Kohl's Targets Younger Consumers, Subtly, with Lauren Conrad Brand

(MoneyWatch)  Lauren Conrad of the MTV television series The Hills is teaming up with Kohl's Corp. on a new apparel line that targets younger consumers.

Initially, the line, LC Lauren Conrad, will launch in October at 300 stores as a "contemporary lifestyle brand," according to a company statement, and Don Brennan, Kohl's senior vice president, reiterated the line's position when he called Conrad, "a pop culture icon whose style resonates with our contemporary customer." Kohl's does like to use specific private labels to target designated groups, but it doesn't like to relate them to the relevant demographic too closely. For example, the company offers a Daisy Fuentes line that has Hispanic consumers in mind but it avoids being too specific with the brand so that shoppers who like the style won't feel as if it isn't for them. Similarly, it doesn't want older women to feel they can't purchase LC Lauren Conrad styles if they suit.

Kohl's has introduced a range of exclusive brands over the past several years all intended to present particular style viewpoints yet not to be so specific that they won't be widely attractive to its customers. Among its coups was a deal, announced in 2006, that put a line from fashion designer Vera Wang into Kohl's stores, one that has been extended beyond apparel and into home products as well.

Providing a wide variety of accessible fashion options in own brands has been theme at Kohl's, where private and exclusive labels accounted for nearly 42 percent of total sales in 2008, according to the retailer. For younger consumers, the company also offers a label, Abbey Hill, developed with singer Avril Lavigne, and it is the exclusive home of the Candie's brand, currently promoted by singer Britney Spears.

In Kohl's fourth quarter conference call, as recorded by Seeking Alpha, Kevin Mansell, the retailer's CEO, noted:

The customer continues to respond well to our new brand launches and -- penetration continues to increase and has substantial room to grow particularly on the exclusive brand front. Our research continues to show that that acceptance is being driven by the very high brand awareness each of these brands has when we launch them.

That success is embedded into our thinking for our planning of this year's launches of Dana Buchman launched Presidents' Day and Hang Ten in 30 stores in April.