Skims, the American shapewear brand, has opened a 12,000-square-foot flagship store on London's Regent Street, marking a pivotal step in its retail expansion. CEO Jens Grede confirmed plans to operate over 100 stores globally by 2027. For the textile supply chain, this shift from pure DTC to omnichannel retail carries significant implications for fabric suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics providers.
Background: From Online to Offline
Founded in 2019, Skims quickly built a $4 billion valuation through direct-to-consumer sales. The London flagship is not an isolated move—stores in Los Angeles and New York have already opened, with Paris and Milan on the horizon. The scale of the London store, far larger than typical lingerie retail spaces, suggests a focus on brand experience rather than mere transaction.
This expansion signals a broader trend: leading DTC brands are embracing physical retail. For textile suppliers, this means order patterns will shift from high-volume, low-frequency e-commerce batches to low-volume, high-frequency replenishment for stores. Physical retail demands consistent SKU availability and faster restocking cycles than online.
Industry Impact: Three Supply Chain Pressures
The first pressure is fabric quality consistency. In-store customers can touch and try products, demanding higher standards for hand feel, stretch, and colorfastness. Skims' core fabrics—typically nylon-spandex blends—must balance high elasticity, breathability, and durability. Suppliers unable to deliver batch-to-batch consistency risk returns and brand trust erosion.
The second pressure is capacity flexibility. Stocking 100 stores, plus online sales, creates a rigid capacity requirement. However, physical retail has seasonal fluctuations (e.g., lower shapewear demand in summer, higher thermal wear in winter), requiring factories to adjust production lines quickly. Overcapacity or undercapacity both lead to cost inefficiencies.
The third pressure is logistics and packaging. Store replenishment needs precise delivery timing and smaller packaging units. Traditional bulk packaging for lingerie must be replaced by SKU- and size-sorted shipments, demanding higher warehouse and logistics digitization.
Practical Recommendations
For Fabric Suppliers - Establish batch retention samples to ensure traceability of key metrics like colorfastness and elastic recovery, enabling quick response to brand audits. - Develop 2-3 cost-effective nylon-spandex blends and pre-stock raw materials to shorten sampling lead times to under 7 days. - Proactively offer certifications (e.g., OEKO-TEX Standard 100) to build credibility for long-term partnerships.
For Garment Manufacturers - Introduce flexible production lines with changeover times under 30 minutes to handle low-volume, multi-style orders. - Share fabric arrival schedules with suppliers two weeks in advance to prevent line stoppages due to material shortages. - Offer customized pre-packaging services—sorted by store and size—to improve logistics efficiency.
Skims' retail push is not an isolated case. From Victoria's Secret to NEIWAI, lingerie brands are doubling down on physical stores. For textile supply chain players, those who adapt to the 'online + offline' dual-order model first will gain a competitive edge in the next wave of brand expansion.