Victoria's Halloween Secret is Out

Let's face it, they already are in the costume business. This is just a line extension.

Bob Phibbs, President/CEO, The Retail Doctor & Associates

How can you argue with this one?

Dr. Stephen Needel, Managing Partner, Advanced Simulations

Brilliant. Fun, fantasy and a new reason to wander in and browse the stores.

Anne Howe, Founder, Anne Howe Associates

Brilliant! Victoria's Secret is definitely firing on all cylinders and is poised to make Halloween the fall version of Valentine's Day for the brand. As Chuck points out, Halloween is as big an adult activity as it is for kids, and probably much more profitable. Victoria's Secret is smart to get in on the fun.

Marge Laney, President, Alert Technologies, Inc.

Terrific idea...let's face it, Halloween is becoming more geared to adult dress-up (so to speak) and less to kids every year. I'm sure the VS Halloween collection will have an element of "costume" and a large dose of provocation. Victoria's Secret would be smart to buy this collection somewhat cautiously, however -- running out of Halloween goods is much better than carrying them over on November 1st.

Richard Seesel, Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC

I used to be the CIO of a party supply retailer. The notion that the adult costume business started growing in 2005 is just plain wrong. Nirvana happened when Halloween came on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The grown-up costume parties would go out of control ... and the margins on Halloween costumes are stunning.

You could raise the prices by 50% on the Saturday of Halloween and people would still buy them if they had a party to go to.

Halloween falls on a Sunday this year. A good day. VS will do well. Next year, not so much.

Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner, RSR Research

No arguments from this quarter. Adults love fantasy just as much as kids do.

Ben Ball, Senior Vice President, Dechert-Hampe

I rarely go to Halloween parties ... but I might now! Kidding aside, with the growth of Halloween sales over the past few years, this is a great step for them. Not only will it garner new sales for this event, it will expose them to a whole group of customers who wouldn't necessarily wander into their stores. Let's hope they provide a great shopping experience for these new customers in the hope that they will become regulars.

Kevin Graff, President, Graff Retail

Smart move. From the comments here it will be very well received!

Camille P. Schuster, Ph.D., President, Global Collaborations, Inc.

Let's face it -- it's just a line extension! And, better still for the company, we and lots of other folks are talking about it.

Ryan Mathews, Founder, ceo, Black Monk Consulting

Simply put, Victoria's Secret entry into the grown up's Halloween market is a very shrewd and timely idea. It's naive not to recognize the opportunity in a big scary way!

David Biernbaum, Senior Marketing and Business Development Consultant, David Biernbaum Associates

I wish I could say something original, but I concur with those who have come before me. Great idea. But, more than that, a natural. It fits perfectly with the brand!

Gene Detroyer, Entrepreneur, Advisor, Consultant, Professor, Independent

This is a no-brainer for VS. The one caution is that they will need to be conservative with inventories. The category drops dead pretty quickly and the steep markdowns needed to clear remainders can wipe out all of the margin dollars pretty quickly. From my experience, the most successful are those retailers who try to get the last sale on October 20th, but not on October 30th.

Ted Hurlbut, Principal, Hurlbut & Associates

Yes, it is hard to disagree. On the inventory comment, last year, we went to a Spirit Halloween store on Nov 1st. Man, was that a scene from a retail horror movie! Stuff was ripped off the shelves, piled up everywhere, and marked down to pretty near cost. Of course, VS would never let any part of their store devolve that way (and to be fair, Spirit stores close after the markdown, of course). But still, they would want a scene anything like that, so the "plan for your last sale on Oct 20th, not Oct 30th" strategy makes tons of sense to me.

Jonathan Marek, Senior Vice President, Applied Predictive Technologies

As long as it's brand right, why not? I trust the master marketer Ed Razek will hit that target and lay off the sleaze button...or is that too boring? In any case, who wouldn't want to go to that party?

Lee Peterson, EVP Creative Services, WD Partners

I first read with some apprehension, but realizing that the costumes are targeted for adults, I relaxed a bit. That is a fit with their overall offering.

My request to VS: Please just don't introduce a line of costumes for Tweens, Teens, or anything in between!

Bill Hanifin, Managing Director, Hanifin Loyalty LLC

My question to Victoria's Secret is why has it taken so long to enter this growing market? They will reap great benefits from this very seasonal business that is growing by leaps and bounds.

Ed Rosenbaum, CEO, The Customer Service Rainmaker, Rainmaker Solutions

I think it's interesting that the product will be in all channels. When Tim Feran of the Dispatch asked me to comment, his info pointed to just the direct channels--web and catalog. Having it in the stores adds a different dimension (to the above comment about last minute buys on a weekend).

We all know consumer behavior is different in-store than it is online. I'll be interested to see how they present this in ads, promos, visual display and online.

And, yes, I'd go to that party.

Chuck Palmer, Principal Strategist, Consumer Experience Design, llc