Kenwood store loads up its men's department
By John Eckberg
Cincinnati Enquirer staff writer
Workplaces these days are awash with casual clothing and apparel - golf shirts on men and capri pants on women, clogs in summer and hiking boots in winter.
So why is Federated Department Stores Inc. bringing a building worth an estimated $10.2 million to loyal shoppers at its Macy's regional flagship at Kenwood Towne Centre in Cincinnati?
Though fashion may be on the wane at many offices and workplaces, Federated is banking on a big future for luxury goods for men.
The two-story, sprawling men's fashion center officially opens Wednesday - one of only two expanded stores among the 950 department stores owned by the Cincinnati-based retailer.
The men's fashion center - a second is in Atlanta - will take the Macy's here to 269,400 square feet. The space for women's clothing will be expanded as well.
"While we think we already have a great store here, a headquarters store, with the millions more going into the store, Kenwood really becomes the center for retail in the Cincinnati area," said Michael G. Krauter, president of Macy's Central division, a 76-store division based in Atlanta with annual sales of $2 billion.
While the upper floor will have traditional and contemporary suits and shoes from designers such as Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Donald Trump, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, the men's center will also have a broad assortment of Macy's private labels such as Tasso Elba and the new brand Material London, which are more profitable for the retailer.
The lower level will feature casual sportswear, including men's collections such as Tasso Golf, Joseph Abboud, Lacoste, Tommy Bahama, Polo and Nautica. The effort is supported by a region-wide direct-mailing.
The campaign puts a fashion DVD into the hands of the most dedicated Macy's shoppers.
The DVD offers fashion advice from style-setting celebrities including Trump, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Esquire magazine editor Nick Sullivan.
Men are the target of this effort because the times are changing when it comes to shopping for men's clothing, Krauter said.
In the past, women bought 70 percent of men's products. But in the last 20 years, a few things started to change: the increase in two-income households, a shortage of time for women, and the increasing tendency for men to become more discriminating about what they wore and how they wore it, Krauter said. The last four years have seen a more drastic change, and today men buy 75 percent of men's products.
"We've really seen since 9/11 that the customers' demand has changed," Krauter said. "Dress up has become more of a force and a bigger need of the customer. In the Internet era, there was a large boom in the casual trend, but as the economy pulled back, people started dressing up more."
Different demographics
The new initiative also reflects a changing customer base, according to Patrice Duker, manager of media relations at the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York City-based trade association of 55,000 members.
The older department stores' customers grew up with department stores, Duker said.
"Today, there is a large group of Gen Y's, Gen Xers and Tweens who grew up with specialty stores like Abercrombie and Gap," Duker said. Wooing those shoppers can be a challenge for a major department store chain.
There comes a time, however, when a young man must put aside the cargo pants and T-shirts of youth to embrace their inner Windsor knot, and Duker said that demographic seam represents opportunity for Federated.
"I love that Men's Wearhouse commercial where they say that every man should have at least one good suit," said Mandy Putnam, vice president of Retail Forward Inc., a Columbus-based retail consulting firm.
"Then it dawned on me that what that commercial is really saying is that there are a ton of men out there who have probably never been fitted for a suit and don't know what to look for in a suit. They get a real job or are on the precipice of a real job and suddenly they have to figure out what to wear."
That's where the Macy's initiative at Kenwood can be a perfect fit, Krauter said. Catering to all lifestyles, the store will offer a merchandise mix that includes professional clothing, sportswear, casual wear and contemporary lines for men.
Women get attention, too
Women shoppers will not be neglected, either.
The relocated men's department will open up space for an expanded women's sportswear and accessories.
New lines are coming in the women's department as well: Bobbie Brown cosmetics, a shoe section that doubles in size, and handbags that include Michael Kors, Dooney & Burke, Kathy Van Zeeland, Vittadini, Calvin Klein and Betsey Johnson.
Kenwood Macy's will also have expanded Coach and Kate Spade shops - and for good reason. "The core customer for Macy's still is the repeat female customer," Krauter said.
Gary Ruffing, the retail consultant for BBK Inc., based in Southfield, Mich., predicted the Kenwood addition may be the prototype as Federated converts hundreds of former May Co. stores to the Macy's nameplate in the years to come.
Federated completed its $17 billion purchase of May Department Stores Co. in August, which means nameplates including Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's and Kauffmann's will disappear in the years to come.
"They'll be using this store as a laboratory to study customer trends and brands," Ruffing said.
"It wouldn't surprise me to see them take the best brands and approaches and roll it into other markets - nitpick the best of the mix. If the physical box is too small at those stores to be a Macy's, then yes, an expansion makes sense. But it takes a lot of money, and it takes time."
No comments:
Post a Comment