According to the Wall Street Journal, the chief executive officer of the brand known for its provocative televised fashion shows and alluring glossy catalogues made a shocking admission yesterday. In her mind, the brand has become “too sexy” — or at least the wrong kind of sexy. Responding to the past year’s weak sales and focus-group feedback, CEO Sharen Jester Turney said in a conference call with analysts:

We have so much gotten off our heritage…We will return to an ultra-feminine lingerie brand to meet [customer] needs and expectations.

Older shoppers have noticed the brand’s orientation toward a younger, flashier look. They don’t want the merchandise to become dowdy, but their image of “sexy” is more refined. Following a dismal holiday season, during which sales at stores open at least a year dropped 8%, executives have been doing some soul-searching and preparing to take steps to overhaul the brand’s image. Ms. Turney cited the brand’s recent Super Bowl television commercial as a small move in that direction, describing it as “less seductive.” The ad above shows Adriana Lima (professed virgin-until-marriage and Derek Jeter’s ex) wearing a modest gray camisole and panties, sitting in a white armchair. Whether or not Lima is truly a virgin, it is a fact that Victoria’s Secret has abstained from advertising on the Super Bowl for the past nine years. Here at SustyShag we believe that when it comes to driving what is and isn’t sexy in the marketplace, paying close attention to groups of all ages and not strictly attempting to exploit the youth market is the best way to succeed between brand to consumers as well as between the sheets. Changing customer views will be a huge challenge. Sheri Coulter, a 42-year-old secretary in Flower Mound, Texas, worked at a Victoria’s Secret store three years ago. “It was like pulling teeth to get the women our age to come in there,” she says. “In our 40s and up, we are sexy — just not the same sexy a college gal is.” For a time, she says, the store where she worked stopped carrying sizes 38 or larger, embarrassing some older customers who were turned away. Whatever Victoria’s Secret does could shake up the $10-billion-plus U.S. lingerie industry, which the chain owned by Limited Brands Inc. dominates, with sales of more than $5 billion for its most recent fiscal year.

via:: Wall Street Journal