Competitive Survey: Bras: Target, Macy's, Victoria's Secret

Competitive Survey: Bras Target, Macy’s, and Victoria’s Secret By: Laura Schneider & Brittany Roth February 2, 2011

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Introduction: Bras Bras are an important clothing necessity for many women all over the world. There are hundreds of styles of bras to choose from, and many retailers sell them because bras are constantly in demand. However, this creates competition. Retail is a competitive sport. Competition is everywhere.

Competing in various areas including presentation, service, depth of assortment, price, location, Shopability, promotion, the return policy, and the website are all ways in which stores and shops can gain a competitive edge.

Although excelling in each category is important, the most important way to be on the competitive edge is to know your competition. Therefore, when we chose to compare the competitiveness of stores selling bras, we decided to look in Target for our discount and mass store, Macy’s for our department store, and Victoria’s Secret for out specialty store, all of which are competitive stores. We

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had expected what some of the grades would be that we gave, but there were also surprising factors that we had never realized before.

History Target is “an American retailing company” that was founded in 1902 in Minnesota. The first Target store opened in 1962. In May 2010, Target was reported to have opened stores in every state in America except for Vermont.

Target is also the second-largest discount retailer in the United States (Wal-Mart is number one). This past month, on January 13, 2011, Target announced that they will be opening up to one-hundred and fifty stores in Canada by the year 2013. Target sells everything from clothing to electronics to household supplies to groceries. Target has had a major impact in the apparel industry as it boasts low prices, but good quality. (Wikipedia, 2011).

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Presentation of Product Grade: 2. We gave Target a two for Presentation of Product because the bras were not well displayed. They were simply put on shelves. There were no mannequins modeling the bras, either. The presentation was boring and lacked creativity. In addition, some of the shelves were empty, while some were overcrowded. Some even had just one bra hung up. It was not pleasing to the eye. Exhibit A, the photograph taken by Laura Schneider, shown below, gives an example of empty hooks, one of the reasons we gave Target a grade of a two.

Exhibit A

Service

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Grade: 1. We gave Target a one for service because, like Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret, our team was not approached by a sales person. In addition, we did not even come across a sales associate for the duration of our time there. It gave off a feeling as if they were understaffed and that Target was not concerned with having a sales team equipped to aid their customers and increase their customer’s in-store satisfaction.

Depth of Assortment Grade: 4. We gave Target a four for Depth and Assortment because we were pleasantly surprised. Target had a variety of colors and patterns and their bras catered to both teens and adults. The level of padding in the bras also varied, which is good as it attracts both large and small-breasted women.

However, many sizes were out of stock or had yet to be restocked, which gave the message that the bras are not available in some sizes.

Location Grade: 5. We graded Target’s location as a five because it is located within the mall and accessible from the street and within the mall itself. Target also benefits from having a bus stop nearby and restaurants and stores that lure

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potential customers to the area. The store is easily visible from 3rd street and there is a separate road customers can take off of this street that will get them directly to the Target entrance. This makes entering the store so much easier, because customers do not have to drive car around the mall parking in congested traffic to reach the store. Having a Target located within a mall is not very common and I think by locating this store within the mall they are really increasing their sales by luring college students who may usually not have driven to Target alone, but while shopping at the mall made a stop through. For Target, this location is ideal.

Shopability of Classification Grade: 4. In terms of the Shopability of Classification, we gave Target a four for a few different reasons. First, the bra section in the Intimate Apparel department was not crowded with shoppers, and the area itself was clean as in there were no bras on the floor. Another nice touch we noticed about Target is that they display each bra’s price in large font on the shelves themselves. This helps shoppers because they would never have to actively search for the price of the bra they would like to purchase. We also noticed that the different bra styles were organized according to shelves with a sign above each shelve naming that style of bra. We were pleased with Target’s Shopability of Classification.

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Price of Products & Product Pricing Grade: 5. Price is a major factor that consumers take into consideration when deciding what to buy and where. However, many people would like to have their cake and eat it too, meaning they would like to pay low prices, but still get reasonable quality and style all at the same time. Target excels at this concept. The prices for the bras ranged from $8 to $20 dollars, and if they were on sale, some were even less than that. As shown in Exhibit B, Target’s Push-Up bra was being sold for $12.99.

Exhibit B

Website Grade: 3.5. We gave Target this grade for multiple reasons. Although the

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address of Target’s website is simple (www.target.com), the actual website is cluttered and busy. However, arriving at the Bra section online was pretty simple. We clicked on “Women’s”, then “Intimates”, and then “Bras”. Once we were on the webpage, which displayed the bras, there were multiple sidebars where shoppers can narrow down their results to find the bras they are looking for in a time-efficient way. Shoppers can search by style, size, color, brand, and by bestsellers. According to the website, the online store offers nine different styles and sizes that range from a 34 A to a 44 DD. The prices range from $5.48 to $49.00. Fourteen different brands are available to choose from, as well.

There are three-hundred-and-thirty bras on the website. Potential shoppers can also view their results according to what’s new, bestsellers, best rated, price from high to low and vice versa. Although potential shoppers can view thirty, sixty, or ninety results per page, there is no “View All” option, which can be inconvenient when trying to find a particular bra. The online assortment is certainly as large, if not larger, than the in-store selection. In terms of the overall visuals of the website, the white background with red, black, and gray words, is not overly pleasing to the eye. It seems somewhat boring, but it’s actually a little overwhelming because there is so much text along the top and the right side of the webpage. Exhibit C, below, is a snapshot of the website as it displays the sidebars where shoppers can search by certain criterion.

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Exhibit C

History Macy’s a mid-to-high range department store carrying clothes, household items, bedding, furniture, and much more. It was founded in 1858 in New York City, New York. There are currently eight hundred stores around the United States.

(Wikipedia, 2011). Macy’s is also famous for its annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day

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Parade. Macy’s continues to serve as a prime department store for many shoppers.

Presentation of Product Grade: 2. We gave Macy’s a grade of a two because the presentation was well below par. The store itself was dark, there was mundane elevator music playing in the background, and we just didn’t feel happy to shop for bras there.

The displays were very repetitive. Almost all of the bras looked exactly the same, and the bras did not seem to be organized in any particular way. Bras of different colors, sizes, and styles were clustered together on racks, as shown in Exhibit D below. Quite frankly, the presentation was boring and unappealing.

Exhibit D

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Service Grade: 2. We gave Macy’s a two because the service there was relatively disappointing, especially considering the fact that Macy’s views themselves as a mid to high end department store. No one approached our team and asked if we needed assistance. Furthermore, all the visible Macy’s sales associates were stationed behind counters, not walking around and seeking to satisfy customers. They also weren’t smiling or very friendly, and consequently were very unapproachable. The only event that prevented them from receiving a grade of one was a nice woman from the Clinique counter who came over to us and told us about a promotion they were having and encouraged us to stop by before we left.

Depth of Assortment Grade: 3. We gave Macy’s Depth of Assortment a three because although there were many bras available quantity-wise, they lacked diversity in color, style, and shape. We believe Macy’s could have done a better job in their bra selection. There were many bras that were nude-colored, white, and black, but barely any colorful bras. Also, many of the bras seemed fit for an older woman looking to cover up, rather than hip and sexy bras for teenagers or young

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adults. Exhibit E shows a photograph taken by Laura Schneider of an example of bra that was seen throughout the department which is made for an older woman, but looks unattractive and boring.

Exhibit E

Location Grade: 4.5. We gave Macy’s a four and half for their location. The location of Macy’s within the city of Bloomington is very convenient. It is located within the city’s only mall, which is close to downtown, the IU campus and several other stores and restaurants that are frequented often by the general population. For those without means of transportation a public bus route makes stops right outside the front of the mall, which makes it less of a hassle

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for consumers to visit. As apart of the mall the store can be accessed directly from the street and from within the mall itself. However, its location within the mall isn’t ideal. It is far in back, and very visible from the busy streets of College Mall Road or 3rd St.

Shopability of Classification Grade: 3. We gave Macy’s a three for Shopability of Classification because it was disappointing. Although the store was clean and all the bras were hung up, the amount of bras was overwhelming. It was hard to find certain sizes and to distinguish the bra categories such as the bras for older ladies versus the bras for younger ladies or the bigger sized bras versus the smaller sized bras. It was all thrown together without any distinction. The store was practically empty, making it easier to shop, but it indicated that Macy’s bra-shopping experience is undesirable.

Price of Product & Product Pricing Grade: 4. We rated Macy’s as having a four for the Price of Products and Product Pricing. There was a large array of prices, making it possible for people on a budget, as well people looking to spend to find a bra and price of their liking. There were bras that were on sale for $9.00 to $12.00 and there were bras that cost $30.00 to $50.00. A basic push-up bra from Macy’s retails at

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$34.00. Also, the majority of bras were on sale for 25% off, making them even more affordable.

Website Grade: 4. We felt that Macy’s website deserved a four for many reasons.

For one, Macy’s website has a simple name, www.macys.com, which is very helpful for customers in remembering the web address since it is simply the store’s name. Arriving at the bra section was as easy as just a few clicks. We simply clicked “Women”, “Lingerie”, and then “Bras”. The background of the website is white and gray, but it looks sophisticated rather than boring. The font, like Target’s, is black, gray, and red. Also like Target’s website, potential shoppers can search for bras according to brand, size, price, color, bra feature, and by customer ratings. The website looks well organized and it features onehundred-and-twenty-eight bras, making the online store seem as though it is a good alternative to shopping at the physical store. In terms of viewing the search results, shoppers cannot view them from lowest to highest price and vice versa, or by bestsellers, however they can still choose to see twenty, forty, or one hundred items at once. There is no option to see all the results at once, though. The website offers bras by sixteen different brands and by eighteen different bra features. In addition, it offers bra cup sizes ranging from A to G and prices from $10.00 to $30.00. Exhibit F depicts Macy’s website and the clarity of it is evident in this snapshot.

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Exhibit F

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History Victoria’s Secret is a retailer that specializes in women’s clothing, lingerie, and beauty products. It was founded in 1977 in San Francisco, California. Its current headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio. By the early 1990s, Victoria’s Secret had become America’s largest lingerie retailer. Victoria’s Secret is also well known for it’s annual “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show”, which is shown in Exhibit G below.

Exhibit G

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Presentation of Product Grade: 5. The bra section in Victoria’s Secret was located in the front of the store, and worked its way into other rooms featuring more bras according to style. For the Presentation factor, Victoria’s Secret received a 5. This is because the displays were breathtaking. They were romantic and eye-catching in a positive way. One example of the creativity used in displaying the bras is the fact that there was a bra hung beautifully in a glass case, similar to the rose in the glass case in Beauty and the Beast, as seen below in Exhibit H. The rooms of bras screamed romance. It was nice to see bras presented that way instead of carelessly hung on hangers. We were very impressed with Victoria’s Secret Presentation of Bras.

Exhibit H

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Service Grade: 3. The service at Victoria’s Secret was just as disappointing as it was at Macy’s. Here no one approached us either. However, there were several more people working on their staff and they were all walking around the store in a friendly, more approachable manner. Typically Victoria’s Secret is wonderful in their customer service department and sales associates are quick to ask if assistance is needed, but we were disappointed the particular day we went. The assumed grade of a five was brought down by our single experience of a two.

Depth of Assortment Grade: 5. We gave Victoria’s Secret a five for Depth of Assortment because we were thoroughly impressed. Victoria’s Secret carries almost any type of bra one could think of. No bra looks exactly the same in terms of style.

Simple things such as added embellishments on the back, sides, or straps made all the difference. The bras also ranged in colors and sizes. Victoria’s Secret has an extensive depth of assortment.

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Location Grade: 4. We gave Victoria’s Secret a four because the location of Victoria’s Secret is also within the mall and has the benefit of a bustling area around and a bus route for consumers. One downside is that it cannot be accessed from the street. Customers must walk inside the mall first, which could be a hassle if the customer is short on time and only wants to visit the store of interest and leave without having to venture through other various parts of the mall to reach their destination. In addition, if a customer entered the mall through Target, or Macy’s those stores could potentially intercept the Victoria’s Secret’s customers before they reach the store, which could curtail Victoria’s Secret’s business. Moreover, unlike Macy’s or Target, Victoria’s Secret is not visible from the street; therefore it cannot visually lure potential customers in who may be traveling around the area. Within the mall though, the store is in a desirable location around stores like The Limited and the Buckle, which are stores with a similar target market.

Shopability of Classification Grade: 4. We gave the Shopability of Classification at Victoria’s Secret a four. The various styles of bras were separated and organized by room within the store, making shopping for the many types of bras less overwhelming. As

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shoppers, we felt lured into the various rooms and we observed the bras. The store itself was clean and the bras were neatly hung up on the walls. It was not overcrowded, either. Shopping for bras at Victoria’s Secret proves to be a good experience for shoppers.

Price of Product & Product Pricing Grade: 3. We gave Victoria’s Secretly a three because the prices were more on the expensive side. The prices of the bras typically ranged from $40.00 to $65.00, which is somewhat reasonable because of the quality, but those prices may be out of some peoples’ price ranges. Also, the price tags were almost hidden, which made us feel like the store was trying to make us choose between spending a lot of money for a bra or just not buy one at all. There also we not many sale bras, so there was not an option of purchasing a less expensive bra.

Website Grade: 4. We gave Victoria Secret’s website, www.victoriassecret.com, a four for a few reasons in particular. For one, it is easily accessible. After shoppers log on to the website, they can immediately click on what they would like to shop for, for example: bras. Once on the page displaying bras, the site can be come somewhat confusing, as there are many bra features, as well as bra

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collections that do not give the shopper much information right away. Instead, the shopper has to click on each individual link to learn more about that bra feature or collection. Another positive factor on the website is that shoppers can also shop by lift and by size. When viewing the bras, shoppers can view all or view each page as it comes. The large range of bras is identical to the amount of bras featured in the physical store. The website itself is very attractive. It looks neat and professional, yet inviting. Exhibit I is a snapshot of the front page of the bras on the Victoria’s Secret website. It shows just how organized and pretty the website is.

Exhibit I

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Comparing the Competition Presentation of Product 5 4.5 4 3.5

Target

3

Macy's

2.5

Victoria's Secret

2 1.5 1 Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

Depth of Assortment 5 4.5 4 3.5 3

Target

2.5

Macy's

2

Victoria's Secret

1.5 1 0.5 0 Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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Shopability of Classi9ication 4 3.5 3 2.5

Target

2

Macy's Victoria's Secret

1.5 1 0.5 0 Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

Price of Products and Product Pricing 5 4.5 4 3.5 3

Target

2.5

Macy's

2

Victoria's Secret

1.5 1 0.5 0 Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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Website 4 3.9 3.8 3.7

Target

3.6

Macy's

3.5

Victoria's Secret

3.4 3.3 3.2 Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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Bibliography 1.

"Victoria's Secret." Wikipedia. N.p., 2011. Web. 1 Feb 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria's_Secret >.

2.

"Macy’s." Wikipedia. N.p., 2011. Web. 1 Feb 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/macys >.

3.

"Target Corporation." Wikipedia. N.p., 2011. Web. 30 Jan 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation >.

4.

Google Images: Target. Web. 1 Feb 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www. acctv.com/images/globalnews/ogco_target_0108.jpg>.

5.

Target. Web. 30 Jan 2011. <www.target.com>.

6.

Victoria's Secret. Web. 31 Jan 2011. <www.victoriassecret.com>.

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7.

Macy's. Web. 30 Jan 2011. <www.macys.com>.

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