Truth by Numbers: Victoria's Secret
Seems Victoria’s Secret has missed the memo.”Sexy” is no longer a well-received message, as consumers are in search for comfortable, body-positive intimates versus lingerie designed for the male gaze.
The brand’s “buzz score” among shoppers aged 18-49 declined from 31 to a mere 23, according to data from the YouGov BrandIndex Buzz score which measures whether consumers receive positive or negative feedback on a brand from peers, family, the news, or advertising.
We examined whether the more authentic and natural bralette style has become more common amongst VS’ product array, and, well, the numbers aren’t encouraging. Non-bralette styles have continued to dominate the majority of the retailer’s assortment over the past year compared with bralettes. What’s more, bralettes have experienced a declining product count amongst the greater bra assortment in recent months.
Social movements like #MeToo are leading consumers to reconsider what they value in a brand. For Victoria’s Secret to survive the increasingly intertwined world of fashion and politics, improvements to its assortment will be key, as shoppers are finding body positive apparel at plenty of other brands, including American Eagle's Aerie, Gap's new Love brand and online upstarts like True & Co, Lively and Thirdlove.