Victoria's Secret made an unprecedented decision — and it might be the savviest move it's made yet

Victoria's Secret Swim
Victoria's Secret Swim

(Facebook/Victoria's Secret)
Victoria's Secret has axed swimwear.

Victoria's Secret dominates the lingerie market. But since CEO Sharen Jester Turney abruptly left in February, the company has made several moves that have sent consumers reeling — namely, ditching its iconic catalog and dropping its famous swimwear sector.

Swimwear is, on the surface, at least, tantamount to lingerie, so this change in particular left consumers scratching their heads.

But according Gabriella Santaniello, analyst and founder of A Line Partners, nixing swimwear was a brilliant decision. It's evidence that Victoria's Secret is adapting to an evolving time.

"I think they over-assorted the stores and they probably reassessed ... Their swimwear last year was not the best performing category for them," she said, adding that it's also seasonal, whereas undergarments and athleisure apparel are not.

Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret

(Victoria's Secret)

Basically, the company had too much going on and needed to trim the fat. Still, cutting such an iconic part of the brand could send a troubling signal to consumers. Was everything falling apart?

"I could see how it raises a red flag and it ... would be cause for concern for the people who are looking at Victoria's Secret as a brand and what they stand for, "Santaniello said. "But I think at the end of the day, they know where their growth opportunity is, and they see the competition out there, and for them, right now it's [time] to look inward and say, 'Okay, let’s really focus on what we do best,'" Santaniello said.

Victoria's Secret hasn't officially declared the end of swimwear, but the plan has been widely reported. It was first disclosed by BuzzFeed.

Since Victoria's Secret's core product is lingerie, it's more important than ever for the brand to zero in on undergarments, particularly since the 'in' type of bra right now is the bralette — a lacy bra without padding — something that Santaniello said any retailer could execute.

Bralettes have recently become more fashionable as more women want a natural, more comfortable look without any padding, and Victoria's Secret has been visibly promoting its version.

With numerous companies trying to grab a piece of the lingerie market, Victoria's Secret needs to prove exactly why it's been dominating the market for so long.

"I think for them, the bigger challenge is ... they're out in the malls, they see what's going on and they see that everyone's moving into intimate apparel. Everybody’s got their hand in that pot, American Eagle [with its Aerie brand] in particular ... American Eagle by sheer size is nowhere near a formidable competitor for Victoria's Secret, but they could get there," she said.