D2C Brand Shapermint Rolls Out To Brick And Mortar With Belk And Nordstrom

Shapermint, the fast-growing, size-inclusive online shapewear and intimates apparel store, featuring its exclusive brands, Shapermint Essentials and Truekind, as well as a curated selection from the world’s top shapewear and intimates brands such as Wacoal, Maidenform and Bali, rolls out to its first brick and mortar locations today.

Three of the 10 best-selling shapewear styles in the U.S are considered Shapermint Essentials. The company offers fit and function-driven, uniquely comfortable SupportiveWear for every body, including bras, shapewear, underwear, leggings and more, at affordable prices, empowering its customers to celebrate their shape and dress with confidence. Launched in 2018, the company has grown to over 7 million customers in just four years.

Massimiliano Tirocchi, Shapermint cofounder and CMO, said, “We decided to enter brick and mortar, we had it in our plans in 2019, but Covid-19 happened, and it changed the entire situation. We know that actually most of the buyers are buying more in department stores than they’re buying online.”

Shapermint is the the third-fastest-growing web-only retailer. The decision to make an initial foray into brick and mortar retail today comes just four years after its 2018 launch. Shapermint has generated over $400 million in revenue and has sold over 16 million units of shapewear and intimates.

Following the heels of its rapid growth in e-commerce sales with 35 million unique visitors to Shapermint.com in 2021, the once exclusively direct-to-consumer brand is launching at nationwide retailers, Belk and NordstromJWN
. Shapermint.com carries everyday essentials from 13 brands, including household names such as Hanes and Maidenform, as well as its own exclusive brands, Shapermint Essentials and Truekind.

Shapermint has disrupted the global shapewear and intimates markets as it continues to grow. The global compression wear and shapewear market is expected to reach $22.27 billion by 2027, while the women’s lingerie market is projected to reach $78.66 billion by 2027, Tirocchi said.

In May 2022, Shapermint accounted for 10% of shapewear sales revenue in the U.S. Customers can now find styles from Shapermint’s confidence-inspiring Shapermint Essentials line at 125 Belk stores and 50 Nordstrom stores across the U.S., and on Nordstrom.com and Belk.com, Tirocchi said.

Shapermint SupportiveWear features shaping underwear, tights, leggings, bras, camis and more that uniquely combine comfort, size inclusivity, fit, function, and high quality at affordable prices.

In May 2022, three of the top 10 best-selling shapewear styles in the U.S. were from Shapermint Essentials (formerly Empetua). Shapermint Essentials strikes the perfect balance between comfort and control for 24/7 wear, with SupportiveWear for every body in sizes S-4XL and an array of colorways.

“They want to see the products and they want to try it out,” Tirocchi said. “They’re asking us. The stores are important for us so we know what consumers are waiting for. We’re trying to reach a higher customer base and higher persona.

“We were strategic in choosing retail partners for brick and mortar who can give our DTC customers a tactile in-store experience,” said Tirocchi. “We will continue to layer on brick and mortar retail partners that can further diversify our in-store footprint in key markets.”

Tirocchi also said that Shapermint has its own stores in its sights.

“Given that we have been exclusively DTC, we really want our customers to experience the quality of our products in person and give more people access to finding them where they already shop,” said Gabrielle Richards, Shapermint’s Brand Director. “We want to continue to share our message of body confidence and give more customers options for feeling comfortable, supported and confident in their skin. Now that we have launched our retail strategy, we are focused on scaling our business globally.”

Research and data is at the forefront of everything Shapermint does. It invests in quality materials and innovative technology, while fit and function remains a mainstay in its product design. The Shapermint Shape the Future Community is one of its largest and most insightful hubs for customer data. Wear tests, co-designing, and real-time input from real women – 1,600-plus customers – aids in the innovation of Shapermint products.

The company’s research and consumer insights team also studies product reviews and compiles quantitative feedback. Qualitatively, Shapermint executes approximately 30 customer interviews weekly, along with research and surveys. Instead of standard size testing models, Shapermint tests on real women with a wide range of body shapes and sizes to achieve the best fit possible for every body type. This is core to Shapermint’s product development process to create its category-leading shapewear and its commitment to its mission of inclusivity.

Shapermint’s strong service [ethos] “is why we wanted to start with Belk and Nordstrom initially,” Tirocchi said. “At the moment, for the launch we have 125 for Belk and 50 for Nordstrom. Mostly, when we consider what is our plan, there are potentially more department stores in the U.S., and Canada is a big opportunity for us also.”

The Shapermint Essentials assortment at Nordstrom and Belk includes but is not limited to the Shaper Bra ($28.99), which is among the top 10 best-selling wireless non-sport bras in America for Q1; All Day Every Day Scoop Neck Shaping Cami ($23.99), the number one bestselling shapewear top in America for Q1; the Open Bust Bodysuit Shaper Panty ($28.99); High-Waisted Shaper Boy Shorts ($24.99) – among the top five bestselling shapewear boy shorts in America for Q1; High-Waisted Shaper Shorts ($25.99)– among the top 10 best-selling high-waist shapewear shorts in America for Q1; High-Waisted Shaper Panty ($23.99)– among the top 10 best-selling high-waisted shapewear briefs in America for Q1, and Tear-Proof Shaping Tights ($19.99).

“Our overall nearest competitor – most of the comparisons tend to happen with Skims and Spanks,” Tirocchi said. “Shapermint, which was primarily online acquired a lot of customers. We get this comparison with Spanks and Skims. There are some differences, including price point. It has an emotional component behind that. We really want to make sure for Shapermint that the product and also the community is well-served. We’re trying to really create an experience.”