FASHION STORES FOCUS ON NO-SWEAT ATTITUDE IN BUILDING ACTIVEWEAR
Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg
NEW YORK — No gym memberships required.
Department and specialty stores plan to expand their activewear business by catering to women who might not be particularly active.
Some stores, in fact, say they are making strides by aiming at customers who merely want the look of activewear. Unlike sporting goods stores that focus on high tech, performance-oriented apparel, department and specialty stores are offering versatile basics that can appeal more to fashion than to function.
To bolster activewear business in the year ahead, retailers have mapped out strategies that include:
* Expanding or rearranging departments.
* Offering new labels, with an emphasis on branded merchandise.
* Catering to mature customers.
* Offering more colors and fashion looks.
By consolidating activewear, bodywear and swimwear into one department, Bloomingdale’s expects activewear sales in 1996 to increase by high single-digit percentages, said Frank Doroff, executive vice president and general merchandise manager.
“We wanted the proper amount of space to devote to the category,” he said. “We haven’t done it justice in the past, but now we plan to.”
The categories are offered at Bloomingdale’s only from January through July, but for 1996-97, the season might begin in December instead of next January.
The retailer is also considering hosting in-store events, such as fashion shows, combining the activewear, bodywear and swimwear categories, Doroff said.
“We want to keep our customers in our stores. We don’t want to make them go elsewhere for their activewear needs,” he said. “It’s one-stop shopping. More than anything — we’re offering her convenience.”
Jacobson’s is also taking a closer look at activewear.
Not going after that business aggressively four years ago was “a mistake” for the Jackson, Mich., division of Jacobson’s Stores Inc., said George Kelly, general merchandise manager. But now the retailer is working to rectify that.
As of March, all activewear will be featured in Jacobson’s casual sportswear department with twice as much floor space as it had in the separates department. The expansion should contribute to a planned 25 percent increase in sales, Kelly said.
“In the past, we treated it as part of a department as opposed to being the key element in a department,” he said. “Now we’re committed to category buying.”
When it comes to golfwear, however, Jacobson’s wants authenticity as opposed to a “look.” That will be essential to the category’s growth since Jacobson’s has never offered it before, Kelly said. This month the store’s buyers will be scouting the Professional Golf Association Merchandise trade show in Orlando, Fla., for golfwear resources that are unavailable in other department stores, he said.
“We’re looking for resources that sell only to pro shops,” he said. “We want what people wear to play golf instead of casual golfwear with golf motifs.”
Elder-Beerman is redefining its activewear business, eliminating bodywear, reducing private label and offering more basics.
Last February the 50-unit operation, based in Dayton, Ohio, moved bodywear from the hosiery department to the activewear department, but customers did not respond. At that time Elder-Beerman reduced its bodywear offerings from 15 stores to seven, but by April it was eliminated altogether — for several reasons.
“We cover bodywear in our activewear departments. Leggings and other bodywear pieces can be found there,” said Meg Castleman, misses’ sportswear buyer. “We also cater to an older customer than most stores. The average age is between 45 and 65.”
Elder-Beerman expects activewear sales to be flat in 1996 — compared to a 19 percent decrease in 1995. However, changing the mix should get the business back on track, Castleman said. For 1996, private label will be reduced from half of total activewear offerings to 40 percent since shoppers are responding positively to branded products, she said. Kuma Sport, the San Diego-based firm that produces the Active Exposure label, is a bestselling brand at Elder-Beerman.
Women between the ages of 40 and 60 account for the bulk of activewear sales at Rich’s-Lazarus-Goldsmith, a 74-unit operation based in Atlanta, said Sheila Kamensky, vice president and fashion director.
Having seen sales increase in 1995, especially during the fall, the company aims to bolster spring business by offering new labels, more colors and more fashion looks. Maze and Morning Sun are among the resources that were added to the activewear mix in the past year.
“Our merchandise is geared toward spectators who are more mature. Our primary customer is definitely not the cutting-edge customer,” Kamensky said. “We’re concentrating on what’s worked in the past and broadening the scope with a better assortment of color.”
For spring, moderately priced cotton shorts, tank tops, T-shirts and woven pants in at least eight colors — as opposed to four or five — should be bestsellers, she said.
Sears, Roebuck & Co. has made a concentrated effort to bolster sales for licensed activewear looks.
In October, Sears teamed up with National Football League Properties, the NFL’s $3 billion licensing arm, to introduce its first stadium concept shop in Watchung, N.J. Unisex licensed apparel for adults and children is currently offered in 10 NFL super shops and 585 smaller concept shops at Sears.
Unlike the regular concept shops, super shops feature autographed memorabilia from football players on the local NFL team. Both types of concept shops feature jerseys, photographs, point-of-purchase displays, team logos and other memorabilia customized for the home team.
Sears will be among a limited number of retailers with the option to test NFL licensed apparel for women in the concept shops later this year. Looking for a large retailer whose demographics were family oriented, NFL Properties decided Sears was a good match, an NFL spokesman said. As part of the project, NFL Properties invested in $250,000 worth of fixtures for the concept shops, the spokesman said. NFL apparel is featured at Sears from August through January. At the end of the football season, in late January, NFL licensed apparel is removed and replaced with licensed apparel from major league basketball, baseball and hockey.
Later this year, Macy’s East plans to nearly double the size of the Casual Works Activewear department in its Herald Square flagship here, a spokesman said. Located on the second floor, the area offers activewear and bodywear. Dance France by Danskin, Marika and Aerodynamics by Weekend Exercise Co. and Everlast, which is licensed to Active Apparel Group, are among the available labels.