As consumers’ disposable income has decreased over the last few years, their desire for value has increased.
About four in 10 Americans are now considered “value seekers,” according to a study from Deloitte, meaning they exhibit three or more cost-conscious, deal-driven, or convenience-sacrificing behaviors.
The trend persists across all generations and income brackets, with 23% of high income earners citing value as a high priority when making purchasing decisions.
“Consumers are more discerning than ever, weighing the value they receive with their purchases,” Deloitte U.S. Consumer Industry Leader Mike Daher said in the report. “And while low-income earners may look for value out of necessity, higher-income households increasingly put value at the top of their shopping lists.”
Value is, of course, often linked to price, but price is not the only factor shoppers are considering. Quality, reliability, and delivery speed are also metrics by which consumers decide whether or not a purchase is worth it.
“MVP brands deliver more than just competitive prices — they can provide added value that attracts consumers, even when their products cost more,” Daher said. “MVPs focus on product and service quality and reliability. They may also be perceived as having more friendly attitudes that build consumer trust.”
This emphasis on well-rounded value explains why Lands’ End has become an MVP brand that’s a favorite among the ultra-wealthy and younger consumers alike.
Lands’ End as an MVP company
Lands’ End started as a mail-order yachting supply company in 1963. By 1977, it had started selling the rugged, outdoorsy apparel it’s best known for today.
More than six decades after its launch, the retailer remains immensely popular, bringing in $1.34 billion in net revenues in 2025.
Its continued success is due, in large part, to its ability to appeal to shoppers across generations and income brackets.
“We acquired 20% more new-to-brand households in Q4,” CEO Andrew McLean said during the company’s Q4 FY2025 earnings call. “Lands’ End, Inc. is increasingly a multigenerational brand serving grandmother, mother, and granddaughter.”
Once those customers (whether they’re new to Lands’ End or grandfathered in) are bought in, they tend to be very loyal. The average Lands’ End shopper stays with the brand for 18 years, according to CNN — a herculean feat in a world of fast fashion and social media brands.
More retail:
- Target makes a big bet on a growing product category
- Millennials spark BNPL revolution as inflation surges
- Ulta makes big change customers will notice right away
This loyalty speaks to Lands’ End’s perceived value. It’s a company that sells durable, customizable products at a price point that makes sense. The retailer also has a generous return policy and customer service that has been acknowledged as some of the best in the business.
Recent data from Placer.ai further illustrate the point.
Over the past four quarters, visits to Lands’ End’s brick-and-mortar locations have been consistently positive, outranking visits to other traditional retailers.
Amid those visits, the company has managed to attract an outsized share of visits from both ultra-wealthy and younger shoppers. In 2025, 27.3% of visits to Lands’ End came from ultra-wealthy families, a major jump from other traditional apparel retailers that saw just 8.8% of visits come from ultra-wealthy families.
Additionally, 37.2% of its visits were from younger shoppers, compared to 34.2% of visits at other apparel retailers.
Shutterstock
Lands’ End partnership with WHP
In an effort to expand its reach and further establish itself as a value-driven company, Lands’ End recently announced a partnership with brand management firm WHP Global.
The deal saw Lands’ End giving up all of its intellectual property and licensing agreements to WHP Global, in exchange for $300 million. WHP Global received a 50% controlling interest in the new joint venture, while Lands’ End maintained full operational control of its direct-to-consumer and business-to-business operations.
“Creating this joint venture with WHP Global is a pivotal milestone for Lands’ End and positions us for a stronger, faster, and more globally diversified growth trajectory,” McLean said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
“WHP Global’s extensive brand-development platform will enable us to amplify the reach of the Lands’ End brand far beyond what we could pursue independently, while we maintain our disciplined focus on operational excellence across our DTC and B2B businesses,” he continued.
For shoppers, this partnership means a wider product range that is more easily accessible, two things that are sure to amplify the retailer’s value proposition in the minds of ultra wealthy and young consumers alike.
Related: ThredUp spots a worrisome trend in consumer behavior