Victoria’s Secret’s Relevancy Bid Leads to Expanded Partnership With Amazon

In its continued bid for relevancy, Victoria’s Secret has expanded its range of apparel on Amazon following a successful launch.

This expansion aims to provide customers with access to a range of products, such as bras, underwear, sleepwear, swimwear and loungewear. By using its Amazon storefront, Victoria’s Secret enables shoppers to easily explore and purchase these items, including those from their in-house brand Pink.

“One of our missions at Amazon Fashion is to create shopping experiences that connect customers with brands they love,” said Muge Erdirik Dogan, president of Amazon Fashion, in a statement. “Adding a wide assortment of lingerie and apparel from Victoria’s Secret to our stores has been a seamless progression of our work together. We look forward to expanding our selection and inventing new ways for our customers to shop.”

In addition, certain Victoria’s Secret apparel will be included in Amazon’s “try before you buy” initiative. The program, exclusive to Prime customers, enables them to try on bras before making a purchase.

The partnership marks the first instance where Victoria’s Secret apparel is accessible through a retail partner in North America.

Bid for Relevancy

In May, PYMNTS reported that Victoria’s Secret revived its fashion show with a fresh approach. Instead of the traditional runway event, the brand said it would feature women from diverse backgrounds worldwide in a full-length film called “Victoria’s Secret World Tour.” The movie aimed to highlight the brand’s global reach and diversity.

The film served as a platform to showcase diverse forms of creative expression, including art, culture, musical performances, and more. The primary objective of the film was to provide viewers with an exclusive glimpse into what the brand referred to as the “VS20” behind-the-scenes.

Read more: Victoria’s Secret Ditches the Runway for Film, but Will Consumers Care?

Why Victoria’s Secret Ditched the Runway

The provocative fashion show had been nationally televised since 2001, but its viewership had been steadily declining in recent years. In fact, the ratings for its 2018 show hit an all-time low, with the number of viewers dropping from over 10 million in 2010 to just over 3 million in 2018.

In the face of declining viewership, Victoria’s Secret’s relevance came under scrutiny, which was exacerbated by a series of controversies. One involved Ed Razek, the former chief marketing officer of L Brands, who faced criticism for expressing his belief that “transsexuals” should not be included in the fashion show. This statement sparked a much-needed discussion about Victoria’s Secret and the evolving societal landscape.

As consumer expectations regarding inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry have grown, they have become more outspoken about their desires. This change in consumer preferences has compelled brands to reevaluate their marketing strategies in order to align with these values.

Through the creation of a film featuring women from diverse backgrounds worldwide, Victoria’s Secret acknowledges the evolving consumer preferences and strives to appeal to a wider audience.

Moreover, the brand’s decision to move away from the conventional display of models adorned with angel wings and depart from the traditional runway event demonstrates its readiness to adapt to the changing times and embrace new approaches.

The Adore Me Acquisition and Walmart Foray

In an early 2022 interview with PYMNTS, Karen Webster talked with Nicolas Capuono, the chief customer officer of Adore Me, discussing the company’s strong focus on delivering a seamless digital customer experience.

Read more: Lingerie Space Gets Intimate With More Insights

“We’re a digital native brand,” he said at the time. “Since Day One [we’ve been] a true believer that the online experience can bring something very new to the customer.”

In November 2022, Victoria’s Secret acquired the D2C brand for $400 million in cash. With the acquisition, Victoria’s Secret unveiled its intentions to use Adore Me as a growth channel, aiming to tap into a new segment of consumers that would complement the retailer’s current customer base.

At the time of the acquisition, Adore Me had over 1.2 million active customers and employed an advanced proprietary technology platform to provide distinctive customer experiences. Their “Home Try-On” feature contributed to a high customer retention rate. Additionally, Adore Me offered monthly subscription options.

Less than a year later, PYMNTS reported that Adore Me teamed up with Walmart to expand its direct-to-consumer (D2C) lingerie brand.

During the announcement, it was disclosed that Victoria’s Secret had been collaborating with intimate designer Gelmart for the past two years on a discreet partnership. The objective of the collaboration was to create an exclusive line for Walmart, known as Adored by Adore Me.

In September, the inaugural Adored collection was launched, followed by the second collection that debuted in May. These collections were made available in 1,900 Walmart locations and on the retailer’s website.

According to the report, while it is not uncommon for apparel brands to create spin-off lines for large retail chains, it is relatively less frequent for direct-to-consumer (D2C) companies to develop a distinct collection specifically for a retailer like Walmart.

Read more: Adore Me Teams With Walmart to Reach New Customers