Parfait Expands into India with Debut Storefronts

07 December 2018

The size-inclusive lingerie leader announces its biggest venture yet, set to take place in key Indian cities in 2019—with further international expansion to follow.

Currently carried in over 20 countries around the globe, Parfait Lingerie has announced that it will launch a retail storefront followed by 20-30 shop-in-shop formats in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in early 2019. This development merges two important firsts for the brand: brick-and-mortar retailing as well as the entrance on the Indian market. Each storefront will exclusively carry Parfait, maintaining the brand’s strong focus on serving the full bust and plus-size markets.

The expansion site is a logical choice, as more than 60% of women in India wear some form of plus-size clothing, allowing Parfait to place its products before a currently under-represented group in the face of overwhelming demand. The brand aims to fill this gap by offering their full size range up to K cup and 4XL (varying by style), available in silhouettes from daily bras to sports bras, boyshorts to high-waisted briefs, babydolls to bustiers. The debut retail stores will officially open in early spring of 2019, carrying new styles alongside core best-sellers.

Spending in India’s fashion retail segment reached $59 billion in 2017, and is expected to surpass $96 billion by the end of 2022. This rapid growth trajectory sees India currently positioned as one of the world’s most promising and exciting fashion retail markets, with implications for years to come.

Presented with these metrics, Parfait views the market as a perfect fit for its branded storefronts, which have remained a priority after a decade of market testing, research and ultimate success in the global brick-and-mortar retail market. Paired with the explosive growth in India’s fashion retail space, the decision to launch Parfait’s first storefronts in the South Asian country comes as a natural next step for the brand.

In addition to the main storefront, Parfait is also set to open a series of multi-brand outlets using a shop-in-shop format. These smaller retail hubs, likewise located in Mumbai and New Delhi, will be housed within larger department stores alongside other brands. To mark this latest development, Parfait will participate in India’s very first plus-size lingerie runway show in January 2019. And that’s not all – even as the brand enters the final stages of preparation for its presence in India, further international expansion plans are already in the works.

"With over 12 years of retail experience, I can foresee Parfait making history in India’s lingerie market as an exclusive plus-size lingerie storefront retailer that caters to the underserved plus-size market with stylish and supportive pieces,” says Parfait India Director Mr. Akhil Srivastava. “We stand behind women because we know women come in all shapes and sizes.”

“According to recent statistics, over 90% of Indian women are wearing the wrong bra size,” says Parfait Co-Founder Ken Zhang. "We hope to help change this by offering storefronts not only carrying lingerie of superior support, fit and quality, but by offering complimentary in-store bra fittings from our trained, knowledgeable staff as well.”

Pictured right: Parfait Lingerie SS2019 collection