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

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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.


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.


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 one-

hundred-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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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.


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

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Target Macy's Victoria's Secret


Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

0 0.5 1

1.5 2

2.5 3

3.5 4

4.5 5


Depth of Assortment

Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4


Shopability of Classi9ication

Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5


Price of Products and Product Pricing

Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4


Website

Target

Macy's

Victoria's Secret

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Documents

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