Dive Brief:

• As it looks to expand its reach, intimates brand Lively on Tuesday entered the Canadian market. The brand will use its experience launching in the U.S. to guide its Canadian entrance, the company said in details emailed to Retail Dive.
• As it moves into Canada, Lively will tap influencers and ambassadors, as well as use “smart channel strategy,” the company said, noting that a percentage of its marketing spend will now be dedicated to the Canadian market. To entice Canadian shoppers, the brand will offer free shipping for orders over 120 Canadian dollars and up to 40% off its product bundles, the company said.
• “Our disruptive approach to the industry, blending the best elements of lingerie & athleisure, to create a new [point of view] called Leisurée is unique to the Canadian market,” CEO Kristin DiCunzolo said in a statement. “We believe our approachable, comfort meets function and fashion positioning is something Canadian consumers will gravitate towards and we look forward to welcoming them into our community.”

Dive Insight:

Lively’s expansion into the Canadian market follows a number of changes at the DTC intimates brand.

Japanese lingerie company Wacoal International in 2019 acquired Lively for “$85 million to start, with up to an additional $55 million in performance-based payouts,” the company said at the time. Wacoal also said then that Lively would continue to operate separately and founder and CEO Michelle Cordeiro Grant would remain in her role.

But last August, the company announced that Cordeiro Grant would step down as CEO and would stay on as the brand’s founder until March 2023. DiCunzolo, vice president of marketing and direct at Wacoal, was named Lively’s new CEO.

Lively’s move into Canada also follows a “strong” holiday season for the brand. The company’s net sales in November — which includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday — were up double-digit percentages year over year across all distribution channels, the company said in its announcement. Lively also said it was able to reduce its marketing by 50%, while improving conversion by 50% from the same period last year.

“The holiday campaign was highly efficient in reaching our community,” DiCunzolo said in a statement. “We had a strong creative strategy, an efficient media mix, and a compelling message that resonated with our customers. Keeping those standards for our engagements is what allows us to expand our footprint and reach new quality customers and welcome them into our community.”

While the brand doesn’t currently have plans for brick-and-mortar stores in Canada, it currently operates five stores in cities including Boston, Dallas and New York.