Friday, February 29, 2008

Friday Fun Stuff--Victoria's Secret is TOO SEXY for their clothes!

I had to reread this story twice. The lingerie company Victoria's Secret has decided to tone down its image because they are just...wait for it...TOO SEXY! From MSNBC News:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Victoria's Secret, the lingerie company that introduced the Very Sexy bra, the Fantasy Bra, and the Internet server-crashing fashion show, has become "too sexy" for its own good, its top executive said.

"We've so much gotten off our heritage ... too sexy, and we use the word sexy a lot and really have forgotten the ultra feminine," said Sharen Turney, Victoria's Secret's chief executive, in a call with industry analysts.

Victoria's Secret was launched with the idea that Victoria was manor-born and lived in London, Turney said.

"I feel so strongly about us getting back to our heritage and really thinking in terms of ultra feminine and not just the word sexy and becoming much more relevant to our customer," Turney said Thursday.

Turney said Victoria's Secret has gotten younger with a strong focus on its successful Pink line of lingerie and loungewear created for college-age women, and has tried to chase those customers.

Turney said Victoria's Secret wants to increase its level of sophistication.

"We will also reinvent the sleepwear business and focus on product quality," she said. "Our assortment will return to an ultra feminine lingerie brand to meet her needs and expectation."

Sales at Victoria's Secret, like many clothing retailers, have been slipping.

Victoria Secret's parent, Limited Brands, said Wednesday that its fourth quarter profits fell 12 percent and that its first quarter earnings would come in below Wall Street expectations.

Same-store sales at Victoria's Secret fell 2 percent in 2007, with sales in the fourth quarter dropping 8 percent.

Model Gisele Bundchen is seen walking the runway during a Victoria's Secret fashion show. The lingerie company's CEO says she's planning an image makeover amid slipping sales. Mark Mainz / Getty Images file

Is Victoria's Secret too sexy for their clothes? Of course, Gisele does look very fetching in her pheasant-stuffed bra, but I'm not sure if Gisele's attire is very practical for everyday life--unless you are out in the Scottish countryside, hunting for game.

What really interests me here is how sales have been dropping for Victoria's Secret. Same-store sales at Victoria's Secret fell 2 percent in 2007, with sales in the fourth quarter dropping 8 percent. Victoria's Secret merchandise is a luxury item. I'm thinking that with the economic slowdown that we're seeing in the United States, and with consumers cutting back on spending, the first items that American consumers are cutting back on are luxury items, such as Victoria's Secrets bras. Instead of acknowledging that sales are dropping because of the economic slowdown, Victoria's Secret management are playing a little PR-image game here, saying that they are turning away from the pheasant-stuffed bras to a more pragmatic style of sleep-ware and lounge-wear. So instead of going to Target to purchase your next pair of pjs, you can go to Victoria's Secret.

I think the Victoria's Secret management needs a little advise from Right Said Fred. From YouTube:



Don't get too dull and dour....

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