Net sales of Destination Maternity fell from $106.5 million to $98.3 million for the second quarter of 2017. Comparable sales also fell 3.4 per cent for the second quarter of fiscal 2017. E-commerce sales however grew 30.2 per cent.

For the first six months of financial 2017, net sales of the maternity retailer fell from 231 million dollars to $204.7 million. Comparable sales for the period fell 5.5 per cent.

Destination Maternity, based in the US, runs the brands Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity. In addition to its retail locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, it also sells its products through franchise agreements in South Korea, Mexico, Israel and India.

Maternity wear has become trendy, stylish, form-fitting, and designed to highlight a woman’s curves during pregnancy. The Asia-Pacific region is showing the strongest growth.

Finding decent maternity wear is a challenge. As well as a perceived lack of glamour, many brands are reluctant to give headspace to maternity ranges, knowing that most women won’t spend much on clothes they will only wear briefly. But savvy brands are creating investment pieces designed to live long beyond pregnancy – and be worn by people who are not pregnant at all.