US lingerie retailer to open more stores in China

With summer approaching and the COVID-19 pandemic coming under better control in China, more and more people are opting for seaside trips, going to swimming pools, and using other types of water-based entertainment to enjoy their vacations. This year, the domestic travel market is set to rebound at full speed and further stimulate domestic demand for swimsuits after a dismal last year.

Victoria’s Secret, the United States-based lingerie retailer, is opening more stores and launching exclusive swimwear collections in China this year, with an eye on further expanding its presence in the country.

Since late 2019, Victoria’s Secret started a new brand strategy that featured more styles. In early 2020, the brand launched its lingerie advertisement images with plus-size models, at a time when the company lost some of its market share to more size-inclusive brands.

“The swimsuit products of Victoria’s Secret have a certain group of consumers and enjoy a remarkable influence. The new collection introduced in China has made some adjustments based on the purchasing demand and body shapes of Chinese women,” said Li Jincan, an analyst at the LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider.

“The new series is expected to get a good market response in China. For Victoria’s Secret, a brand that mainly features sexy images, swimsuits play an important role in helping the brand to strengthen its diversified image and generate more profits,” she said.

With more consumers pursuing healthy body shapes and advocating various looks, the impact of sexy marketing is gradually weakening globally, said Li from LeadLeo.

On another front, more environment-friendly swimwear products have emerged in the market. Swimsuits are designed to resist sunlight, chlorine and salt water, and the material is thus more difficult to be biodegraded and recycled. It has increased the burden of waste disposal in the swimsuit industry, and more brands have recently introduced swimsuits made from material that have a limited impact on the environment globally.