WUKA's menopause apparel innovation is said to offer menopausal women suffering with bladder incontinence, leak and odour protection with its underwear made from recycled nylon and designed to be worn for up to 54 washes.

The brand claims that one pair of its underwear can replace 200 disposables in its lifetime with WUKA CEO and founder Ruby Raut explaining that 50% of menopausal women experience urinary incontinence.

She adds that WUKA is a new member of the GenM Collective, which aims to help brands better cater for menopausal customers and employees: "WUKA has pledged to feature the world’s first ‘menopause-friendly’, ‘M-tick’ logo on product packaging to better support, inform and empower countless menopausal women and revolutionise their shopping experience.”

Menopause apparel patents between 1 October 2020 and 1 October 2023 remain steady

Source: GlobalData

GlobalData's patent database shows innovation remains steady within the menopause apparel market with 1,349 publications and 697 filings made in October 2020 and 1,154 publications and 643 filings made in July this year.

Top assignees for patents between October 2020 and October 2023

Source: GlobalData

GlobalData cites US sports giant NIKE as innovating the most within the menopause apparel space within the 1 October 2020 and 1 October 2023 timeframe, however its competitors adidas and Under Armour are also tapping into the growing market.

In September last year UK retailer Primark launched its first collection of nightwear, underwear and base layers featuring anti-flush technology, cooling yarn, odour control, and temperature control to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and sweating.

Sri Lankan apparel business-to-business technology company MAS Holdings has also invested in the space with the creation of its technology-based menopause brand called Become.

During an exclusive interview with Just Style last year the team behind the Become brand said the potential for mainstream brands entering this space is clear, and the need is “undeniable.”

Our signals coverage is powered by GlobalData’s Thematic Engine, which tags millions of data items across six alternative datasets — patents, jobs, deals, company filings, social media mentions and news — to themes, sectors and companies. These signals enhance our predictive capabilities, helping us to identify the most disruptive threats across each of the sectors we cover and the companies best placed to succeed.