ThirdLove Adds Workout Line to Intimates Collection

Lingerie retailer ThirdLove is branching out into activewear with the launch of a workout line, including a selection of sports bras that have been in development for more than two years, according to a CNBC report on Wednesday (Sept. 22).

CEO and Co-founder Heidi Zak noted that “sports bra” has become the most-searched term on ThirdLove’s website recently, which led the company to the new offering.

“It’s a competitive market for sure, but there’s no company that’s saying sports bra for women, first,” Zak said in the CNBC interview. “When you say Lululemon, I think leggings. When you say Nike, I don’t think sports bra.”

The ThirdLove activewear line also includes leggings and women’s workout tops along with the sports bras, which have adjustable back straps and range in price from $45 to $70.

“We aim to be the best sports bras that there is. Not to be mediocre, but to be awesome,” Zak told CNBC. “And it’s a growing market, so there’s plenty of room for new competition to come in and take market share.”

Zak noted that ThirdLove is the top bra brand on the internet among millennials based on sales and market share, according to data from market research company NPD Group. U.S. sports bra sales this year have topped $2.1 billion, up 53% from two years ago at the same time and up 48% from 2020.

ThirdLove could open brick-and-mortar locations again at some point, Zak told CNBC, after closing its only retail location in New York’s SoHo neighborhood soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Related news: ThirdLove Expects to Keep the Customers Victoria’s Secret Lost

ThirdLove’s philosophy since its 2013 debut is resonating with shoppers, with Zak telling PYMNTS that “inclusivity is table stakes, and you can’t build a brand if it’s not inclusive today, even in the bra space.”

Earlier this year, Victoria’s Secret launched the VS Collective, a partnership with several high-profile women who will appear in advertising and advise the company. It also introduced a new maternity line, relaunched its swimwear line and changed the way it brands and markets itself.

Zak told PYMNTS she’s not particularly worried about losing customers to the one-time industry leader, though. “I don’t think women easily change from one brand to another,” she said, adding that “if women have changed to brands that they love with products they love, I think it’s hard to get somebody to come back.”