Marks and Spencer, Lingerie Book Three
Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction
Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction
Introduction Following on from who my consumer are and what is happening with technology developments the next step in my research is to establish which aspect of visual merchandising I am hoping to change. As my plans in my 360 campaign explain this change in merchandising will be based around lingerie in Marks and Spencer I believe it is important to first understand what the brand are already doing in terms of merchandising, as well as what other lingerie brands are doing successfully and unsuccessfully as this gives a better idea surrounding what is currently working and what needs improvement in this department.
First understanding lingerie as a department is very important as it will set a basis for the direction that I take this final project. This requires looking at brands that operate both online and in store such as Victorias secret and Ann Summers and brands which are on an online basis only such as Savage X Fenty and Lounge. Understanding both the online market and the in store market is important as my consumer are so technology based I will have to have a clear understanding of what the brands are doing which draws this consumer to shop online with them rather than in-store shopping. Once I have this understanding of what is working and what needs improvement within lingerie brands this look will progress to look at Marks and Spencer, what they are currently doing with their lingerie department and what I am hoping to achieve moving forwards.
SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM
SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM SUMMERS ANN SUMMERS ANN SUMM
Ann Summers
Although Ann Summers do have an online basis for the purpose of this project I am looking at its in store basis. Ann Summers stores always have a secretive element to them with them being quite open as a brand in terms of sexual aspects. This makes them relatively different to other lingerie companies as there isn’t many other well known lingerie brands that share such a strong message surrounding this. Ann Summers merchandising in store uses a lot of celebrity promotion with people particularly from reality shows such as Love Island helping to promote the new stocks that they have coming in. These women normally have personalities that fit in with the branding as they are sex positive rather than finding it a taboo subject.
They have tried over the years to keep the same message of female empowerment. After reading the brands journey from first opening in 1972 to now on the Ann Summers website the message has changed slightly as people have been more accepting however the branding has stayed relatively the same. This is good in terms of staying true to the brand however with Ann Summers currently facing potential store closures across the UK is it best to stay the same when it comes to merchandising. The same window displays with the same mannequins the only changes that you typically see is a different set of lingerie and a different face on the backdrop so is it time for a change? Is it time for lingerie brands to think out the box? As I believe from looking at a variety of different Ann Summers stores you can not really see much brand message from this.
VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET
VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET VICTORIAS SECRET
Victorias Secret
The show won’t go on?.. This is the concept I explored as part of my 360 campaign with the Victoria Secret show being cancelled in 2019 for the first time. How is such a massive brand which was so popular going downhill? The fashion show was one of the most popular however the New York Times found that it was cancelled due to cultural appropriation and have been under fire as they are not moving forwards with the times and are not inclusive with things such as plus size or transgender models which other up and coming online lingerie brands are already starting to do from setting up the brand.
Victorias Secret London November 2017
Victorias Secret London November 2017
This has had an impact on the brand as to generation Z it is important for brands to be inclusive as they will shop and stick with brands. The merchandising in store has always been laid out beautifully with the London store being like an experience rather than I store when I visited this however if the brand do not have this inclusivity it could be the downwind of the brand. They have the in store experience that generation z like when they are shopping with a brand however without the values to go along side it could hold out little hope. Therefore I think when moving forwards this is an important consideration as there should be no reason to make the same mistakes twice in marketing.
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Savage x Fenty Savage x Fenty is a newer lingerie brand which was brought out by Rihanna. This brand takes a new step for lingerie as it is on of the most inclusive. It is lingerie to make anyone of any size feel good about themselves. Rihanna released in an interview that vogue found that it was important to her to create something that pushes the boundaries but creating something that all women can see themselves in. This view was refreshing as it is designed in mind of making all women feel good in their own skin. As a basis this brand is currently online online however is succeeding this way.
Savage x Fenty also released their own fashion show which showed an empowerment of women bodies and cultural inclusivity which shows the gap in the market for where the Victorias Secret show was unsuccessful. This shows that inclusivity works within fashion partially when thinking about women lingerie. This show was the basis of lingerie through a woman’s eye instead of thinking about what men would like and what they would find attractive/sexy. The responses to this show blew u particularly on twitter with people particularly from this newer generation being in love with the performance and Rihannas brand. This leaves me with the question of is this the best direction in terms of reaching generation z and the alpha generation as they are so technology based is something more digital better? Or would people miss the experience of not being able to physically shop the products? Reflecting back to the initial high street questionnaire that I created a lot of responses do not like the way that you can not see the product before you buy or the hassle of returns with online so is the concept of something that can be both digital and physical a way forwards.
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Lounge Underwear Lounge underwear is a lingerie brand which came out in 2015 and focuses on looking great and being comfortable. The reason I have chosen to look at Lounge is they use social media as such a huge part of their marketing both on their own page and the use of influencers. When considering marketing to generation Z and the alpha generation this was important because they are technology based and social media is constantly at their fingertips and is how they gain most of their information. Therefore it is important to think about brands that consider this when re merchandising lingerie.
When researching lounge most of the information I found was based around the different influences who are helping to promote this brand, these are influencers such as Meg Kylie and Montana Brown. This concept of influencers having so much sway over a companies profits is extraordinary with the lines of lingerie being so fast to sell out. With an 124% annual rise in profit it is clear that the consumers are interested in the branding at least partially because it is so social media based which is really interesting to find as part of this research. Lounge underwear could be setting a new basis for the way brands market to generation z and the alphas as they have gained such trust and following in such a small portion of time it will be good to see how this continues in the future and if the use of influencers is a fad or if it will stand the test of time with social media becoming more popular to show off who we are, find out our information and follow trends.
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Marks and Spencer
The reason I have decided to base this project around Marks and Spencer rather than any other lingerie company stems from my second year placement where I worked for the brand aiding the visual merchandising team. I worked across all departments of Womenswear, Menswear, Lingerie, Home, Kids and Foods. This experience to me was eye opening as it was one of my first glimpses into this job role full time and has helped me realise the direction I hope to take post graduating. While I worked there I spoke to the team and they agreed there was a gap in the market in terms of marketing to an up and coming generation. I hope to change this gap using the information I have found around other brands and what I already know about how Marks and Spencer have the visual merchandising set out. (Image on across facing page shows how the merchandising currently looks based on my placement.)
The way that the visual merchandising is currently performed is they receive the plans from head office for each department and these lay out what items will be within each display and the VM team use this to create the displays using similar items if others are missing. They have an online forum between shops which allows communication between other stores VM team members so there can be discussions around any issues that arise or to see how they have changed displays based on sell outs in store. This was a fast paced jobs with some stands being changed every day however, after seeing the way things could be changed it has inspired me to move forwards with this project. (Image on across facing page shows how the merchandising currently looks based on my placement.)
Marks and Spencer interview
I originally planned to have an interview with the VM team in order to find out their views however with the current crisis of Covid 19 and lockdown I was unable to receive any response as the team are not accessing the work emails at this time however I believe this would have been interesting to see first hand. As this was planned I have included the questions to show the things I was hoping to learn by doing this.
Marks and Spencer interview questions My final major project for third year in university is based around merchandising the lingerie department in Marks and Spencer to generation Z. In order to produce this I have done a variety of research surrounding things such as; what generation Z and the alpha generation want from the high street, what is the current issues the high street faces as well as body diversity, and other lingerie brands. I am interested to find out how the visual merchandising team in Marks and Spencer feel it is currently working and if they have noticed any gaps that could potentially improve this. What age bracket do you feel the merchandising is currently aimed towards in store? What do you feel is currently working within the way the Visual Merchandising is being done? Is there any changes that you feel would help open the store up to a younger generation of consumer? How do you feel the lingerie departments merchandising is working in order to attract generation Z (ages 8-25)? How free are the team members in store to change the merchandising based on the images sent from head office? How is the merchandising plans made? Is there narrative/story behind the displays or are these just a focus of new stock on show? Do you think this is a move in the right direction when it comes to marketing to generation Z?
Interview Questions
Conclusion
Overall this book has given me great insight to the different ways that old and new lingerie companies are choosing to merchandise. This information will now be used together with the research from books one and two in order to create book four. This will show you what all of this research is for and show how I believe the future of lingerie marketing lies for the fashion industry when marketing to generation z and the alpha generation.
See the final result in book 4
Book Three/Four