Is Victoria's Secret too sexy?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - February 29, 2008 "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.
The chain was started in San Francisco in 1977 by Roy Raymond,
who said he was embarrassed trying to buy lingerie for his wife and
hoped to provide a comfortable place for men to shop.