February 28, 2008 9:44 PM
Victoria Secret: We're too sexy for our own good
Interesting news from the Wall Street Journal:
Apparently, You Can Be Too Sexy
By AMY MERRICK
February 29, 2008Victoria's Secret likes to ask in its marketing, "What is sexy?" Now the lingerie chain is trying to figure out, "What's too sexy?"
The chief executive of the brand known for its provocative televised fashion shows and alluring stores made an admission yesterday. In her mind, the brand has become "too sexy" -- or at least the wrong kind of sexy.
"We have so much gotten off our heritage," CEO Sharen Jester Turney said in a conference call with analysts. Responding to the past year's weak sales and focus-group feedback, she said, "We will return to an ultra-feminine lingerie brand to meet [customer] needs and expectations."
Whatever Victoria's Secret does could shake up the $10-billion-plus U.S. lingerie industry, which the chain owned by Limited Brands Inc. dominates, with sales of more than $5 billion for its most recent fiscal year. Following a dismal holiday season, during which sales at stores open at least a year dropped 8%, executives have been doing some soul-searching and preparing to take steps to overhaul the brand's image.
Read entire article here.
One thing's clear - if they were making money, they wouldn't be "soul searching." Guess those TV soft-porn fashion shows didn't go over so well. . . . .
This is really good news!
Posted in Current Affairs | Permalink
Comments
What's actually bothered me lately (maybe because I don't see the commercials for VS anymore) is the way they seem to be targeting pre-teen and teenage girls. The store used to sell clothes (if you can call them that) meant for adult women for intimate purposes. Now, the store is full of pajamas (with "pink" spelled across the bottoms) and cute teenage slumber party clothes. It's startling to see this store turn into a high school hang out.
Posted by: Laura | February 28, 2008 10:43 PM
I didn't know Victoria's Secret was ever anything different. What was it like before??
Posted by: Michelle Potter | February 28, 2008 10:51 PM
Even I remember when Victoria's Secret was classy, feminine lingerie. It would be great to see them reintroduce the idea of romance instead of trash!
Posted by: Kate | February 29, 2008 7:38 AM
I worked at a VS in the mid-80s, and yes, the merchandise was much "classier" then. You could be fitted for a good bra, and find attractive sleepwear (anything from nightshirts with the VS logo to lovely bridal peignoir sets), and they had a few bath and body items. I agree with Laura - they are definitely targeting teens now.
Posted by: chinamama4 | February 29, 2008 8:48 AM
uh, DUH! their image was accidental? I think not. More men read their catalogs than women, perverts sit outside the stores, and I won't even go near THAT part of the mall. And they are just now figuring it out? Can anybody say, "GROSS?"
Posted by: Penny Raine | February 29, 2008 9:06 AM
So I may actually be able to go into Tyson's Corner Mall with my kids and not have to run past Victoria's Secret?? Still have to run past Abercrombie though...
Posted by: Margaret | February 29, 2008 9:07 AM
I say it is about time. WooHoo!! I am tired of seeing 12-year-old girls parade around in underwear that the average female would never wear.
Posted by: Cris | February 29, 2008 11:59 AM
I'd like to get their sexy models out of the windows of our mall! They have them on 2 corners! Can you imagine taking a teen boy to the mall!!!????
Posted by: Lisa | February 29, 2008 12:12 PM
I stopped buying my bras at VS years ago (despite the fact that they I loved them: they FIT and I could go in and find my same old style and size every time) because I was fed up with their advertising, both on TV and in their store windows. I don't know about your malls, but here it seems the VS is always located right by the children's play area. I suppose this is because they want to target the young mothers? Once I was at the mall with my children and could not avoid walking past the store, so I pulled down the stroller canopies and tossed my coat over them to shield their young eyes from the free porn in the window. I told my daughter that there are things in the mall that are not good to look at, that I didn't want her to look at them and that I don't look either. Any suggestions (other than my one-woman bra boycott)about how to get the larger-than-life-sized posters of mostly-naked women removed? Has anyone approached their store or mall managers about this?
Posted by: Marisa | February 29, 2008 1:48 PM
Yeah I totally hate when they come on. Here I sit in my old t shirt, boxers and two day old hair. Like I can compete (or would even want to) with that! Please people. Get real. They might as well be nude!
Posted by: Shannon Best | March 1, 2008 12:46 PM
