Retail goes physical again

Focus on Third Love

One company which represents the prime example of this trend is renowned intimate apparel specialist, ThirdLove. Founded in 2013 in San Francisco, ThirdLove in just under a decade has affirmed itself as one of the most quickly developing and successful online brands in intimate apparel with its extensive offer including over 70 bra sizes and its strong message to women. The name comes from the idea of giving women a third option, not having to choose between comfort and style, and empowering them through body positivity.

A digitally native brand, in February 2022 ThirdLove opened its first brick-and-mortar store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Intrigued by this latest development and curious to find out more about the people behind the brand, The Best of Intima spoke to ThirdLove co-founder and CEO, Heidi Zak.

Heidi, how did you get into Intimate Apparel and how did the ThirdLove brand start nine years ago?
I was actually shopping for a new bra myself and found the whole experience extremely frustrating - from battling mall traffic just to get to the store, the uncomfortable atmosphere and hassle of the bra fitting process, on top of the fact that the brand was completely out of touch with what I wanted as a woman. It was then that I had an “ah-ha moment” and I was certain I couldn’t possibly be the only one that found lingerie shopping unnecessarily uncomfortable. I knew there had to be a better way, and I thought my personal experience in both retail and tech could be the ideal combination to change how women shop for bras. I saw this as an opportunity to change an industry that was desperately in need of some reimagining. So, in 2013, ThirdLove was born with the mission to ensure every woman looks and feels her best.

In February you opened your first brick-andmortar store. Is it something you had always envisaged and what made you go for the leap?
Through survey work of our customer base and potential customers, we learned that there are some women out there who need physical interaction and try-on with a bra, especially to make that first purchase. As we think about growing and scaling the brand, having try-on experiences available is really important.

Has the journey from online to brick-and-mortar been as you expected it and what advice would you give to anyone considering this option?
One piece of advice for digitally native brands looking to move into brick and mortar would be to open your first stores close to home. The ability to visit your stores and interact with your customers and store associates is invaluable. From a marketing perspective, opening physical retail stores has provided us the opportunity to connect with customers IRL. Many new customers come into our retail stores having heard about our brand but were hesitant to purchase online. The store is the trust and validation they needed.

You had a pop-up store in New York just before the pandemic, what did you learn from the experience?
We learned a lot when we opened and operated our physical pop-up shop in SoHo in 2019. We had a big section of the store set up for using our fitting room technology on iPads. We learned most women visiting our stores really want that in-person interaction with a fit stylist. In our pop-up we only carried a small assortment of products for sale, in our new stores we have a much wider variety of our products stocked, as we know women want to walk out the door with a shopping bag.

What is your plan as concerns opening more stores, do you currently have a target number?
We’ve currently opened 4 stores across California and have plans to open between 4-6 more stores across the country by the end of the year.

How did you approach the actual design and layout of the store as well as the atmosphere it conveys?
Will all the stores be based on the same architectural/ design plan? Our goal was to create a look and feel for our stores that was light, airy, and bright, with elements of cozy. To achieve this, we utilized curves, soft materials, and warm lighting. Our design partners executed this flawlessly, creating a warm and inviting space that showcases our products beautifully. The basic layout, fixturing, and design elements will be present across all store locations.

Who is your core customer, and do you think brick-and mortar stores will help you reach a more diverse customer base?
We index heavily with millennial women, so we wanted to make sure we were reaching her in the places she was already going to be shopping at, so stores at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and Abbot Kinney in Venice made a lot of sense. We’ve seen that we’re absolutely reaching that core demographic, but also extending into other life stages, both younger and older, which is exciting. Many times we even have moms and daughters shopping together.

With physical stores comes the need for impeccable customer service and skilled fitters. Can you tell us how you choose your staff?
What sets ThirdLove apart is the level of comfort we create when a customer walks into the store. Shopping for and trying on bras is a potentially frustrating and vulnerable experience, so our overall goal is to break that cycle by creating a warm and welcoming environment that puts the shopper at ease. Our store associates are the most crucial element of that and are highly trained to understand bra fitting and style recommendations.

Recently you also expanded to activewear. How has your offer evolved over the years?
We were so excited to launch Active in 2021 after years of customer demand. Before we launched, ‘Sports Bra’ was the most-searched term on our website. We heard our customer’s rallying cry for ThirdLove to create activewear that solves their fit issues, and we were excited to enter the space to help better serve our customers. The centerpiece and hero product of the line is the Kinetic Performance Sports Bra. After 2 years of research and development, this performance wireless sports bra developed in cup-band sizing, including our signature half cups. It’s been reimagined to provide wireless comfort and high support with moisture wicking for quick drying and a breathable foam with support zones, the bra ensures every woman can live her most comfortable active life.

How important is inclusivity for ThirdLove and how is it expressed?
At ThirdLove, inclusivity has always been and will continue to be at the core of our brand. When we first entered the intimates market in 2013, we wanted to create a very different experience than what had become the industry norm. For us that meant creating a product for women of all sizes, showcasing a variety of body types through our models, and designing lingerie that was meant to solve the problems women face in everyday life. We express inclusivity in many ways, including having an executive leadership team made up of people with diverse backgrounds and having a workforce that reflects the unique customers and communities we serve. One major way we’re working to push DE&I forward is to get more women-of-color entrepreneurs access to the things they need to make their businesses successful, including advice on securing capital, professional mentorship, access to office and studio space, and grant money through our TL Effect program.

Sustainability is key, in what ways has the ThirdLove brand been able to integrate it in its product offering and retailing in general?
We have focused our sustainability efforts on product end-of-life to divert waste from landfills. We’ve learned that bras and underwear are among the top-most requested items from homeless shelters and ThirdLove is in a unique position to help this need. Each year we donate millions of units of gently used bras that come back through exchanges and returns to women in need through partner organizations like I Support the Girls and Good360. For any product that cannot be donated, we partner with an organization that recycles the product into new items like filler for punching bags, insulation, and other creative end uses.We’ve expanded our donation and recycling efforts to our new retail stores as well through our Bra Swap events. Customers can bring in any old bra, which will be donated to a woman in need or recycled depending on the condition, and in exchange receive a free 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra.

You acquired Kit Undergarments in April. How does this acquisition fit into your company profile?
We had known we wanted to create a subbrand to target a younger demographic and decided to find an existing brand we could scale through the backing of ThirdLove rather than spending time, money, and effort on creating a new brand from scratch. Kit Undergarments was a perfect fit as they are aligned with our core brand values and mission of helping women look and feel their best. They approach the problem of great-fitting undergarments from a stylist’s perspective and reach a different audience with fashion and style top of mind. This acquisition is about bringing together two brands that both have strong and unique core competencies to offer a broader selection of solutions-driven undergarments to all women. Kit Undergarments will benefit from the scale, reach and operational processes that ThirdLove can provide, and we’re excited to leverage their knowledge and styling expertise to bring innovation to products and design.