A report on the Women's Wear Daily website says Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and others are about to find new competition in the form of Who.A.U., a South Korean fashion retailer catering to teens and young adults that plans to have 50 stores operating in the U.S. over the next five years.
The retailer's name stands for Who Are You, according to Daniel Pang, executive vice president of U.S. operations for company. "We're challenging consumers by asking who you are. The clothing clarifies your identity," he said.
"The basic inspiration is the California lifestyle, plus we incorporate the 1849 gold rush," he told WWD. "A lot of people think about money and getting rich when they think of the gold rush. We're incorporating it because it's about adventure and pioneering and confronting a challenge. We say to teens or college students, 'You are the bright future, go challenge whatever you're facing.'"
Who.A.U. is looking to set up shop in mall locations with its first set of stores.
"We find the [communities with the] target demographic," Mr. Pang told WWD. "We've had another business in the U.S. for seven years, a wholesale children's wear collection, so we learned all the geographical differences and town-by-town differences."
Who.A.U. plans to open its first store in a 4,100-square-foot space at Stamford Town Center in Stamford, Conn. in November. The store is much smaller than the typical Who.A.U. unit (up to 20,000 square feet), which typically come with a cappuccino and soda bar.
Who.A.U. is owned by E-Land, one of South Korea's largest clothing manufacturers.
Discussion Questions: What challenges will Who.A.U. face as it enters the U.S. market? Is there room for yet another apparel retailer catering to teens and young adults?