Intimate Sales Fall

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Research firm The NPD Group says Americans are “losing the lust for lingerie” and women are buying less underwear in general…

Intimate sales have declined which is rare in a post-recession period. In the past, an investment in their bra and panty wardrobes has been high on the priority list for women, but not this year. Dollar sales for the U.S. intimates category over the last 12 months ending August (September 2011 – August 2012) show a decrease even though it posted a 5 percent increase in recent years.

With a couple exceptions – sales are up among young adults (aged 18-24) and seniors. So, of course, the NPD Group has (unintentionally) funny advice on how to market to those demographics better and boost sales…

Market accordingly to the young adult and the “experienced” (nice way of saying elder) consumers. I call this “multi-market messaging.” Talk the language of the consumer in different segments about what makes a great bra for their size, age, etc.

They also repeatedly call bras and panties “product.” Like hair “product.” Soon, ladies, everything you buy will probably fall under that grammar-mangling mass noun category.

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