Shapermint, a New York-based shapewear company, is taking its online business to brick-and-mortar stores for the first time ever –starting with Los Angeles.
The shapewear retailer opened its first location at Valencia Town Center in Santa Clarita Oct. 24 and its second at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance Nov. 6.
The two are strategically designated testing sites ahead of a potential national expansion for the company, which started its shapewear business through e-commerce channels in 2018. It has since cultivated a 14 million customer base and is sold in over 5,000 retail locations, including Walmart Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. The brand is projected to hit $10 million in TikTok Shop sales, reported Modern Retail.
Growing a physical footprint
With a strong online following and about 700,000 existing customers in California, the time has come for Shapermint to expand its physical presence, said Gabrielle Richards, brand director.
Providing professional bra-fitting services and offering a full assortment of its products, the stores will provide retail lessons “instrumental” in further scaling the business, she said.
“Everything that we do is based on data and research, and what we realized is that we have a strong community and customer base in California,” Richards told the Business Journal. “I like to say we want to be everywhere (the customers) are.”
Shapermint is joining a busy local market where other shapewear companies, such as Kim Kardashian’s Skims Body Inc., vie for the attention of an increasingly discerning customer base that values comfort and sustainability.
While size inclusivity is declining across the runway in haute couture, according to The Vogue Business Spring/Summer 2027 Size Inclusivity Report, shapewear consumers of all sizes still need foundational pieces, Richards said.
“I have seen reports of a lot of brands reducing certain sizes in stores. We are doing the opposite,” she said. “No matter the size, women will still need that type of garment.”
That inclusivity also extends to age. Shapermint targets women between 35 and 65 years old, a strategy that landed it about 20% of the market in the 12 months leading up to November 2020, according to market research firm The NPD Group Inc. It also surpassed $250 million in sales, the firm revealed.
