The OneStopPlus Group this week launched Fullbeauty.com, the online retailer’s first site dedicated to plus-size bras and lingerie.
More than 600 intimate apparel items from 30 proprietary and national brands are available, including exclusive styles by Amoureuse, Comfort Choice, and Dreams and Co., as well as mainstream brands that do full-figure bras such as Chantelle, Fantasie, Freya, Elomi, Lunaire, Avenue Body and Le Mystere. In addition to bras, the site features a range of plus-size categories including shapewear, hosiery, slips, camisoles, undies, robes and sleepwear.
Prices range from $9.99 to $129.99. Bra cup sizes are 36B to 50N.
Michele Crawbuck, vice president and brand manager for Fullbeauty.com, said the site represents the most comprehensive range of brands, styles, sizes and colors online.
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“Design in the bra industry has never been more exciting, and Fullbeauty.com offers true innovation in design and function and a no-compromise shopping experience,” said Crawbuck. “There’s Victoria’s Secret, which owns the misses’ market, but there really is no [retail] competition in the marketplace for the plus-size bra business, and the beauty of this is there are very few players. Bras are among the most highly technical products to manufacture, with 40 components or more. That’s why people don’t dabble in the plus-size bra business — it’s too complicated, and we’ve been doing it for years.”
The site will introduce plus-size swimwear for spring.
Crawbuck said OneStopPlus, a unit of Redcats USA, decided to launch an intimates site based on the success of its plus-size lingerie and sleepwear business.
“Our thought process is bras transcend any age or income level. If you’re a woman, you need a bra.…But it’s an undeserved market. We’ve conducted many consumer focus groups and the main gripe was, ‘I can’t find [plus-size] bras at stores…why can’t I be sexy, too?’”
She noted that a majority of plus-size women prefer to shop online, especially for plus-size intimates.
“I don’t think the plus-size customer gets the respect she deserves from [major] stores.…Lingerie for a plus-size woman is always tucked away in the back of a store, sometimes next to luggage. It’s not a pleasant shopping experience for her,” said Crawbuck.
Fashion will be a strong factor in selling plus-size intimates but making the shopping experience attractive is paramount, explained Crawbuck.
“She definitely wants fashion and she’s looking for color and prints, but it’s more about a one-shop experience where she can find anything she wants,” said Crawbuck.
As for how the company selected the Full Beauty name, Crawbuck said it received strong reaction from a number of consumer focus groups in the U.S. and the international marketplace.
“There were a lot of names, but Full Beauty was very well received. They liked the ‘Full’ piece of it because a lot of names did not tell them it would be a plus-size site. They’re not ashamed of their plus-size figures.
They wanted to know that it was a site for plus sizes, and they didn’t want to see skinny models. Full Beauty is about beauty and confidence, the imagery is soft, feminine and modern,” she noted.
Marketing and advertising will be an important factor in promoting Fullbeauty.com.
“We have one of the largest mailing lists in the country. We’ll be starting with internal distribution and will mail out 500,000 catalogues Oct. 11. We’ll also be on social media including Facebook and Twitter, and we are going to spend a lot of money on key word searches. Hopefully, we’ll have an even bigger launch in the future,” said Crawbuck.