Victoria Secret’s parent company recently came under pressure to split Bath and Body Works and Victoria’s Secret into two companies because of the financial results reported in the article. Victoria’s Secret’s issues started with its failure to change its product lines to reflect what the customer wanted. This includes a lower price point. As Ms. Stichter stated changing its position now will not be easy, but neither will a continuing decline in same-stores sales on a shrinking store base.

The whole stance and style of Victoria’s Secret is out of tune with what a lot of modern consumers want and expect. This is one of the reasons why the chain has lost millions of customers and is seeing sales slide. However, there are, many who still like Victoria’s Secret and use it regularly. And therein lies the problem: Victoria’s Secret is afraid to change for fear of alienating existing customers and turning its back on a position that has served it well for many years. It doesn’t quite know what it should do next. Add to this a small dose of internal arrogance, which can be seen in some of the comments made by the company, and you have a recipe for inertia and paralysis. The question, however, is which way is the market going. From everything I have seen, it is moving away from where Victoria’s Secret is now. As such, the company needs to evolve. It needs to be more authentic, connect with a wider range of demographics, and change its marketing… Read more »

I commented recently on Neil Saunders’ LinkedIn post about Victoria’s Secret. At a recent visit to one of its stores I found the store design well done and the displays inviting, but it’s clear that I am not their target customer – and that’s part of the problem. Victoria’s Secret is all about sexy and airbrushed models. It’s a look that very few women can pull of, and if you like pizza, forget it. It’s not reality.

Victoria’s Secret is long overdue for a refresh – keep the feel of the stores but let all women know that they are welcome; that there is beautiful lingerie is for you, no matter what size you wear. Update the marketing and fashion shows so they are not so cringeworthy in a #MeToo world. Until Victoria’s Secret understands that women have moved on from the model it is still pushing it will be perceived as the store most out of touch with reality.

As I mentioned in a new blog about their aggressive ways at trying to get customers on their rewards list How To Get Customers Onto Your Loyalty Program? Don’t Do It Like Victoria’s Secret Does, the Victoria’s Secret dark boudoir stores and overt sexuality that were a hit in the ’80s just don’t seem to be resonating with younger women who look to inner beauty and self-love more than to titillating a guy.

Even guys, it appears, aren’t tuning into the fashion show as the show’s ratings plunged to historic lows last December.

W Magazine said that more people tuned into the 648th episode of the Simpson’s than watched Victoria’s Secret’s fashion show.

Focus on the women, not the men and revive this brand.

In the #MeToo era, painting women as skinny sex symbols just doesn’t work, nor does the styling. It’s time for VC to think about real women — what they look like for real, and what they feel good in and about.

How did VC not get the memo that half the country is bigger than size 14?

Whoa, whoa, wait a sec here, fellow BrainTrust geniuses — let us level set one thing that went unmentioned first: Victoria’s Secret still owns about 67 percent of the lingerie market. That means that two-thirds of the customers for that product STILL like them and buy there. So let’s put that hat on first.

Having said that, I do agree that the “glamazon” hyper-sexualized marketing needs to evolve, and evolve pretty quick, before the 67 percent goes to 50 percent goes to 30 percent over the next few years. But let’s not pile on about how awful they are until we understand that from a mass level, they’re still pretty well loved (liked?).

I think the issues are both product and marketing. But, other than reading Billy Collins’ brilliant “Victoria’s Secret” poem, I’m no product expert. So let’s talk about their marketing. Truth is, I would recommend they stay far, far, far away from re-positioning. Those efforts glorify management, get pitched to investors, and rarely drive the change that’s needed. Instead, they need to start by sorting out where their problem is. My own sense is that while they were able to get “shock value” from supermodels for years, that possibility is gone. Perhaps it’s the internet’s easy availability of even more risqué visuals. Or that we’re bored with supermodels (I think we are.) They definitely SHOULDN’T walk away from sexy unless there’s incontrovertible, factual evidence it’s a problem. A tremendous asset has been built for them — stick with it! But reinterpret it. That may be hard. I recommended the same to Bowflex a decade ago, but their marketing team was stuck believing there are only “fit” and “not fit.” What they probably don’t accept is that… Read more »

Victoria’s Secret can be faulted for not keeping up with the trends in consumer interest and attitudes regarding lingerie. Women’s perceptions and influences like the #MeToo movement have changed women’s attitudes about many products, especially lingerie. VS either did not see the changes coming or could not figure out what to do or both. I believe more of the issue has to do with their products than the marketing. They need to position their products away from being too sexy to a place where women are interested because the product distinguishes itself and the consumer feels good about buying it. The lingerie should make the woman feel good about wearing the products and offer designs that are unique.