, launching and maintaining a presence on RED (Chinese Instagram) becomes a strategic imperative for premium lingerie brands aiming to captivate the sophisticated Chinese market.

This platform, a cornucopia of lifestyle and fashion insights, offers an unparalleled avenue for brands to narrate their story, connect with an affluent audience, and showcase their commitment to excellence and innovation. Herein, we divulge five cardinal strategies for navigating the opulent waters of Xiaohongshu, ensuring your premium lingerie brand not only flourishes but becomes a venerated icon within this digital realm.

1. Craft an Aesthetic Odyssey: Begin by meticulously curating your Xiaohongshu profile to reflect the quintessence of your brand. This digital façade should be an odyssey of visuals and narratives that resonate with the elegance, sophistication, and unique value proposition of your lingerie offerings. Each post, a tapestry woven with the finest threads of storytelling, product showcases, and lifestyle integration, should invite users into the exclusive world of your brand.
2. Engage with Empowerment: Position your brand as a beacon of empowerment and inclusivity. Share content that transcends mere product promotion, such as stories celebrating body positivity, the artistry behind lingerie design, and the empowerment that comes with wearing pieces that are a true reflection of one’s personal style and comfort.
3. Leverage the Luminary Influence: Collaborate with influencers and key opinion leaders (KOLs) who echo your brand’s ethos. These digital luminaries, with their authentic voices and loyal followings, can amplify your brand’s message, creating a resonant echo across the vast expanse of Xiaohongshu’s user base. Choose partners who align with your brand’s luxury aesthetic and values, and who can narrate your brand’s story with integrity and passion.
4. Foster a Community of Connoisseurs: Encourage the creation and sharing of user-generated content to foster a community of brand advocates. Implement hashtag campaigns or challenges that inspire users to share their own experiences and styling tips with your lingerie, creating a tapestry of testimonials that celebrate the individuality and diversity of your clientele.
5. Innovate with Interactivity: Utilize Xiaohongshu’s unique features to introduce interactive elements such as Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation process, and live streams of fashion shows or design discussions. This not only demystifies the luxury lingerie experience but also builds a bridge of engagement between your brand and its admirers, making the luxury lingerie journey an interactive, communal experience.

By adhering to these strategies, your premium lingerie brand can master the art of storytelling, engagement, and community building on Xiaohongshu, ensuring a revered and lasting presence in the digital hearts and minds of China’s luxury lingerie aficionados.

Chinese Consumer Start to discover High End Lingerie Brands

Chinese consumer tastes are changing, they are more sophisticated, confident, and the most important is that they know exactly what they want. They want high-end products such as shoes, accessories, but also elegant lingerie. For Chinese young consumers, luxury is not just about buying to show off, it’s more about buying products that make them feel good. Chinese women started to understand the importance of becoming more sexy and glamorous through lingerie and are now more willing to treat themselves better by purchasing premium lingerie with high standing, better comfort, and beautiful design.

Read Also: China Lingerie market

The leading firms in the Chinese lingerie market

Now for Chinese consumers, foreign brands have to surpass local brands not just on quality, but also innovation. It’s important to use the new digital marketing tools to adapt to Chinese consumers for attracting them. Young lingerie consumers trust always Chinese brands but often think that there is a lack of diversity in colors, materials, and designs used. That is the reason why international brands can easily enter the Chinese lingerie market with an appropriate strategy.

Top Selling Lingerie Brands in China 2024

For instance,  the U.S. brand Victoria’s Secret opened its first store, with a 20,000 square foot flagship store in Shanghai. Companies such as Italy’s luxury brand La Perla, which sells bras priced around 2,000 yuan ($300), have 8 stores in China and plan additional outlets in Chengdu and Chongqing. It also aims to open a men’s store in Beijing and Germany’s Triumph, which already has 1,000 stores in China, plans to open more stores in new Chinese cities.

The brands have to adapt themselves to the Chinese market because the habits change from one country to another, and China is the proof. Chinese consumers don’t have the same habits and tastes as western consumers. From the color to the sizes of morphology to the designs and materials used, nothing has to leave to luck because Chinese Millennials are really demanding and expect more from international brands.

High End Lingerie Marketing Strategy in China

If you want to launch your lingerie brand in China, you have to pay attention to the design and colors because Chinese consumers have more expectations. People are superstitious in China, especially about the colors. Color means a lot for Chinese people, for example they don’t like buying too many white products because it is the death color. Yellow is considered a pornographic color in China, and they used to buy pink or red lingerie. Another important point that foreign brand has to keep in mind is Chinese women have a smaller slinkier build compared to European women.

How to market luxury lingerie in China?

The Chinese lingerie market is very competitive and fragmented. Many solutions exist depending on your needs and target consumers. Foreign brands can adopt the right digital marketing tool to lure Chinese consumers. In this article, we select some digital marketing strategies able to help you:

E-commerce in China as your entry gate

Generally, Chinese consumers are quite shy when they have to buy some lingerie, so the online platforms help them to buy with more privacy. Nearly 73,5% of online buyers are between 20 and 39 years old. E-commerce sites like TMall and JD.com have a massive user database, large distribution channels, and trusted payment services. All these benefits make it easier for both local and international brands to reach more and more Chinese consumers. But the major problem of e-commerce sites in China is a loss of brand value.

However, retail stores provide new brands with a high level of customer service and help to educate new shoppers and keep them engaged. The major difficulty is to fix the right locations in order to get more visibility and reach potential customers. Opening a big store in Beijing or Shanghai means your brand will only be present in one location. If you are a new brand and unknown in China, you have to quickly build a strong online reputation because Chinese customer doesn’t buy brands, but they buy trust.

Comments and reviews are gold mine for brands

WeChat informative push/message is an asset

Your promotional message could help you to define your distribution channels and pricing strategy. There are some strong strategies available to luxury lingerie retailers. These strategies include:

• Sexy/Romantic (affordable or expensive)
• Pure and Innocent (affordable or expensive)
• Great Comfort (affordable)

Chose wisely your communication channels

China is the largest world-connected country, so when Chinese customers want to get some information about a brand, they just used social media platforms or KOLs. Using the correct promotional channels will help to reach your right audience. For efficient digital marketing in China, you have to use some Chinese media platforms, it’s unavoidable. Some of the key Channels include WeChat, niche sites, and KOLs using multiple channels….

With nearly 1,1 billion active users, WeChat is the most popular social media in China, and brands have the opportunity to open a Wechat account for more stay more connected to their customers.

RED book as mention is a Super place for communication

Influencers: they may help to spend your brand DNA

Don’t forget the KOLs. It’s the new marketing trend. They have millions of followers and they can really influence the Chinese customer’s decisions. The average Chinese luxury lingerie consumer spends $400-500 per year on luxury lingerie, which means pricing strategies are very important if you want to reach more Chinese customers. Being aware of consumers’ disposable income will help with your pricing strategy.

Lingerie is always complicated for “nudity” policy in China

Example of Ads that is allowed in China

Find the perfect strategy for your brand in 2024?

Now, Chinese customers are ready to spend more money to get luxury lingerie with a fashionable design and quality. But, because of the complexity of this new market, the consumers are looking for a direction. So it is the perfect time for lingerie brands to enter the Chinese lingerie market.

Retail is complicated in China , Victoria’s Secret shuts down flagship store in Beijing as part of a retail strategy overhaul. Will the lingerie giant succeed in penetrating the Chinese market with its joint venture and tailored localization approach

Read more about Chinese lingerie market:

• Underwear Distributors in China (Wholesalers, Retailers)
• The lingerie’s market is open for foreign brands in China
• Victoria’s Secret Success Story Over The Chinese Market

Do you need a Guide for Developping your Business in China ?

With the right marketing strategy, maybe you can be the next big brand in China. As an agency, we can help you set and develop your digital marketing strategy thanks to various services, such as distribution consulting, business development, branding, social media marketing… with strong knowledge and experience with e-commerce (TMall, Douyin, JD.com, WeChat…) we are able to help you conquer the Chinese market.

1. GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) stands as a pioneering force in the realm of marketing solutions tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
2. Renowned for its innovative strategies and deep understanding of Chinese consumer behavior, GMA has swiftly become a leading name in the marketing industry.
3. With a focus on bridging cultural gaps and delivering impactful campaigns, GMA has carved out a niche for itself as the go-to agency for brands seeking success in China.
4. Leveraging a combination of local expertise and global perspectives, GMA offers comprehensive marketing services designed to propel brands to new heights in the dynamic Chinese market.
5. As the demand for effective marketing strategies in China continues to soar, GMA remains at the forefront, guiding brands through the intricacies of this vast and lucrative market landscape.