Victoria's Secret - The Rise and Fall?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 21 лис 2023
- The iconic lingerie brand has been having trouble. This video outlines the rise and potential fall of Victoria's Secret.
To submit ideas and vote on future topics:
companymanideas.com
Patreon: / companyman
Twitter: / mikecompany17
A very special thanks to this wonderful group of Patrons:
Library of Scars, Craig Mews, Jon Sturtz, Gabriela Martinez Celaya, Jennifer Yugo, Checkered Omega, Caitlin Kenney, Jennifer Peters, Jandel, John Briscoe, Laura Floyd, John & Becki Johnston, Kib Bibens-LeFebvre, Andrew Jeeves, aziz alfozan, Audria Richmond, Adamant, Moriah Krawec, Dandaley, Tyrone Cowan, NoChance13, Ronnie Cheng, Astra, Ahmad, milkshake, Jon, Christian & Penny Gray, Emerald Computers - Jason Dragon, Brett Walton, Peter Wesselius, Meow Wolf, MyNameIsKir, Sirpoptart.
Company Declines:
Kmart: • The Decline of Kmart.....
Blockbuster: • The Decline of Blockbu...
RadioShack: • The Decline of RadioSh...
Solo Cups: • The Decline of Solo......
Toys "R" Us: • The Decline of Toys R ...
hhgregg: • The Decline of hhgregg...
Pan Am: • The Decline of Pan Am....
ESPN: • The Decline of ESPN......
Gibson: • The Decline of Gibson....
iHeartMedia: • The Decline of iHeartM...
Bon-Ton: • The Decline of Bon-Ton...
Kodak: • The Decline of Kodak.....
General Electric: • The Decline of General...
Woolworth: • The Decline of Woolwor...
Dell: • The Decline of Dell......
Sears: • The Decline of Sears.....
Payless: • The Decline of Payless...
Hostess: • The Decline of Hostess...
Redbox: • The Decline of Redbox....
Nokia: • The Decline of Nokia.....
JCPenney: • The Decline of JCPenne...
Quiznos: • The Decline of Quiznos...
GameStop: • The Decline of GameSto...
NASCAR: • The Decline of NASCAR....
Shopko: • The Decline of Shopko....
MoviePass: • The Decline of MoviePa...
Reebok: • The Decline of Reebok....
The Gap: • The Decline of The Gap...
Pier 1 Imports: • The Decline of Pier 1 ...
Sbarro: • The Decline of Sbarro....
AOL: • The Decline of AOL...W...
Long John Silver's: • The Decline of Long Jo...
Chuck E. Cheese's: • The Decline of Chuck E...
GNC: • The Decline of GNC...W...
Hertz: • The Decline of Hertz.....
Steak 'n Shake: • The Decline of Steak '...
CiCi's Pizza: • The Decline of CiCi's ...
Boston Market: • The Decline of Boston ...
Yahoo: • The Decline of Yahoo!....
Montgomery Ward: • The Decline of Montgom...
Fry's Electronics: • The Decline of Fry's E...
Souplantation: • The Decline of Souplan...
Gateway: • The Decline of Gateway...
BlackBerry: • The Decline of BlackBe...
Sports Authority: • The Decline of Sports ...
Atari: • The Decline of Atari.....
KB Toys: • The Decline of KB Toys...
Pizza Hut: • The Decline of Pizza H...
MGM: • The Decline of MGM...W...
FYE: • The Decline of FYE...W...
HP: • The Decline of HP...Wh...
Forever 21: • The Decline of Forever...
Guitar Center: • The Decline of Guitar ...
WCW: • The Decline of WCW...W...
Sega: • The Decline of Sega......
KFC: • The Decline of KFC...W...
Macy's: • The Decline of Macy's....
Circuit City: • The Decline of Circuit...
Bed Bath & Beyond: • The Decline of Bed Bat...
Carvana: • The Decline of Carvana...
Fuddruckers: • The Decline of Fuddruc...
Borders: • The Decline of Borders...
Friendly's: • The Decline of Friendl...
Sprint: • The Decline of Sprint....
Groupon: • The Decline of Groupon...
Rite Aid: • The Decline of Rite Ai...
______________________________
Website created by - fullertonmedia.com
It's clear that a lot of people don't like this video. It's sensitive subject matter that I did my best to present in a way that most fairly represents what has been happening with Victoria's Secret. I'm sorry if anyone is upset by anything I said. Just please remember to keep it polite and civil in the comments the best you can. It's been a tough day.
I enjoyed the video! I’m sorry you’ve been getting backlash.
Loved the video, and the channel in general. Great job!
@@rose-laurencesamson6976 I appreciate that but it's certainly not one of my better videos. Probably should have just avoided this subject or at least taken more care in the way I presented it. Really starting to run out of topics I want to cover, to be honest. But I'm going to do my best to make something much better for next week.
@@ChakadowGabe Thank you very much. I really appreciate the support.
I thought you did a great job being objective
Victoria's Secret issue was that their inclusiveness wasn't organic, but a forced overcorrection to quell the backlash.
Could be a good point. I've seen that argued in a couple places.
I think this is a fair point. Pretty much what you said - I like to see diversity, but seeing this sudden shift from this company really does feel dishonest, and just trying to capitalize on current social perceptions
Agreed. The body positivity movement is whatever people make it out to be. But the fact is, nobody wants to see an overweight model in lingerie, period.
@@shauncasey8295 I'm not sure if you are a straight man, but if you are, you should know that there's like a billion fetishes out there that straight men have, and one of them is overweight women. And that a lot of guys do find that hot. Just saying.
@@shauncasey8295That could be a point but you have guys out there that like BBWs and SSBBWs and there is a marketplace for lingerie for those types of women. I think since it's niche that's why you don't hear about it. The issue is that Victoria's Secret was never about that. So them going that route wasn't even their "brand". It's always weird when brands just don't stick to their target audience.
Decline in shopping malls and shopping in person is an unmentioned factor.
Yes, very true. It's a topic that comes up so often on this channel that I just start to think it goes without saying. They have been shifting toward standalone buildings.
@@companyman114 agreed but with that being said, lingerie and undergarments sizing can be more finicky and precise, not just a avg joe buying a m t-shirt online. Ya know? Anyways, huge fan, love all your videos. Just thought I'd mention it.
In his defense, he did bring up them closing 25% of stores, which is a direct result of declining malls. While he didn’t point it out directly, he alluded to it by pointing out the closures
I would love a whole video of that in general. Especially because this seems to be a mostly? US thing thing. Malls are striving in the Middle East, Asia, LATAM.
@@user-fe8uq9zp2g Even here on the European markets malls or more shopping streets are doing well now a days.
To the point that some online only stores have opent up actual brick stores and those doing well.
The real stores can add something a web page can not do. (Human to human interaction.)
My girlfriend used to buy her unmentionables from there, but the build quality declined and the price increased, rendering it pointless. She usually just orders online now, because she prefers certain companies for one undergarment, but others for different pieces. Victoria's Secret also has taken on a bit of a Forever 21 reputation in that it's viewed as low quality junk.
This is so accurate
@lucette55Jesus my underwear takes at least 20 uses before fraying
@@lpnp9477Is this important for Jesus to know?
@@lpnp9477I'm a dude, I've still got underwear that's going on 15 years. Pretty sure my dad has undies that are older than me.
When underwear shopping with my partner, it seems like women's underwear have became fast fashion. With the expectation women will replace them regularly, meanwhile men's undies are untilitarian. Though men don't get the option of cheap underwear, we still pay the same as a mid priced women's underwear.
whaaatt? Their bras last forever!
All I remember was passing by this store a lot as a child with my parents and looking there, I was like: The forbidden zone :o
lol, same...it was like some "Adult's Only" playland!
Literally, when I was a younger kid my mom wouldn’t let me go in with her and I had to wait outside the store 😭
Till this day I still haven’t gone into one
@@jokerpilled2535 I don’t even know where one is
so true...
Victoria's Secret started going downhill when they got rid of their catalogue. Victoria's Secret used to sell real clothing, shoes (not just UGGs), bedding (not just blankets) online. When I say real clothing, anything you can imagine: wool coats, sweaters, jeans, swimwear (they brought that back), dresses, suits, everything. Once they made that choice, they also changed strategies with the lingerie, bras, and panties. Much of their offerings now look bland. Not the fun, sexy stuff we were used to. Even PINK is boring now.
I believe PINK started as a way to get younger audiences in the stores tp develop loyal customers but also to be things parents would allow their teens to have. But if you want loyalty, you need quality and can't be boring. Writing PINK across the arse of sweatpants is terrible marketing, for example. Even people who once wore it will be embarrassed that they did.
I remember. Their clothes were gorgeous.
Yes. I still have some pieces. Sweet feminine. I miss their catelog
When wasn't Pink boring?
I forgot all about their catalog! The sweaters and tops with the built-in bras were amazing. They had a casual and subtle sexy feel. Just like the rest of the clothes in the catalog.
I was an employee all the way back in 1999, and it was OK, I guess. Dealing with customers was easy, (even dealing with college aged guys being goofy or creeps on the phone) but dealing with management who expected you to also sell credit cards to customers was something else. I always took "No." as an answer from the customer the first time, but my manager was unhappy with that. According to her, I had to push it hard. I told her I hate it when employees of other stores do it to me, so I won't do it to other people.
I lasted about 3 months.
Sounds like Gamestop. Happy for you that you left 👍
Let me tell you when I was working there in 2011-2014 that management mentality never left. I also took no for a answer and I had that one floor lead that would harass me to keep asking. She was nasty and literally signed up anyone she could fool to apply for the card because it didn't matter if they got approved or not because "it still counts in our numbers." Love my VS family but management were psycho robots
That makes VS indistinguishable from any other retail outlet of the time, Bestbuy, Circuit City, Parisians, Sears(to a lesser extent since they were tied to Discover), all of them jumped on that bandwagon hard.
Former employee/manager there for years. This is the most ridiculous company I have ever worked for. I could start my own podcast about the hideousness I witnessed during the few years I spent with them.
Share your input! I’m sure people are interested
I would listen to it.
Also chiming in that I'd love to hear the deets!
Wow! The ladies that worked at our store were there for years and seemed pretty happy. Sorry you had a bad experience at yours. :(
Prove it
I'm almost inclined to believe that this store definitely had a fall. I mean, their 34th Street store closed up about 2 years ago. That was their flagship store as it was literally a stones throw away from Macy's.
It did when they started having that soccer chick be the spokesperson, and got rid of the angels and replaced them with fat chicks and that 'body positivity' crap. They have recently decided to move back to the sexy stuff, like normal people want.
the fall was because they thought it was smart to include fat women in their demographic
@@niceguy7171I didn’t know what you were talking about, but when you said that a ‘soccer chick’ started ruining the brand I instantly thought “it’s probably Rapinoe” and sure enough it was lol. She’s horrible
Yes ha thats the one@@lucazaroli6761
@@niceguy7171go woke, go broke!
i think a huge point missed here was the fact that they were once the only option for women to buy that type of lingerie and underwear and they were also expensive, but now there are many more options for women that are also more affordable
That and they kept their same ridiculous prices for their goods only to have their quality go down drastically. The difference between the bras that I bought few years apart from their same line was insanely poor...I haven't shopped there since.
That's a good point. Competition has likely been a big part of it but I couldn't find any evidence that to show that the competition increased as the sales decreased. I mean, they were still doing really well in the face of competition for a long time.
@@companyman114 I actually worked for a company that helped Victoria Secret with Catalog Phone Sales. This was around the time that the Fashion Show was cancelled. A lot of the customers felt that they were not represented by the Perfect Body Angel Look. Don't know what happened after that, but I did get the impression that there was not a lot of buzz among the customers around the scandals only the "she doesn't look like me" high fashion portrayals.😎
Honestly I think this is the case as well. My fiancée shopped there and enjoyed their products, but recently when we’ve been tighter in money, she’s looked to alternative shops (particularly SHEIN).
My gf got lingerie very early in our relationship, as did my prior gf. First gf got her's from VS, and current from Kohl's. Honestly couldn't tell the difference...
I think the Backlash and the lawsuits is what hurt them more. Victoria Secret phasing out the Angel wings is also a horrible mistake since that was pretty much there brand. It definitely caused chaos within the company causing them to scramble to clean up there actions and statements.
there
Yes, they definitely seem to be losing that iconic brand that they spent so long building.
would love to see a video comparing stores in the beauty industry, ulta vs. sephora would be so interesting for example
I've considered that but I'm not so sure that's a topic my audience would resonate with.
@@companyman114 I would love a Sephora/Ulta Video :)
@@companyman114id watch it
We would love them!!
@@companyman114I'd be cool with it and I don't even wear makeup
Used to be a great store to shop at until about 15 years ago. Quality is not good for what they charge. Customer service is lacking. I used to buy beautiful quality flannel pajamas for my daughter and myself every year. I didn’t even mind the price tag as they were really great quality. Now the pjs are discount store quality with the high price tag. I also feel that their target audience is very young women, 25 and under.
I haven’t bought anything from them in years.
The flannel pjs used to be so warm and the fabric was thick! I loved them so much! I still have some from probably 16-17 years ago. The fabric on the last pair that I bought a few years ago is super thin, and the top is short in the midriff area with super long arms.
I remember when I was a kid that the annual fashion show was treated like the freaking superbowl for a time.
Was a customer from my teens into my mid-20s. For me, it was the decline in quality and the rising cost of their products. I needed a new bra and went to a department store for the first time and found something that was comfortable, cute, and in the same price range as VS. It quickly became my go to fav, and using that I realize how much I prefer this other brand vs Victoria's. Haven't really gone back since.
They live in malls...malls are dying.
its super sad and super antisocial for me to say but i also live in canada which has highest per captia number of crasy people here now (all drugs for the most part are legal now)
the point as mixed raced man the amount of " your a R" just because the shop keep told you the price of an item is beyond sane so very long way of saying i never go to malls anymore cept for my one hobby
True.
@@Guardsmen4 What in the world are you trying to say?
@jcodol3334 that I don't go to malls/outside any more streets are full of drug addicts and insane people thanks almost every drug being legal to consume and increasing number people that call white people racist or some other shit when they told there not allowed to park in the firelane or on loading ramps .. etc
I’m 21- so in theory, the person their marketing is geared towards. I haven’t thought “quality” or “sexy” when I think of VS since middle/high school. It’s all very outdated to me - a lot of their items now are either a super loud and tacky pattern, or they have rhinestones all over, which I also don’t like. Nothing is simple and sexy anymore, which is what I think a lot of lingerie shoppers my age look for
Agreed!! It’s moreso Pink but i hate going there looking to get underwear and liking a pair until noticing that it says JUICY or something on the butt
I think most shoppers look for that anyways. I buy most of my fiancés lingerie because she just likes what I find attractive and I don't pick stupid stuff. However that being said they just don't restock the plain stuff that actually sells, hardly ever. I can go in any day of the week and find all the bedazzled stuff but never plain patterns. Also if you go in when they have a sale all the actual good stuff is pretty much sold out.
As a guy who's almost 40 I used to shop at VS for my ex's in my 20s, it felt like a couple's experience to visit and shop there together. For guys they used to have the "Very Sexy" cologne for men and honestly it was one of the best smelling fragrances and became part of my personal collection. Maybe a personal observation..along with catering to body positivity maybe VS is a product and beneficiary of the sexual revolution that sparked in the 80s, 90s, and kept rolling into the 2000s. I think this wave appealed to both men and women and probably why VS was successful. I have to wonder what young people's sentiments are toward the whole "sex sells" today. Is it as powerful as it was in the last few decades? Is it still relevant? If not could VS's relevancy be fading out with the sexual revolution if young men and women aren't as sexually charged as the 80s-2000s? Just my honest questions.
I'm 40 and unlike yourself have only had a couple sexual partners, for a variety of reasons. It clearly isn't that people aren't as sexually charged, I wasn't. It's that a large percentage of heterosexual men do not live up to the standards that other heterosexual/bisexual women are requiring of them. There are more sexless men, obese women, and lgbt people than probably ever before. As well always other places to buy clothes. Point being in many cases it isn't 1 thing only that causes a problem.
Hey, Company Man. You should do a video on the decline of Hanna-Barbera. The animation studio was known for their popular cartoon characters such as The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Magilla Gorilla, and so much more. Also, they're infamous for their wacky sound effects. I want to know how they started and what led to their sad decline. Please do a video of it, Company Man.
I feel like he’s made that before but I could be tripping. Great idea
I've seen other UA-cam vids on that very topic already. And yes, back in the day, they were the only game in town.
@@cursorguy No, he did not. But, Company Man did a video on Cartoon Network, which used to air cartoons under Hanna-Barbera.
I always found them to be way too overpriced. Back in the early 2010s, I bought a bra that was suggested to me by the worker. She measured me but still sold me the wrong size, and it broke the same day. Hardly worth the $50 I spent. I do like their scents, but for lingerie, I shop at dept stores or online 🤷🏽♀️
They were known for recommending the wrong size--either because they didn't sell your size or even managers telling associates to recommend the wrong size to keep customers coming back to buy more. Which is a bad tactic IMO. If I repeatedly had difficulty with bra fit from any store that sells a single brand, I would be looking elsewhere. Even if it wasn't due to them recommending the wrong size, like maybe something about their bra shape just didn't work with my boobs, ya know? Just seems like a good way to drive away customers.
My only experiences with victoria’s secret come from 3 people from three generations. The older woman said it was high quality, but she wouldn’t wear it anymore. The millennial said it was too expensive, and she didn’t like the marketing. The girl my age said it was cheap overpriced degrading garbage. So Id say if they have a problem, it’s cause they failed to market properly to new generations.
Their quality, like most retailers, has declined. It’s disappointing.
The fact the "new" generation considers their stuff "degrading"...says more about the nonsense pushed on them like "woke ideology". The mere notiin of a woman wanting to wear some sexy underwear as "degrading" is so stupid its hard th fathom. Then these same kids turn around and wear close to nithing at the gym and shake their ass on Tik Tok. The math isnt mathing.
According to my wife the biggest problem they have is the prices they charge and the quality of the clothes has gone down.
@Jbp-tbsh I don't know, maybe don't care, what mtf is.
@@btk22279mtf = male to female trans (for example, ME)
As a woman, it’s well known among women my age (18-23) that some of the lingerie and underwear that is sold is extremely uncomfortable to wear. They have a reputation for uncomfortable products and they’re probably better off keeping that Pink line. Pink’s comfy clothes are super comfortable.
That wasn't always the case! When they started making soft, stretchy, satin, somewhere between bikini and mid-rise panties, it was heaven! The bras in the same line were also very soft and I always felt they were comfortable. I wish I could remember the name of that line, but it was really popular and sold well for a long time. I would agree that their negligees seemed a little cheaply made, and never quite fit right - at least not on me back when I used to shop there in the early 2000s. Boobs were not a thing you were allowed to have back then, apparently.
@@sashizakura91243:57 are you referring to the second skin satin bras? They came out in the 90s. They were my favorites. And they were more comfortable than anything I wore before that. However, they don't look as sexy as dream angels push up bras. I still love VS a lot, but over the years, I built up too much of their items during the semi annual sales, I probably won't need to buy any bras for the next 10 years.
The store that sold making women looked sexy got rid of the sexy.. of course they fell out of favor.
That's a subjective term but keep in mind the decline was well underway before any of those major changes. The changes were an attempted turnaround, though one that hasn't been going all that well.
Nailed it.
RIP to Roy Raymond, he deserved better
Tragic story.
@@companyman114 First time I heard that story was in Social Network.
@@waynedennyphoto Same here. One of the few things I knew about this company when I started making this video.
First of all, great video. I don’t understand why people don’t like it. Second of all, you should do a poll to see if people are interested in a beauty company comparison. You could also talk about Chinese companies like TEMU, Alibaba, etc. I would love to hear from the business side of things.
I have been buying from VS for more than a decade. All of my bras and undies, and a lot of my pj's come from them. What I've personally seen hurting them has been that they got stuck in the habit of bedazzling everything that was even remotely sexy and it ruined the appeal for a lot of people. I've talked to the girls at my local VS, and they also don't understand why the company keeps doing it because the sales aren't supporting that decision. I know that's really specific but when there's no sex appeal at VS, what it the point in spending that much money on a bra?
Great video! Well presented facts in an objective manner, I felt it was a very journalistic approach. You hit the important topics & didn’t dodge their controversies. Was a customer for years but have not shopped their since they made their pivot it marketing & operations. It wasn’t a conscience decision, (like, I am not boycotting them or anything) the products no longer feel like they’re targeting me. It’s not just that they no longer market to me but the products they care are ones that do not appeal to me. They used to sell very classic and timeless designs but now, everything feels very trendy & dated. I wish they’d go back to making the more classical stuff & that would bring me back as a customer.
Fredrick's of Hollywood was selling lingerie in American shopping malls long before Victoria's Secret.
Honestly, no matter what happens to Victoria Secret, I’ll forever be grateful to their side store Pink. When I broke my leg in 5th grade around 2010, the only store with sweat pants wide enough to cover the cast was that store. A little awkward, being a guy there but everyone was so kind and supportive that I can’t help but have a really positive memory of the place.
99% of sweat pants will easily stretch enough to fit a cast.
PINK is legendary.
@@BatCaveOz Not for my cast lmao.
This is hilarious. You just didn't want to look hard enough.
@@SeekoGT Brother, I WAS IN FIFTH GRADE.
They got big in the 90s and 2000s largely because of marketing. The quality mostly sucked. Good marketing only gets you so far.
Insider here... Here are a few things that plagued them. 1) poor quality 2) distribution of goods was inconsistent, you never found the item you saw elsewhere even when new 3) genetically gifted models wearing items designed for them usually meant some uncomfortable customers looking in the mirror that could not be solved by telling them to purchase different items 4) perverts ran the designs and there were many inappropriate slogan placed on things for tween girls in the Pink line that had bad double meanings many caught on to
Everyone chooses to ignore the fact that the decline of VS stores and fashion shows happened BEFORE they went "woke". They're using the body positivity grift to save their brand, but it's not working either. Rihanna's brand, Savage X Fenty, has used body positivity as a marketing scheme since its inception and it remains very successful.
It's possible that the entire "fantasy/angel" aspect of the brand isn't as appealing as it once was for women. Another thing, supermodels aren't as popular as they once were a decade ago, aside from a few big names. Social media influencers and instagram models are all the rage now.
Yes, the decline started well before any of the body positivity efforts. I tried to make that clear in the video but maybe I didn't do a great job of it. But I agree, there's no real evidence to suggest that the shift has had any positive results for them.
Exactly how is that going to”woke” what does “woke” mean?
@@Sambam1981going woke means abandoning what has been working for years in order to pander to small special interest groups that aren’t really giving you money for your product.
@@Drew-fu8fc not what it means
Woke means to be politically conscious and aware of societal injustices. Some people and I do mean SOME people have taken this word and ruined the meaning. A company can never go “woke”
That's not the only thing that rise and falls 🥶
it never crossed my mind that Queen Victoria inspired the name of this exotic ladies clothing store
A number of other reasons why the brand has declined.
1) more and more women are wearing less bras nowadays.
2) VS was seen as upscale and classy, and is now seen as trashy. Just like how true sneakerheads are probably not shopping at FootLocker these days, same concept.
3) They made a terrible self-inflicted miscalculation when they discontinued their swimwear. This was their competitive advantage, their corner of the bikini market, and for some idiotic reason they gave it away.
I'm a sneakerhead, and I occasionally hit up Foot Locker, not to mention House of Hoops.
As a Woman who always wanted to shop there when I grew up I was disappointed to find once I was old enough that they don't carry larger sizes in store. A standard 42D. That discouraged me from shopping there because if I went online I most likely would find another brand that was more affordable with better options.... Made it feel less iconic.
Lane Bryant!! While the clothes can be a bit frumpy, for us big chested girlies, they have the best range of sizes and they fit amazing.
same here. I don't think ive ever bought anything from victoria's secret other than a sports bra. i have a small band and a large bust size and never could find my size. on top of that victoria's secret was always incredibly expensive. i've always preferred frederick's. they are much more affordable and they have more bra size options.
They used to have more sizes
Do Meijer, it's a midwest multi billion dollar privately owned retailer. Basically competing with Walmart and Target.
As a woman I gotta say they went too far in the other direction. I'm even more of a lefty when it comes to things but like, they made it insulting. All women wanted was to see more average body types (not even saying we need obese people in ads, just average healthy BMI folks) in their lingerie and it looks like VS heard that and went "okay so this woman that's a size 10 would wear ugly/basic underwear cos she couldn't possibly be attractive or sexy to anyone unless she was a 6ft size 0 blonde". They shoulda kept the angels, they just had to correct the S harassment that was going on with the models. They should've kept "the fantasy" and just put their cute draws on more kinds of people.
This is one of the reasons I love Savage X Fenty. They make cute and sexy (and economically accessible) clothing for all body types. They don’t see someone who’s a size 12 and is like “let’s just make nude basics and call ourselves body positive”
Also random but I feel like they woulda went so much farther in recent years if they leaned more into the egirl customer. The average woman probably isn't buying $100 lingerie that often but with the prevalence of OF these days, adult entertainment has become a more common gig and they're way more likely to buy new lingerie frequently.
Agreed. They paid lip service to the idea of serving a variety of shapes and sizes, but the only bra they had in my size was a Kmart-looking balconette with a narrow band. All the "sexy" lingerie they allegedly made fashionable? The strapless longline bra, the merry widow, the decorative corset? Those things were made by and for big girls ages ago. They sell bras for people who don't really need a bra.
Nah they declined because of lawsuits and the fact they are getting criticized for having Victoria secret models.
@@hauntedbarbiedollNo.. we don’t need egirls being validated or pandered too anymore than they already are. They’ve been a net negative on society.
Company Man I enjoy your content. I love how you break down the information and do thorough research
surprised you didn’t mention one of their more notable controversies: the use of prison labour to manufacture their garments.
What's wrong with prison labor? I was a guard years ago and I thought it was great.
The inmates got paid and it kept them busy/out of trouble. In fact being able to have a job in the prison was a privilege that could be taken away.
@@highping1786 I agree, but not everyone sees it that way, they see it as the imates getting underpaid, while the company rakes in massive profits from cheap labor, but they fail to get what you said, and I'd rather the inmates have a job learning a trade while in prison instead of just loafing around all day in their cells eating up tax dollars, not learning much of anything.
And? You do the crime, you do the time. They get paid some still anyways.
Slave labor, which is unacceptable these days. They get paid pennies. Wow Victoria’s Secret rakes in the dollars. Unacceptable in any circumstance.
Fast fashion quality at expensive prices, never a good combo
I use to say that Im all for inclusivity. But VS's downfall made me realize that maybe to have inclusivity, VS doesnt need to change, but more brands of different markets should exist so women of different sizes can be included.
so.... separate but equal? 😏
@@SidShakal It's going to Walmart vs. going to a boutique. Do you want to shop at a one size fits all place, or do you want to be catered to?
@@shorewallbut most lingerie boutiques are actually very size inclusive?
VS is definitely the outlier in their limited size range.
Bingo. Not everything has to be for everybody.
10:32 it's hilarious how you zoomed into your silloute just like other youtubers zoom in on themselves to emphasis a point, except yours is a silloute instead of your actual face lol😂
Bring back the sexy angels can bring some of their costumers back
Another reason for their decline is from competition with other brands. Rhianna’s Savage X Fenty line took away a lot of their market share. Also, if anyone is interested in a deeper dive into the company scandals and issues I recommend the podcast Fallen Angel.
Personally, I’ve been going to VS for the past few years, and I’ve noticed a decline in quality, the materials are wearing out way faster as of right now. I think the only reason I go there is because of sentimental attachment over the years, kinda like a comfort and also I rarely got to malls so by the time i am in a mall i just find it convenient i most likely need something from VS at the same time lol
Bad rep and mediocre products will tank a brand. It’s part of the reason why Apple maintains market position. They sell quality (or perceived quality?) items and market heavily as a luxury brand. They also have a relatively small product stack relative to their size, which keeps them from fragmenting into spinoff or thematic products. VS was smart to divest Pink, but I would be willing to bet that all the management changes have lead to a lack of direction and innovation. They have opportunity right now to turn things around while they are still profitable, but they also have an entire company to run. That momentum may drag them down as they have too much dead weight to shift towards a better direction.
The panties are all cheaply made and I’ve had two break on me because the glue washed out. The bralettes are all awkwardly shaped. VS dropped their marketing campaign with the angels.
They lost everything that made them a decent brand 😅
TLDR; the quality and branding is horrible
My wife and daughters never liked Victoria's Secret. Them buying cheaper undergarments that last for a long time was enough for them.
Same here, my wife always called it over priced BS!!
Another great video. I do think one thing you didn’t mention is that perhaps people are buying this stuff on Shien and the like as well. There seems to be such a move to this discount drop ship Chinese brands that the idea of paying the prices at a store like Victoria’s Secret might appear to high. Also of course they are in my experience mostly in malls as well.
Let's go company man! Love your videos.
Appreciate it! Not too many positive comments for this video so it's encouraging to see something like this. Rough day haha.
@@companyman114❤
I think the quality, pricing, and brand really was the downfall of VS. Whats crazy is that 10 years ago VS Pink was huge! I was one of the young women who would go there multiple times a year!
If the rise lasts longer than 4 hours see a doctor! 😂
It’s so interesting to me because despite being bigger and usually out of the old pink sizing range, I was still a pretty big buyer (mainly for the name) in the last 10 years as a late teen. I can fit more of the clothes now, but I barely ever find myself seeing anything I’d actually want to spend money on there. There was always that one popular IT item per collection but now everything is so damn basic I can hardly stand it.
I just gotta say, no videos scratch the itch like yours do. I think a lot of it comes down to your delivery, too, it's the best - it's like you're speaking in all lowercase, but every sentence ends with an exclamation point 😂
I think VS has failed to stay in tune with what the core age demographic is looking for in their niche. The various marketing gimmicks won't fix the problem as they don't address the underlying fundamental problem. Fashion brands often age out as they lose touch with new customers as their old ones age.
You should do a video on Zoe’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant chain that basically disappeared after being acquired by Cava
They have definitely changed up the brand they should make pink look like the early 2000s again that style is coming back and they would gain so much new customers
Absolutely I would be totally invested.
60$ for som undys definitely going to make them fall
As a young girl, Pink was really the place to get more appropriate and even practical undies. VS had all the non “everyday” merchandise, if you ask me. Also, they were kind of the only ones for a long time. It wasn’t until I got to college that I even knew of another place to get intimates besides getting Hanes or something at Walmart or Target
I’d like to see an episode on everything that’s going wrong with FedEx. Their chief pilot recently sent out a company-wide e-mail to encourage their pilots to leave the company. Having been in the airline industry for a long time I know that this isn’t a good sign at all.
FedEx is a disaster. I just read that they are combining their ground and express (air) services under one company to slash costs. I had no idea they were separate until their customer service refused to help me when I called because one of their drivers delivered a package to the wrong address.
I remember the rise and fall every time I’d pass by the store as a teenager!
Now that's funny 🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I am not surprised Victoria is failing. After all, she was never very careful about her secret.
I love it lol
🤣👍
Gave a like because I do like the video. I find it fascinating how pop cultural icon companies can just crash and burn when they don't take note of what's around them.
Also to go on a tangent about Queen Victoria and maybe why he would pick that name. Queen Victoria and her husband were VERY se*ual with each other. They were so much in love that when he died, she went into mourning until she died which is why you pretty much only see her in black after his death.
I appreciate you and thank you for making content.
Thanks you! Means a lot to me.
Victoria's Secret's Body By Victoria is the only bra that I wear! I've tried other brands, to no avail....at 36G, it's hard for me to find comfortable bras that fit well! So, I hope they don't fail! Just stop harassing the women that work for your company!
Cow
@@lentclond7694 mysoginist
I've bought all my bras from Victoria's Secret for the last 15+ years, and will continue to do so because they're still the only brand that makes padded or push-up bras for higher cup sizes. Even when other brands offer my size, they tend to be minimizer bras that hide my figure rather than accentuate it.
You know when you're shopping for clothes and they have several of the same shirt in different sizes next to each other on the rack? With bras, most brands offer "personalized fits," which means heavy padding for A cups, medium padding for B cups, light padding for C cups, and no padding for D and higher. For the same bra. You can literally reach into the cup to feel the difference.
If you're a D or above and want to show cleavage, VS is still the only good option.
you should try to wear your underwear as your bra and let us know!
Hi. I'm a property manager in NYC and VS was one of my tenants on 34th street.
Up until 2018, their rent was one million a month.
After covid, they vacated.
Now there's a Capital One Cafe (!) there.
They were good tenants. Demanding, but man did they have money.
Then of course you remember when a young lady walked around that store with a deceased newborn in a shopping bag. She was caught shoplifting & when they checked the shopping bag the fetus was discovered 😮
@@ElleBrOw Yes! I was at home when I saw it on the news! It was a surreal moment.
I picked up the phone to call their manager...and put it right back down.
It didn't have anything to do with my company, the owners of the building, and I figured they had their hands full, and they did.
@@MrRezRising Tragic 🥀
@@ElleBrOw I agree.
"Capital One Cafe", good grief...
Aww! Although to me this isn't the most interesting topic personally, I do love that you opened with a clip of Hollywood classic Jane Russell, the Playtex 8 hour full figure cross your heart bra lady! Great job, Company Man!
I was waiting for Company Man to make a video on this! ❤️
What did you think of it?
@@companyman114 Loved it! 💗🖤
Well, thank you. That means a lot.
I worked at Victoria’s secret from 2019-2021 and once Les stepped down there was a major change within the brand. They took down all the photos of the angels in the store leaving a bland, sanitized look to it. I ultimately left after deciding I couldn’t work for a company that didn’t align with my values regarding inclusivity and sustainability in fashion. I would love to see them turn things around but I think it’s too little too late.
are you saying they became less inclusive and sustainable after he stepped down?
@@petemoss7704 imo its the other way around. After Les stepped down the brand became more inclusive. That was in like 2019 or 2020
where do you wok now?
I have never been huge on VS as a teen. I was out of most of their size range, a whole XL, and for bras, haha. I've always felt they were way overpriced for what you get.
I did like some of their lotions but they stopped asking the scent I liked so I rarely go there.
“Never been huge” “out of most of their size range” i lol’d
They also don't cater to smaller sizes, either. The smallest they sell is a 32 band. Which they will absolutely try to sell you anyways, even if it doesn't fit.
I never rewound or paused one of these vids so much since I've been subbed.😉
I wonder if anyone would mention the top-40 song "Victoria's Secret" from Jax that was popular a year or two ago.
I used to wear Pink a lot and while I still like that part of the VS brand the clothes don’t stand out to me anymore. They used to have very cute shirts with a lot more creative slogans and designs on them, now it’s just mostly solid color clothing with “PINK” somewhere on it or the dog logo. Too basic for me. And the prices don’t match either. Back then I could see it but now i look at their selection and it’s like.. “why are you charging $35 for this.” lingerie is still pretty cute though.
Personally I think the dive into “inclusivity” was a huge factor in their decline, at least for shoppers like me. I was willing to stick with the brand even as quality declined over the years, because it was aspirational. The Angels, the branding, the clothes themselves-it all gave a vibe of making the consumer feel like they could look that good too if they could get to a size 2 or 4. It was great motivation for me to stay fit, and it felt like a reward for my efforts to be able to put on one of their outfits and enjoy looking like an Angel. But with “inclusive” brands there is zero aspiration. It basically tells me as a consumer that I could be totally out of shape and it wouldn’t matter. That just doesn’t appeal to me, nothing about it would make me feel good. That’s why I’ve never touched Fenty. I wish VS would get the Angels back and go back to being an exclusive and aspirational brand for people like me
It’s just not a good look from an ethical standpoint to only make clothes for women in a very narrow size range, though. Plus it shrinks the customer base
You don’t see men’s underwear or clothing brands doing that. And the ones that DID (like Abercrombie) suffered for it
@@coyotelong4349What's unethical about it?
@@coyotelong4349A leftard yapping about ethics. You can't get entertainment like that just anywhere.
And you don't grow a customer base by marketing to fringe freaks who number in mid-double digits and land whales who drop dead of heart attacks at 28. Not by enough to justify driving away the 99.999999999% of your customers who are healthy and will actually live long enough to shop there more than once.
@@andrewbuhman1066To a leftard, "ethical" means "You will bend over and get no lube".
I want to buy clothes that make me feel sexy and when I’m shopping for them I want to see them displayed on attractive people That’s what makes you things appealing to buy. When I see clothes on overweight or unattractive people I never ‘oh wow that looks so amazing, I have to have it!”
This is just reality it’s not unethical. The point of corporations is to sell stuff to make as much as much money as possible. They aren’t in the ethics business!
I still buy from them for a very simple reason: it is one of the last women's clothing stores that will help you find your size and where the attendants will help you find bras that will offer the best support for your body type. My choices in store are very limited as I am not in their target size range, but I am happy if I have just a few well fitting bras that will last a while, and I find that the basic ones do last longer than what I can get at Target with the proper care, and are just as comfortable. They are pricey but for something I'm going to wear nearly daily for three years i think the cost balances for me at least. Clothing shopping if you fall outside of the 0-12 size range can be a dehumanizing, humiliating and disappointing experience but the few times I've been to VS have been the exception for me.
I began buying bras from a British company with an American branch called Bravissimo that specializes in larger breasted women and plus size girls. But they’re actually British. That wasn’t an attempt to appear sophisticated even when the HQ is in Ohio. When you call customer service, you hear a British woman because that’s legitimately where she’s from, not because of any fancy marketing. 😂 I found that really funny.
We were BIG fans of Victoria’s Secret. The ladies at our local store never made me feel like a creep, always remembered and knew my wife’s sizes, remembered our names, helped us shop for deals, and overall made us feel like welcomed and important customers. Sadly, our local store (Joliet) was one of the stores closed. So we went to the other local stores, but after the shift in corporate leadership the experience wasn’t the same. The customer service wasn’t the same level, the ladies working didn’t look as professional, and overall the experience was lacking. That on top of their shift away from traditional “sexy” left our desire to make that a store we visited two or three times a month, to one we only went to for a specific item. However, recently we did have two back to back wonderful experiences at a store (Aurora) and are back to going regularly. Mostly because of the customer service experience.
When you mentioned the "welcoming for men" bit at the start I thought that was going to carry through. I never felt uncomfortable and felt welcomed by the sales people when gift shopping in their stores, but it's been years.
my mum just walked in bro.. thanks company man
Hi company man for your next video can you do dave and busters or can you do miller lite vs bud light
Just going by what you said they do have a tough line to walk, of course these days it's popular to be "inclusive", and as a business you want to be popular, but you might also say that part of the nature of being a luxury brand is being exclusive, as it were.
in my opinion the overdone inclusivity has negatively affected them and has ruined there image
Certainly a lot of people that agree with you there. It's hard to deny that they have been losing their core identity. Good thought.
Reading a bunch of these comments it seems most men are commenting some variety of this, despite the fact that they were headed downhill before going the inclusivity route. While most of the female comments (or men talking about why their gf/wife doesn't shop there) is regarding how the quality of their products has fallen off a cliff. I gotta think if the quality was still there, no one would care if the ads were still giving lonely guys boners.
There is a difference between inclusivity and promoting people who are or are going to suffer from major health problems because of their weight @@waynedennyphoto
@@waynedennyphoto Focusing on the product more than ticking boxes is far superior
Video idea: Backyard burgers
One of the most forgotten southern based Burger chains in recent years that reached their peak in the 2000s until it got bought and hve entered bankruptcy 2 times
I think malls becoming a thing of the past is the main source of its downfall, women made up around 70% of the mall shoppers which was the perfect location for VS.
I think it’s less to do with marketing and more to do with prices and quality. As a plus sized woman I haven’t ever made a habit of shopping there but I did buy a few things there years ago. They all broke or wore out too fast to justify the price. And then even after their push for inclusivity they still didn’t carry anything cute in my size.
I don’t even bother looking at VS for stuff anymore. There are a million other, better options for plus sized women that don’t make us feel like a grudging afterthought and don’t charge us hundreds for something that’ll last a month…
I'm not plus sized either, I'm like a size 6/8 and somehow I'm in the high end of their cup sizes in letters. Their quality is terrible and idk if I have bought anything from them. That doesn't make sense and there's a reason people stopped paying attention to VS.
Victoria's Secret said they're bringing sexy back because of all the capital the company lost being 'inclusive'. Who knows if it'll work since the damage is done.
This just proves never GO WOKE, as the population at large is showing we are tired of all the BS, and pandering to 5,000+ fake genders, pronouns, men who think they are women when they are not, etc..
The local VS shops have been absolutely gotten crushed by shoplifters. It's sad when that's the local news' headlines for the day. Multiple times a year.
I used to buy stuff for the significant others in my life as a younger man, but it's a smaller variety and the quality isn't what it used to be (for what you're paying) now.
I will just say that I "enjoyed" their catalogs, when I was a certain age....
Victoria’s quality is going downhill while the price is going up. The garments r not as durable as they used to, the lace n fabric r simply getting cheaper. Even the perfume section is getting horrible. Not as long lasting n the smell of alcohol overpowering the scent. Not even Victoria’s Secret fashion show can save it.
Obviously I can’t speak for anyone else, but I “aged out.” I used to go there occasionally in my 20’s, but now, in my 50s, I feel that the store isn’t interested in my business. It’s expensive underwear for skinny 20-somethings - that’s quite a niche market. Maybe they’re trying to change their image, but they have a lot of history to wipe out of our collective memories. Also, shopping at a place your mom used to frequent isn’t overly appealing to young people. (I also wanted to add that there was nothing offensive about your presentation. Your videos are informative without bias, so I don’t know what anyone else was upset about.)
The products have been Wal-Mart quality for the past 10 years. No sense paying for the vomit inducing brand association
"In 2019 they....."
**Checks graph at beginning and sees that is when they went off a cliff of an already deteriorating value**
Yep checks out. They may have needed to change a few things, but it is clear what they did in 2019 was a bad decision. Maybe they pushed an unrealistic view of the female body, but we want a healthy female body in sexy clothes as inspiration. We don't want men and obesity.
This isn't to deny the existence of these people, this is to say a model should be an objectively idealized version of a human. Healthy, fit, and who takes car of themselves.
I appreciate you had to dance around this or risk losing everything, and I am sorry this is how society is, but it needs to be said. And the people complaining about this aren't actually shopping here.
Victoria’s “secret” wasn’t making underwear pleasant, comfortable, or functional…it was a name brand that sold the idea of feminine allure…it was crap then and now has been deemed a waste of money, fruitless effort, and time.
Not true at all
I stopped shopping there when I learned the used prison labor and other unethical means. While being SO EXPENSIVE!?
Company Man, would you consider doing a video on John Varvatos? One of my favorite menswear brands.
Completely random but I’m watching Malcolm in the Middle at nearly 4AM lol and in this episode the dad was at a NASCAR race. One of the cars had NAPA written on it. I suddenly remembered my aunt working at a NAPA store back in my hometown when I was little. Her son and I were always excited to visit her at her job but that store closed many, many years ago.. pleaseeeeee make NAPA one of your videos.
Stupid comment