ady the favorite vacation destination and with the rapid growth of the cruise industry they are becoming even more affordable and popular. Although beaches are the second favorite vacation destination of those 65 and over, their popularity will not decline dramatically as they start to become the largest demographic group. They will prefer to travel to small country-inns rather than beach destination, but many of them will need swimwear year round as they move to warm, sunny, coastal Florida and other Sunbelt States. All this equates to a very good outlook for swimwear demand through all age groups, whether it is high or low end, tailored or mass-market.The Swimwear IndustryThe following section outlines the four segments that brands are categorized into. These are just brand segments and therefore do not dictate the manufacturing, design or ownership of the brands. 1) Designer SwimwearThis first category simply carries the label of a fashion designer in two possible ways: 1)The swimwear line can be an extension of the designers general apparel brand.2)The swimwear can be the designers only line.Designer swimwear is a very competitive market segment, as there are a vast number of general apparel brands that extend their line to swimwear. This segment is positioned at all premium price-points to keep in line with the general brands image. 2) Competitive SwimwearThis category of swimwear is comprised of manufacturers dedicated to providing athletes with top-notch, high performance swimwear. These companies invest in R&D as well as state-of-the-art technology to ensure that their products are innovative and up to par with world-class athletic competition requirements.3) Swimwear for the Average SwimmerThis third category is sold mostly to the mainstream consumer. This category is affordable and used for leisure purposes. The suits can have several special design features, but none that will inflate the price to a premium level. It...
