Exploring Market Challenges and Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Plus-Size Women’s Fashion in Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/jibe.v10i2.7435Keywords:
Consumer Challenges, Entrepreneurship Opportunities, Inclusive Marketing, Malaysia Fashion Industry, Plus-size FashionAbstract
This study investigates the challenges faced by plus-size women in Malaysia’s ready-to-wear fashion industry, with a focus on issues of fit, accessibility, affordability and representation. Using a qualitative approach, insights were gathered from 34 Malaysian women aged 18 to 50 through open-ended survey responses. The findings highlight structural market gaps, including inconsistent sizing and poor fit, limited retail availability, design and aesthetic shortcomings, premium pricing, negative consumer experiences, and a lack of inclusive marketing strategies. These barriers reveal untapped opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs to address underserved consumer needs through innovation, customer-centred product development, and inclusive marketing approaches. Beyond contributing to social inclusion, such strategies hold significant potential to enhance competitiveness and stimulate growth in Malaysia’s fashion sector, with broader implications for emerging markets seeking to strengthen consumer engagement and expand into niche yet high-potential segments.
References
Abdul Ghafar, A. A., Mahmood, . A. N., & Zahiruddin, Z. (2023). Women Preference Towards Purchasing Fashion and Beauty Products Through e-Commerce in Selangor. Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship, 8(1), 54–63. https://doi.org/10.24191/jibe.v8i1.22817
Bakly, F. N., Md Yusop, H., Abdullah, N., & Mohd Lokman, N. S. (2024). Consumer Online Buying Behavior on Social Media Platform in Malaysia: A Conceptual Paper. Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship, 9(2), 92–101. https://doi.org/10.24191//jibe.v9i2.3427
Bickle, M. C., Burnsed, K. A., & Edwards, K. L. (2015). Are US plus-size women satisfied with retail clothing store environments? Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 28, 45-60.).
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful Qualitative Research a practical guide for beginners.
Etrata, A. E., James Cu, K. N., Angelo Flores, G. B., Owen Hong, J., Adelynne Torres, K. P., & Lou Raborar, J. O. (2025). Comparative Study Between the Impact of Brand Aesthetics and Brand Congruence on Zoomer’s Fashion Purchase Intention. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 14, 125.
Huang, Z., & Sahari, F. (2025). An overview of current technological developments in apparel fit customization. In Research Journal of Textile and Apparel. Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-09-2024-0167
Johnson, H. F. (2023). Size Inclusive and Body Positive? Key Discrepancies Between US Female Body Measurements and Current Models Represented by Fashion
Kamolnawin, P., Intalar, N., Watanapa, S., & Boonchoo, T. (2024). Plus-Size Clothing Recommendation System Based on Sales Transaction Data Using FP-Growth Algorithm. Science & Technology Asia, 114-121.
Ling, G. M., Chin, E. A. H., Huat, T. S., & Poh, T. T. (2021). The Influence of Promotional Mix on Female Consumers’ Buying Behaviour. Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship, 6(2), 36. https://doi.org/10.24191/jibe.v6i2.16653
Ntumba, C., Aguayo, S., & Maina, K. (2023). Revolutionizing retail: A mini review of e-commerce evolution. Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication, 3(2), 100-110. https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v3i2.365
Mathew, S. M., Nayak, S., & Rao, V. (2024). Determinants of online apparel mass customization: a decade in review. In Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-06-2024-0204
McCann, A. (2022). Evaluating The Plus Size Body: Advertisement and Exploitation in the Media and the Fashion Industry.
Oishe, S. H., & Liu, Z. (2024). Enhancing Clothing Fit for Asian Women through Digital Transformation and Statistical Analysis. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 14(11), 3004-3015. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojapps.2024.1411197
Osman, J., Mohd Tajuddin, R., Omar, N. S., Purnama, R., & Mohd Shariff, S. (2025). Evaluating Comfort Performance in Plus-Size Caesarean Undergarment Design. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(32), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10i32.6709
Reid, S. M. (2022). Perceived fit satisfaction of True Fit size recommendation software: Implications for plus-size women (Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University).
Seram, N., & Kumarasiri, K. (2020). Are customers satisfied? Study of the problems currently prevailing in the plus size women’s wear market in Sri Lanka. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 24(3), 211-227.
Scholarworks, S., & Smith, C. (2025). The Relationship Between Anthropometric Sizing, Fit Issues, and The Relationship Between Anthropometric Sizing, Fit Issues, and Return Rates in Plus-Size Women’s Apparel Return Rates in Plus-Size Women’s Apparel. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations
Shazwan, M., Ithnin, S., Abdullah, A., & Lutfi Iskandar, M. (2022). Relationship between Perceived Usefulness and Online Shopping Behaviour among University Students. InJournal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship (Vol. 7, Issue 1).
Shelton, S. S., Bradshaw, A. S., Cretul, M., & Treise, D. (2023). You can’t shop with us: how US-based, value- and mid-market online clothing retailers position their plus-size female clothing sections. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 27(6), 1009–1026. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2021-0304
Shin, E., & Saeidi, E. (2022). Body shapes and apparel fit for overweight and obese women in the US: the implications of current sizing system. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 26(5), 759–775. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-09-2020-0213
Siming Guo & Cynthia Istook. (2025). Exploring Respondent’ Perceptions of Fit for Customized Dresses. https://itaaonline.org
Singh, H., Manasvi, T., & Shruti Gupta, S. (2025). A STUDY ON PLUS SIZE MARKET & PLUS SIZE MARKETING.
Smith, C. (2025). The Relationship Between Anthropometric Sizing, Fit Issues, and Return Rates in Plus-Size Women's Apparel.
Suradkar, N., & Chanana, B. (2024). Inclusivity in Fashion: Perceptions in India. Journal of Operations and Strategic Planning, 7(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516600x241245566
Tajuddin, R. M., Zakaria, N., Shariff, S., & Taif, B. (2024). A Conceptual Review of Uniform Wear Attributes Identification for Size Fit. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 9(SI17), 511-516.
Wang, L. (2023). Research on the Marketing Strategy of Plus-size Women’s Clothing -Based on 5C Theory. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences, 58(1), 245–250. https://doi.org/10.54254/2754-1169/58/20230956
Wang, Y., & Zakaria, N. (2024). Influence of Size and Fit on Malaysian Apparel Industry Sustainability: A Scoping Review. In Sustainability (Switzerland) (Vol. 16, Issue 6). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062486
Yim, M. Y. C., Kim, E. (Eun S., & Ahn, H. (2024). Do plus-size models really benefit obese consumers? Investigating the influence of plus-size models on negative emotions and mental imagery. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-03-2023-0066
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nur Syafiqah Suhaili Haslin, Hasma Ahmad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
