We visited a Victoria's Secret store on the day that it announced dozens of closures. Here's what we found.
The store we visited is located in downtown Manhattan, New York in the World Trade Center Westfield mall.
It lived up to expectations. Out first impression was good – the store was well organized and the inventory was neatly laid out. However, it wouldn't take much for this to descend into chaos; piles of inventory are a recipe for disaster in busier times.
A "Body by Victoria" display was front and center at the entrance.
This was surprising. In the company's third-quarter earnings call in November, CFO Stuart Burgdoerfer said that these bras along with its Angels collection had seen weaker sales, which he blamed on lack on innovation with the bra. We would expect to see the best products at the front.
We were also surprised to find that despite its the standard bulk buying deals on panties, there were no sales signs anywhere.
Wall Street has been critical of the level of promotions in Victoria's Secret stores in the past. One analyst said he believed its sister brand Pink was on the "precipise of collapse," because of the level of promotions.
In a call with investors on Thursday, Burgdoerfer addressed this problem but said that it will "take a while" to reduce promotional levels.
As well as scaling back on promotions, Burgdoerfer said the company is looking at all aspects of the marketing of the brand. "We are taking a fresh, hard look at everything," he said. "Everything is on the table."
Brand marketing is one of the most contentious areas of its business. Victoria's Secret has frequently been criticized for its oversexualized ads in store and racy runway shows, especially in the wake of #MeToo.
Despite this, its annual fashion show continues to run – despite sagging viewership ratings – and the racy images are still highly visible in its stores.
The space was definitely modern and did feel a lot brighter than some of its other stores because of this. However, it still had Victoria's Secret's signature dark lighting and black painted walls.
Analysts have criticized this design scheme.
"Its overt sexuality...and its dark and moody stores are completely out of step with the mood of most modern consumers," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients in November.
Parts of the store felt more dated. It's boudoir-like fitting rooms, for example.
Dotted around the store are prominent displays of its signature "Push-Up" bra.
These racy silhouettes and neon colors are a far cry from the setup at rival underwear brands such as American Eagle's Aerie, which has achieved explosive growth in recent years.
To the side of the main store is a section devoted entirely to Victoria's Secret's teen-focused brand Pink. The lighting, music, and display style is completely different here.
To shop Pink you need to go through the Victoria's Secret section, despite the big differences in the brands.
Some parents have complained about this in the past, saying that Pink is brought down by Victoria's Secret's oversexualized ads.
In January, a mother complained on Facebook about this, describing some of these images as almost "pornography."
Pink was once a sweet spot for Victoria's Secret but in recent years has also come under pressure and resorting to heavy discounting.
But there were no sale signs on display during this visit and this area of the store was also very well kept and easy to shop.
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