The Victoria's Secret Sports Bra Glut

“The days of wearing our old workout shorts and ratty T-shirts are over,” Victoria’s Secret Chief Executive Officer Sharen Jester Turney declared in November, when the lingerie chain introduced a line of sports bras. Eager to woo gym goers who want to look good while they sweat, Turney and her colleagues said the sporty undergarments would help the brand expand beyond traditional lingerie and sleepwear. The sports bras also could liven up a drab market. “We wanted to solve the uniboob problem, where your sports bra makes you look straight across—no one likes that,” Turney said. “This bra is just as much about performance and function as the look.”

So far the bras—several styles are sold online and in stores for $29.50 to $62.50—haven’t performed as well as expected. Victoria’s Secret ordered more inventory last summer and fall than it could sell, said Stuart Burgdoerfer, chief financial officer of L Brands, the company that owns the chain, at an industry event in April. “We have grown that business very nicely, but we bought a lot of sports bras.” The retailer hasn’t said how many it ordered, only that it has no plans to discount them.