The Opportunity in Women’s Plus-Size Apparel in China: A Potential $10 Billion Market

Key Points

While the US plus-size apparel market has been studied extensively, China’s plus-size apparel market is less explored. A growing plus-size population will make China’s plus-size market promising.

• Despite a low obesity rate, the scale of China’s population means plus-size apparel represents a substantial market with significant potential for brands and retailers.
• Our calculations estimate the women’s plus-size market in China will be worth around $4.8 billion in 2019 — but would be worth over $10 billion if the plus-size segment achieved a share of China’s women’s apparel market equal to the obesity rate among the female population.
• Plus-size brands and retailers are providing attentive customer service, employing plus-size models and investing in social media to attract customers.