Because those 53 of its 1143 locations are performing poorly.
ZipperJJ, Lady
I started wearing VS bras and sometimes their panties about 10 years ago–not as funderwear but for everyday. (Except for going to the gym. I’m not fond of their athletic bras.) I was sick of bra cups with edges that showed as ridges through tees and lightweight blouses or that just didn’t fit right, and none of the department store brands cut it. I shop only during their semi-annual sale. I also hand wash and air dry the bras, which makes them last a lot longer. Never have any trouble finding 36C bras there. The panties run a little small, but I buy a size up, and they’re comfortable. I don’t get thongs or the pure lace varieties.
I used to buy online, but now that I live a few blocks from a brick-and-mortar store, I go there, so I hope they don’t close this one.
From my observations in the small sample size of Minneapolis I can say their mall stores are one of the few I always see hopping on the weekends. Lots of business and long lines. The Mall of America has been constantly sustaining two locations at once.
They don’t carry anything in Pepper Mill’s size, so why bother?
Admittedly, I don’t pay much (OK, zero) attention to how busy Victoria’s Secret stores are, but I wonder if Mall of America might be an outlier in that regard. I’ve been to MoA a few times, and it’s as much tourist destination as it is an oversized shopping mall. If you have a bunch of young women (or even not-so-young women) at MoA from small towns in the Midwest, a brick-and-mortar VS might well be a must-see for them.
I used to shop there fairly regularly but I think I’ve aged out. I can still find my size (DDD), in a selection of styles, but they are almost all “HEY!! Boobs McGee is on the SCENE!! PLEASE LOOK AT MY BOOBIES!!” JUMPING OUT OF MY TOP!! BOOBSBOOBSBOOBS!!! which isn’t great for the office. Well, at least not my office.
And their underpants are all weird and small and up-the-butt-y, which is really not my jam.
Like I said, I think I’ve aged out. But when I walk by, the local one does seem to be doing a good business, so it guess it’s unlikely to be on the chopping block.
Because bondage is more popular now lol
Chains not lace lol
Hey! Been a while! Welcome back.
Oh! Well thanks. 
I’m kind of surprised about the brick and mortar because you cannot actually go back to a fitting room and try on underwear so how do you know how comfortable something will feel or if it will even fit? Also you cannot return something - can you?
EXACTLY. An item of clothing can look great in a catalog or an online pic…but you never how it’s going to look on unless you try it in a fitting room, and it saves you the trouble of ordering something, realizing it’s not going to work, and having to ship it back.
Married male here and of a certain age that Victoria’s Secret style bras/panties and lingerie fits into my formative years where certain preferences were set. In other words, I find VS and VS-style lingerie incredibly hot on women. That said, Mrs. MeanJoe does not shop there as they do not carry her size in a bra at all. This saddens me as I would always be up for a “my treat” shopping spree if she was inclined. Alas, she instead wears what I can only describe as commercial grade bras that come in 3 color options; white, nude, or black. They have the sex appeal of a canvas sail. That’s not to say that I don’t find Mrs. MeanJoe sexy as hell - I do! It would just me nice, every now and again, to see her in a sexy lacy bra and panty set.
The 2 times I went there (with friends) they had nothing in my size, and nothing to my taste, either.
There are plenty of lovely styles in larger sizes for women willing to look.
You try on underwear by putting it on over your current underwear. Granted, this will not work for all underwear styles but it will at least tell you if it’s too tight around the waist and buttcheeks. Probably can’t tell you about the ride after wearing it all day though. You can return underwear that you’ve bought and tried on this way, as well, making online purchases and returns a possibility. The online stores even send out flyers in their packages explaining the process.
I’ve never shopped at Victoria’s Secret because I can find everything I want online. As a kid, VS was “the store for sluts and brainless bimbos” so that of course colored my perception of it into adulthood. When they came out with the new hotness in like 2006 - putting words on your ass - it didn’t help my perception any. So it just ended up I bought all my lingerie elsewhere.
VS has been taking some heat for a recent interview in which one of their execs was perceived as fat-shaming and transphobic. There was a boycott, but I suppose it wasn’t very well-known since nobody’s mentioned it in 54 posts. I’m also skeptical that the boycott could do enough damage in such a short time to cause stores to close. But it might be a small mitigating factor.
I managed to avoid VS for years, thinking it was just another overpriced mall store with mediocre quality product. But I was thrilled to find that they carry bras in my hard-to-find size, and have been shopping there ever since. I can honestly say that my VS bras are the most comfortable I’ve ever owned, and I’m thrilled that I can find a style that works for any outfit. Okay, I still think they’re overpriced, but considering that I can’t walk into any other store and find bras that fit, I’ll live with the cost.
I doubt that the one in the mall near me will ever close…they always seem to be packed.