Primary Research - Meadowhall Competitors
January 22, 2019
On Friday 18th January 2019, I visited the Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, to gather some primary research on some of their popular lingerie shops and to see how they all compared to eachother. I looked at 3 different stores: Victoria's Secret, Boux Avenue and Ann Summers.
First up was Victoria's Secret, and I was instantly greeted by their signature pink and white sign and dark walls. The store was very large, with a huge sale at the front as soon as you walk in. Immediately to the left was a wall filled with their popular fragrance collection - a great draw-point for those who are familiar with the fragrances, but perhaps not as much with their other items.
Much like the store in Milton Keynes, the walls were covered in quotes and photos of the Victoria's Secret angels in suggestive poses. Immediately you can tell the shop is very sexualised, and they are going for a provocative yet luxury theme.
One thing in noticed in particular was the display with the phrase: Dream Angels. Obviously the models at VS are referred to as Angels, so I got the impression that the line was aimed at those who aspire to be like the Victoria's Secret Angels. This point can be taken even further with the fact that there was a huge screen playing clips of the Victoria's Secret Angels walking in the fashion show directly behind the display.
The next store I visited was Boux Avenue. Instantly, I noticed a completely different vibe to Boux Avenue than that of Victoria's Secret. The store was a lot brighter, but still held an elegant and luxurious feel to it.
One of the main differences I encountered was the photography styles of the promotional images around the store. Unlike the very sexualised, posed photos in Victoria's Secret, the models on the walls of Boux Avenue were a lot more natural and fun with smiles and more realistic physiques. Another note is that the phrases that accompanied the photos in Boux Avenue were about the underwear itself such as "lounge" and "a girl's best friend" rather than suggestive phrases such as "hi bombshell" and "I'm a showstopper" that plastered the walls in Victoria's Secret.
Overall, Boux Avenue had a lot more conservative feel to it, and was a lot less tongue-in-cheek than Victoria's Secret. It should be noted that the changing rooms in Boux Avenue have adjustable lighting in their changing rooms, so you could still get the same mood-lighting, bedroom effect as they have in Victoria's Secret, just in a more modest way. This could be more appealing to customers that may be uncomfortable walking into a shop that is as sexualised as VS.
The final store I visited was Ann Summers. Ann Summers is slightly different to Victoria's Secret and Boux Avenue because not only does it sell lingerie, but it also offers a range of erotic items and costumes. Despite this, the outside of the shop is very subtle and simple, making a consumer more comfortable to approach.
Like Victoria's Secret and Boux Avenue, Ann Summers also displays quotes around their store. However, unlike Victoria's Secret, the quotes in Ann Summers are more empowering and personal to women.
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