DISCUSSION
Anthropologie hopes to earn an A+ with new plus-size clothing options
Written by George Anderson
Sources: Anthropologie
Anthropologie, the lifestyle retailer created for educated and affluent women between the ages of 30 and 45, has debuted a new, expanded collection of plus-sized clothing under the APlus by Anthropologie category.
The collection, which incorporates many of Anthropologie’s popular brands, including Maeve, Pilcro, et al, expands the sizes available at the chain to include 16W to 26W. Previously, Anthropologie offered sizing from 00P – 14P and 00 – 16. The retailer added petite sizes in the fall of 2012.
"Our goal is to be a destination for everyone wanting to express their personal style and to feel like their best selves,” said Richa Srivastava, managing director, design for Anthropologie, in a statement. “At launch, we'll offer a great range of options and an exceptional shopping experience. We'll evolve both as we move forward, adding more styles and locations as we learn from customer feedback."
The APlus category will include more than 120 styles and will initially be available in 10 of the chain’s stores and on its website. The chain, which is part of the URBN group, currently operates 226 stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Anthropologie joins a growing number of retailers that are adding plus-size clothing in stores and online. Last fall, Walmart acquired Eloquii, which began as part of L Brands in 2011 before being bought by a group of employees and an investor in 2014. The consumer-direct brand specializes in fashionable clothing for women sizes 14 and higher.
Today, more than 68 percent of American women wear sizes 14 and up, according to Plunkett Research. The plus-size market currently stands at about $21 billion with annual growth of 4.1 percent since 2015, according to Marketdata.