Question

Topic: Strategy

Women's Lingerie - Target Buyers: Men

Posted by Anonymous on 8/7/2012 at 4:14 PM ET 125 Points
I am considering acquiring an online lingerie store and launching it in Europe.

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to target men as the main buyers. They are obviously not the main market, but men DO buy lingerie for their girlfriends/wives/lovers etc and I believe there is no other women's lingerie brand that actively tries to address this issue.

Do you think this could work?

Any input will be highly appreciated. Thanks!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 8/7/2012 at 4:43 PM Accepted
    It could work.

    To ensure its success, deal with the issues of educating men on HOW to buy lingerie, educate them in sizing (and do so head on), and remove any feelings of unease or embarrassment they might feel in buying by making it easy for them to compare products to actual, life size body images (in photographic form).

    As far as I'm aware, no other lingerie store does this. None.

    As a result, you will own the male-buying-lingerie landscape and, if you are wise, you'll bring in TV reporters INTO your brick and mortar stores (if you have any) to show the process in action.
  • Posted on 8/8/2012 at 3:49 PM Author
    Gary, thank you for your advice. some suggest that it would be handy if there was a sort of console, where men could pick a base model and then cycle through choices and such. What do you think?

    Phil, thank you for the information. I was not ware that the return rate is that high. This is definitely an issue. But if we go with the idea that the store will be ultimately targeting men, we can assume that most would make those purchases and them offer them as gifts. I'd make the further assumption that gifts are less likely to be returned. These are too many assumptions and I will look into it to make sure.

    also, I found an article saying that over 50% of online lingerie purchases are made by men. If this is true, this market is definitely not served properly. Again, more research needs to be done, but I'll test the idea a bit more before taking the decision.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/8/2012 at 9:16 PM Accepted
    "Lingerie" covers a wide range of garments, and not all of these are likely to be given as gifts. Making the process man-friendly is a good thing, but ultimately the gift needs to be well-received. So, before you start marketing to men, it would be a good idea to find out what their women appreciate, flatters their bodies, fits well, etc. so the gift doesn't have to be exchanged. Perhaps by offering free shipping (both ways), you make the process easier & less risky.
  • Posted on 8/9/2012 at 6:27 PM Accepted
    I'm less confident that there's a big market in the M4W ("men-for-women") lingerie arena. Most women already have established preferences, and most men are not so comfortable with these kinds of purchases.

    Having worked in the category before, we know that the vast majority of lingerie purchases are made by women, and that brand loyalty is very high.

    That's not to say your idea can't work; only that it's a long shot. You should definitely consider some up-front market research to determine market size and attitudes toward/likelihood-of-purchase for the concept. This is a researchable idea, though it will require an up-front investment.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 8/14/2012 at 4:39 AM Accepted
    Why not do both? i.e. M4W and W4Self?

    * Two separate storefronts online
    * One shopping cart
    * One inventory
    * One stock control system
    * One warehouse and fulfilment system
    * One set of logistics

    That way you have access to the two different markets on both sides of the road for not much extra cost. You can fine tune the websites, and promote each one independently.

    BTW I'm pretty sure you can write Ts&Cs so that people can only exchange if the product has a defect in workmanship or material, or is not as represented on the website. And certainly never, ever when the product has been worn.

    Good luck.

    ChrisB
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