<p>How do they make <keyword id="460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lingerie">lingerie</keyword> <keyword id="6404377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="models">models</keyword> look amazing?</p>
<p>Business Insider slipped behind the scenes of a shoot for <a href="http://www.adoreme.com">AdoreMe</a>, a startup that has raised more than $8 million to rival Victoria's Secret. We interviewed the photographer, the founder, the makeup artist and the model about how they make women look so desireable. </p>
<p>Here's how the magic happens. </p>
<div style="display:none;" id="kalturavideoplaceholder">kalturavideoplaceholder</div>
<p><em>Produced by Daniel Goodman; Additional Photography by Justin Gmoser</em></p>

How They Make Lingerie Models Look So Good

<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51dc182b6bb3f75876000014-1200-706/-2-84.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="AdoreMe lingerie models" width="800" /><p class="source">Photo Credit: Joseph Greenbaum via <keyword id="1739163" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="AdoreMe">AdoreMe</keyword></p><p class="caption">AdoreMe founder Morgan Hermand-Maiche surrounded by his startup's lingerie models.</p></div></div></p>
<p><a href="http://www.adoreme.com">AdoreMe</a> is a fast-growing lingerie startup that has raised an $8.5 million Series B round of financing from Upfront Ventures, Mousse Partners and Redhills Ventures. And although the intimates and swim wear site looks just like <keyword id="5656" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Victorias-Secret">Victoria's Secret</keyword>, it wasn't created by a woman.</p>
<p><keyword id="1739164" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Morgan-Hermand-Waiche">Morgan Hermand-Waiche</keyword>'s family runs a fashion business in France. So when he was at Harvard Business School and recognized a pain point women face while lingerie shopping, it wasn't hard for him to create AdoreMe.</p>
<p>"I frequently heard friends and family complain about how there needed to be a better option for buying lingerie in the U.S.," Hermand-Waiche tells Business Insider. "People are so tired of high prices and slow-fashion from Victoria's Secret."</p>
<p>AdoreMe is a vertically-integrated e-commerce startup. It feels a lot like Victoria's Secret, down to the black and hot pink font, bikini shots on beaches, and perfectly sculpted models. But unlike Victoria's Secret, the prices are unbelievably cheap. A woman's first matching lingerie set is sold for $20 and $39.95 after that. Shipping is free in the U.S. although AdoreMe's products ship all over the world. A Victoria's Secret bra alone costs at least $40.</p>
<p>It's difficult to know if AdoreMe's low price point is sustainable but the fact that it's owning the supply chain and has no storefronts helps. Its lingerie is all unique to the site so it can't be bought elsewhere. AdoreMe works with suppliers and manufacturers which allows its staff to edit, alter and improve all of the pieces. It's also working on an in-house collection.</p>
<p>"I knew there was a huge opportunity in using ZARA’s fast fashion model and applying it to intimates," Hermand Waiche says. ZARA is a European brand that resembles H&amp;M, Express or Forever 21. Recently it has gained popularity in the States and it's known for being affordable and fashion-forward.</p>
<p>"By offering designer-crafted lingerie at an incredible price and with the convenience of online shipping we're quickly chipping away at Victoria's Secret's market share."</p>
<p>He says the company shipped 100,000 items before its first birthday. The company is less than two years old and investors are optimistic, even though other competitors in the startup space such as True &amp; Co already exist.</p>
<p>"When we saw the growth numbers combined with the quality of Adore Me’s products we knew we had found a category killer,” Upfront Ventures' founding partner Yves Sisteron says in a release.</p>
<p><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="AdoreMe" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51dc13376bb3f7886d000007-960/screen%20shot%202013-07-09%20at%209.41.29%20am.png"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51dc13376bb3f7886d000007-929-509/screen%20shot%202013-07-09%20at%209.41.29%20am.png" border="0" alt="adoreme" width="800" /></a><p class="source"><a href="http://www.adoreme.com">AdoreMe</a></p></div></div></p>

Man Raises $8.5 Million For Victoria's Secret Killer, AdoreMe, Which Sells Half-Price Lingerie

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e75972f2c18b108b6319-1152-864/adoreme_bts_089.jpg" alt="Adore Me" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p><p class="caption">Adore Me's latest swimsuit campaign.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Lingerie startup Adore Me has an enticing offer for those who quit the company, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-28/thanks-for-quitting-here-s-10-000-come-back-soon-" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reports, and it comes in the form of $10,000 checks.</p><p>"<span>We would do it for anyone that has put in a lot of hard work and effort at Adore Me," CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche said to Bloomberg.</span></p><p><span><span>"</span><span>It's great for someone inside the company. It makes them more willing to stay," he added.</span></span></p><p><span>One person who received this reward was Julie Tracy, Bloomberg reported.</span></p><p><span>A representative from Adore Me told Business Insider that Tracy was the company's fourth employees.<span></span></span></p><p><span>"<span>We don't like to have our team members needing to wait for the day we sell and IPO to get the reward of their work," Hermand-Waiche said to Bloomberg.</span></span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56814e2cc08a8017028b5184-1286-643/hcj_08_14_15_0044.jpg" alt="Adore Me shoot" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span><span>This practice also seems to be a way of paying it forward.</span></span></p><p>"It's just a way to say thank you," Hermand-Waiche said to Bloomberg. "Maybe one day they will come back, maybe they will tell their friends about it and it will get us some great leads."</p><p>But, some experts remain skeptical of this practice.</p><p><span>"Are you kidding me?,"<span> Bruce Elliott, manager of compensation and benefits of the Society of Human Resource Management, said to Bloomberg</span>. "Organizations don't give away money like this to be nice. There's got to be an end game here. There's got to be some sort of objective. How will it benefit the business?"</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56140e0cbd86ef175c8b499c-1276-638/hcj_08_14_15_0089.jpg" alt="Adore Me shoot" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Meanwhile, Adore Me has been growing rapidly, and this new buzz comes on the heels of positive news about the brand.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><a href="http://www.inc.com/profile/adore-me" target="_blank">Inc.</a> named Adore Me its No. 2 <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> company and its No. 14 overall company on its Inc. 5000 list, while pointing out that Adore Me has grown an impressive <a href="http://www.adoreme.com/" target="_blank"></a><span>15,606% in just three years.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer">It has generated consistent praise for embracing women of all sizes with its inclusive designs.</p><p class="embed-spacer">"We as<span> a brand are reinventing the approach to fashion," Adore Me's CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche said to Business Insider this month. "We want to be the brand that stands for everyone, and everyone means every wallet, every style, and every size."</span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span>Earlier this summer, Adore Me's director of business and brand development, Sharon Klapka, told Business Insider that the company "[aims] to slay Victoria's Secret." </span> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-rejected-gigi-hadid-twice-2015-11">Model Gigi Hadid got rejected twice by Victoria's Secret</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="90YTNzeDrLnuKvCBrJ0jThA3naJvG4Nz" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '90YTNzeDrLnuKvCBrJ0jThA3naJvG4Nz',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This lingerie startup gives workers $10,000 when they quit

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e11e72f2c19c108b6230-749-562/63_rae_dd_011_web_veronica-purple-plus-size-large-demi-bras-for-women.jpg" alt="adore me plus size" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p><p class="caption">Adore Me has been praised for utilizing plus size models.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Lingerie startup <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adore-me-shoppers-complain-of-scam-2016-1">Adore Me</a>'s subscription model is coming under fire once again.</p><p><span>Adore Me was, for a time, a media darling. It was challenging Victoria's Secret's position in the lingerie industry, and won some praise for selling plus size undergarments, something that Victoria's Secret does not do. </span></p><p>Now, nonprofit advertising-watchdog <a href="https://www.truthinadvertising.org/summary-of-action-adore-me/" target="_blank">Truth In Advertising has filed complaints</a> with the<a href="https://www.truthinadvertising.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/5_9_16-Ltr-from-TINA-to-FTC-re-Adore-Me.pdf" target="_blank"> Federal Trade Commission</a>, the New York Attorney General's office, and the District Attorney's office in Santa Clara, California, claiming the company utilizes misleading marketing practices to trap consumers into subscription billing cycles.</p><p>Truth in <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="advertising">Advertising</keyword> filed the complaints on May 9. They largely have to do with Adore Me's subscription model, which it calls a VIP Membership, through which "members" pay $39.95 to receive a set of lingerie each month - but only if they log on and choose the products they want. <br /><br />The problems Truth in Advertising highlighted include:</p><ul><li>Automatically enrolling shoppers into the membership program without clear disclosure of all of the terms and conditions;</li><li>The fact that Adore Me keeps unused store credit, and;</li><li>How Adore Me makes it extremely difficult for members to get out of this subscription.</li></ul><p>"I <span>think what really focused us on Adore Me was one particular provision in their terms and conditions which I found to be absolutely outrageous," <span>Truth in Advertising's Executive Director Bonnie Patten told Business Insider, "</span>which was that when a consumer attempts to cancel this membership, that the company takes any un-used credit from the consumer, and I thought that that was just outrageous."<br /><br />Adore Me didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaints. The company has responded to media coverage of the membership model in the past, telling Business Insider in January that complaints account for only a tiny fraction of purchases on the site. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adore-me-shoppers-complain-of-scam-2016-1" target="_blank">Adore Me's billing practices </a>have led it to receiving an F on the <a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513/" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a> (for comparison's sake, the occasionally <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/are-justfab-and-fabletics-scams-2015-9" target="_blank">criticized subscription-based company JustFab</a> has<a href="http://www.bbb.org/losangelessiliconvalley/business-reviews/shoes-retail/just-fabulous-in-el-segundo-ca-100095048" target="_blank"> a B-</a>).<br /><br />In January, it had racked up 560 complaints on the BBB's website. There are more than 100 more now. <br /><br />"Keep in mind that in 2015, Adore Me counted over 1 million purchases, which means that these 560 BBB complaints account for approximately 0.0005% of all transactions of the Adore Me website," company CEO, Morgan Hermand-Waiche, said to Business Insider in January. "Needless to say this is an extremely low level of dissatisfaction."<br /></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5696bb6ac08a801b008b9650-1728-864/adoreme_bts_043.jpg" alt="adore me" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p><p class="caption">Adore Me has also forayed into swimwear.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Adore Me has made it easier for consumers to get refunds. Members can get a refund for the most recent month with just one click, something that Hermand-Waiche highlighted to Business Insider in January. The company does disclose the rules, though the default mode for purchasing lingerie is through the membership, not the pay-as-you-go-option. Hermand-Waiche also stressed to Business Insider that consumers are reminded frequently, through both email and text message, when it's their time to "shop" for lingerie or "skip," the latter of which would not result in a credit card charge.<br /><br />But the scrutiny has continued. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-adore-me/" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> recently reported that the company had a 30 percent spike in refunds with a 15 percent dip in subscriptions.</p><p>"The easier you make the refund process," <span>Hermand-Waiche</span> said to Bloomberg, "the more refunds happen."</p><p>Which begs the question - could the refunds derail Adore Me's exponential growth? Sales surged from $1.1 million in sales in 2012 to $16.2 million in 2014. <br /><br />To Truth in Advertising, this kind of growth is a sign of trouble, not success, Patten said.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iskra-lawrence-is-the-new-face-of-aerie-2016-4">This model was dropped from her agency for her size-now she's the face of Victoria's Secret's top competitor</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NvZWh0MDE67HlaUOMDdVeAUNFERUV_45" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'NvZWh0MDE67HlaUOMDdVeAUNFERUV_45',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

A hot lingerie startup is drawing more fire for shady billing practices

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e10772f2c19c108b622e-750-956/63_rae_dd_011_web_veronica-purple-plus-size-large-demi-bras-for-women.jpg" alt="adore me plus size" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>It's no secret that the plus size market is underserved.<p><span>The category is worth $17.5 billion, according to industry research firm </span><a href="https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/sizing-up-the-plus-sized-market-segment-up-5-percent-reaching-17-billion/" target="_blank">NPD Group</a><span>.</span></p><p><span>The deficit of stylish apparel that these women face is likely rooted in retailers' and designers' fear.</span></p><p>"I would argue that why many non-plus-size designers don't go into plus-size is fear," Amanda Czerniawski, sociology professor at Temple University, former plus-size model, and author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fashioning-Fat-Inside-Plus-Size-Modeling/dp/0814789188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1437056409&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=fashioning+fat&amp;tag=bisafetynet-20" target="_blank">Fashioning Fat: Inside Plus-Size Modeling</a>," told Business Insider this summer.</p><p>Many companies aren't familiar with designing for plus-size clientele, so they might be intimidated by the investment.</p><p>But that doesn't change the fact that women often feel as though they have limited options when it comes to stylish clothing. Lingerie, in particular, is an even trickier industry, as many lingerie brands' advertisements are rooted in the notion that you have to be thin to be considered sexy.</p><p>Adore Me is one retailer that aims to change the way plus size women are treated.</p><p>Sharon Klapka, Adore Me's director of business and brand development,&#xa0;openly disclosed to Business Insider this summer that Adore Me aims to "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/we-went-behind-the-scenes-at-adore-mes-photo-shoot-2015-8" target="_blank">slay Victoria's Secret</a>." Victoria's Secret is known for its thin models and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-plus-size-petitions-2015-2" target="_blank">limited sizes</a>.</p><p>Still, that's a lofty feat to accomplish, given that Victoria's Secret's parent company L Brands holds nearly 61.8% of the lingerie market share, according to IBIS World.</p><p><div><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/-7d-GYoXka/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">But Adore Me has seen exponential growth over the past few years.&#xa0;In 2012, the company brought in $1.1 million. By 2013, the company had amassed&#xa0;in $5.6 million, and by&#xa0;2014, it brought in&#xa0;in $16.2 million.&#xa0;<a href="http://www.inc.com/profile/adore-me" target="_blank">Inc.</a>, which named Adore Me its No. 2 <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> company and its No. 14 overall company on its Inc. 5000 list, pointed out that Adore Me has grown an impressive <a href="http://www.adoreme.com/" target="_blank"></a><span>15,606% in just three years.</span></p><p>"We as<span style="font-weight: 400;">&#xa0;a brand are reinventing the approach to fashion," Adore Me's CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche&#xa0;said to Business Insider. "We want to be the brand that stands for everyone and everyone means every wallet every style and every size."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was shocked to see that every single brand, whether you talk about Victoria's Secret or Abercrombie or Guess or Gap or Urban Outfitters &#xa0;- none of them is serving the plus size customer," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, capitalizing on this widely underserved market is likely one reason the brand is growing so rapidly.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/-4ixATIXiE/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div></span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adore Me offers sizes that do not discriminate, whether a customer is petite or curvy. Bras run from 30A to 44G. Arguably, the company is shaking up the lingerie industry with its all-inclusive fast fashion approach to undergarments.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, the company is venturing into the plus-size swimwear sector with the hope&#xa0;of giving&#xa0;curvy women what they want when they prepare to go to the beach.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hermand-Waiche said the swimwear market is just as grueling, if not worse, than the apparel market as a whole.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The swimwear market is even worse than the apparel market as a whole when it comes to plus size catering,"&#xa0;Hermand-Waiche&#xa0;said. "No one is taking care of plus size women."</span></p><p>The swimwear industry's current selection for larger women is, according to Hermand-Waiche, "not necessarily sexy and interesting, and the price at which they have to buy [the apparel is] extremely expensive."&#xa0;</p><p>Although the collection does not launch until late January, Adore Me has shared some images from its swimwear photo shoot with Business Insider. You can see them below:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e09172f2c118008b63c3-1300-975/adoreme_bts_101.jpg" alt="Adore Me" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e73472f2c1de008b6437-1536-1152/adoreme_bts_079.jpg" alt="Adore Me" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e73872f2c152028b62ea-1535-1151/adoreme_bts_043.jpg" alt="adore me" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-doesnt-carry-plus-sizes-mistake-women-lingerie-2015-9">Victoria's Secret is making one mistake that is driving away a lot of women</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="llMGh2dDrrj4WAYxUAwPN6kOTorsTptK" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'llMGh2dDrrj4WAYxUAwPN6kOTorsTptK',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This lingerie company is tapping into a $17.5 billion industry that many retailers ignore

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/560c0801bd86ef11008be0af-800-600/birchbox-2.png" alt="Birchbox" data-mce-source="Facebook/Birchbox" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/Birchbox" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Birchbox">Facebook/Birchbox</a></span></p><p class="caption">Birchbox is a successful subscription company.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Subscription models are incredibly popular.</p><p>Look no further than Netflix, Amazon Prime, Dollar Shave Club, and Carnivore Club. It seems easy - sign up and you have a product each month, for a fixed price.</p><p>But at the same time, many subscription-based retailers have come under fire for not having clear disclosures about their billing practices. </p><p>And some companies, despite being seemingly transparent about the fact that they're subscription-based, make cancelling their memberships difficult for customers.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/truth-in-advertising-complaint-with-adore-me-2016-5" target="_blank">Most recently</a><span>, nonprofit ad watchdog </span><a href="https://www.truthinadvertising.org/summary-of-action-adore-me/" target="_blank">Truth in Advertising</a><span> </span><span>has filed complaints with the FTC, New York Attorney General, and District Attorney in Santa Clara, California against startup lingerie company Adore Me on May 9. <span>The points largely relate to Adore Me's subscription model, which it calls a VIP Membership, through which "members" pay $39.95 to receive a set of lingerie each month - but only if they log on and choose the products they want.</span></span></p><p>Adore Me also lets customers skip a billing cycle one at a time, but they have to make sure they select to "shop" or "skip" by the fifth of month. Should members fail to do either, their credit cards get charged, and in turn, they get store credit to use at any time.</p><p>Adore Me has added a policy wherein members can get an automatic refund for the most recent month's charges if they fail to select shop or skip, without having to deal with customer service. Adore Me CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche highlighted this policy to Business Insider in January.</p><p>The policy, however, could be hurting the company. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-adore-me/" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a><span> recently reported that Adore Me had a 30% spike in refunds with a 15% dip in subscriptions.</span></p><p>Upon cancellation -which is, according to reviews on the Better Business Bureau, an arduous process - members lose their credits. (<a href="http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/06/adore-me-lingerie-review.html#comment-2278697389" target="_blank">One commenter on The Lingerie Addict</a><span> said she was able to cancel her VIP Membership but had $200 in credit, all of which disappeared once the cancellation took effect.) That's one of Truth in Advertising's primary complaints with the company.</span></p><p><span><span>"I </span><span>think what really focused us on Adore Me was one particular provision in their terms and conditions which I found to be absolutely outrageous," <span>Truth in Advertising's Executive Director Bonnie Patten told Business Insider on Monday, "</span>which was that when a consumer attempts to cancel this membership, that the company takes any un-used credit from the consumer."</span></span></p><p>Truth in Advertising's suit comes on the heels of many consumers' frustrations; Adore Me currently has an F rating with the <a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513/" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a> and over 680 consumer complaints.</p><p>Another common complaint is that some people claim they don't even know they're becoming VIP Members from the start. <span><span><span>The company, however, claims it makes it clear to consumers. The VIP Membership price is the more heavily flaunted and advertised; it's also the default selection.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5693da97e6183ef15b8b516f-1248-735/screen shot 2016-01-11 at 11.38.27 am.png" alt="Adore Me Screenshot" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></span></p><p>Hermand-Waiche maintains that the retailer is completely transparent and discloses everything through consistent emails, SMS messages, push notifications, and a pamphlet that members receive with their first package. He stressed this to Business Insider in January.</p><p><span><span style="background-color: #ffff00;"></span></span><span>Adore Me, however, isn't the only subscription company to come under scrutiny recently. In the fall, JustFab (which houses Kate Hudson's athleisure line, Fabletics) found itself </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/are-justfab-and-fabletics-scams-2015-9" target="_blank">enmeshed in a scandal</a><span> after customers called it a scam; they claimed the fine print was exceedingly difficult to discern.</span><span></span></p><p><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/justfab-the-billion-dollar-startup-with-a-dark-past#.unKvQb19NM" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a><span> reported that consumers didn't realize they were being signed up for a "membership." Moreover, after finding unwanted charges on their credit cards, they said they had to call customer service to put an end to their billing cycle. The company has amassed over one thousands complaints with the </span><a href="http://www.bbb.org/losangelessiliconvalley/business-reviews/shoes-retail/just-fabulous-in-el-segundo-ca-100095048" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a><span>.</span></p><p>Then, in late October, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-30/justfab-is-reviewing-customer-service-practices-as-complaints-pile-up" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reported the company would be audited. Bloomberg also reported that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/justfab-and-fabletics-are-getting-audited-2015-10" target="_blank">JustFab was looking into changing its policies</a>; it was going to consider offering members the ability to unsubscribe online. Not being able to cancel memberships online was a huge issue with the company that <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/justfab-the-billion-dollar-startup-with-a-dark-past#.unKvQb19NM" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a> outlined in an initial report regarding the scandal.</p><p>Still, some experts think that JustFab uses this model to optimize success, even if it's misleading.</p><p>"I<span>t's a model that allows [JustFab] to make more money ... <span>Unfortunately, misleading marketing works. And that's what this company is, in some part, using to be so successful," Patten<span> told <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-30/justfab-is-reviewing-customer-service-practices-as-complaints-pile-up" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>.</span></span></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56095bca9dd7cc14008bd879-822-411/screen shot 2015-09-28 at 11.15.36 am.png" alt="kate hudson fabletics" data-mce-source="Fabletics on Facebook" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/Fabletics/photos/a.609436025745106.1073741826.450447194977324/910157435672962/?type=3&amp;theater" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fabletics/photos/a.609436025745106.1073741826.450447194977324/910157435672962/?type=3&amp;theater">Fabletics on Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">Fabletics came under fire last year.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>That's not to say subscriptions are entirely faulty.</p><p>At the end of 2013, <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229852" target="_blank">Entrepreneur</a> suggested that subscription-service model was a hot ecommerce trend for the following year.</p><p>And there has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-11-awesome-subscription-boxes-keep-giving-all-year-and-make-perfect-last-second-gifts-2015-12" target="_blank">no shortage</a> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-mens-subscription-services-and-boxes-2015-3" target="_blank">boxes</a> for consumers to choose from - from grooming and beauty boxes to boxes with artisanal beer to boxes for dogs.</p><p><span>But the core product that many of these boxes sell is the box and the subscription, as opposed to selling the <em>product</em>, with the membership sneaking up afterwards. Birchbox is ostensibly a <em>box</em> of makeup samples; Adore Me markets itself as a lingerie company with fast-fashion prices. That's a reason some people might feel duped.</span></p><p><span></span>Still, Adore Me's CEO Hermand-Waiche chalks up the complaints - which he told Business Insider pale in comparison to positive reviews - to the fact that some people don't know how subscription services operate.</p><p><span>"I think that the membership and subscription shipping concepts are extremely innovative and disruptive, and used by companies such as Amazon, Dollar Shave Club, Birchbox, and Adore Me," </span><span>Hermand-Waiche wrote to Business Insider in January. "</span><span>But sometime there are shoppers who aren't familiar with subscription-based services and memberships and as a result are unsatisfied with their experience."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-could-grow-revenue-iphone-subscriptions-annual-upgrade-2015-12">Inside Apple's plan to turn the iPhone into a subscription service</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Q3Z29peTrsxEhPec1YIcHVPIpEDaQOUr" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'Q3Z29peTrsxEhPec1YIcHVPIpEDaQOUr',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Customer disdain for this 'innovative and disruptive' business model is only growing

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53c43f526da8117b018eaf46-796-597/birchbox-men-and-women-1.png" alt="birchbox men and women" data-mce-source="Birchbox" data-link="https://www.birchbox.com/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.birchbox.com/">Birchbox</a></span></p><p class="caption">Birchbox is a membership-based subscription box.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Subscription models are incredibly popular.</p><p>Look no further than Netflix, Amazon Prime, Dollar Shave Club, and Carnivore Club. It seems easy - sign up and you have a product each month, for a fixed price.</p><p>But at the same time, many subscription-based retailers have come under fire for not having clear disclosures about their billing practices.</p><p>And some companies, despite being seemingly transparent about the fact that they're subscription-based, make it exceedingly difficult for customers to cancel their memberships.</p><p><span>In the fall, JustFab (which houses Kate Hudson's athleisure line, Fabletics) found itself </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/are-justfab-and-fabletics-scams-2015-9" target="_blank">enmeshed in a scandal</a><span> after customers called it a scam; they claimed the fine print was exceedingly difficult to discern.</span><span> </span><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/justfab-the-billion-dollar-startup-with-a-dark-past#.unKvQb19NM" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a><span> reported that consumers didn't realize they were being signed up for a 'membership,' and moreover, after finding unwanted charges on their credit cards, they said they had to call customer service to put an end to their billing cycle. The company has amassed over one thousands complaints with the </span><a href="http://www.bbb.org/losangelessiliconvalley/business-reviews/shoes-retail/just-fabulous-in-el-segundo-ca-100095048" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a><span>.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56095bca9dd7cc14008bd879-822-411/screen shot 2015-09-28 at 11.15.36 am.png" alt="kate hudson fabletics" data-mce-source="Fabletics on Facebook" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/Fabletics/photos/a.609436025745106.1073741826.450447194977324/910157435672962/?type=3&amp;theater" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fabletics/photos/a.609436025745106.1073741826.450447194977324/910157435672962/?type=3&amp;theater">Fabletics on Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">Kate Hudson's Fabletics came under fire</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In late October, however, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-30/justfab-is-reviewing-customer-service-practices-as-complaints-pile-up" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reported that the company would be audited. Bloomberg also reported that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/justfab-and-fabletics-are-getting-audited-2015-10" target="_blank">JustFab was looking into changing its policies</a>; it was going to consider offering members the ability to unsubscribe online. Not being able to cancel memberships online was a huge issue with the company that <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/justfab-the-billion-dollar-startup-with-a-dark-past#.unKvQb19NM" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a> outlined in an initial report regarding the scandal.</p><p>Still, some experts think that JustFab uses this model to optimize success, even if it's misleading.</p><p>"I<span>t's a model that allows [JustFab] to make more money ... <span>Unfortunately, misleading marketing works. And that's what this company is, in some part, using to be so successful," Bonnie Patten, <span>executive director of Truth in Advertising, said to Bloomberg.</span></span></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5696bb6ac08a801b008b9650-1728-864/adoreme_bts_043.jpg" alt="adore me" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Hot lingerie startup Adore Me has also received heat for its billing policies; it currently has an F rating with the <a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513/" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a>.</p><p>The company claims it makes it clear to consumers that they're signing up for a "VIP Membership."</p><p>Adore Me lets customers skip a billing cycle, but they have to make sure they select to "shop" or "skip" by the fifth of month. Should members fail to do either, their credit cards get charged, and in turn, they get store credit to use at any time. Adore Me recently added a policy wherein members can get an automatic refund for the most recent month's charged, without having to deal with customer service.</p><p>Upon cancellation -which is, according to reviews on the Better Business Bureau, an arduous process - members lose their credits. (<a href="http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/06/adore-me-lingerie-review.html#comment-2278697389" target="_blank">One commenter on The Lingerie Addict</a><span> said she was able to cancel her VIP membership but had $200 in credit, all of which disappeared one the cancellation when through.)</span></p><p>Adore Me's CEO, Morgan Hermand-Waiche, maintains that the retailer is completely transparent and discloses everything, through consistent emails, SMS messages, push notifications, and a pamphlet that members receive with their first package.</p><p>It seems that Adore Me - and other criticized subscription companies - aren't out to dupe consumers. But the hoops through which shoppers have to jump through to get out prove that there are some improvements that can undoubtedly be made.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5696bc2ac08a809b088b9548-3264-1632/img_0563.jpg" alt="dollar shave 10" data-mce-source="Business Insider / Matthew Lynley" /><p class="source"><span>Business Insider / Matthew Lynley</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>That's not to say that subscriptions are entirely faulty.</p><p> At the end of 2013, <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229852" target="_blank">Entrepreneur</a> suggested that subscription-service model was a hot ecommerce trend for the following year.</p><p>And there has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-11-awesome-subscription-boxes-keep-giving-all-year-and-make-perfect-last-second-gifts-2015-12" target="_blank">no shortage</a> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-mens-subscription-services-and-boxes-2015-3" target="_blank">boxes</a> for consumers to choose from - from grooming boxes to boxes with artisanal beer to boxes for dogs to boxes of makeup samples.</p><p><span>But the core product that many of these boxes sell is exactly that - the box and the subscription - rather than selling the product first and the membership second.</span></p><p>And Gregory Lowe II, CEO of Fitbox - an up-and-coming athleisure subscription box that aims to challenge Fabletics - says that there's another perk: getting to know customers. "We <span style="font-weight: 400;">can dive into what our customer wants a little bit more," he said to Business Insider. "We can get to know our customer on a personal level because they're with us month afte rmonth after month." (He did, however, say that a big problem in the space is that some people get the first box for a discount, and then never go forward after that.)</span></p><p>Still, Adore Me's CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche chalks up the complaints - which he told Business Insider pale in comparison to positive reviews - to the fact that some people don't know how subscription services operate.</p><p><span>"I think that the membership and subscription shipping concepts are extremely innovative and disruptive, and used by companies such as Amazon, Dollar Shave Club, Birchbox, and Adore Me," </span><span>Hermand-Waiche wrote to Business Insider. "</span><span>But sometime there are shoppers who aren't familiar with subscription-based services and memberships and as a result are unsatisfied with their experience."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-chain-best-value-menu-mcdonalds-burger-king-wendys-2016-1">We tried the new value menus at McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's - and the winner is clear</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1mb240MDE6wvr9lZ6tJsJafHMsdJZKhH" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1mb240MDE6wvr9lZ6tJsJafHMsdJZKhH',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This unique business model is taking over retail - and customers are saying they hate it

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57c7084509d2937a048b5618-749/rozalia%20bralette.jpg" alt="Adore Me bralette plus size" data-mce-source="AdoreMe"><p class="source"><span>AdoreMe</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Lingerie startup Adore Me just launched a new&#xa0;weapon in the lingerie wars&#xa0;-&#xa0;plus-size bralettes.<p>Bralettes, of course, are those super trendy padding-free, wireless bras that pretty much all lingerie brands are selling these days.</p><p>But while <a href="http://www.bustle.com/articles/82557-7-plus-size-bralettes-in-lacy-black-that-will-keep-your-boobs-looking-sexy-and-feeling" target="_blank">plus-size bralettes do exist</a>, good ones can be tough to find.&#xa0;A<span>fter all, plus-size bras need&#xa0;to be carefully constructed to give adequate support.</span></p><p><span>"I<span>t's not possible to have a flimsy laced-triangle bralette in a J-Cup,"&#xa0;</span></span><span>C</span>ora Harrington, the lingerie expert behind the popular blog <a href="http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/" target="_blank">The Lingerie Addict</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-real-reason-victorias-secret-doesnt-sell-plus-sizes-2016-3" target="_blank">told Business Insider earlier this year</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><span>Adore Me says that it has spent 10&#xa0;months developing the bras that</span> are lined with power mesh, have wide straps, and feature a&#xa0;lace design that helps provide necessary support. They go up to size 4XL.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57c7093f09d29323008b569f-749/parker%20bralette.jpg" alt="Adore Me bralette plus size" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Adore Me's plus-size bralette is the latest&#xa0;thing the company is pushing to differentiate itself from the lingerie giant Victoria's Secret, which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-plus-size-petitions-2015-2">doesn't sell plus-size lingerie</a>.&#xa0;</p><p>While Victoria's Secret's&#xa0;models are generally thin and sometimes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-photoshopping-secrets-2016-7" target="_blank">Photoshopped</a>, Adore Me has highlighted its plus-size collection and its ads <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-iskra-lawrence-aerie-role-model-2015-8">feature curvy models</a>.</p><p><span><span>"We as</span><span>&#xa0;a brand are reinventing the approach to fashion," Adore Me's CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche&#xa0;said to Business Insider in December. "We want to be the brand that stands for everyone, and everyone means every wallet, every style, and every size."</span></span></p><p><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57c71ae6b996eb0e228b5594-749/olinda%20bralette.jpg" alt="Adore Me plus size Bralette" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p><p><span>The plus-size industry is a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-05-10/plus-size-could-save-retailers">multi-billion dollar opportunity</a> for retailers that's only getting bigger. Adore Me, which&#xa0;<span>has&#xa0;</span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/we-went-behind-the-scenes-at-adore-mes-photo-shoot-2015-8" target="_blank">explicitly said</a><span> it wants to "slay Victoria's Secret," is trying to take advantage of the growing market.&#xa0;</span></span></p><p><span></span><span>But the upstart lingerie brand is still just a&#xa0;blip on Victoria's Secret's radar. Victoria's Secret posted nearly $7.7 billion in total sales in fiscal 2015, while Adore Me's total revenue for 2015 was just $42.7 million.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iskra-lawrence-is-the-new-face-of-aerie-2016-4">This model was dropped from her agency for her size-now she's the face of Victoria's Secret's top competitor</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NvZWh0MDE67HlaUOMDdVeAUNFERUV_45" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'NvZWh0MDE67HlaUOMDdVeAUNFERUV_45',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

One of Victoria's Secret's main competitors just launched a new weapon in the lingerie wars

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5671e0b872f2c1c5008b63c2-944-708/adoreme_bts_101.jpg" alt="Adore Me" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Lingerie startup Adore Me&#xa0;is massively successful, and it has grown tremendously over the past few years.<p>Its popularity has&#xa0;sent sales surging&#xa0;from $1.1 million in 2012 to $16.2 million in 2014, according to the company's data. <a href="http://www.inc.com/profile/adore-me" target="_blank">Inc.</a><span> named Adore Me its No. 2 <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> company in 2015. At Business Insider, we've labeled it a firm that is a clear rival to Victoria's Secret, largely for including plus-size models in its repertoire. Business and brand development director Sharon Klapka said it was out to "slay" the Victoria's Secret.</span></p><p>Now,&#xa0;the company is facing backlash from its customers because of its subscription&#xa0;model that locks buyers into monthly payments with what consumers say is without clear&#xa0;disclosure of that fact. &#xa0;<br><br>At the<span><span>&#xa0;</span><a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau,</a>&#xa0;the company has an F rating and has racked up more than 560 complaints. The issue for many is that they were</span><span><span>&#xa0;billed a monthly subscription after ordering bras and panties from the site and had difficulty canceling or getting refunds.&#xa0;<br><br>This is&#xa0;because of a&#xa0;sales model that's&#xa0;used by&#xa0;a number of startup fashion companies. Adore Me signs its customers up to a monthly subscription, and they're billed automatically to their credit card whether they pick out clothes they want or not. The complaints about this range from the fact that it's not evident that they're being signed up, to the fact that cancelling out is an infuriating and difficult task.<br><br>The same kind of setup landed&#xa0;<span>Kate Hudson's athletic-wear company, Fabletics, and its parent company, JustFab, in&#xa0;</span><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/justfab-the-billion-dollar-startup-with-a-dark-past#.unKvQb19NM" target="_blank">hot water</a>&#xa0;<span>recently.&#xa0;</span></br></br></br></br></span></span>JustFab, which is also home to&#xa0;other fashion retailers, including the Kardashian-affiliated ShoeDazzle, operates on a membership basis as well.&#xa0;The company infamously makes canceling an arduous process.</br></br></p><p><span><span>Adore Me, however,&#xa0;says it is transparent about the membership model, and that it sends e-mail, SMS, and push notifications to remind customers that they need to shop or opt out each month. It also offers refunds to those who ask for them for the most recent month's bill. The company says it has made improvements to its website's design to make that refund request&#xa0;an easier process.<br><br>But there are some very obvious pitfalls in the customer's experience that&#xa0;make it easy to see where the complaints come from.&#xa0;<br><br /></br></br></br></span></span>Once a shopper is ready to purchase her lingerie, the&#xa0;website&#xa0;gives her the option to become a VIP member or to pay as she goes. Paying as you go&#xa0;makes the lingerie full price ($49.95) versus an alluring, much cheaper option&#xa0;- $24.95 for the first set.</p><p>However, the default mode is the VIP membership. Here's what a computer screen looks like - Pay As You Go is obvious, but many women likely want the $24.95 set - and perhaps they tell themselves that they'll cancel as soon as possible.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5693da97e6183ef15b8b516f-1248-735/screen%20shot%202016-01-11%20at%2011.38.27%20am.png" alt="Adore Me Screenshot" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>The company clearly discloses the rules: it is, indeed, a membership. Members have the opportunity to "shop" or "skip" by the fifth of every month - otherwise they will be charged $39.95. <br><br>The company doesn't say upfront that members can cancel whenever, but it does say that it will remind consumers that they'll need to shop or skip to avoid getting charged.&#xa0;<br><br>But should&#xa0;these emails get passed over or get filtered out as a promotion (which they do in&#xa0;Google) &#xa0;- or get lost with the other emails the company sends - shoppers might be surprised to learn they've been charged $39.95. The emails are generally titled&#xa0;"your showroom is ready" or "about your showroom."</br></br></br></br></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5693ea81c08a809b088b8848-975-731/screen%20shot%202016-01-11%20at%2012.35.00%20pm.png" alt="adore me email" data-mce-source="Adore Me/Screenshot"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me/Screenshot</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>The reminder to skip is at the bottom of the&#xa0;emails.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5693ea34c08a806f008b8865-617-290/screen%20shot%202016-01-11%20at%2012.35.16%20pm.png" alt="bottom of adore me email" data-mce-source="Adore Me/Screenshot"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me/Screenshot</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche told Business Insider that Adore Me really tries to let members know that it's nearing their time to shop or skip.</p><p>"Email is our first mean of communication with our customer and we have a strong CRM&#xa0;team that works on making sure that deliverability stays strong. Right now, our deliverability is&#xa0;at 99.9% and we make sure our database is clean and engaged - we never buy email lists and we&#xa0;only engage with Adore Me customers," he explained." On top of that, we also send SMS and push notifications to remind our customers to shop or&#xa0;skip the month - so even the 0.01% that don't get our emails because they are filtered as&#xa0;promotional or spam can get the reminder."&#xa0;</p><p>He also notes&#xa0;that consumers receive a pamphlet explaining how the VIP membership works with their first purchase, and that VIPs get ample perks - free shipping, $10 off, and a free sixth set of lingerie.</p><p>Once the fifth of month has passed, shoppers receive&#xa0;"store credit," permitting them to shop at Adore Me at any time.&#xa0;Adore Me offers refunds - but for only one month of credits. Should consumers unwittingly be charged month after month, they only can get one month's worth of funds back.</p><p>The remaining months credits can be used to shop, meaning not all is lost, but they expire in&#xa0;a year, <a href="http://haileetay.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-experience-adore-me.html">according to online reviews.</a>&#xa0;<br><br>None of this has mitigated the fury of consumers who want all of their money back and didn't want to be billed repeatedly in the first place. (Some consumers swear&#xa0;that they ended up with store credit and couldn't purchase anything - <a href="http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/06/adore-me-lingerie-review.html#comment-2278697389" target="_blank">one commenter on The Lingerie Addict</a> alleges she was able to cancel her VIP membership but had $200 in credit, all of which disappeared upon cancellation.)</br></br></p><p>The credit and refund policy has some customers reeling. Many of the hundreds of complaints with the&#xa0;<a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a>&#xa0;allege that it's extremely difficult to get out of billing cycles and to get refunds.</p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/AdoreMe">@AdoreMe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fraud?src=hash">#fraud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scam?src=hash">#scam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dontletyoucancel?src=hash">#dontletyoucancel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neverusethem?src=hash">#neverusethem</a> <a href="http://t.co/XgDEUNuVul">pic.twitter.com/XgDEUNuVul</a></p>- Sole Reed  (@sole_reed) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/560581736246280192">January 28, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">Adore Me maintains that the c<span>ompany lets consumers </span><span>send an email requesting to unsubscribe</span><span>&#xa0;online through its online customer service porta</span><span>l - but there's no automatic unsubscribe option.&#xa0;This is&#xa0;one of the most frequent complaints.</span></p><p><span><span>And, despite the seemingly clear instructions,</span>&#xa0;consumers expressed how they felt duped into signing up for the VIP membership.</span></p><p><span>The most recent user review on the <a href="http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/online-retailer/adore-me-inc-in-new-york-ny-136513/customer-reviews" target="_blank">Better Business Bureau</a> reads as follows:</span></p><p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><span><span>"Buyer beware! This online retailer *********** offers lingerie at seemingly reduced costs by being a VIP member. What they don't make clear is that you must place orders for lingerie EVERY MONTH or you are charged $39.95. They store your cc information and don't allow you to delete it. To refute a charge and receive credit they make you jump through extensive hoops requiring you wait for refund to post then log back in and remove your VIP membership. Its never made entirely clear if unsubscribing means you won't be charged again. Whole experience has been terrible and I believe the advertising is misleading consumers about what it means to be a member. Caution to all those considering ordering from this online retailer, you may be signing your life away and not know it!"</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>Adore Me has faced sharp criticism in the past, and has managed to grow its sales despite that. In 2013,&#xa0;&#xa0;Cora Harrington of <a href="http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/06/adore-me-lingerie-review.html" target="_blank">The Lingerie Addict</a>&#xa0;alleged that&#xa0;the company's marketing of its "designer lingerie" was misleading because the company was only reselling products made by other manufacturers.&#xa0;<br><br>The company has<a href="Adore%20Me%20responds" target="_blank"> acknowledged </a>that it has "a few partners amongst some of the finest brands across the U.S. Asia and Europe" but that it also does design and make its own products.&#xa0;</br></br></span></p><p><span><span><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/AdoreMe">@AdoreMe</a> as soon as your reps find out they actually have to research fraud, they hang up on the customer. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adoreme?src=hash">#adoreme</a> is awful!</p>- Wackymoe  (@wackymoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/634487808489562112">August 20, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></span></span></p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;<span><span>Adore Me has grown and made improvements since many of these complaints first made waves.</span></span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span><span>"We constantly listen to all of our customer's feedback and have a lot of back and forth to constantly improve and provide the best possible experience,"&#xa0;Hermand-Waiche explained. "For example, we recently added a One-Click Store Credit Refund button on the website so customers who didn't skip the month but didn't want to get store credit can refund themselves automatically without having to pick up the phone."</span></span></p><p><span>And Hermand-Waiche says it's extremely easy to cancel the membership, and within two to three business days members will receive a link to help them cancel, and that after 30 days, if customers call customer service, they&#xa0;could still get refunded.</span></p><p><span>He attests that the complaints pale in comparison to the&#xa0;positive reviews.</span></p><p><span>"Keep in mind that in 2015, Adore Me counted over 1 million purchases, which means that these 560 BBB complaints account for approximately 0.0005% of all transactions of the Adore Me website. Needless to say this is an extremely low level of dissatisfaction.</span>&#xa0;In fact, Adore Me has very high satisfaction levels on other sites," pointing to <a href="http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.adoreme.com" target="_blank">Site Jabber</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adore-me-shop-designer-lingerie/id661053119?mt=8" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, and <a href="http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Adore_Me" target="_blank">Reseller Ratings</a>.</p><p>There are still <a href="http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.adoreme.com?rating=1" target="_blank">furious commenters </a>who say they have lost money and who had poor customer service experiences. <a href="http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.adoreme.com#4563" target="_blank">Adore Me responds</a> to these irate customers, saying that&#xa0;it's&#xa0;"<span>totally unacceptable and we assure you that we are going to investigate this issue."</span></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56814e2cc08a8017028b5184-1286-643/hcj_08_14_15_0044.jpg" alt="Adore Me shoot" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson/Business Insider"><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Ultimately, Adore Me's problems shed light on the confusing nature of subscription services&#xa0;and the importance of&#xa0;ensuring customer service if someone is billed repeatedly.</p><p><span>"Any recurring billing scheme is problematic from a customer service standpoint unless you err on the side of the customer even when you may not be legally obligated to," Sucharita Mulpuru of consulting firm Forrester Research&#xa0;said to Business Insider in an email this past fall, at the time of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/are-justfab-and-fabletics-scams-2015-9" target="_blank">Fabletics scandal</a>.&#xa0;<br><br>Certainly there's room for improvement on that front, not just at Adore Me.</br></br></span></p><p><span><span>"I think that the membership and subscription shipping concepts are extremely innovative and disruptive, and used by companies such as Amazon, Dollar Shave Club, Birchbox and Adore Me. But sometime there are shoppers who aren't familiar with subscription-based services and memberships and as a result are unsatisfied with their experience," Hermand-Waiche wrote to Business Insider.&#xa0;</span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chipotle-e-coli-outbreaks-spark-change-food-preparation-2015-12">Chipotle is changing the way it makes some of its food after all the E. coli outbreaks</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="JyeXlveTrD4FuIPZ_iz2McdP0j4lmFHg" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'JyeXlveTrD4FuIPZ_iz2McdP0j4lmFHg',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Furious customers are calling a hot lingerie start-up a 'scam' because of its sales model

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5682c73be6183e28008b57c5-5348-4011/ruthporat1.jpg" alt="Ruth Porat" data-mce-source="Google" /><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p><p class="caption">Former Morgan Stanley <keyword id="53346" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CFO">CFO</keyword> Ruth Porat replaced departing Google CFO Patrick Pichette earlier this year.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><em>CFO Insider is a weekly newsletter from Business Insider that delivers the top news and commentary for chief financial officers and other finance experts.</em></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/at-many-big-companies-new-blood-refreshes-finance-teams-1451350246">At many big companies, new blood refreshes finance teams</a> (The Wall Street Journal)</strong></p><p>According to <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/at-many-big-companies-new-blood-refreshes-finance-teams-1451350246">an analysis</a> by The Wall Street Journal, about a quarter of companies in the S&amp;P 100 announced this year that they were bringing in a new finance chief or the current one was departing. Included among them are Google, Walmart, Comcast, and Disney. "<span>I've never seen so much volatility," Peter Crist, chairman of executive search firm CristKolder Associates, told The Journal. An increase in mergers and acquisitions, as well as several retirements, may be behind the high volume of executive shake-ups in 2015.</span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoos-popular-finance-tool-has-users-revolting-2015-12">Yahoo's popular finance tool has users revolting</a> (Business Insider)</strong></p><p>Yahoo has been making changes to its popular finance tool, and users have <a href="https://yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/315477">complained</a> of missing message boards, slow load times, formatting errors, and requirements to execute more commands, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoos-popular-finance-tool-has-users-revolting-2015-12">Business Insider's Jonathan Marino reports</a>. "<span class="s1">Yahoo Finance is continually developing and testing new product concepts in order to offer the best experience for users and advertisers," a Yahoo spokeswoman said. The mostly negative user response comes at a difficult time for Yahoo, which recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-will-reportedly-not-move-forward-with-alibaba-spinoff-2015-12">abandoned plans to spin off its stake in Alibaba and is now weighing spinning out its core internet business</a><span>.</span></span></p><p><strong><a href="http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000469854">UPS CEO: Here's what we need to see from the US economy</a> (CNBC)</strong></p><p>UPS is something of a bell weather for the economy, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ups-ceo-david-abney-on-us-economy-2015-12">writes Matt Turner on Business Insider</a>, which is why UPS CEO David Abney's outlook on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manufacturing-usually-drags-down-services-2015-12">America's two-speed economy</a> is telling. Abney <a href="http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000469854">told CNBC</a> on Tuesday that bolstered consumer spending has not yet driven an increase in manufacturing, but he's hopeful we may start seeing change early next year.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-28/thanks-for-quitting-here-s-10-000-come-back-soon-">A lingerie startup gives workers $10,000 when they quit</a> (Bloomberg)</strong></p><p>Lingerie startup Adore Me has an enticing offer for those who quit the company, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-28/thanks-for-quitting-here-s-10-000-come-back-soon-" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reports, and it comes in the form of $10,000 checks. "<span>We would do it for anyone that has put in a lot of hard work and effort at Adore Me," CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche said to Bloomberg. "</span><span><span>It's great for someone inside the company. It makes them more willing to stay."</span></span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/business/melanie-whelan-of-soulcycle-find-the-questions-in-every-answer.html?_r=0">The CEO of Soul Cycle shares the interview questions she asks every job candidate</a> (The New York Times)</strong></p><p>During <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/business/melanie-whelan-of-soulcycle-find-the-questions-in-every-answer.html">a recent conversation</a> with Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Melanie Whelan, CEO of the New York-based fitness company SoulCycle, explained <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/soulcycle-ceo-shares-the-interview-questions-she-asks-2015-12">how she hires</a>. To warm the candidate up, she first asks about their background and pays attention to the way they communicate and how they frame transitions. Next, she asks about a project they were involved in and listens for the impact they had. Finally, she asks if they have questions for her, which can reveal how well they've prepared and how intellectually curious they are.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ge-ceo-jeff-immelt-tax-code-perverted-general-electric-reform-2015-12">GE CEO Jeff Immelt: 'Our tax code is perverted'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FhaDJneTqsCnVxsRv2W7JOPQnS202sgy" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'FhaDJneTqsCnVxsRv2W7JOPQnS202sgy',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Google, Walmart, and Disney are among the many companies that shook up their financial leadership this year

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57acb144db5ce94b088b624c-1152/tv shoot adore me 10.jpg" alt="Adore me behind the scenes iskra lawrence" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Lingerie company Adore Me is doing something different.</p><p>It's going to be launching a television ad which will feature a curvy model - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-iskra-lawrence-aerie-role-model-2015-8" target="_blank">Aerie's spokesmodel Iskra Lawrence</a> - in the same commercial as Daniela Lopez, who has posed for Victoria's Secret's Pink brand. </p><p>It's rare to see curvy models in the same commercials as straight size models, let alone a model who is associated with Victoria's Secret.</p><p>Adore Me knows that.</p><p>"<span>The two models are in the same ad -  which we're really excited about because our goal is to promote inclusivity," Adore Me CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche said in a statement to Business Insider. "In the industry, these models would rarely be presented in one ad and we're very proud to be including both."</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57acb186db5ce952008b6224-2400/tv shoot adore me 2.jpg" alt="Adore Me Television shoot daniela lopez" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Plus size models wearing nothing but lingerie aren't entirely new to television, but they have often been met with controversy.</span></p><p>In 2010, a Lane Bryant commercial was prohibited from airing ABC during "Dancing with the Stars" or on Fox during "American Idol," <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lingerie-ads-nixed-due-to-plus-sized-model/" target="_blank">CBS News</a> reported.</p><p>"It was a controversy [and] everybody thought, 'Oh ... this is terrible,' but honestly, I thought it was great because it was giving us a platform to be able to talk about body image and acceptance. And media isn't putting curvy women on ... newsstands and on television," curvy supermodel Ashley Graham told Business Insider last summer.</p><p>"That was the whole thing," she said, "they were offended by my curves and lingerie."</p><p>And this spring, major networks allegedly<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lane-bryant-says-ad-was-rejected-2016-3" target="_blank"> didn't want to run another Lane Bryant ad</a>, though NBC told Business Insider at the time that "a<span>s part of the normal <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> standards process, we reviewed a rough cut of the ad and asked for minor edits to comply with broadcast indecency guidelines. The ad was not rejected and we welcome the updated creative."</span></p><p><span>It's unclear if Adore Me will feature any backlash from major networks once the ad airs.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57acb19bdb5ce9b61b8b6148-1024/tv shoot adore me 12.jpg" alt="Adore Me behind the scenes iskra lawrence" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Adore Me has been vocal to its commitment to inclusivity.</span></p><p><span>"<span>When people make those comments - 'oh, you know it's more expensive to make these [sizes] ... we need to forgo our margins...' I never really understand [that]," she said, pointing to how companies then miss out on selling to a piece of the population," Adore Me's business and brand development, Sharon Klapka, told Business Insider earlier this month.</span></span></p><p><span><span>That, in turn, translates to showing curvy models as well.</span></span></p><p><span><span>It's not the only company to showcase a variety of body types. Aerie has also capitalized on featuring a bevy of body types (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aerie-ad-photos-are-not-airbrushed-2015-7" target="_blank">sans airbrushing</a>) in its ad campaigns, </span><span>but has taken it a step further by showcasing women who are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aeries-latest-campaign-features-real-women-2016-8" target="_blank">regular people, as opposed to models</a> - a crucial move, considering that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/body-positivity-is-changing-what-people-think-about-models-2016-8" target="_blank">the old standard of a 'supermodel' has been shifting </a>dramatically in recent years.</span></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57acb1acdb5ce949188b6174-1024/tv shoot adore me 6.jpg" alt="Adore Me behind the scenes daniela lopez" data-mce-source="Adore Me" /><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Victoria's Secret, on the other hand, frequently comes under fire for its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-needs-a-new-marketing-strategy-2015-4" target="_blank">unrealistic portrayal of women</a> - and its frequent <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/allegedly-photoshopped-victorias-secret-photo-2016-8" target="_blank">Photoshopping gaffes</a>.</p><p>Still, Adore Me is a blip on Victoria's Secret radar. In 2015, it pulled in <span>$42.7 million</span>, whereas Victoria's Secret raked in nearly $7.7 billion in total sales. Adore Me also has been with met <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adore-me-shoppers-complain-of-scam-2016-1" target="_blank">criticisms from consumers who have been unhappy with its subscription program</a> and formal<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/truth-in-advertising-complaint-with-adore-me-2016-5" target="_blank"> complaints </a>from ad watchdog firm Truth in Advertising.</p><p>Adore Me confirmed that the ad will appear on cable channels beginning mid-September.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/curvy-model-responds-to-body-shamers-2016-4">A curvy Aerie model responded to body shamers in the best way possible</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="sxaWFuMjE6jWZIRQxnUvfoWyQ4WwN7ql" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'sxaWFuMjE6jWZIRQxnUvfoWyQ4WwN7ql',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Victoria's Secret's main competitor is releasing a lingerie commercial that's unlike anything we've ever seen

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56fab9ff52bcd021008b961e-909/gettyimages-496590510%20(1).jpg" alt="victoria's secret 2015" data-mce-source="Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy</span></p><p class="caption">Victoria's Secret's models are all tall and thin.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>The lingerie industry is going through&#xa0;a massive change.<p>Rail-thin models are being replaced with a variety of body types at lingerie companies from Aerie to Adore Me as&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/acceptance-is-killing-the-diet-business-2016-2" target="_blank">self-acceptance and natural beauty</a>&#xa0;replace the restrictive norms of the past.&#xa0;</p><p>This new attitude from consumers&#xa0;threatens everything that Victoria's Secret's marketing&#xa0;is known for, from the Photoshopped ads of&#xa0;Angels to the outrageously produced fashion show.&#xa0;</p><p>And now Adore Me - a company that&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/we-went-behind-the-scenes-at-adore-mes-photo-shoot-2015-8" target="_blank">explicitly told Business Insider in the past</a> <span>that it's out to "slay Victoria's Secret"</span>&#xa0;- has hired Aerie's popular spokesmodel <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-iskra-lawrence-aerie-role-model-2015-8" target="_blank">Iskra Lawrence</a>.&#xa0;<span></span></p><p>Lawrence, who has a huge Instagram following, is curvier than the typical lingerie model.&#xa0;</p><p><span></span><div>    <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/BH0T_TXjKfh/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">    </iframe></div></p><p>Arguably, Aerie pioneered this movement when it abandoned <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aerie-lingerie-ads-without-photoshop-2014-11" target="_blank">Photoshop in 2014.</a> It launched its campaign <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aerie-ad-photos-are-not-airbrushed-2015-7" target="_blank">#AerieREAL</a>, and has advertised women that have other body types beyond the typically pin-thin model found it most lingerie spreads, and found a star in the curvy Lawrence.</p><p><span>Last week, Lawrence shared an uphotoshopped photo of herself from her new Adore Me campaign on</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BH0T_TXjKfh/?taken-by=iamiskra" target="_blank"> Instagram</a><span>. Notably, it features her in between two traditional looking models, showing that yes, all women can be depicted together.</span></p><p>"<span>From when I started modelling at 13 to around 19 (when I was only about a UK 10 or US 6/8) I would have crumbled inside standing next to these two beautiful women and would have been way too insecure to share a pic like this," she wrote in the post, followed by a story</span>&#xa0;about how she's come to terms with her body and a message about loving oneself.&#xa0;Lawrence has become something of a poster girl for body positivity.</p><p>Adore Me has also utilized curvy model Sophie Tweed-Simmons. The company seems to be on a mission to promote inclusivity.</p><p>"Adore Me's vision is to revolutionize the lingerie industry by creating beautiful, affordable intimates for every body type. We believe that every woman, in every size and body shape, deserves to feel strong, confident, beautiful and sexy in her own skin," CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche wrote to Business Insider. "We are extremely proud to be the only major lingerie line to offer accessible and inclusive fashion that ranges from petite to plus (sizes 30A-44G for bras and XS-6XL for sleepwear designs)."</p><p>"Part of our mission to redefine lingerie is to challenge common perceptions of what constitutes being beautiful and sexy. For Adore Me, a world where you have to be a certain size in order to be considered beautiful is simply unacceptable," he added.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fda5588e4a7531b8b96f0-1500/iskra%204.jpg" alt="Iskra Lawrence Adore Me" data-mce-source="Adore Me"><p class="source"><span>Adore Me</span></p><p class="caption">Iskra Lawrence for Adore Me.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>But women may not even need a lingerie company to tell them that; their perceptions of what's beautiful and sexy have inherently changed.&#xa0;If the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-death-of-the-diet-industry-2016-7" target="_blank"> shifts in the dieting industry </a>can tell us anything, it's that women know that they can have curves and be healthy, and that wellness, not thinness, is now the goal.&#xa0;</p><p><span>Much&#xa0;of the commercial world has caught on, which makes Victoria's Secret look practically retrograde. &#xa0;Ashley Graham has graced the&#xa0;covers&#xa0;of </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ashley-graham-model-profile-2015-8" target="_blank">Sports Illustrated</a><span> and</span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/maxim-features-ashley-graham-2016-3" target="_blank"> Maxim</a><span> - two magazines that traditionally target men - almost as proof that the pendulum is swinging in favor of body types, and it might be because of how social media has helped women who might normally&#xa0;</span><em>not&#xa0;</em><span>have had voices have had vehicles through which they can communicate.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span><span>"Social media in general has given a voice to consumers who might have and have actually up til now felt invisible,"&#xa0;<span> </span><span>Kristy Sammis, founder, Chief Operating Officer,&#xa0;and Chief Creative Office of Clever Girls, an influencer marketing organization, told Business Insider.<br /></span></span></span><br><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56b246962e526519008b48bb-526/victoria's%20secret.jpg" alt="Victoria's Secret Facebook Photo" data-mce-source="Facebook/Victoria's Secret" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/victoriassecret/photos/a.102351319089.87426.79775744089/10153944607469090/?type=3&amp;comment_id=10153946589324090&amp;comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/victoriassecret/photos/a.102351319089.87426.79775744089/10153944607469090/?type=3&amp;comment_id=10153946589324090&amp;comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D">Facebook/Victoria's Secret</a></span></p><p class="caption">This photo got heat on Facebook.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Part of her mission with her company, though, is to help "brands understand that they don't control the narrative anymore. They don't get to say what [we] should like anymore. And so I think Victoria's Secret's having a bit of a challenge with that. For so long they've been able to kind of direct that narrative and say, 'this is what's a beautiful sexy body looks like,' and consumers are saying ' no, actually my body is what a beautiful, sexy body looks like."</span></span></br></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That's a lesson Victoria's Secret knows all too well.</span></p><p>In 2014, Victoria's Secret <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-perfect-body-campaign-2014-10" target="_blank">came under fire for for its "Perfect Body" campaign</a>, though the company<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-perfect-body-campaign-2014-11" target="_blank"> ultimately killed the campaign</a>&#xa0;and changed the verbiage to "a body for every body." But was it really&#xa0;<em>every</em> body?&#xa0;</p><p>Following the campaign, curvy model Brittany Cordts<a href="https://www.change.org/p/victoria-s-secret-a-body-for-every-body-prove-you-mean-it-victoria-s-secret?recruiter=190880026&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=facebook&amp;utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&amp;utm_term=des-lg-no_src-custom_msg" target="_blank"> launched a petition on Change.org</a> asking the company to actually show&#xa0;<em>every</em> type of body - or at least, beyond the models that it displays in its fashion show.</p><p>Of course, it doesn't help that the company doesn't sell plus sizes, either. And&#xa0;some women just want to see more accurate depictions of what women actually look like - which is arguably why Aerie's Photoshop-free campaign has performed so well. Interestingly enough, in an unusual attempt to sell "what's real" - that is to say, what is without padding - Victoria's Secret has been zeroing in on selling the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bralettes-and-sports-bras-are-destroying-victorias-secret-2016-6" target="_blank">padding-free bralette</a>.</p><p>But it's not just about showing a variety of body types, it's about catering to the consumer.&#xa0;</p><p>In fact, earlier this year, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-think-this-victorias-secret-ad-is-trashy-2016-2" target="_blank">Victoria's Secret Facebook</a> photo got heat being so overtly sexual that it rendered itself bordering pornographic. Customers on Facebook were furious and called it "trashy"; was this underwear for women or for men?&#xa0;</p><p>"There's<span style="font-weight: 400;">&#xa0;this sense that the body love influencers are really etting their own and doing it for each other and themselves, and &#xa0;[that[ it's about ... making themselves feel more confident versus what Victoria's Secret tends to do which makes it feel like it's for men," <span>Kristy Sammis, founder&#xa0;of marketing firm Clever Girls, told Business Insider.</span></span>&#xa0;</p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57448f4a910584716f8c488f-2400/aerie%20iskra%20ss16%201.jpg" alt="Aerie Iskra Lawrence" data-mce-source="Aerie"><p class="source"><span>Aerie</span></p><p class="caption">Iskra Lawrence for Aerie.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>For the most part,&#xa0;numbers show that when companies show more accurate depictions of women <em>for</em> women,&#xa0;sales improve.&#xa0;<span> Since abandoning Photoshop, its sales have skyrocketed; in its most recent quarter, the company saw comparable sales soar 32%.</span></p><p><span>Adore Me has also seen profits skyrocket over the years. In fiscal 2015, it took in $42.7 million in revenue - still, nothing on Victoria's Secret's nearly $7.7 billion from fiscal 2015 - but it is rapid growth from 2014, when it took in $16.2 million. (</span><span>The company, which operates primarily on a subscription model, has not been without its struggles; it has bee</span><span>n plagued by </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adore-me-shoppers-complain-of-scam-2016-1" target="_blank">consumer complaints about its business model</a><span> and </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/truth-in-advertising-complaint-with-adore-me-2016-5" target="_blank">formal complaints filed</a><span> by advertising watchdog firm Truth in Advertising.)</span></p><p><span>Hermand-Waiche said that Lawrence and Tweed-Simmons were two of Adore Me's best-selling models on the company's website, too.</span></p><p><span>There's even a void in Victoria's Secret marketplace that seems suited to showcase&#xa0;models like Iskra Lawrence: PINK, the c<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pink-is-the-future-of-victorias-secret-2016-5" target="_blank">ompany's successful, teen-oriented brand</a>, whose advertising is more flirtatious and less blatantly seductive in nature - though it misses out on the older consumers.</span></p><p><span>"<span>Pink has done a much better job of desexualization while remaining fun and flirty and sexy in a more lighthearted way. They now own the younger demographic, leaving the older woman (25+) a bit disenfranchised.&#xa0; Most women I know are not particularly proud to shop there (even though they may order their bras online),"&#xa0;<span>Malinda Sanna, Founder &amp; CEO of&#xa0;consumer insight firm SPARK Ideas wrote in an email to Business Insider.&#xa0;</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/573ddda891058426008c3c2e-959/pink.jpg" alt="PINK Victoria's Secret" data-mce-source="Facebook/Victoria's Secret PINK" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/vspink/photos/pb.26972120470.-2207520000.1463672185./10156878919145471/?type=3&amp;theater"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vspink/photos/pb.26972120470.-2207520000.1463672185./10156878919145471/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook/Victoria's Secret PINK</a></span></p><p class="caption">Victoria's Secret PINK.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p><p><span>Although interestingly, the reason that Victoria's Secret's main line eschews this sort of advertising is because, despite everything society is telling them, is that their customers - despite what they may be saying on social media - don't seem to mind. A surreptitious Victoria's Secret Photo shopper recently told<a href="http://www.refinery29.com/2016/07/117242/victoria-secret-photoshopping-tricks-interview" target="_blank"> Refinery 29</a> that curvier models don't sell products as well.</span></p><p><span>"<span>One time, during a swim season, they had these two girls come in that had abs and thick thighs and busts. They were really toned and their skin was amazing. They were still obviously models. But they were a different look. But, they didn't sell anything and so they stopped using those girls," the photo editor, who went by Sarah, told the website. (She didn't, however, mention when this incident occurred; a lot has shifted in the way of consumer's acceptance and self-love recently.)</span></span></p><p><span><span>And why would Victoria's Secret want to lose out on sales? After all, during a time when <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/traditional-retail-is-struggling-2016-5" target="_blank">most retailers are faltering</a>, it holds the whopping majority of the lingerie market and makes billions of dollars.&#xa0;</span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iza-goularts-workout-routine-2016-4">This Victoria's Secret model has an insane workout routine</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E0dDU5MzE6vkwH2NsJ6f3YOOcomnQ7hM" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'E0dDU5MzE6vkwH2NsJ6f3YOOcomnQ7hM',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Victoria's Secret is ignoring a massive shift in the lingerie industry - and it could be costing them tons of money

<p><div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/521ca9236bb3f71d7b2ad432-912-684/women-shoes-shopping-8.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="women shoes shopping" width="480" /><p class="source"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89338458@N00/2912437287/">Flickr / Sean Ganann</a></p></div></div>One-time shoppers, beware: There's a tactic being used by e-commerce companies that boosts their revenue by consistently charging your bank or credit account, even if you haven't purchased anything recently.</p>
<p>Startups like <a href="http://www.adoreme.com">AdoreMe</a>, a lingerie company that recently raised $8.5 million, and <a href="http://www.justfab.com">JustFab</a>, a fashion accessory sales startup that's raised more than $80 million, all offer VIP accounts.</p>
<p>At a glance, the VIP accounts look like a steal. Items cost much less than the normal listed price and there's no initial membership fee. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">It isn't until you dig through the fine print – or notice strange charges on your credit card statements – that you notice something unexpected.</span></p>
<p class="p1">The VIP accounts are really just subscription services, sort of like Amazon Prime. The accounts give you free shipping, free exchanges for unwanted items, and discounts on several products. Memberships appear to be free at first, but the sites actually charge you about $40 (depending on the site) unless you buy something at least once a month or opt out of the service.</p>
<p class="p1">In <keyword id="1829615" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="JustFab">JustFab</keyword>'s case, it is next to impossible to make a purchase without signing up for a VIP account. JustFab heavily promotes its VIP account and buries the option to buy stuff at the normal price. We've scoured JustFab and can't find a way to buy stuff without the VIP account, but JustFab's CEO Adam Goldenberg says it's possible.</p>
<p class="p1"><span>For unintentional members, getting monthly charges refunded can be difficult or impossible. <keyword id="1739163" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="AdoreMe">AdoreMe</keyword> will return unwanted VIP subscription charges if a user catches them within 30 days. But it isn't easy to find out you're a VIP member until a credit card charge hits. AdoreMe's account pages show no sign of the VIP membership you've signed up for, even in your list of recent transactions. Other sites have a strict policy against returning subscription money.</span></p>
<p class="p1">You can't easily cancel your VIP account either. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You have to call customer service and complain, and there's no "unsubscribe" option on websites. Sometimes it takes multiple calls before an account is finally canceled.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Morgan Hermand-Waiche, AdoreMe's CEO, admits there is industry confusion around subscription services. But he claims only 5% of his customers feel duped by his VIP service. </span></p>
<p class="p1">"By no means are we trying to catch people in subscription like JustFab does," Hermand-Waiche told Business Insider in an email. "We try our best to be as clear as we can and we explain both options at the check out. Sometimes, in the excitement of the purchase some customers don't really pay attention, but we are always A/B testing new ways of explaining to make sure most people understand it all."</p>
<p class="p1">A spokesperson for JustFab gave a similar response. "<span>We make it very clear during the </span><span class="il">JustFab</span><span> shopping experience and in many places on the site that if you choose to take advantage of the VIP membership prices, you are joining our VIP fashion service.  Generally, our members understand the program that they agree to upon making their first purchase as a VIP member."  </span></p>
<p>Hermand-Waiche says his team sends out multiple emails per month reminding members of their frequent need to take action or get charged. JustFab says it also sends reminders, and it flashes the VIP membership information multiple times before checkout. Both detail the programs in a "How It Works" section of their sites.</p>
<p>For one-time shoppers who don't realize what they've signed up for, VIP memberships are frustrating.</p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">One person describes his girlfriend's experience on JustFab in a <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4589349">HackerNews message board</a>, a popular forum for the tech community:</span></p>
<p class="p1" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"Her friend emailed her a link to JustFab, then she bought a pair of shoes from </span><a href="http://www.justfab.com/"><span class="s1">www.justfab.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> and never visited the website again. Only 8 months later, in early September, she was appalled to find out that her credit card has been charged a $39.95 fee for the last eight months. Yes, $39.95 for 8 months, without getting anything from JustFab."</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Another JustFab user says on a Consumer Affairs message board that she purchased one pair of shoes on the site, then later realized she had paid <a href="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/justfab.html">nearly $400 in monthly fees</a>:</span></p>
<p class="p1" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"This company is a scam. I</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">n order to make a purchase, I had to create a JustFab account. After making the purchase I was automatically signed up for VIP membership...</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">I was looking at my bank account activity and noticed they've been charging me every month even when I made a purchase. I called the manager and demanded a full refund for the 9 credit points, but received nothing." </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">There have been similar experiences with AdoreMe. One angry customer wrote in July on <a href="http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.adoreme.com">message board Site Jabber</a>:</span></p>
<p class="p1" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"I ordered two sets and I loved this company until they tricked me into signing up for a dumb 'VIP' access which was just them taking out $40 a month out of my account without me actually ordering and buying ANYTHING. I've been trying to get my money back, (now they've stolen $140 out of my account)…I hate Adore Me."</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Most shoppers are unfamiliar with the subscription tactic, so it's easy to miss the warnings or fine print.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Here are some ways the sites try to explain the service. Notice the monthly charges aren't stated up front.</span></p>
<h3 class="p1">JustFab:</h3>
<p class="p1"><div class="image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/521cbaffecad04a8143a6b91-761-345/screen%20shot%202013-08-27%20at%209.15.28%20am.png" border="0" alt="justfab" width="800" /><p class="source">JustFab</p><p class="caption">No monthly fee is listed until you scroll further down the "How JustFab Works" page.</p></div></div></p>
<h3 class="p1">AdoreMe:</h3>
<p class="p1"><div class="image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/521cbb416bb3f70a277c09f4-989-489/screen%20shot%202013-08-27%20at%209.38.05%20am.png" border="0" alt="adoreme" width="800" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source">AdoreMe</p><p class="caption">AdoreMe at least offers a footnote about the monthly VIP charges, but it still isn't front and center. </p></div></div></p>
<h3 class="p1"><span>And another AdoreMe promotion at check out:</span></h3>
<p class="p1"><span><div class="image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/521cb152ecad0457782ad420-1066-428/screen%20shot%202013-08-27%20at%2010.00.27%20am.png" border="0" alt="adoreme vip" width="800" /><p class="source">AdoreMe</p><p class="caption">No monthly fee is mentioned here either.</p></div></div><br /></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span>JustFab, which has 15 million members, may have the most aggressive subscription service. If you aren't a VIP member, i</span>t's nearly impossible to find an "add to cart" button for an item. VIP prices also look like one-time sales, not a discount you'll pay for later.</p>
<p><div class="image-container full"><div class="image"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/521caf7eeab8eae3512ad419-600-334/justfab2.jpg" border="0" alt="justfab vip" width="800" style="color: #222222; line-height: 22.5px;" /><p class="source">JustFab</p><p class="caption">JustFab's product page for someone who isn't a VIP member.</p></div></div></p>
<p class="p1">The membership service has benefitted JustFab, even if it has come at the expense of customers. CEO Goldenberg told Business Insider last week that most of JustFab's revenue comes from the subscription service. He expects his company will <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/shoedazzle-merges-with-justfab-investors-not-thrilled-2013-8">generate $400 million in 2014.</a></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In the meantime, angry customers are getting louder on message boards. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"></span><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"Good luck charging me, crooks! My bank is blocking all of your charges," one </span><a href="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/justfab.html">vents about JustFab</a><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">. "</span><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Do not EVER sign up to this company!" writes another. "[It's] a complete scam!"</span><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>

There's A Shady Tactic Shopping Sites Use To Get Money From You Every Month, Even If You Don't Buy Anything

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5224dad0eab8ead6429c0f09-1200-924/victorias-secret-13.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="victoria's secret" width="480" /><p class="source"><keyword id="5656" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Victorias-Secret">Victoria's Secret</keyword> media relations</p></div></div>Victoria's Secret is facing a deluge of competition from <keyword id="460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lingerie">lingerie</keyword> start-ups who seek to challenge the brand.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Brands like AdoreMe, Intimint, and True &amp; Co. are trying to seduce Victoria's Secret customers with lower prices and more tailored selections. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">AdoreMe <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adoreme-raises-85-million-2013-7">offers</a> direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victoria's Secret prices.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences. True &amp; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they don't. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">While these brands are consumer-friendly and creative, their business models ignore exactly what makes Victoria's Secret so successful. </span></p>
<p>In the '90's, Victoria's Secret used to focus on value. But the brand floundered because there was nothing to set it apart from other price-friendly brands like Hanes and Maidenform. </p>
<p>Victoria's Secret <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-is-the-top-brand-2013-1">didn't start dominating lingerie</a> until it stopped being cheap and began focusing on the customer experience. </p>
<p>Stores were redesigned with soft, pink wallpaper and inviting fitting rooms. Friendly, attractive associates were trained to greet customers and measure their bra sizes. </p>
<p>Women were willing to pay $50 for bras because the luxury experience made their lingerie purchases feel like investments. </p>
<p>This attention to customer service helped Victoria's Secret <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-fredericks-of-hollywood-2012-9">overtake competitors</a> like Frederick's of Hollywood and post record sales even during an economic downturn.</p>
<p>AdoreMe CEO Morgan <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Hermand-Waiche <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adoreme-raises-85-million-2013-7">told Business Insider</a> that "people are so tired of high prices and slow-fashion from Victoria's Secret."</span></p>
<p>But Victoria's Secret's sales suggest differently: the <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1651562-l-brands-management-discusses-q2-2013-results-earnings-call-transcript?page=2">brand recently reported</a> a 6% increase in the second quarter, on top of a 10% increase last year. That's among the best in the <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> industry. </p>
<p>Women don't line up at Victoria's Secret because it's cheap or has an ever-changing assortment of merchandise. </p>
<p>They trust the brand and feel like a trip to a store is a treat. </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Victoria's Secret offers an experience that e-commerce retailers simply can't compete with. </span></p>

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