The Business of Lingerie: January 2010

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Wholesale Lingerie & How to Start and Build Your Own Lingerie & Home Party Business

Great Lens on Starting Your Own Lingerie Business

Hi. I'm Marianna of Marianna's Jewels and I have been selling lingerie through private lingerie parties and shows for over 10 years. I am here to teach you how to make a very good income in your own lingerie business.

If you are as passionate about lingerie as I am, I will help you to build your own mini lingerie empire. Whether you are looking to start a home based lingerie business or open a small intimate lingerie studio I will share here in these pages the steps to make it happen!

One reason I choose to write these pages is I am constantly being asked how I got started. I really don't mind sharing my story. I'm not really afraid of competition. There's enough money out there for all of us.

So what are my secrets? I will share with you here 9 secrets of success in the lingerie business...listen carefully.

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http://www.squidoo.com/lingeriebusiness#

Wholesale Lingerie & How to Start and Build Your Own Lingerie & Home Party Business

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sexy Still Sells

It’s the granddaddy of intimate apparel in this country, having lifted the spirits of post-World War II America by inventing the push-up bra, pioneering black lingerie and introducing the thong to U.S. consumers.

An icon of sensuality for generations of shoppers, Frederick’s of Hollywood is poised for significant growth following its merger with Movie Star, a manufacturer of branded and private label intimate apparel for mass merchandisers, department, specialty and discount stores. The merger will enable the company to open a minimum of 50 new locations over the next 36 months as well as a Frederick’s office in Asia to increase assortment and facilitate speed to market. Also on the agenda is the development of multiple store concepts that tailor merchandise to individual markets.

STORES [magazine] recently spoke with Frederick’s president and CEO Linda LoRe about current market conditions and the chain’s strategies for growth.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the lingerie business these days?
LoRe: Many apparel retailers have jumped onto the lingerie bandwagon as a way to offer their customers a more complete lifestyle extension of the brand. The challenge in this is that these retailers don’t often delve deep enough into their customers’ lingerie drawer, so to speak.

Lingerie can be a delicate matter – does your customer want sexy or safe? Foundations or fashion? We have spent a long time getting to know our customer and what she wants to put in her top drawer. From that knowledge, we’re able to offer the Frederick’s experience – sexy, quality lingerie at an alluring price point.

Has the economy had an impact?
LoRe: The lingerie segment certainly feels the impact of the current economic climate, but consumers still consider lingerie an affordable luxury. They might not be buying as many high-ticket items, but they’re able to treat themselves to indulgences at a lower price point.

Frederick’s is responding by offering discounts on multiple items – two-for-$24 bras, four-for-$24 panties – promotions that give the customer the same Frederick’s experience at a price that allows her to get more for her money. We’re also giving her the ability to combine functionality with fashion. If she wants to get into a trend without making a significant purchase on a shirt or dress, she can indulge in trend-oriented lingerie, such as a bra or boyshorts. We’re doing extremely well with our fashion items.

What’s the outlook for the segment generally?
LoRe: The industry as a whole is at an important juncture. Many retailers continue to extend their brands with basic lingerie offerings. But the real winners will succeed by tapping into the needs of the customer through innovation and experiential shopping. It’s not enough anymore to build a bra with your label in it: You have to sell a better bra at an even better price, in a setting that makes customers feel special.

[Stores Magazine]

New Lingerie Chain set to Challenge Victoria's Secret?

Susan Nethero is the founder of the Intimacy lingerie chain which specializes in getting customers the right fit. Known as the "Bra Whisperer," she's become something of a fixture on programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and What Not To Wear.

Nethero has also started to expand her small company, where sales clerks provide each customer with expert fittings and alterations are free. She opened her first Intimacy store in 1992 and quickly established a loyal local following. It wasn’t until 2004 that she opened a second store, this one in New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood. In the next six years, Intimacy expanded to nine more stores, two in California.

From Minyanville.com...

The Atlanta-based retailer opened her first Intimacy store in 1992 and quickly established a loyal local following. It wasn’t until 2004 that she opened a second store, this one in New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood. In the next six years, Intimacy expanded to nine more stores, two in California.

Considering the near-saturation point of Victoria’s Secret stores in America, it's hard to imagine that Nethero's boutiques will ever make an impact. Part of the Columbus, Ohio-based Limited Brands (LTD), Victoria’s Secret had net sales of $5.6 billion through January 2009 and 1,043 stores. Don’t women already know how to buy bras?

Apparently not. Intimacy’s website states that 85% of American women are wearing the wrong size. And here’s where Intimacy’s specialties come into play: fit, fit, and fit. The company’s tag line is “The Bra Fit Specialist." Nethero herself has trained with the "Queen of England's Royal Bra Fitter." That would be June Kenton, the owner of Rigby & Peller, an intimates retailer in the UK which was granted a Royal Warrant in 1960.

Nethero believes that the right undergarment can do more than solve problems of fit and appearance. Her goal is even more ambitious: to help boost a woman's sense of self-esteem. "When a woman feels her best, looks her best, and moves with more confidence, an Intimacy experience becomes a true antidote to the tough times," Nethero tells Minyanville.

At the shop, sales clerks provide each customer with expert fittings based on the company's “proprietary holistic method.” (For a primer on some of Nethero's golden rules, check out the tips she gave Oprah's audience and the Top 10 bra mistakes she once listed on The Today Show.) Fittings can be booked on the store's website, and alterations are free.

The other difference between Intimacy and Victoria's Secret is the quality of the product stock. The upstart store sells luxurious European brands, such as Aubade, Simon Pérèle, and Chantelle, in a large range of sizes. "We carry close to 100 sizes of bras from an A to a K cup," Nethero tells us. "Victoria's Secret carries only from A to DD. In fact, they often send their fuller busted customers to our store."

For now, it appears that Nethero’s grand plan to lift and support America’s women is working. Nethero and her husband, David, who joined the company 10 years ago, plan to open four stores in 2010 alone. (They will be documenting the company's progress as a small business in monthly iReport videos on CNN.com.) And according to Women’s Wear Daily, the duo intend to expand to 25 stores by 2014 -- as long as sales don't sag.