Victoria's Secret Pink's Gen-Z-focused holiday strategy, with president Ali Dillon

Pink wants to be the first stop on a Gen-Z shopper’s trip to the mall this holiday season. To get there, the Victoria’s Secret-owned brand is expanding beyond the pajamas, fleece and intimates it is best known for, using accessories, denim, beauty and collaborations to position itself as a broader lifestyle brand for 18- to 24-year-old women.

The strategy follows a period of renewed momentum. Pink delivered low-double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2026, supported by its core apparel and intimates businesses, improved regular-price selling, and new customer acquisition among 18- to 24-year-olds.

According to president Ali Dillon, the brand’s turnaround has been driven by a renewed focus on “clarity, customer and connection.”

“Today, Pink is evolving into a digitally native, socially driven lifestyle brand with a bold, playful and irreverent point of view,” Dillon said on the podcast. “Our product, our voice, our marketing — they’re all uniquely Pink.”

Dillon said Pink had previously lost sight of its core customer as the brand aged alongside its original shoppers. Now, it is specifically targeting 18- to 24-year-olds rather than broadly marketing to Gen Z, a generation that will continue to age out of that bracket.

Recent efforts have included working with K-pop group Twice around the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Valentine’s Day, launching a festival campaign with “Love Island USA” star Gabby Mora, and opening a dedicated store in New York’s Soho neighborhood. According to Dillon, customers began lining up outside the Soho store at 1 a.m. on its opening day.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show held last October was also an important catalyst. Dillon said some bras featured during the event sold out almost immediately, supported by TikTok videos showing customers running into stores to buy them.

“That moment of true brand health, of this feeling like, ‘I have to go get it right now,’ is definitely something that we’ve been really proud of,” she said.

Pink is now looking to carry that urgency into the holiday 2026 season. Rather than treating the season solely as a period for traditional gift exchanges, the brand is building around what Dillon described as “treat culture”: the tendency among younger shoppers to buy smaller gifts for themselves and their friends to mark everyday achievements.

“She’s not necessarily waiting for major milestones to celebrate,” Dillon said. “She’s creating these real reasons to celebrate all the time.”

The holiday assortment, spanning a range of price points, will include everything from accessories and beauty to fleece, sleepwear, bras and matching sets. Accessories are becoming particularly important as younger shoppers remain price-conscious, though Dillon said value is not simply a matter of offering cheaper products.

“Value isn’t just about price. It’s about feeling like what you’re buying is worth it, too,” she said.