According to National Statistics, the number of weddings in England and Wales decreased by 10.4% in 2005, to 244,710. Furthermore, government data show that the number of weddings in the UK fell by 9.5% in the same period, to 283,731. This trend looks likely to continue: according to several designers Key Note spoke to during the compilation of this report, orders placed for dresses 2 years in advance are down.

While declines in the market would have a serious effect on multimillion, multinational organisations, the UK bridalwear market operates on a much smaller scale. It is very much a niche market, especially at the couture end of the market, in which most UK designers operate. As a result of this, designers are able to withstand seasonal fluctuations. However, to counteract any fall in the bridalwear market itself, some are emphasising the occasionwear side of their businesses, with the `prom' dress coming to the fore.

The biggest threat to the UK bridalwear market is in the mid-market, where any downturn in the number of weddings is most likely to be felt. However, this sector is already highly competitive and fragmented, with most dresses being mass produced in the People's Republic of China and imported either through US-owned designer labels that operate on a global scale or through smaller UK importers.

Despite curbs put in place by the EU after the People's Republic of China's textile import quotas were lifted at the beginning of 2005 — as a result of the nation joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) — there has been no shortage in the UK of the availability of wedding dresses originating in the People's Republic of China. Perhaps worrying for UK importers is that Chinese manufacturers and designers are beginning to approach UK retailers directly, and there is a strong possibility that some well-known importing brands could disappear in the next decade.

The availability of cheap copies and counterfeits over the Internet is perceived by the industry as being more of a nuisance than a real threat. Brides take a big risk when ordering copies of designer gowns in this way, as there is no guarantee that they will arrive on time and it is highly likely that, while the designs may be exact copies, the fabric will be of much lower quality.

The bridalwear market has seen new players entering in the form of the high-street multiples ASDA and Marks and Spencer, both offering gowns at very low prices. This is at the budget end of the market, where competition tends to be among high-street fashion stores and second-hand resellers. There are a number of websites offering a marketplace for brides to sell their dresses and, to bring in an ethical element, Oxfam has also opened a number of bridal outlets at some stores. However, it is too early to predict whether bridalwear has proved profitable for the multiples.

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Womenswear in Australia
Womenswear in Canada
Womenswear in Denmark
Womenswear in the Czech Republic
Womenswear in the Netherlands
Womenswear in Japan
Womenswear in China
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