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What are the demographics of Bebe clothing company's customers these days?
Hello! Thanks for your question about the demographics of Bebe clothing company's customers these days. The short version is the Bebe customer ranges in age from low-20’s to high 40s, takes care of herself, is confident, and wants to be noticed. This particular niche is seeing strong competition with new market forces around price-conscious, brand-agnostic consumerism. Below you will find a deep dive of my research / findings along with all the details for how I came to this answer.
METHODOLOGY
I focused research on current (within the past two years) sources, with a couple of exceptions. In those cases I was interested in how the company positioned itself in the past versus its brand positioning now, so some older sources were helpful in that regard.
OVERVIEW
Bebe Stores, Inc. produces a range of contemporary women's apparel and accessories, including separates, tops, dresses, active wear and accessories. Accessories include jewelry, optical, fragrance, shoes and handbags. Dresses are offered in a large range of categories, from special occasion to day dresses and jumpsuits. Its tops and bottoms also span a wide range of occasions, and outerwear includes jackets, blazers, coats, leather and vests. It also offers logo tops, logo bottoms, logo dresses and logo accessories.
Competitors are most frequently identified as Express, Guess, BCBGMaxAzria, Forever 21, and Marciano. When positioning their styling and price point to investors, bebe considers itself trendier than J. Crew and Michael Kors, and at a higher price point/quality than Guess or Express. Their mantra is "bebe skews trendier and more fashion-forward than most of its competitors, and strives to provide value." The price range is from $20 (low-end tops) to $400 (high-end dresses.)
The bebe website proclaims itself as "the go-to destination for chic, contemporary fashion. Designed for the confident, sexy, modern woman, bebe is a global label that embodies a sensual, sophisticated lifestyle."
TARGET AUDIENCE/CUSTOMER PROFILE
The bebe stores started off with a huge advantage over its competitors by targeting "a very unique market with a sexy and sensual concept." This both made the brand visible as well as aided its expansion into international territories. While today it identifies its customer age as from low-20’s to high 40's, initially the demographic was positioned younger, at "21-35 year olds specifically." As it stood, the brand was targeted too narrowly and overly dependent on celebrity ambassadors. Expanding the upper age range and dialing back the sexy image somewhat is part of the brand's plan to increase competitiveness and improve its financial performance. Because it turned off consumers when clothes became a little too risqué, bebe "is getting back to its roots as a destination for more than short skirts and rhinestones."
In an interview, bebe's CEO stated "there is a perception today that the bebe customer is the young 20-year-old party girl and the reality is she's not. The average age of the bebe customer is 32. She ranges in age from low-20s to high 40s. It's a woman who takes care of herself, who's confident, who wants to be noticed." The company describes its customer as follows:
- Lives a “24/7” lifestyle, constantly juggling work and her social
life
- Embodies power and glamour
- Is ageless and stands out from the crowd
- Considers herself a trendsetter and puts her own spin on the
latest fashions
- Prefers clothing that accentuates her curves (bebe is sexy)
- Looks for value and uniqueness when she shops
- Diverse customer demographics including fast growing
ethnicities"
A recent customer analysis identified the two interests of bebe customers with the greatest reach as Apparel and Fashion, followed by Entertainment.
CURRENT CHALLENGES
The product niche of Bebe Stores "has been a tough place for the company to find growth lately, ostensibly due to greater frugality and price-consciousness on the part of its customers, evidenced by a generally downward sales trajectory over the past five fiscal years." This has resulted in declining operating profit and cash flow, resulting in comprehensive restructuring including store closures.
Along with competitors Cache and Express, bebe is "fighting to stay relevant in this overcrowded, increasingly brand-agnostic, price-obsessed marketplace." As mall traffic declines and fast fashion players like H&M and Forever 21 acquire a larger share of clothing budgets, "these older, established brands, which started out catering to Baby Boomers, are having a harder time getting on the younger consumer’s radar now that their Boomer customers have moved on to brands that fit their bodies better."
SUMMARY
The customer profile for bebe clothing is a career woman in her mid-30's who is confident in her body image (i.e. likes to look somewhat sensual), fashion-forward, willing to pay a bridge-level price point, and is somewhat motivated by brand image.
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