Torrid’s turnaround hinges on closing weak stores and pushing its subbrands — and both strategies helped the company beat expectations in the first quarter. Subbrand sales jumped 75% in Q1 and are projected to rise about 60% for the full year compared to 2025, executives said.
CEO Lisa Harper told analysts Thursday that the subbrand portfolio will grow from about 7% of total net sales to 12%. Within that group, opening-price-point subbrands generated nearly a third of apparel sales in the period, with what she called “healthy product margins.”
A direct mail revival
In February, the company relaunched a direct mail campaign.
It has delivered a “substantive incremental lift in retained and reactivated customers,” she said. The company plans to scale the channel deliberately throughout the year.
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“Beyond the numbers, it gives us a powerful vehicle to reintroduce Torrid to lapsed audiences to show them how our product assortment has evolved and introduce our subbrands,” Harper said.
Casting call goes bigger
The firm also expanded its “casting call” program.
She described it as more than a model search — it’s a way to find brand ambassadors. In 2024, the program brought in 10,000 new customers and reactivated more than 14,000.
This year’s casting call will hit Times Square in August, followed by four mall-based events and 30 store-based casting parties.
Analysts see uncertainty ahead
The retailer now operates what executives consider an optimal store footprint. But its recovery remains untested, analysts warned after the earnings report.
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Analysts from one research firm led by Dylan Carden noted in a Friday client note: “We believe Torrid is still in the early stages of structural change, which likely implies continued volatility as it reinvests savings from store closures into growth initiatives with still uncertain benefit and continued refinement of pricing and merchandising architecture.”
Analysts from another firm led by Corey Tarlowe echoed that caution.
While Torrid is “positioned to pivot toward growth,” they said “visibility into a sustained demand recovery and consistent comp inflection remains limited.”
Torrid executives didn’t address whether rising use of weight-loss medications has affected sales. The trend is boosting apparel sales elsewhere as shoppers seek clothes that fit, according to a Friday research note from analysts at a third firm led by Ike Boruchow. They see that trend accelerating.
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Plus-size garments could face headwinds, though.
Macy’s this week flagged that apparel was its only category with declines, the same analysts noted.
Torrid’s direct mail and casting-call initiatives are still early-stage bets.
The subbrand push is gaining traction, but the bigger question — whether these moves can drive consistent growth — remains open.