Victoria's Secret is launching a new underwear brand selling first bras to pre-teen shoppers
- Victoria's Secret is launching a new underwear brand, called Happy Nation, for pre-teen shoppers.
- The company said it will share more details about its launch in April.
Victoria's Secret is launching a new underwear brand for pre-teen shoppers.
The lingerie giant announced in its fourth-quarter earnings release after market close on Wednesday that it plans to launch an online-only brand, Happy Nation.
The brand will consist of first bras, panties, and comfortable apparel for pre-teen-aged shoppers. The company said it will share more details about its launch in April, though it has teased what the brand will look like on a new website.
Victoria's Secret has been taking major steps to turn around its brand image after years of criticism and sliding sales. The company was accused of ostracizing female customers with its risqué ads, racy runway shows, and over-sexualized lingerie and because of this, lost market share to more body-positive brands such as American Eagle's Aerie.
Happy Nation is part of the company's turnaround effort and bid to appeal to younger shoppers and parents who are buying underwear and clothing on their behalf.
In the past, mothers of teenage shoppers complained on social media that the risque marketing in Victoria's Secret stores was offensive to these young customers who were shopping its teen-centric Pink brand.
The company has since made major changes to its stores, replacing the racy images that previously adorned the walls for more body-positive ad campaigns.
The brand has also shifted focus toward more comfortable styles of underwear. Most recently, launching its newest underwear collection, Love Cloud, which promises to offer women "all-day comfort."
These changes, alongside its new brand image, seem to be paying off. After several years of sliding sales, the company has started to see sales growth pick up again. Same-store sales were up 3% versus 2020 for the year ending January 2022.