The PPE Market for Women Stood at $799.7 Million in 2020
The PPE market for women stood at $799.7 million in 2020. Growth is driven by an increase in women employees across industrial sectors, an increase in awareness, stringent regulatory compliance, and realization of increased hazards at the workplace due to ill-fitting PPE.
The growth in demand for women-specific PPE is also because women have a different body structure than men, and therefore, smaller, scaled-down versions of men’s PPE are not the right fit for women. This explicit need for women-centric PPE is expected to drive higher adoption in the near future.
The lack of availability of PPE products in adequate sizes, designs, and colors for women has created a demand-supply gap. Furthermore, with lucrative growth rates and limited competition, a number of manufacturers are expected to enter the market with their offerings of PPE for women in the coming years.
Protective clothing, head protection PPE, foot protection PPE, and hand protection PPE for women are expected to have the highest compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 4.2%, 4.1%, 3.8%, and 3.7%, respectively, from 2020 to 2026. This higher growth rate is a recognition of the need for women-specific PPE.
North America and Europe constituted 79.7% of the revenue in 2020. North America is slated to register the highest CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period, with its revenue growing from $395.8 million in 2020 to $479.6 million in 2025. The demand corresponding to the availability of manufacturers offering PPE for women is higher in North America and Europe compared to the rest of the world.
The demand for PPE for women is expected to record the highest growth in construction, transport, and manufacturing sectors, growing at CAGRs of 4.1%, 3.9%, and 3.7%, respectively, from 2020 to 2025. The expected increase in women employees in construction, transport, and manufacturing sectors will boost the growth of PPE specific to= women in these industries.
Many manufacturers, such as Bunzl, ERB Safety, Gateway Safety, and MCR Safety, have introduced online platforms to choose and buy PPE for women.
Manufacturers are actively engaged in developing research and development (R&D) facilities to create PPE for women to provide a better fit for women employees. The focus is to manufacture PPE for women that are comfortable, enhance safety, and improve the performance.
A major challenge for manufacturers has been the inconsistent demand for PPE specific to women. With growing awareness and stringent regulatory compliances, the demand for PPE for women is expected to surpass the existing supply, creating a demand-supply gap.
