Bare Necessities (company)
{{Short description|American lingerie, swimwear, and loungewear online retailer}}
{{Infobox company
| logo = Bare Necessities logo 2018.png
| name = Bare Necessities
| industry = Apparel
| locations =
| foundation = Avanel, New Jersey, U.S.
| founder = Noah Wrubel & Bill Richardson
| location_city = Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
| area_served = United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands
| key_people = Noah Wrubel
(CEO of Bare Necessities)
| products = lingerie, swimwear, loungewear
| revenue = $66 million
| num_employees = 200+
| parent = Delta Galil Industries (2020-current)
| website = {{url|https://www.barenecessities.com}}
}}
Bare Necessities is an American lingerie, swimwear, and loungewear online retailer which was established in 1998 in Avenel, New Jersey. The company claims to be the second largest online retailer in the industry next to Victoria's Secret with over $66 million in revenues.{{cite press release |author= |title=Bare Necessities Launches Plus Size Lingerie Website |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bare-necessities-launches-plus-size-lingerie-website-139090774.html |location=Edison, N.J. |publisher=Bare Necessities |date=10 February 2012 |accessdate=2013-12-31}}{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Mary|title=Underwear Overachievers: The men behind one of the nation's largest online bra retailers|journal=NJBIZ|date=23 October 2013|page=1|url=http://www.njbiz.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131023/NJBIZ01/310189999/Underwear-Overachievers:-The-men-behind-one-of-the-nation's-largest-online-bra-retailers/&template=printart|accessdate=31 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018063109/http://www.njbiz.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20131023%2FNJBIZ01%2F310189999%2FUnderwear-Overachievers%3A-The-men-behind-one-of-the-nation%27s-largest-online-bra-retailers%2F&template=printart|archive-date=18 October 2014|url-status=dead}}
In October 2018, Walmart acquired Bare Necessities, as part of its e-commerce strategy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/walmart-acquires-online-lingerie-retailer-bare-necessities.html|title=Walmart acquires online lingerie retailer Bare Necessities|date=12 October 2018|work=CNBC|access-date=12 October 2018}} In 2020, Walmart sold the company to Delta Galil Industries.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2020/08/walmart-sells-intimates-site-to-israeli-company.html?page=all |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}
Company history
Bare Necessities was founded in Avenel, New Jersey in 1998 by two Carnegie-Mellon graduates, Noah Wrubel and Bill Richardson. Wrubel's family already operated several lingerie stores of the same name since 1965 throughout New Jersey.
By 2006, the retailer set out to compete with Victoria's Secret{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2006/06/01/8378592/|title = Taking on Victoria's Secret - June 1, 2006}} with the help from Frog Design, A product design and branding firm best known for working with Apple.{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/07/01/100123038/|title=A lingerie retailer spices up sales - July 1, 2007}} Their efforts paid off with consistent reported revenue increases and year over year growth.
Bare Necessities was acquired by Walmart in 2018 as part of its strategy to compete with Amazon in the online clothing space.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/10/walmart-buys-bare-necessities-to-hold-off-amazon.html?page=all |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=www.bizjournals.com}} In 2020, Walmart sold the company to Israeli clothing company Delta Galil Industries.
The company operates out of a 125,000 square-foot building in Edison, New Jersey, and employs about 200 people between the corporate staff and the on-site fulfillment center
Products
The online retailer carries an array of brands such as Bali, Wacoal, SPANX, Calvin Klein, Hanky Panky, Chantelle, Freya, Panache, Hanro, La Perla, Le Mystere, Ugg Australia, Wolford, Hugo Boss, Armani, and Polo Ralph Lauren. The company also carries over 200 bra sizes ranging from 28 to 56 inch bands and from an AA cup to N Cup.{{Cite web|url=http://www.barenecessities.com/aboutus.aspx|title = Bras, panties, lingerie, men's underwear, plus size bras at Bare Necessities}}{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bare-necessities-hosts-10-days-of-black-friday-233286511.html|title = Bare Necessities Hosts 10 Days of Black Friday}} Bare Necessities ships throughout the United States and worldwide.{{Cite web|url=http://www.barenecessities.com/customerservice.aspx#howmuchdoyouchargeforshipping|title=Customer Service at Bare Necessities}}
Models
Unlike most of the online retailers in the late 1990s, Bare Necessities always used models, instead of mannequins.{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Mary|title=Underwear Overachievers: The men behind one of the nation's largest online bra retailers|journal=NJBIZ|date=23 October 2013|page=2|url=http://www.njbiz.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131023/NJBIZ01/310189999/Underwear-Overachievers:-The-men-behind-one-of-the-nation's-largest-online-bra-retailers/&template=printart|accessdate=31 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018063109/http://www.njbiz.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20131023%2FNJBIZ01%2F310189999%2FUnderwear-Overachievers%3A-The-men-behind-one-of-the-nation%27s-largest-online-bra-retailers%2F&template=printart|archive-date=18 October 2014|url-status=dead}} Many of Bare Necessities' catalog models have become popular from the site. Many models have parlayed their e-commerce success by landing gigs with Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret. These models include:
- Nina Agdal{{cite web|last=Vaughn|first=Steve Chay|title=A 65-Photo Tribute to Nina Agdal In Lingerie|url=http://www.brobible.com/girls/slideshow/nina-agdal-in-lingerie-tribute|work=brobible.com|publisher=BroBible|accessdate=1 January 2014|date=26 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801005007/http://www.brobible.com/girls/slideshow/nina-agdal-in-lingerie-tribute|archive-date=1 August 2013|url-status=dead}}
- Natasha Barnard
- Brooklyn Decker{{cite web|last=Vaughn|first=Steven Chay|title=The 16 Hottest 'Bare Necessities' Lingerie Models|url=http://www.brobible.com/girls/article/16-hottest-bare-necessities-models|work=brobible.com|publisher=BroBible|accessdate=31 December 2013|date=5 October 2011|archive-date=1 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101104731/http://www.brobible.com/girls/article/16-hottest-bare-necessities-models|url-status=dead}}
- Ashley Graham
- Jamie Gunns
- Jarah Mariano
- Juliana Martins
- Catrinel Menghia
- Lauren Mellor
- Genevieve Morton
- Sarah Mutch
- Candice Swanepoel
- Kate Upton
- Alina Vacariu
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Walmart}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Companies based in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Category:American companies established in 1998
Category:Clothing companies established in 1998
Category:Retail companies established in 1998
Category:Internet properties established in 1998
Category:Swimwear manufacturers
Category:1998 establishments in New Jersey