Q&A: Sears Styles Fashion Revival in Denim, Down-to-Earth Dressy
When it comes to apparel, Sears is in the shadow of its sibling Kmart, but it's working hard to emerge.
Dyan Jozwick, vice president and general merchandising manager, told BNET in a Q&A that the retailer is staying on top of critical trends. The retailer wants to enhance its relevance to consumers who want stylish wardrobes that can move from day to evening and workweek to weekend with ease, as captured in its latest fashion lookbook (see photos).
Sears, in fairness, has had a tougher comeback than Kmart. A decade or so ago, Sears apparel program was a smorgasbord of private labels and lacked direction.
Then, the company began to consolidate its apparel offering around such store brands as Covington and Apostrophe. As Sears Holdings (SHLD) began to create a fashion function within the company, history helped Kmart break from the gate faster. A decade earlier, Kmart had a fashion business that was winning notice. Martha Stewart was building an ever-stronger following in home fashion, but Jaclyn Smith and Kathy Ireland were helping the retailer grab attention on the apparel side. Not only that, but they pushed management to maintain quality standards and execute display programs effectively. The Smith brand faded a bit in mid-decade, but when Sears decided to rejuvenate its apparel program, it made Jaclyn the symbol of Kmart's fashion efforts.
Sears lacks a personality to represents its apparel brands. The company has tried that approach in home fashion by creating a Ty Pennington label for its namesake stores but hasn't made it a special priority. Developing private labels is tough, and Kmart has struggled over the years to establish and maintain its Route 66 denim brand. Yet, Sears and Kmart fashion operations are bolstered by a New York-based design office that is featured in their web-based promotions. Sears Holdings has invested in fashion, and it seems to be paying off as apparel has contributed to recent gains in comparable stores sales, those in locations open for at least a year.
Jozwick told BNET that Sears typically positions its apparel ahead of Kmart in the fashion cycle but still with a classic sensibility. Sears is making a particularly strong play in denim, given the trends that already have helped retailers such as Gap (GPS) and its sister Old Navy gain. Denim at Sears ranges form looks appropriate for the casual workplace to so-skinny-they're-almost-leggings jeggings.
BNET: Sears looks seem a little younger and more contemporary than those for Kmart, is that an accurate appraisal?
Jozwick: Yes and no. Sears' ready-to-wear in lines like Apostrophe is more contemporary and targets a younger customer. However, in the juniors category, we are targeting the same age as Kmart but offering more fashion-forward items.
BNET: Denim seems more central to the fashion assortment. How important was it for the line to bridge the casual and the dressy? The denim seems sophisticated enough for an evening out while more formal clothes seemed to incorporate the work/after work sensibility.
Jozwick: I think that is a fair assessment. Our jeans work back to every look, whether it's career, dressy, club, casual, etc. We feel that denim is critical to all of our fashion brands. We pay homage to the importance of denim and the need for it to bridge those casual to dressy gaps in most of the lines we design. In addition, we obviously strive to bring newness and relevance each season with varied cuts and washes, including a strong assortment of jeggings, which marry a classic with contemporary nicely.
BNET: The colors are contemporary without being too contemporary. Was the idea to provide a little urban sensibility across the line to provide an appeal and a use across style/occasion lines?
Jozwick: We strive to have colors that are on trend, but never lose sight of the fact that certain hues are essential. Now we're offering a mix of the newest, contemporary palettes -- like blush/pales -- while working in current best selling colors like purple.
Pushing private labels, in fashion product categories particularly, is a struggle to gain credibility. Personalities can be an expedient, one that Kohl's (KSS) has used to effect. J.C. Penney (JCP), which has a private label focus in apparel, has worked hard but also seems to have occasionally struggled in establishing its store brands. For example, when it rolled out American Living a couple of years ago, the primary identification was with J.C. Penney. Soon after, however, the company began promoting the brand's development by Ralph Lauren. Still, Sears has built a fashion infrastructure and linked it to its web initiatives including its social networks. Getting customers involved there certainly commits Sears Holdings to making fashion work in stores. Now, it's a matter of making consistent effort and improvement to ensure customers aren't let down as their expectations grow.
Related: