Dive Brief:
- Victoria’s Secret & Co. is designing “distinct” experiences to resonate with customers no matter when or how they connect with the retailer, CEO Hillary Super said on a Q1 2026 earnings call Tuesday.
- The lingerie company is focused on creating a “sexy, glamorous and luxurious” identity for Victoria’s Secret and a “bold, playful and irreverent” identity for Pink, Super said. The efforts combine products with storytelling to create emotional connections.
- “The differentiated brand identities we are creating for Victoria's Secret and Pink are coming to life across product marketing and channel experiences,” Super said. “When a customer enters our stores, opens our app or sees our campaign, she should feel like she's stepping into a distinct and emotionally resonant world.”
Dive Insight:
Victoria’s Secret strategy of creating cohesive cross-channel experiences for each of its brands, emphasizing connections over promotions, contributed to strong financial results at the retailer.
Comparable sales were up 13% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to an earnings report. Net sales grew 15% year over year to $1.6 billion, topping the company’s expectations.
The growth was supported by increases in physical and digital traffic, as well as strong customer acquisition and improved retention rates, according to Chief Financial and Operations Officer Scott Sekella.
“Stronger brand relevance, trust and overall perception signal that our strategy is working,” Super said. “We are growing sales through customer count and higher average spend as we lead with emotion over promotion.”
One traffic driver was app downloads, which are up over 50%, according to Super. More customers are talking about Victoria’s Secret, with testimonials about its products and brands four times higher than last year.
Victoria’s Secret is digging deeper into the customer journey to help it optimize its customer connections by identifying where, when and which channels customers are shopping through, according to Super. The retailer is also working to future-proof itself by meeting customers where they like to browse, whether that’s in person or online.
“I think you know it used to be that we had a store and we had a site, and those are the two places you came [to communicate] with the brand at any given moment,” Super said. “That is just not what it is anymore. There is an ecosystem of digital content out there engaging with her where she is.”
