Retailing Angel
I am a girl. I like shopping. So, let’s dedicate a few posts to this favorite subject of mine, in the vein of looking at retail spaces. It is at retail where brands really come to life! And the first thing about branding is to make sure you’re talking to the right consumers. This is where I feel like a few retailers really shine.
Let’s talk about a branding Angel – Victoria’s Secret. It’s a brand that’s stands for femininity at its finest. It’s sexy, but not sleazy. It’s alluring. It’s everything a woman wants to be. But, what about those who wants to be a woman, but have not quite grown into it yet. Victoria’s Secret created Pink for this segment. It’s cute. It’s sweet. It’s age-appropriately feminine.
To get this branding into retail, Victoria’s Secret created two separate retail spaces. In some cases, these are actually separate stores. Often, they are attached storefronts with distinct branding difference. Victoria’s Secret resembles a fashion boutique with its cream wood paneling, while Pink perhaps resembles a girl’s college bedroom with pink wallpapers.
Store associates are vital to the Victoria’s Secret brand. Victoria’s Secret is a store that’s built with the comfort and ease of the shopper in mind, regardless of gender. If you’ve ever shopped for lingerie, you may realize that sizes are tricky. That’s why they only have simple displays of lingerie, but store associates are always on-hand to help. Store associates will help you figure out what sizes are right and pull the appropriate product from inventory. So, it’s not just the space, it’s also the people.
In this case, the branding comes through as well. The store associates are dressed professionally in black jacket and pant sets. However, in cases where Victoria’s Secret and Pink are separate stores and staffed separately, Pink associates are actually dressed in black hoodies and sweat pant sets, which are just more age appropriate. It is in this level of detail where you know how much thoughts have gone into each Victoria’s Secret retail space.
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Jeannie Chan is a Brand Manager for a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. She considers herself a marketer, a traveler, and a foodie. Jeannie lives in NYC. 
