PESTEL Analysis

Political– The issue surrounding the size of models Victoria’s Secret uses has caused a lot of controversy. Supermodel Robyn Lawley took to social media and launched the #WeAreAllAngels campaign through Change.org in 2018, calling on women to boycott the brand. In her petition Lawley wrote “…Victoria’s Secret have dominated the space for almost 30 years by telling women there is only one kind of body beautiful”. (Danziger, 2018. Forbes).

Economic – The UK underwear market is expected to grow by 11.4% between 2016 and 2021 but the growth in sales may be impacted as consumers are spending more on leisure wear. This increase in the market should work well for Victoria’s Secret and they may even choose to bring out more leisure inspired products or underwear to make use of this trend. (Mintel, 2016)

Social – In 2017, the over 55 age category accounted for 30% of the UK’s population which is a large amount of possible consumers. The majority of brands often treat the over 55s as one single age group assuming they have the same wants and needs however there are many differences between someone who is in their late 50s and someone who is in there 70s. (Mintel, 2017) Victoria’s Secret cater for mainly younger women, with always young women pictured advertising their products. This alienates the older consumers who may feel they are too old to wear the brand. A campaign targeting the older woman could be an avenue to look down for Victoria’s Secret. 

Technological – In this social media obsessed age, the use of social media platforms is vital to a brands success as it can reach such a large amount of people. The advance in technology over the past decade has enabled brands to become more connected than ever. Victoria’s Secret have brought out an app that allows users to view videos of the shows, behind the scenes and also an insight into products coming out in the future. This forges a connection between the brand and user of the app (EVENTMB, 2018).

Environmental – Coming a close second to the agriculture industry, the dyeing process of clothes is the next biggest polluter of fresh water in the world. Many hazardous chemicals are not allowed in a number of countries due to the fact they are toxic and extremely harmful to the environment. (Petter, 2018. The Independent). In 2011, Victoria’s Secret signed onto Greenpeace’s campaign to eliminate these chemicals from production of their products but it was found they did extremely little to adhere to the goals.

Legal – In recent years, body image has become such an issue that laws have been created to limit the unhealthy body ideals they are exposed to so often. In France they are tackling this problem by where any image that has been digitally retouched has to state that is has been done so otherwise a fine is given (Chazan, 2018. The Telegraph) This is something Victoria’s Secret needs to be cautious about especially when they use models whom they call “angels” which gives the connotation of being perfect. This law could potentially come into practise in other countries in the near future.