Beauty Byte: Bath & Body Works to Trim Lines

November 30, 2007

Bath & Body Works has gone through quite a few iterations over the years. I remember when it was a quasicountrified place with strong scented lotions, but these days it reminds me more of a spa than a farm. Part of that feel comes from the high-end brands stocked in the store, but that's about to change.

According to WWD, Bath & Body Works is cutting its outside vendor list in half. Products from Peter Thomas Roth, Korres, Juvena, DDF, and the Savannah Bee Company will all be out by the end of the year. So if you're a fan of these lines, pick them up now — or just plan on doing so elsewhere at a later time.

Source

Bath And Body Works Beauty Byte

42 Comments

liz26111 5 years 24 weeks

About a year ago I went into a BBW for the first time in years. I was so shocked to see how much it had changed. As the time before that it only carried their own line of scented body lotions etc. I agree the scent is strong but Yankee Candle is much worse.

Dublin62505 5 years 24 weeks

They are right up there w/ Stankee Candle. Noxious fumes emanate from the store when you walk by it.

baltimoregal 5 years 24 weeks

I agree that they had a few too many brands but it will be a good idea to still stock some high-end brands- not every city has a Sephora, you know.

mizlynz 5 years 24 weeks

I was afraid that this meant they were cutting down items from their own lines...I'm glad that isn't the case.

dippedincopper 5 years 24 weeks

I was not surprised to read that BBW was getting rid of outside brands. Their profit margin is not as big with name brands compared to their own manufactured lines. The outside brands always seemed overly stocked and they were/are trying to bring in a different clientel, but their current customer base is unwilling to pay for a higher priced cream and if they are they are going to a dept. cosmetic counter where it's service based. At least they tried.

veronicaraye 5 years 24 weeks

not really a big deal...I think they should just carry THEIR siganture items?

katlovesclothes 5 years 24 weeks

I love that they started carrying Fekkai, and hope they continue to for convenience. I have to agree with a number of the above posters- they keep cutting the good smells and don't know what to replace it with! they had a great clean cotton blossom scent that smelled like clean laundry- my boyfriend liked it and would actually use it (air fresner, hand soap...) now many of the scents are cloyingly juvenile and unpresentable... I don't want people to come a house that smells of cheap fake fruit smells!

htiduj 5 years 24 weeks

I think this is a good thing. The store was getting a bit too much like a department store. And from a business point of view it didnt make sense. BBW is owned by the Limited - which owns Victorias Secret, Express, and Henri Bendel. Now that Henri B is available to anybody online, there is no need for them to sell the "fancy" body stuff at BBW. This way more people will shop at Henri. Besides, it was good when they focused on their own products.

chatnoir 5 years 24 weeks

I get ADD in BBW. I used to like the signature scents, but I don't ever buy them now. I buy the Temptations. Sephora does not sell Wexler so that would be bad if that one goes. I think they could pare down some. I do love them at Clearance time though.

Phebevenus 5 years 24 weeks

I LOVE juvena!!!

Francesca Fiore 5 years 24 weeks

That's a really good point, Asia84, I think you make a lot of sense there. I think it's also a situation where they have been neglecting their signature stuff to promote the outside brands, so the quality of their own brands are suffering. Interesting story about Farrah and Beyonce- good analogy.

Asia84 5 years 24 weeks

Everyone tries to expand and diversify, when the truth is, you're really losing money. i think what happend in BBW's case was that these products were selling more than their signature line. it's just like when Farrah was seen as a sexy woman, and made Beyonce look "sweet", she had to go. business is vicious, ladies.

loveritz 5 years 24 weeks

Discontinued scents, and even some le couvent, should be available at the semi-annual sale in january. and i know that at my store we have boxes and boxes of the outside brand products, so they should go on a reeeally nice discount.

halo0073 5 years 24 weeks

that is how they destroy them at many stores and companies. victoria's Secret too-beauty products anyway.

Allotrios 5 years 24 weeks

I liked Le Couvent. And they keep discontinuing my favorite stuff! No more Botanical Naturals (I adored the rose shampoo), no more Sandalwood Rose or Bergamot Coriander from from Aromatherapy (until the semi-annual sales, and even then, it's iffy). I had no idea they sold DDF, though; that must be in flagship stores. I like their products, but I don't exactly support their wastefulness. They destroy everything used as a display: even the unburned candles and robes. (Instead of, say, giving them to the homeless or some other charitable cause.) It's their stuff to destroy, but man...they go so far out of their way to make certain that once they throw it away, it can't possibly be of any use to anyone. That's a shame. (But once, my sis went dumpster diving and brought out a few undestroyed items. XD The employees had been new and felt bad destroying them, so merely tossed them away.)

LadyLiLa83 5 years 24 weeks

Ooh, I hope they put that stuff on deep discount! That would be fantastical! :)

aimeeb 5 years 24 weeks

Awww. :(

dracsbabe 5 years 24 weeks

I'll never forgive for them for stopping the Le Couvent line the best in the world :(

trace face 5 years 24 weeks

Forgot to add: I actually like the new image they had with the different products. The one right across the street from my work has Fekkai products that I like to sample, and it's closer than Sephora.

trace face 5 years 24 weeks

tjzchouse: I think you may be confusing Bath & Body Works with "Bed Bath & Beyond" I don't think B&BW has ever sold pasta bowls...lol

mare60 5 years 24 weeks

I stopped going there after I "worked" there one night helping with setting up new displays, it was not organized at all.

soco210 5 years 24 weeks

I used to work there and I hate that they put the scent of the month in the oil burner. In the local mall you can smell them 10 stores down and it's offensive. I remember during xmas they wanted the vanilla bean noel burning (which made me sick to my stomach) and I always "forgot" to light it. Then right before my shift was over I'd run up and light it before I left. Even scents I loved were way too strong in the oil burner. OMG when they had the velvet tuberose in there recently I wanted to die. I didn't even go in because of it. I ran.

luckymisstaylor1 5 years 24 weeks

I am so disapointed! I love bath and body works for body care, but it really bugs me that they've started carrying makeup and skin care lines. I can't decide if they're going for a do-it-yourself spa thing, or sephora #2, or what.

Lippy 5 years 24 weeks

I was unpleasantly surprised when I went to pick up my DDF toner months ago and found out they didn't carry it anymore...I actually liked the mix of high and low end and their own products...but no worries, there is a Sephora at the same mall

steen 5 years 24 weeks

The store always feels so overcaffeinated. You go from their classic scents (which change every few months, it seems) to the sugary teen stuff to the simple high-end packaging. It's like they crammed the store with products from whoever signed up instead of trying to select things that might have a more specific, common theme for their store. (I'm also just mad they keep discontinuing my favorite scents.)

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