Executive Summary

In 1996, the value of the UK wedding market increased by 7.9% to exceed £3.33bn. This was accompanied by a 1% increase in the number of UK weddings, including those taken abroad, to 358,200.

There are nearly as many bridal outfits purchased in the UK as there are weddings. In 1996, there were 357,100 bridal outfits purchased at an average price of £722, 6% higher than the 1995 average of £680. Wedding dresses account for most of the expenditure on bridal outfits, with an average price of between £500 to £600.

Most wedding dresses are white or ivory, although there is a trend towards colour, which is partly a reflection of higher levels of remarriage and longer periods of living together before marriage.

The bridalwear industry suffers from oversupply, with a structure which is both highly competitive and fragmented. Against a market which is stagnant but erratic, this has meant that most suppliers have sought ways to cut costs in order to maintain profitability during the 1990s. Formal Group PLC has put Pronuptia retail outlets into administration, as they are no longer thought to be a going concern, while many of the top designers have introduced ready-to-wear ranges.

Although the industry is highly fragmented, it is dominated by two major suppliers, Bridal Fashions Ltd and Formal Group PLC. The Formal Group produces 80% of Pronuptia's designs. With 18 of 60 Pronuptia outlets going into administration, it is unclear how Formal Group's share and role in the industry will change.

Despite a difficult market for the bridalwear industry, in recent years, there is some optimism as recent films, weddings abroad and a slight change in moral attitudes suggest that the new generation is taking a keener interest in marriage and its ceremony than in recent years. Nevertheless, social change is slow, and even with the development of one-stop wedding shops, there is unlikely to be a dramatic increase in the bridalwear market over the next few years.

Key Note forecasts that the market for bridalwear will grow by 22.9% between 1997 and the year 2000, to a value of £585.5m.

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