Victoria Secret

Victoria Secret has been a big driver of financial success for Limited Brands and VSX-
Sport Line is expected to be a big part of Victoria Secret sustained growth. Customers always
follow up and pay attention to trendy and hip fashion in the marketplace as they want a stylish
style. Basically, the biggest contribution for decision making from adults and pre-adults are from
advertising. Victoria Secret’s advertisers have done a brilliant job by creating an association with
Victoria Secret’s brand and the visual image of sexiness that will eventually come to mind. They
are using supermodels to market their signature line. This comes to be their trademark as the
customer always begins to believe they can be as seductive as the Victoria Secret’s supermodels
if they purchase the product. Before making any purchases, the buyers will go through five steps
of buyer decision process as below:

The Buying Decision Process

i. Need Recognition

The need recognition is the first step where the buyers realize they need to purchase Victoria
Secret. Their feel of need can be triggered by internal and external stimuli. As the internal
stimuli, it happens when buyers feel the need of comforts in their daily care. Most of the people
know, Victoria Secret is a luxury brand that gives comfort to their customer. Also, their need can
be triggered by external stimuli. This happens when buyers watch the advertisement, commercial
video or searching online. With the Victoria Secret’s campaign and brilliant idea of
advertisement with their supermodels, buyers see a desire to have their product. The
advertisement gives the impression that if buyers buy their products, they will feel and be
deemed as sexy as the supermodels. Buyer is shown that Victoria Secret has an array of quality
products that can produce enhancing results.
 ii. Information Search

Next, the buyers research some information about the product they are interested to purchase.
Some of the buyer search internally by themselves at the Victoria Secret shops on by online to
realize what they really want. To find other alternative options, buyers are obtaining information
from other sources where they can be buyer’s personal source, public source or experimental
source. Personal source is people around buyers such as, their family, friends or acquaintance,
meanwhile public source can be from the sellers, social media or others public alternative. Also,
they can get info by their past experience; maybe some of the buyers had buy Victoria Secret’s
product so they can examine the product based on their using before.

iii. Evaluation of Alternatives

At this point, the buyer has obtains all the information needed and all left is to decide whether
they want to make the purchase or not. Unfortunately, not all buyers use the simple and single
evaluation process in all buying situations. Instead, several evaluation processes are at work.
Looking at the success Victoria Secret has achieved so far, might be many people are more
inclined after research to purchase their product. This is based on research that buyers could find
the other products are not as affordable or not as high quality as Vitoria Secret’s brand. Victoria
Secret should find out how the buyers actually evaluate brand alternatives as it is hard to know
their evaluation process. If Victoria Secret knows how buyers determine to purchase their
product, they can take more steps to influence buyer’s decision.
 iv. Purchase Decision

In the evaluation of alternatives stage, the buyer ranks brand and form purchase intention.
Generally, when buyers buy Victoria Secret products, there can be two factors come between the
purchase intention and the purchase decision. The first factor is attitudes of others where
someone will overpower buyer’s purchase decision. If someone important tells buyer that they
Victoria Secret is worth buying, the chance of them purchase Victoria Secret is high. Next factor
is unexpected situational factor. Buyer income might be equally expected to the price of Victoria
Secret and the benefits are as expected. These two factors will lead to purchasing decision of
Victoria Secret.

v. Postpurchase Behavior

Last step in buying decision process is postpurchase behavior. Even though the purchase
decision is already completed, Victoria Secret job is actually not done yet. They need to know
either the buyer satisfied or dissatisfied about the product and will engage in postpurchase
behavior of interest toward Victoria Secret. Usually, Victoria Secret’s buyers seem to be satisfied
after making the purchases. Buyer reviews shows that many of them would recommend the
product to their friends. The general consensus of the customer is they feel sexy and comfortable
while wearing the Victoria Secret product. They believe it is affordable and also good quality.