Rose & Thorne aims to enhance access to professional lingerie fittings for rural women in New Zealand and Australia through its innovative virtual fitting service.

One of New Zealand’s leading lingerie brands, Rose & Thorne, is gearing up to expand its innovative online bra-fitting service aimed at assisting rural women in both New Zealand and Australia. The initiative is poised to address the ongoing challenge of limited access to professional lingerie fittings for women in remote areas, a concern underscored by experts who emphasize the significance of wearing well-fitted bras for maintaining good posture and alleviating back and shoulder pain, particularly in active work settings.

The virtual fitting model has been designed to connect women with trained bra fitters through live online consultations, thus eliminating the need for in-person fittings which can be difficult to access for those living outside urban centers. Rich Carey, the general manager of Rose & Thorne, noted the geographic disparity, stating, “Women in urban centres have the advantage of in-store fittings and access to a variety of brands and sizes, but rural women are often left with few choices.” He elaborated on the operational challenges faced by retailers in rural towns, mentioning the necessity for lingerie shops to stock a vast array of sizes—at least 70 per style—which is often financially unfeasible. The company’s digital platform, however, is designed to remove these barriers and offer a comprehensive selection of sizes, including less common measurements like 24K.

Carey emphasized that many women, particularly those residing in rural locales, often go for years without finding bras that fit properly. He stated, “Our online tools, combined with live virtual fittings, are making high-quality, supportive lingerie more accessible than ever.” In terms of market size, the New Zealand bra market currently stands at $254 million and is expected to grow at an annual rate of three percent. In a sharper contrast, the Australian lingerie market, valued at approximately $1.7 billion, is experiencing over four percent growth annually. This indicates a robust potential for the brand to significantly increase its market share in Australia, which currently represents only about one-third of Rose & Thorne’s revenue.

The company recently expanded its product line to include K-cup-sized bras, enhancing its size offerings from 10C to 24K, with plans to introduce even larger sizes in the future. “It’s widely acknowledged that humans are getting larger, and that’s reflected in demand for bigger cup and back sizes,” Carey indicated, while also noting, “Over 60 percent of our K-cup sales have been in size 18 or up backs.” The efficacy of their new sizing has been demonstrated through their exchange rates, with less than ten percent of products purchased online being returned.

While Rose & Thorne has established a strong presence in New Zealand, it is now focusing its expansion efforts on the Australian market. Carey highlighted the importance of raising awareness of their products and virtual fitting options, asserting, “If we can get the word out there, the multi-million dollar opportunity will be significant for our locally designed label.”

Despite a competitive and challenging retail landscape, marked by a general decline in revenue for many companies, Rose & Thorne has reported an annual growth rate of ten percent. Future plans involve venturing into North America and the UK once they consolidate their position in Australia. However, the brand is currently contending with elevated international shipping costs, which have surged by approximately 40 percent over the past few years, complicating export efforts outside of the Australasia market.

Currently, the company’s focus is squarely on penetrating the Australian market, which presents a significant opportunity for growth before exploring other distribution avenues in global markets.

Source: Noah Wire Services