U.S. Reusable Medical Scrubs Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Gender (Male and Female), By Distribution Channel (B2C and B2B), and Forecasts, 2023-2030

The U.S. reusable medical scrubs market size was valued at USD 6.27 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 6.58 billion in 2023 to USD 10.00 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period.

In recent years, the U.S. witnessed rapid growth in patient population and number of hospitalizations. The growing healthcare needs of the population have drawn the attention of the healthcare system toward a stagnant ratio between doctor and patient, further leading to increased employment opportunities to serve such a rising patient population. The changes in healthcare utilization patterns are further influenced by an increasing number of hospitalizations, which requires more healthcare professionals. Also, the country’s healthcare system put efforts into the expansion of medical colleges and their class sizes, leading to the high usage of reusable medical scrubs by medical students.

• For instance, according to the data published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in November 2022, the total number of applications for medical schools are rapidly rising along with the increasing enrollment of medical students each year. The number of enrollment increased from 91,225 in 2018, to around 96,520 in 2022.

Factors, such as a growing hospitalization rate, an increasing number of healthcare professionals, rising concern about medical waste, and others, are driving the demand for reusable medical scrubs in the U.S.

COVID-19 IMPACT 

Surge in Medical Scrubs Usage during the COVID-19 Pandemic Boosted Market Growth

The COVID-19 pandemic flooded hospitals beyond their capacity regarding hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients. This led to a surge in demand for medical scrubs as healthcare facilities required more protective clothing for their staff. As a part of infection control protocol, almost all hospitals in the U.S. implemented a policy about frequent changing of medical scrubs and strict laundry guidelines. The regular use of reusable type of medical scrubs was further influenced by the donation, awareness, and training programs by healthcare facilities and key players about wearing, maintaining, and taking out medical scrubs for laundry.

• For instance, in October 2020, Jaanuu, Inc., a U.S.-based direct-to-consumer medical apparel company, launched a campaign called “Challenge Accepted” to encourage healthcare professionals to wear medical apparel for their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.


•  In March 2020, Barco Uniforms, a U.S.-based healthcare apparel company, announced its pledge to donate 10,000 medical scrubs monthly during the COVID-19 pandemic to frontline healthcare professionals treating COVID-19 patients.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the exploration and development of new designs and features for medical scrubs by incorporating technology into the fabric. Most technologies were aimed to enhance antimicrobial properties, breathability, and temperature control to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic also led to the business expansion of key players while fulfilling the demands for medical scrubs.

• For instance, in August 2020, a U.S.-based medical textiles company announced the expansion of its production facilities to provide its full range of antimicrobial scrub textiles to frontline healthcare workers in the U.S.

Thus, the above instances indicate the positive outcome that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the market. Furthermore, healthcare facilities in the U.S. stocked a huge inventory of reusable type of medical scrubs during the COVID-19 pandemic to fulfill the demand for these scrubs by the healthcare workforce. In 2021 and 2022, as the impact of COVID-19 faded, the usage pattern of these scrubs gained a pre-pandemic usage pace leading to inventory saturation. This further led to a decline in the number of new orders from healthcare facilities, slowing down the revenue growth of market players post-COVID-19.

• For instance, in the 2022 annual report of FIGS, INC, the company generated a revenue of USD 263.1 million in 2020, indicating a year-on-year growth of 138.1%. However, in 2021 and 2022, the company witnessed a decline in growth, indicating 59.5% and 20.5% year-on-year growth in respective years.

Thus, the U.S. market witnessed a slight overall decline in growth after the COVID-19 pandemic and is anticipated to gain pre-pandemic growth rates in the near future.

LATEST TRENDS

Rising Focus on Developing Functional & Athleisure Medical Scrubs Propelled Industry Growth

The attributes of reusable medical scrubs revolve around two key factors, comfort and protection. The rapid evolution of fashion trends in the healthcare industry gained the attention of medical scrubs manufacturers toward the athleisure side of medical scrubs, which are more functional. Designers from fashion and sports industries are also incorporating their innovative ideas to make these medical scrubs more athletic, functional, and comfortable leading to the development of more such products by market players such as Fabletics, FITScrubs Inc, BeneFIT Medical, and others.

• For instance, in February 2023, Fabletics, Inc. announced the launch of Fabletics Scrubs, an activewear scrubs in the medical apparel category for healthcare professionals. Fabletics Scrubs are developed by using direct insights from around 6,500 medical professionals. As a part of the launch celebration, the company announced giving 25,000 scrub sets to healthcare professionals across the U.S.

Moreover, the emerging trend of reversible medical scrubs allowed them to be more functional and have more pockets. Also, reversible medical scrubs provide versatility by incorporating two different color options or designs in a single garment. It minimizes the need for immediate scrub laundry and helps medical professionals during long shifts. Thus, the increasing orientation of healthcare professionals toward athleisure and comfort with other emerging trends is expected to boost the U.S. reusable medical scrubs market growth in the coming years.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Number of Surgeries to Augment the Demand for Reusable Medical Scrubs

Medical scrubs are an essential attire to be worn in operating rooms by all healthcare professionals, including surgeons, nurses, technicians, circulatory staff, and others present in the operating room. The growing healthcare utilization and rising number of surgical procedures are directly boosting the need and demand for medical scrubs to ensure a clean and sterile environment in an operating room. Several factors contribute to the increasing number of surgeries in the U.S. These factors include advancement in medical technology, a rising aging population requiring more surgical intervention, and an orientation toward preventive healthcare leading to more surgeries.

• For instance, according to a 2022 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S., births by Cesarean section increased to 31.8% in 2020 and 32.1% in 2021 of all U.S. births. The same report revealed that the overall cesarean surgery rate would continue to increase in the coming years due to increasing number of primary cesarean deliveries.

The healthcare facilities will need an adequate supply of medical scrubs to meet the growing requirement for surgical procedures and maintain a high standard of infection control and protection. Thus, the growing demand for medical scrubs is anticipated to fuel the market growth during the forecast period.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Low Cost & Rising Adoption of Disposable Medical Scrubs to Hinder Market Growth

Disposable medical scrubs eliminate the need for laundry and ensure accessibility to clean attire. The advantages associated with disposable medical scrubs, such as lightweight, low cost, fluid-resistant properties, and overall better protection, make them more appealing to healthcare professionals leading to rising adoption.

• For instance, according to an article published by MEDRUX in August 2022, studies have indicated that disposable scrubs are a more practical option for medical professionals as they are more effective in controlling infection than reusable ones.

Moreover, the price difference between reusable and disposable further influences customers' buying behavior, leading to more customers' orientation toward disposable medical scrubs.

• For instance, the cost of Medline’s unisex disposable scrub top starts at USD 1.45, and the cost of Medline’s disposable scrub pants starts at USD 1.95. Also, the bulk order quantities of disposable medical scrubs lead to further reduced costs ranging from around USD 0.40 to USD 0.90.

Thus, such a high difference between the cost of reusable and disposable medical scrubs encourages more use of disposable medical scrubs, thereby limiting the growth of the market during the forecast period.

SEGMENTATION

By Gender Analysis

Large Proportion of Female Healthcare Professionals to Drive the Female Segment Growth

Based on gender, the market is bifurcated into male and female. Among both segments, the female segment captured a significant share and is anticipated to register a notable CAGR during the forecast period. The factors attributed to the segments' growth are women's rising orientation toward higher medical education, equal employment opportunities, narrowing the gender gap, available flexibility for females, and acceptance of low-pay jobs by females.

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  • For instance, according to a news article published in June 2022, in the U.S., around 80% of the healthcare workforce and 90% of the registered nurses are women.
  
  
  • According to an article published by the WHO in July 2022, more women are employed in the healthcare profession; however, they work on around 25.0% less pay than male healthcare workers leading to more employment of females in the healthcare sector. The greater chunk of females as healthcare professionals in the U.S. account for significant usage of medical scrubs contributing to the segment's market share during the forecast period.
  
  
  
  

The male segment is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR due to the rising demand for male healthcare workers in the U.S. and the focus on encouraging the male population to adopt the nursing profession.

• For instance, according to a 2022 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, among the total healthcare professionals, male healthcare professionals were 4,595,000 and accounted for 22.4% in 2021, which is 3.5% higher compared to 2020, i.e., 4,595,000. Thus, the growing employment rate of the male population in healthcare facilities is anticipated to propel the segment's growth during the forecast period.

By Distribution Channel Analysis

Rising Number of Medical Institutes and Hospitals to Drive the Growth of the B2B Segment

Based on distribution channel, the market is bifurcated into B2C and B2B. In 2022, the B2B segment accounted for a significant share of the market owing to factors such as the rising number of medical institutions in the U.S., the increasing number of hospitals & ambulatory surgical centers, and stringent policies about the mandatory use of reusable medical scrubs in the healthcare settings.

• For instance, according to statistics from American Hospital Association (AHA), the U.S. possessed 6,090 hospitals in 2020, 6,093 hospitals in 2021, and 6,129 hospitals in 2022, indicating a continuous rise in the development of hospitals.

The B2C segment is further bifurcated into online and retail stores. The online segment is anticipated to grow rapidly due to customers' growing preference to buy reusable medical scrubs online due to huge discounts, clearance sales, availability of products on multiple platforms, and accessibility. Thus, the increasing trend of online shopping is expected to drive the growth of the B2C segment during the forecast period.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Collaborative Agreements by Key Players to Distribution Network

The market is fragmented due to the presence of multiple small and medium market players with their production facilities. The leading players in the market capturing significant U.S. reusable medical scrubs market share in 2022 are FIGS, INC., Medline Industries, LP, Superior Group of Companies, Inc., and CAREISMATIC BRANDS. The increasing focus of the market players on expanding distribution networks and product portfolios will likely contribute to market growth during the forecast period.

• In October 2022, Kindthread declared the U.S. expansion of their premium medical apparel brand White Cross. To accelerate its growth, the company has planned to launch U.S. marketing campaigns.

Other prominent market players are Adar Medical Uniforms, LLC, BARCO UNIFORMS, Kindthread (Landau Uniforms), Koi Design LLC, Jaanuu, Inc., and MAEVN UNIFORMS. The growing demand for reusable medical scrubs and rapid innovation in design and technology is anticipated to encourage new players to enter the U.S. market.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• FIGS, INC. (U.S.)


• Medline Industries, LP (U.S.)


• BARCO UNIFORMS (U.S.)


• Superior Group of Companies, Inc. (U.S.)


• CAREISMATIC BRANDS (U.S.)


• koi Design LLC (U.S.)


• Jaanuu, Inc. (U.S.)


• Kindthread (U.S.)


• Adar Medical Uniforms, LLC (U.S.)


• MAEVN UNIFORMS (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• May 2023 – Jaanuu, Inc. announced its partnership with Bold Metrics, Inc., an AI sizing solutions provider that generates instant digital twins of shoppers to unlock the power of body data. The partnership aimed to increase personalization and customer satisfaction.


• February 2023 - Medline Industries, LP signed a multi-year agreement with Mass General Brigham Incorporated to become their strategic vendor for medical supplies.


• December 2022 – FIGS, INC collaborated with highly regarded brands and medical professionals who impacted the healthcare community by driving bigger impacts in their practice to expand their product outreach into the market.


• September 2022 – BARCO UNIFORMS collaborated with Skechers and revealed Skechers by Barco, a limited edition capsule collection of medical scrubs on Breast Cancer Awareness month. The collaboration aimed to inspire hope and support for affected cancer patients.


• July 2022 - Kindthread collaborated with ALL IN, a WellBeing First for Healthcare campaign, launched to advance a state of well-being where healthcare workforce is prioritized. The collaboration aimed to deliver solutions addressing the needs of healthcare workforce and mark their presence.

REPORT COVERAGE

The market analysis focuses on crucial aspects such as medical scrubs manufacturers, products, and distribution channels. Additionally, it offers insights into market trends, key industry developments such as collaboration, partnerships, & acquisitions, and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the report includes the factors that have contributed to the market's growth in recent years with an analysis of different segments.

Report Scope & Segmentation