Time - "Victoria's secret is struggling to stay relevant" (And CEO Jan Singer steps down)

[uncharted]

The American luxury brand has reportedly been seeing a serious decline in sales over the past year:

"During the height of its popularity, in the fiscal year that ended in January 2016, Victoria’s Secret recorded more than $7.7 billion in sales, accounting for more than half of all revenue at its parent company L Brands, which also owns Bath & Body Works, among other brands. Just a few weeks earlier, L Brands’ stock reached its all-time high of more than $100 a share."

"Since then, however, Victoria’s Secret has struggled. Sales have fallen. L Brands’ stock has plunged below $40. On Nov. 19, the company announced it was cutting its annual dividend in half. And CEO Jan Singer recently stepped down after only two years on the job."

More details here

[oyarde]

Seems like it should be pretty easy to sell quality , reasonably priced bras in America . If sales are going down they need to look at what they are offering .

[euphemia]

It’s not just price and quality. It’s the culture. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and VS was new, they were about the only game in the mall besides Frederick’s of Hollywood. Now VS is not a novelty, and there is nothing creative to offer. The only thing they can do is make already overpriced lingerie more expensive.

Customer service is also an issue. Teenage girls do not know how to deal with women of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

I have never shopped there. I need both quality and service. VS has neither.

[euphemia]

Seems like it should be pretty easy to sell quality , reasonably priced bras in America . If sales are going down they need to look at what they are offering .

Exactly. However, quality bras in every size cannot be sold at a reasonable price. The industry makes a lot of assumptions about the size of the average woman. There is no such thing as an average woman.

The same thing is true with shoes.

[Anti Federalist]

Body shaming.

They need to get with the times.

Trans queeer models, fat, tattooed, purple haired lesbian models, pansexual, furry models, all colored.

[euphemia]

I think the normalization of homosexuality is also part of the culture. Men like certain things on women. Women maybe like something different on women?

[specsaregood]

It’s not just price and quality. It’s the culture. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and VS was new, they were about the only game in the mall besides Frederick’s of Hollywood. Now VS is not a novelty, and there is nothing creative to offer. The only thing they can do is make already overpriced lingerie more expensive.

Customer service is also an issue. Teenage girls do not know how to deal with women of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

I have never shopped there. I need both quality and service. VS has neither.

I'm not disagreeing, but if you have never shopped there, how can you state definitively that they don't have quality or good service?

[Suzanimal]

It’s not just price and quality. It’s the culture. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and VS was new, they were about the only game in the mall besides Frederick’s of Hollywood. Now VS is not a novelty, and there is nothing creative to offer. The only thing they can do is make already overpriced lingerie more expensive.

Customer service is also an issue. Teenage girls do not know how to deal with women of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

I have never shopped there. I need both quality and service. VS has neither.

Exactly. However, quality bras in every size cannot be sold at a reasonable price. The industry makes a lot of assumptions about the size of the average woman. There is no such thing as an average woman.

The same thing is true with shoes.

VS isn't very good anymore. I don't need any support but all their bras are uncomfortable and the sizes are all over the place. I used to buy their panties but even they don't last. Now, I just buy the Warners packs at Sams.

Poor quality
Bad service
Overpriced

I also used to like the perfume Noir but since they discontinued it, I don't have a reason to go back in there.

[euphemia]

I'm not disagreeing, but if you have never shopped there, how can you state definitively that they don't have quality or good service?

I have been in their stores before. Quite a few times. Quality doesn't take long to evaluate. And even on their web site, they don't carry very many sizes. Like I said, the industry makes assumptions about the sizes of women.

[timosman]

https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1069431449818996736

[idiom]

Victoria Secret thinks there are 4 cup sizes and 6 band sizes. Most other chains carry twice that at least.

They don't sell you something that fits they sell you what they are over stocked in.

Without a customer first $#@!ing business model they deserve to die.

[Anti Federalist]

I think the normalization of homosexuality is also part of the culture. Men like certain things on women. Women maybe like something different on women?

Well, if NH lesbians are any indicator, they like sweat pants and flannel shirts.

[oyarde]

Well, if NH lesbians are any indicator, they like sweat pants and flannel shirts.

I have noticed the Eastern Lesbian often wears the same type sweats as Danke .