Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Another retail business has ended up on the chopping block. Dealing with shifting markets and relentless competition, its closure marks the end of a six-year run and the downfall of another size- and gender-inclusive brand. Parade, a lingerie brand founded in 2019 by then-college students Cami Téllez and Jack DeFuria that focused on challenging traditional lingerie giants such as Victoria’s Secret by offering more inclusive, body-positive, and gender-fluid products, has permanently shut down operations as of Oct. 28, per a notice on its website. The lingerie brand quickly caught on with Gen Z through its use of eye-catching branding and social media marketing and created an online community across popular platforms, including Instagram. “Parade was created with the intention to welcome you all to express yourself in full-spectrum color with confidence, and we hope we were able to create that space for you,” the company said in a statement to TheStreet. Though the beloved brand garnered early momentum and a devoted following, the lingerie company had troubles that began bubbling to the surface long before its closure. Back in 2021, Parade opened its first physical store in Manhattan’s SoHo district. It started as a pop-up but blew up into a permanent site. But the store closed a year later after its lease expired. Even though it was a sizeable expense, due to its location in one of the priciest neighborhoods in New York, the store was initially meant as a marketing move to boost brand visibility rather than profit. The lingerie company continued to expand into physical retail, landing a partnership with Target in 2023 to sell its products across 400 stores and online. Meanwhile, the competition Parade faced was massive. When the company first launched, Victoria’s Secret was losing cultural relevance, facing backlash, and declining sales after its annual fashion show was canceled in 2019. Due to the timing, there was room for a new brand to fill the market gap. But other rivals had the same idea. That same year, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Kim Kardashian’s Skims launched, two brands with massive celebrity backing and creative social media strategies targeting similar audiences, which Parade had a hard time matching. “Social media doesn’t work the way many marketers think it does. The mere act of endorsing a brand does not affect a customer’s behavior or lead to increased purchasing, nor does it spur purchasing by friends,” said Harvard Business Review. But getting attention or mentions isn’t the same as driving sales. “Social media activity isn’t the same as driving sales,” said Small Business Growth Coach Terry Carney. “If your content isn’t built to convert, all you’re doing is entertaining. And last I checked, entertainment doesn’t pay the bills.” Parade now joins other struggling underwear brands Cuup, Knickey (now Subset), Thinx, and Understance.
