Dive Brief:

• In a first for the undergarments brand, Cuup on Friday announced that it has entered a wholesale deal with Bloomingdale’s, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. The brand will be available on the retailer’s website and in-store at its 59th Street Flagship Store location in New York City.
• The Bloomingdale’s website will carry 17 styles in 53 sizes from its unlined bras, underwear range and swimwear collection. The flagship store will sell a similar selection with 15 styles in the same size range, per the release.
• Cuup is also bringing its virtual fitting service offline for the first time, making a team of "Fit Therapists" available at the Bloomingdale's store.

Dive Insight:

Cuup, which focuses on providing an inclusive range of lingerie, is taking its products offline through the partnership with Bloomingdale's. 

“Cuup is thrilled to be partnering with Bloomingdale’s for our first retail partnership, as the iconic retailer is largely recognized as an industry leader in the intimates space,” Kearnon O’Molony, co-founder and CEO of Cuup, said in a statement. “Bringing our best-selling styles to Bloomingdale’s is providing a new opportunity for our business to be discovered by such an engaged consumer — available both online and at the flagship New York City 59th Street location.”

Cuup joins several other companies that are building out their physical presence. Apparel brand Buck Mason opened its first store in Chicago this week, and companies like Wilson Sporting Goods and Glossier have been expanding their footprint over the past year. 

But Cuup is also in a competitive category, where legacy players continue to dominate. As it works to revamp its image with consumers, Victoria’s Secret launched its first exclusive collaboration with Frankies Bikinis last month, which is focused on utilizing the icon wings symbol from the retailer. The retailer also finalized its acquisition of Adore Me in January for $400 million, expecting it to generate $250 million in profitable sales from its latest fiscal year. Meanwhile, DTC swimwear brand Summersalt has been focused on inclusivity, similar to Cuup, by launching its annual “Every Body is a Summersalt Body” body positivity campaign in May.

While Cuup is bringing its virtual fitting service to real life, several brands have also been expanding their fit capabilities through technology. Savage X Fenty started rolling out new iterations of its fitting room technology with Fit Xperience last month, and Victoria’s Secret launched a mobile bra fitting tool in November. Additionally, intimates brand Wacoal launched a bra fit app in May of 2021, and social media company Snap acquired sizing tech company Fit Analytics in March of that year.