Victoria’s Secret Loses Massive Business As Times Change

Victoria’s Secret, the women’s lingerie giant, struggles to attract younger crowds as women crave comfort and stability over sexy. The company is known for its sex appeal, advertising overly skinny women, and its luxurious materialistic character. However, women are no longer attracted to such a motto en masse anymore.

“L Brands’, Victoria Secret’s parent company, shares are down about 40 percent year-to-date. Victoria’s Secret has been steadily losing market share in the last few years with its collection of overtly sexy lingerie and bedazzled panties – styles that many women no longer find fashionable.”

Consumers are preferring undergarments that can double for exercising and lounging, as times become more expensive and busier day-to-day. “U.S. sales of bralettes, or bras without wires or melt cups, increased more than 30 percent in both units and dollars in the period from March 2017 to March 2018, according to The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service.”

Jan Singer, the CEO of Victoria’s Secret, made a public statement announcing, “the company is “aggressively” seeking new and younger customers by way of new products and a better understanding of the client.”

There is a movement in America today among women who are embracing and accepting their bodies for who they are…and loving it! As more women embrace themselves, they build confidence and do what is best for them versus what stores or anyone else tells them to buy. Today, women are less likely to think, “I should do this to be sexy…I should wear this to attract someone…XYZ thinks this is attractive, so I should wear it, etc.” and instead are thinking, “I am sexy…I’m wearing this for me…people will accept me for me and I don’t need to change/act differently to attract someone, etc.” Women are less likely to be judged for what they’re wearing, and its showing in the undergarments market.

Today, customers value convenience and don’t hold brand loyalty to such great depths as previous generations did. So, major companies like Victoria’s Secret are now competing with online stores; a factor that never existed before. Women are also craving models with realistic and more common body types – something Victoria’s Secret doesn’t relate to.

Brands focusing on comfort and functionality are the ones thriving. Aerie, the American Eagle-owned brand, Nike and Under Armour are succeeding like never before. ThirdLove, an up-and-coming brand started in 2013, even has created bras for women who are in-between standard cup sizes.

Today’s spectrum of women need their undergarments in a variety of ways. Whereas, Victoria’s Secret does the exact opposite, advertising for a specific crowd, and women are not buying it…literally.