An unexpected retailer is surging to be more popular than H&M, Kohl's, and Macy's

pulse

February 20, 2018 9:08 PM

A survey of 10,000 people put Lane Bryant in second place in a list of the nation's favorite premium retailers.

Plus-size store
Respondents ranked the chain high on customer service and store atmosphere.
It ranked low on value for money.

Lane Bryant has won over the hearts of American shoppers.

The plus-size store, which is owned by Ascena Retail Group, placed second on a list of Americans' favorite premium fashion stores, gaining seven percentage points of favorability over the year prior. 10,000 people responded to the survey, which was done by the customer-experience management company Market Force.

Lane Bryant was second only to Nordstrom, which was voted the No. 1 favorite for the sixth year running.

But, it scored low on value for money. Outside of sale items, the current collection of dresses at Lane Bryant costs between $59.95 and $99.95, for example.

Lane Bryant has struggled in the past year. Same-store sales dropped by 6% in the fiscal year of 2017, following a 1% increase in 2016. In its most recent quarterly results, reported in December for the first quarter of fiscal 2018, Ascena Retail Group reported that same-store sales were down by 5% at Lane Bryant.

NPD Group, which were reported by Bloomberggrew 6%

In the past, Lane Bryant has been criticized for being unfashionable and outdated, but the company has started to shed its dowdy reputation. It launched several viral social-media campaigns to appeal to shoppers, including "I'm No Angel," which appeared to take direct aim at Victoria's Secret.

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