Victoria’s Secret Shanghai return: Key takeaways
- Victoria’s Secret has returned to Shanghai’s Huaihai Road with a new flagship following its previous store’s closure
- The flagship combines lingerie, sportswear, fragrance and body care with professional sizing services
- Its China retail strategy balances expansion into more cities with greater attention to individual store performance
Victoria’s Secret (维多利亚的秘密) has returned to Shanghai’s Huaihai Road with a new flagship at Longfeng PRSCO. That’s six months after its earlier Lippo Plaza location closed on a case of expired lease. With the return comes a Victoria’s Secret adjusting what its Chinese stores are expected to deliver.
The new shop brings lingerie, loungewear, sportswear, fragrance and body care together
The new shop brings lingerie, loungewear, sportswear, fragrance and body care together. There are now dedicated fragrance and beauty areas and professional sizing services. Store design retains Victoria’s Secret’s signature colours, but now incorporates references to Shanghai’s architecture.
The brand’s China retail strategy is changing too. It is putting more weight into balancing city coverage with individual-store performance. Regional centres are being targeted for expansion and closer attention is being paid to how each location performs.
The Huaihai opening is about giving the full range of Victoria’s Secret products a prominent showcase
But that’s all behind-the-scenes stuff. The Huaihai opening is about giving the full range of Victoria’s Secret products a prominent showcase. As usual, it features practical services to get customers through the door, and that’s the point. The showcase acts as an intro point as much as a point of sale.
Dao view: Can a flagship earn its keep?
A flagship can draw a crowd, but the business still needs shoppers to buy and return. Fragrance and body care could broaden the reasons to visit, while sizing services give lingerie shoppers something useful to seek out in person. The question is how to make a prestigious address best serve everyday demand.
