Plus candles and body lotion. Also, how one shop has earned the devotion of its clientele to the point where some fans are so committed to the brand that they have designated entire Their residences’ Bath & Body Works rooms to displaying its wares.
Celebrating its 30th year in business this year, Bath & Body Works is the unheralded star of parent company L Brands. Bath & Body Works has steadily built both its brand and its following while its sister company, Victoria’s Secret, has floundered (most recently bungling its announced spinoff with Sycamore Partners this past spring).
Some of these consumers have such an indelible attachment to bath and body works black Friday that they make a hobby out of compiling the company’s wares. Some people collect figurines, while others collect magnets or salt shakers from their travels. Bath & Body customers are no different; they frequent the stores on a weekly basis, film hauls of the various scents, and discuss the latest products in online forums on Reddit and Facebook. Delving into such minutiae as the packaging and the “throw” of a particular candle and which stores stock which fragrances.
How has Bath & Body Works not only survived, but thrived, in an era when large swaths of retail are dealing with the fallout of a pandemic, struggling with sales, and rapidly contracting store footprints?
This Group Of Fans:
It takes some research to uncover true Bath & Body Works devotees. Despite the fact that the store has a lot of casual customers. Visit the site YouTube. With Facebook. At Instagram. When you begin your search with a few key terms. Such as #BathandBodyWorks or #BABW or even the more generic #candlecommunity, you’ll find that doors begin to open.
A neighbourhood emerges as you keep scrolling down the page. Those in this category are true fans of Bath & Body Works who regularly record their trips to the store. Scent variations, multiple purchases of the same product, and discounts are common topics of conversation. In this community, members follow and comment on each other’s profiles, sharing insights and advice on topics like the latest in seasonal packaging.
Some of those people include Ash McDonald. A lot of the content on her channel, LiVing Ash, is devote to Bath & Body Works, but she also discusses other topics in the beauty, fragrance, and fashion industries. McDonald recently posted a video in which she spends roughly 20 minutes showing viewers how she stores her assortment of personal care products, many of which are from the retailer.
McDonald’s vast assortment is typical of her generation. The concept of using multiple body care products at once can be daunting to those who are accustom to using only one lotion or bar of soap at a time.
But in the same way that most people have a closet full of clothes that they wear in turns, those who collect perfumes do the same thing with their collections. What you have there is essentially a closet full of perfumes. In addition, people use products in a way that reflects their emotional state. Such as by layering them or applying them at various times of the day.
What is its purpose? How do you deal with everything that keeps coming at you? The following statement was made by McDonald during the interview. “And I do put them to good use.” She also uses a variety of products every day, including lotion and perfume layered on top of one another. The woman who always uses a different lotion in the morning and at night says. I have a daytime scent that I use in the morning and a nighttime scent that I use at night.”
Leah Van Wyk, a beauty vlogger and full-time YouTuber for her channel Leah Janae, has had a very similar journey. Their packaging is so cute! She gushes about Bath & Body Works, noting that “they have something for pretty much everyone,” thanks to their wide variety of fragrances. There seems to be a lot of new stuff coming out all the time. Including limited edition collections with seasonal and holiday themes.
As a result of the unifie aesthetic of the packaging, collectors are drawn to the products inside. For the most part, the product is consistent, and this is especially true of candles (especially the three-wick variety). That being the case, the size of the product remains unchanged. For the most part, it has the same form, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. Therefore, it suggests to buyers that it can be combine with other items to form a set. Due to its consistency, it can be enjoy as a collection. A trip to a store like Victoria’s Secret reveals an unorganised assortment of goods.
Float-y Construction.
A rise in sales can be attributed to the item’s collectability. According to L Brands’ 2020 annual report, Bath & Body Works has recently celebrated becoming a $5 billion brand. Delivering an outstanding 40 quarters of positive comparable sales since 2009.
Bath & Body Works is a well-known fixture in shopping centres across the globe, with nearly 2,000 locations.
What isn’t so obvious is that, despite the company’s upbeat image. It is a serious contender in the cosmetics and perfume markets. Euromonitor International reports that, among specialty retailers in the beauty industry, Hobby Lobby Black Friday is currently in second place, trailing only Ulta but ahead of Sephora.
