Dive Brief:
- Bath & Body Works recently debuted a store design dubbed Gingham+, according to a company press release.
- The concept includes a new layout, technology features and scent bars in select locations.
- Fifteen new Bath & Body Works locations currently feature the design. The company will roll out Gingham+ to a majority of new stores in the U.S. this year.
Dive Insight:
Bath & Body Works wants shoppers to check out its Gingham style.
Design elements with Gingham+ include improved store navigation with dedicated zones for specific product categories, larger aisles and more shopping space. Some stores will have scent bars where people can test candles, wallflowers and fragrance mists. Videos will help shoppers discover fragrances and products.
Bath & Body Works is specifically interested in reaching Gen Zers through the design.
“We’ve heard from this demographic that many of their purchase decisions are rooted in their ability to try a product first, and while we’ve previously offered this, our new design is more intentional with specific destinations in store to test and learn,” Eduardo Tonietto, group vice president of store design, said in a statement. “Our team also knows that Gen Z is looking for a more relaxing and toned down in-store experience, so we’ve brought in a softer color palette for our fixtures and finishings and incorporated a more neutral palette.”
Bath & Body Works CEO Gina Boswell highlighted the importance of the demographic on a recent earnings call. “We think about younger customers as both an area of recent success and also a continued opportunity,” Boswell said.
Young shoppers have been drawn to the retailer’s lip products and its “Everyday Luxuries” line. The company is increasingly being seen as “a more youthful brand,” Boswell said.
Part of the retailer’s growth strategy is to improve in-store and online customer experiences, Boswell said. That means investing in marketing, loyalty and technology.
The company is now a predominantly off-mall retailer, with nearly 60% of its North American stores in off-mall locations with a goal of reaching 75% over time. In 2024, the company opened 106 stores in North America, nearly all in off-mall locations. It also closed 61 stores, predominantly in malls.
With one less week in the quarter, the company reported net sales were down 4.3% to $2.8 billion in Q4. Net income was down nearly 22% to $453 million. For the year, with one less week year over year, net sales were down 1.6% to $7.3 billion.
