ShopSmart Poll: Women Only Spend $100 a Year on Bras

Three-Quarters Face Challenges with Fit and 22% Always or Often Regret a Purchase; New Issue of ShopSmart Includes Tips for Finding a Great-Fitting Bra

YONKERS, N.Y., March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A good bra is the foundation for everything else you put on, yet 73% of women typically spend less than $30 on this wardrobe staple according to a new poll of women across the U.S. featured in April /May 2008 issue of ShopSmart magazine. On average, women spend only about $25 on a new bra. Considering how often bras are worn, women spend a surprisingly low amount, $100 per year, on new bras.

"While you don't have to spend a lot to get a bra that fits, you do have to try it on," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. "I was shocked to find that a third of women don't even bother to try on bras before buying them and more than two-thirds of women stick with the same brand, even when they aren't too thrilled with the ones they already own."

Although most women aren't blowing a fortune on bras, the poll, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, found that 37% of them don't bother to try them on before making a purchase to make sure they fit. Yet, 75% of women reported that they faced a specific challenge related to fit and 53% of women have never been professionally fitted for a bra. When shopping for a new bra, 63% of women reported that comfort was the most important feature they looked for followed by support (21%).

The Bra Poll is part of ShopSmart's report, featured in the April/May issue, that features tips and tricks that will help women choose a great-fitting bra that's right for their body and secrets to making this wardrobe staple last longer.

Bra Ownership

-- Women own an average of 9 bras, but only wear 6 on a regular basis; the average woman purchased 4 bras in the past year.

Decent Exposure
-- 80% of women say they would never go out in public without a bra.

-- Over one-third (34%) of women take action to enhance their bra size, with the most common methods being padded (23%) and push-up (22%) bras.

A Perfect Match

-- Matching bra and panties is not a priority for most women. 58% of women say they never or rarely match bras and panties.

-- Over one-quarter of women (27%) have decided against purchasing a clothing item because they did not have an appropriate bra to wear.

Bra Hunting

-- Nearly two-thirds (64%) of women typically purchase their bras at department stores.

-- Seventy-nine percent (79%) of consumers age 55+ purchase their bras at department stores.

-- Over half of women age 18-34 (55%) typically purchase their bras at specialty lingerie chain stores.

-- Sixty-one percent (61%) of consumers typically purchase the same brand of bra.

Adding Mileage: Advice for Washing, Drying & Storing Bras

-- GENTLE DETERGENT/GENTLE SETTING. There is no need for a specialty product, but choose a mild detergent with no bleach. Also, use the gentle cycle on the washer, it's usually shorter and there's less agitation.

-- FASTEN THE HOOKS. Before throwing the bra in the washer, fasten the hooks so it won't tangle with other items, like a lingerie bag or another bra.

-- USE A LAUNDRY BAG. Placing bras in a laundry bag keeps them from getting caught around the agitator in a top-loader while washing.

-- USE COLD WATER. Most bras aren't heavily soiled, so they don't need hot or warm water. And cooler temperatures are less likely to wear out the fabric.

-- STORE BRAS PROPERLY. To keep their shape, fold them in half with one cup inside the other, or stack them in a row so the cups fit into each other.

-- AVOID THE DRYER. Don't place bras in the dryer; the heat will wreak havoc on elastic.

-- SKIP A DAY. Don't wear the same bra two days in a row, perspiration can cause elastic to deteriorate. Rotate bras so they have a chance to rest a day.

ShopSmart Coupon Poll Methodology

The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households. 1,012 interviews were completed among women aged 18+. Interviewing took place over January 10-13, 2008. The margin of error is +/- 3.1% points at a 95% confidence level.

About ShopSmart magazine:

Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports' celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and "best of the best" lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and over a half a million copies of each issue are available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Target, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Consumer Reports

CONTACT: Rachel Levy Konik, +1-212-255-8455, ext. 235,
RachelK@rosengrouppr.com, for Consumer Reports; or Lauren Hackett of Consumer
Reports, +1-914.378.2561, LHackett@consumer.org

2008-03-17 17:52:44 0314400 PRNEWSWIRE