(Filed Under wholesale Lingerie News). In mid-October Forbes named ThirdLove to its “Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2018” list, estimating its 2018 sales at $160 million, calculating the amount of start-up capital raised at $30 million and stating the intimates brand now represents “1% of the market.”

BODY estimated that at an average retail price per item of $70, it would mean about 2.3 million bras and other lingerie sold this year. Even more if the average price was lower. To confirm the overall sales figure for 2018, as well as to learn the number of pieces sold, we contacted ThirdLove ourselves. But an official spokesperson for the direct retailer of intimates responded, “I am unable to confirm any of the numbers below as we have not detailed those numbers publicly – the Forbes estimate was their own, not confirmed by ThirdLove.”

Explained Forbes when it first published the selections: “to compile our annual list of the Next Billion-Dollar Startups, we teamed up with TrueBridge Capital Partners to ask nearly 200 venture capital firms to nominate the companies they thought were most likely to become unicorns. We narrowed down the field from over 100 businesses to the 25.”

Writing about ThirdLove, Forbes opined, “by combing through data and pioneering half-cup sizes, husband-and-wife founders Heidi Zak and David Spector revolutionized online shopping for lingerie. With Victoria’s Secret, long the dominant player in bras, ailing, there’s been an opportunity for new players, including ThirdLove, which now has 1% of the market despite raising only $30 million in venture capital.”

In a ThirdLove press release, Zak welcomed the soon-to-be-unicorn designation. “We’re humbled be named to Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups List this year. This marks a significant milestone for our company founded just six years ago with the mission to empower all women to feel comfortable and confident every day by offering premium quality bras for every body.”

The release also claimed “more than 11 million women have used ThirdLove’s innovative Fit Finder to find a bra that best fits her body and helps give her the confidence she deserves. With more than 300 employees and a female-led executive team, ThirdLove has been called the fastest growing underwear brand in America and the most disruptive company in the lingerie space.” — NM

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Published 11-28-2018 by Nick Monjo