Ann Summers is set to launch a new online marketplace later this month, which it described as the “ultimate house of underwear”.
The lingerie retailer said the platform will launch with 15 brands, including Calvin Klein Underwear, Lemonade Dolls, Curvy Kate, Nudea, and will be the only underwear specific site in the UK.
Knickerbox.com, which will not sell sex products or toys, will go live on the late Ann Summers founder Jacqueline Gold CBE’s birthday on July 16.
The retailer said the platform was a solution to its online business being challenged by Safe Search restrictions, which “reduces the visibility of the Ann Summers website and results in a large number of our customers unable to find it”, due to its range of adult toys.
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Ann Summers’ new brand KBX will be available to purchase on the platform, which it described as “understated, feminine and powerful” and offers carefully curated underwear, lounge and nightwear.
Chief executive Maria Hollins said: “The Ann Summers Group has ambitious plans for growth, and developing our omnichannel proposition sits at the very heart of these plans.
“We have been actively exploring ways we can leverage digital to support our growth ambitions and the launch of Knickerbox.com is a very exciting milestone for us.
“The new platform will create the ultimate ‘House of Underwear’ and through our carefully selected partnerships, we plan to support brands that align with our own ethos and values, namely female founded, ethical, inclusive, and fun.
“Launching on Jacqueline Gold CBE’s birthday has been an important decision. Jacqueline was a pioneer of change, arguing for female leadership and representation in board rooms, breaking taboos, pushing boundaries and building the Ann Summers brand.
“I know she would be incredibly proud of the new platform, Knickerbox.com, as well as our new brand KBX, which fulfils a different need to our Ann Summers brand. We are really excited about the launch and can’t wait for it to go live on 16 July.”
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