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photo: GETTY IMAGES (ABERCROMBIE, OLD NAVY), BLOOMBERG NEWS (AEROPOSTALE)
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Targeting Parents ...
By ELIZABETH HOLMES In these tight times, teen-clothing retailers are focusing on their core clientele: moms. Aeropostale is designing new stores with wider aisles to accommodate parents with strollers and more seats to keep them in the store longer. Aeropostale staff also is being told to “TTM,” or target the mom. Buckle is offering personal-shopping appointments outside of store hours to work around parents’ schedules. Old Navy is realigning its product assortment to stress value as much as fashion. “You need to make that mom feel comfortable, because ultimately she’s writing the check,” says Richard Jaffe, a clothes-retailing expert. “She is the one who is responding to the economic uncertainty.”
‘COGNIZANT OF THE MOM’ Stores that attract school-age shoppers have always had to balance the dueling interests of the teen who wears their merchandise and parents who foot the bill. Historically, retailers have gone after the former, relying on teens to persuade their parents to make the purchase. But as the economy stifles consumer spending and crimps young people’s budgets—youth unemployment is at a record high—retailers are re-emphasizing their mom-appeal. “We’re cognizant of the mom and the impact that the mom has,” says Tom Johnson, chief operating officer of Aeropostale, which has built its brand around the dynamic of parents shopping with their kids. Mr. Johnson says meeting the mom’s needs “is critical to our success.” Aeropostale’s employee handbook declares: “Because parents make the final decision, they want to feel valued, and they want to feel good about what they purchase.” The retailer also offers heavy promotions and markdowns, with massive promotional signs in the windows and throughout the stores, to compete with discounters. Ana Greenfield, a mother of two teens from Paramus, N.J., finds the Aeropostale store “less snooty, less provocative” than other teen retailers. Her daughters, 15-year-old Sarah and 16-year-old Marissa, were allowed to shop alone and were given a budget of $300 for back-to-school purchases earlier this year. Both girls were tempted by the clothing at Abercrombie & Fitch but noted its higher prices. The two are required to save their receipts in case their mother objects. “Parents are controlling more of the dollars being spent,” says Roxanne Meyer, a retail analyst. “Any retailer that is doing a good job at drawing parents in is going to gain share.” ‘CAN’T HEAR YOURSELF THINK’ Some stores, such as Abercrombie & Fitch, which also operates the Hollister brand, remain committed to the nightclub-like atmosphere popular among teens. The company’s stores are divided into small, dark rooms that throb with loud music. The retailer sprays its fragrance so often that the scent is carried well outside the store. “Hollister is very aggravating, very loud. You can’t hear yourself think,” says Kathie Cockcroft, a mother of three teens from Rutherford, N.J. Ms. Cockcroft will often wait for her daughters outside the store and will veto a purchase if “it’s not worth the money.” An Abercrombie spokesman says the company will continue to promote an atmosphere that is “all about the senses.” In August, Old Navy, a division of Gap, beat sales expectations by refocusing its appeal to mothers rather than teenagers, says Tom Wyatt, president of Old Navy. The company has offered its
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