Gap didn't make it with its Forth & Towne concept. Gymboree closed its Janeville stores. American Eagle Outfitters is looking to make some adjustments because its original approach was found wanting. To date, all these stores and quite a few others have sought to cozy up to women in the 35-to-45-year-old age group and come up short.
Despite the problems faced by others, Bloomingdale's is also looking to decipher the code that will enable it to capture a greater share of the fashion dollars spent by these consumers. Bloomie's answer is a new store-within-a-store boutique concept dubbed Quotation.
Quotation is targeted to so-called "yummy mommies." These women may be mothers, but they have no interest, BusinessWeek reports, in appearing "matronly."Bloomingdale's believes it is on to something with this concept and has expanded from six stores offering Quotation to 16 at present. The company is looking to have the concept operating in all its stores by 2009 at the latest.
The company expects to succeed where others have failed because it believes it knows where to find "yummy mommies" and has the understanding to deliver the types of merchandise they are looking for.
Interestingly, Bloomingdale's consumer research found "yummy mommies" were shopping in the company's stores although they were not usually buying for themselves. Instead, these consumers looked to outside boutiques because they felt Bloomie's offerings were either too formal (Jones New York, Calvin Klein) or too young (Juicy Couture, Marc by Marc Jacobs).
As a result, the company developed a sportswear assortment that finds a space in between with 20 independent designers and a private label line that meets the needs of women engaged in a variety of activities, from picking kids up from after-school activities to a parents-only night out.
So far, said Frank Doroff, senior executive vice-president for Bloomingdale's, Quotation has been racking up double-digit increases and, in the process, has "far exceeded our plans."
Discussion Questions: Why did Forth & Towne and Janeville fail and what must Quotation do to succeed? Is there evidence to suggest that the approach Quotation is taking is distinctly different than what others have attempted or are attempting to do with roughly the same consumer base? Do you see it as a plus or a minus that Quotation operates as a store-within-a-store rather than a standalone boutique?