What Victoria’s Secret can learn from lingerie upstarts

After long dominating the lingerie market, Victoria’s Secret is under pressure.

Last week, it announced 200 job cuts and a corporate restructuring, while also trying to ween itself off reliance on its iconic print catalog in favor of a focus on customer loyalty and social media.

The struggle the brand faces is, in an age of body positivity, it feels distinctly 1990s, while upstart competitors like Adore Me and Negative to Third Love are making inroads in the $17 billion U.S. lingerie market that Victoria’s Secret continues to dominate with nearly 75 percent market share.

Advertisement

“It’s a smart move because they’ve been able to successfully navigate the increasingly competitive lingerie and “athleisure” markets, so now is the perfect time to keep optimizing the brand,” said Megan Hartman, strategy director at Red Peak Branding. “They could definitely learn from the new players like True Co. in terms of utilizing data — they need to prove that they are more than a sexy image, that they can innovate with new fits, fabrics or customization and keep up with the more nimble startups.”

From Here’s what Victoria’s Secret can learn from the upstarts:

Double down on data
San Francisco-based TrueCo, founded in 2012, has risen into prominence because of its data-driven approach to lingerie manufacturing. While retailers have been experimenting with quizzes for a long time, the e-retailer has managed to use its two-minute quiz to provide a truly personalized and customized experience to its customers. The site also carries other brands and new lists, and recommendations are constantly curated based on what consumers are browsing, buying and returning.

“The edge that TrueCo has is that they not only use data but are also very product-forward instead of model-forward,” said Steve White, Razorfish’s vp of commerce strategy.

Provide digital utility
Sizing is a major issue plaguing all e-commerce retailers and is even more pronounced in the lingerie category. Which is a why a number of these retailers, including TrueCo and Negative, offer free returns. But Third Love, another e-commerce lingerie retailer by former Aéropostale retail director Heidi Zak, has taken it a step further. The e-retailer has an iOS app that lets shoppers take a snapshot of themselves wearing either just a bra or a fitted tank top in front of a mirror. The brand then uses the photo to measure the client’s exact measurements, even going in half sizes for bra cups.

“The idea was always how we can use technology to solve problems in our lives and make an awkward and sometimes unreliable experience better through it,” said Rachael King, director of communications at Third Love. “We don’t just use the data for sizing but also use that to develop and customize products even further.”

Prioritize the customer
Adore Me is perhaps the most well-known among the lingerie e-commerce upstarts, with a fast-fashion approach that launches 30 to 40 new designs each month. This direct-to-consumer approach, where it produces affordable quality products rather quickly, makes it stand out in the category. It also has a pulse on its customers with an active social presence, including a cheeky Instagram and Snapchat accounts.

Have a seamless user experience
For White, Negative is ahead of the curve as far as user experience is concerned. The brand recently unveiled a website redesign last week, centered around customer feedback while still remaining true to its brand philosophy. The site will also integrate new functionalities such as a “cheat sheet” for new fans, a sizing help tool, an “evergreen gift finder,” shoppable lookbooks and bundling curated sets in the future.

“We wanted to provide an experience as similar to the in-store experience as possible,” said Lauren Schwab, co-founder at Negative. “The idea is that we’re as focused on functionality as we are on aesthetics and comfort.”

Share and Enjoy

Strip Scribbles: Riley Keough + ‘Girlfriend Experience,’ Vince Neil, Christie Brinkley

The Light Group

Riley Keough, Lisa Marie Presley and Priscilla Presley at Union in Aria on May 28, 2010.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Monday, April 11, 2016 | 6:36 p.m.

Sasha Grey Spins at Nikki Beach

Launch slideshow »

Is The King turning over in his grave? Elvis Presley might be shocked to know that his granddaughter, Riley Keough, daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough, is going naked as a prostitute in the new series “Girlfriend Experience” on Starz.

Riley premiered Sunday night as the replacement to porn star Sasha Grey as a New York call girl in the spinoff of Stephen Soderbergh’s provocative 2009 film. Riley, who starred in the Oscar-winning “Mad Max” Fury Road,” is newly married to Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen.

Riley plays second year law-student, 26-year-old Christine Reade, who pays for her studies as an intern at a Chicago law firm by offering call-girl services at $1,000 an hour with a two-hour minimum. In Sunday night’s debut, she was seen undressing fully naked on a bed.

Cameras also filmed her cleaning herself with a tissue after a client encounter, then taking a shower. The episode showed how a prostitute friend lured her into sex work and being tempted with an envelope stuffed with $100 bills. “The Girlfriend Experience” offers talking, listening and emotional support with graphic physical intimacy.

SPIRIT SIZZLERS: Christie Brinkley and Lisa Vanderpump are set to dazzle at the 73rd Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America convention at Caesars Palace from April 18-21. The supermodel is launching her line of Bellisimo Italian sparkling wines, and the reality-TV star is showcasing her new sangria mix.

During the convention, our Southern Wine and Spirits leader Larry Ruvo will be honored with the Lifetime Leadership Award. The exposition is the largest gathering of America’s wine and spirits distributors and suppliers, and more than 2,500 people are expected to attend.

Larry also will be presented with the Community Hero Award by Caesars Entertainment on Wednesday at the Rio recognizing his corporate citizenship in supporting countless causes and charities through his philanthropic sponsorships, especially at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Last year, the Caesars Foundation announced a three-year commitment to underwrite clinical trials and an online brain health index at the brain center.

Vince Neil and Las Vegas Outlaws

Launch slideshow »

STARS SCUFFLE: It started with a friendly lunch of the three members of the private Gold Jacket club: Nicolas Cage, Carrot Top and former Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil.

An overly aggressive fan wanted their autographs and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, pestering them nonstop. It resulted in Nic calming Vince down after the duo had been held by Aria security for an hour.

Vince was not arrested, as reports indicated. He was given a ticket for battery and says he did not grab the woman’s hair and only pushed past her to get away from her.

UNIQUE ART: New York artist Peter Tunney is creating an original painting made from every one of Tony Bennett’s album covers from the 1950s to the present in honor of the singer’s 90th birthday being celebrated at Keep Memory Alive’s “Power of Love” gala to benefit the Lou Ruvo Center on May 21 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Peter has titled the painting ”The Good Life,” and it will be up for auction with the winning bidder getting the artwork plus a record player and all the vinyl albums!

ROMANCE RULES: More than 1,000 authors of love stories will attend the big Romance Book convention opening at the Rio on Tuesday and continuing through Sunday. Fifteen literary genres including fantasy, paranormal, erotica, Steampunk, suspense, historical and contemporary romance will be represented.

More than 4,000 people have registered for the convention, which features nightly dress-up themed parties. Lectures include how to write sex scenes and churn out romance novels fast and frequently.

Circus Ringmaster Kevin Burke

Launch slideshow »

DOUBLE DUTY: Kudos to actor Kevin Burke, who does double duty all week with his “Defending the Caveman” nightly at 8:30. He will be subbing with his comedy magic act for Adam London each afternoon at 4, too.

Both shows are at The D Las Vegas downtown, so he won’t have to race up and down the Strip as he has done in the past.

BOOK RELEASE: “No Future Without” is a fictional book based on the real-life accidental death of Jayne Post’s 16-year-old son, Paul. While riding his bike near home in Henderson in 2003, Paul was hit by a teen driver and died. Jayne is co-creator and star of “Marriage Can Be Murder” at The D with husband Eric Post.

Jayne also is the co-senior pastor and founder at Sin City Church with Pastor Rhonda Baker, the first church known to be started by two women. The book is available as of today on Amazon.com in Kindle and print. It’s the harrowing tale of a mother’s worst nightmare. Jayne said: “This book has been 10 long years in the making, and it felt surreal. So many people sent encouragement along the way so I could share the important message of choosing forgiveness in tragedy.”

Drew Carey, right, with instructor Andy at Vegas Indoor Skydiving.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

“The Price Is Right” host and improv comedy actor Drew Carey earned his wings at Vegas Indoor Skydiving over the weekend. He experienced body flight inside VIS’ 22-foot tall wind tunnel and afterward posed for photographs with his flight instructor, Andy.

Stunning Victoria’s Secret angels Taylor Hill and Josephine Skriver, with a bevy of lingerie models, celebrated Josephine’s birthday at “Absinthe” on Sunday night under the tent outside Caesars Palace.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, cycling star Lance Armstrong and boxing promoter Bob Arum and 100 of their guests were at Jenna and Michael Morton’s Crush at MGM Grand after Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Timothy Bradley Jr. in their third fight Saturday night.

Courtesy

Angie Fator and Terry Fator flank Don Rickles at the Orleans.

Among the celebrities paying homage to comedian Don Rickles during his shows at Orleans Showroom were Mirage headliner ventriloquist Terry Fator and his wife Angie, just back from their delayed California wine country honeymoon, and Four Queens insult magician headliner Mike Hammer.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was at the new sports pub The Still in the Mirage over the weekend to watch the Masters golf tournament.

Australian DJs The Stafford Brothers partied at Hyde Lounge in T-Mobile Arena during the Guns N’ Roses concert.

Playboy Playmate Kennedy Summers hosted at Chateau in Paris Las Vegas. Kennedy was 2014 Playmate of the Year after winning Miss December 2013.

Click here for Tonight’s Tips and Tomorrow’s Tease.

Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” fame has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past 15 years giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Las Vegas Sun Entertainment + Luxury Senior Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Share and Enjoy