My wife wears the old fashioned stockings. Is there a market for these in the US? Most sites are in Europe.?

Question

My wife still likes to wear the old fashioned stockings that are held up by a garter belt or girdle. Most of the time she has to buy them from a internet site in England or France and pay a huge shipping bill for them. The local department store only carries Hanes stockings that are plain. Both of us are interested in establishing a US site to sell the stockings, garter belts, and girdles if there is really a market for them. What do you all think? Do you believe that enough women would wear them most every day, like my wife if available or are they just a bedroom item for most women?

Answer 1

I'm a little surprised that you couldn't find American internet sellers.

Vicky's Nylons
Stocking Store
Stocking Girl
Sectets in Lace
Glamour Boutique
Stockings Only
De Andrew Hosiery
Alexis4U
Stocking Showcase
Magnolia Hosiery

That's 10 American sellers that are in my favourites.

The problem you have with local department stores is that, for the most part, they are "mainstream" sellers. They have to be to remain viable.

What you are looking for is truly considered a niche market.

Most women, if they want to wear something akin to gartered stockings will go the thigh high route, and you can even find them, as one person answered, Wal-Mart.

Puh Leeeeze!

Other than maybe Saks or Nordstrom (and I even doubt that) you aren't going to fine true nylon or silk stockings at the local department store. They simply don't sell enough to make them a part of their inventories.

And as far as operating your own web site, to be truthful, I don't know enough about the market to make that kind of quantifiable decision.

I do know a little about the market, and most of the manufacturing goes on in Europe. A company like "Secrets in Lace," I'm sure doesn't manufacture their own inventory. Most likely, they license out their name and specifications to one or more or the European manufacturers.

But as I said, this is definitely a niche market in the women's hosiery industry, and with the 10 American web sellers I mentioned earlier, and the myriad sellers in France and the UK, I would think this is a relatively established market now.

Going against Secrets in Lace, Alexis4u, CarolineB (UK), and several other big sellers would be a daunting task indeed. I do have a marketing background, and with that kind of competition, I would have no idea how you could place yourselves in the market and distinguish yourselves. And we haven't even talked about the many eBay stocking and lingerie stores you'd also be competing with.

Now you also mentioned Garter Belts and Girdles. One thing I sort of assume is that there aren't that many companies making these. When I shop for my wife, I notice that there are tons and tons of companies that sell them, but after awhile they all tend to look the same.

Have either you or your wife thought about designing your own and having them manufactured? I haven't shopped for them in quite awhile, but when I did, that's what I looked for, and have encountered some truly different and alluing styles. I paid through the nose for them, but they were unique.

Vicky's nylons, which I think is "vickisnylons.com" only sells 3 or 4 different styles, but gives you different numbers of garters as an option, and her site has been around for quite awhile. I believe she designs and makes her own garters and girdles.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Yes, there is surely a market for classic stockings and their replicas. There are several websites based in US that already sells stockings, so a little market analysis could be done searching a little.
I don't know the economics behind an ecommerce website for this particular niche, but if you start slowly, you can minimize the initial losses, if any.

Answer 3

There is most definitely a market in the US---and not just for bedroom attire, either. I and many of my friends wear them on a regular basis; and you are right, you can't find much in department stores. Specialty stores that carry novelties, etc. carry some, but still no large selection. Check out e-bay---that's where I get most of mine---that should give you an idea of what stores there are, if any, in your area....

Answer 4

I wear them to work all the time and I am still in school. Stockingstore.com is better than all the European sites because they have so much more variety. That's where me and my friends get all of our stockings and garter belts.

Answer 5

Try: www @jcpenney.com. I do a great deal of mail order. JC Penney would come nearer than anyone I know to selling what she wants. Based on what I've seen, unless you market everything you listed to the 60+ crowd, I believe all of that has "gone out" for the younger crowd. Good luck!

Answer 6

they are just a bedroom item for most women, but thats still a huge market.

Answer 7

I myself much prefer them to pantyhose, which are uncomfortable, as well as unattractive. I'd buy for sure!

Answer 8

go to walmart