Where to purchase RTW is increasingly unclear

DSN Retailing Today, August 16, 2004 by Emily Scardino

Immersed in the world of retail, inundated with samples and trend forecasts, I am by no means America's prototypical apparel shopper. However, looking at the lineup of what's new for fall 2004, I can only wonder how consumers will be able to determine where to spend their dollars.

In an already oversaturated clothing market, discounters are making a push in apparel that is profoundly affecting the retail landscape. As if traditional fashion destinations including department and specialty stores did not already have enough competition, now they have Target and Wal-Mart to contend with. Why shouldn't mom buy herself that George suit jacket when it's the same fabrication and silhouette as that Limited blazer--only $40 cheaper? That price difference allows her to spice up her fall wardrobe while leaving enough left over to cover her son's school supplies, conveniently located a few aisles away.

While higher-end retailers have the advantage of their longstanding reputations as trendsetters, style and quality speak for themselves to today's savvy consumers. Here's a breakdown of the reasons why mass has taken share:

* Product Quality: while mass-market private label was once considered disposable at best, its quality level has soared over the past few years. This fall, consumers will be able to find decent cashmere at Sears, Kohl's and yes, Wal-Mart. To the chagrin of vegans everywhere, PVC coats and handbags are becoming less common at mass, as low-cost Chinese pigsuede and genuine leather take share. That new George leather blazer does have a lot of seaming, which hides flaws in the skins and is a telltale giveaway that it is bargain-made. With its smooth black facade and shiny red satin lining, however, most consumers won't notice.

* Style Improvements: Once the province of stretch denim leggings and garish polyester dresses, mass has finally added high-class style into the mix. while T-shirts and boxers remain staples, there is a breadth and depth of fashion in the discount market that was heretofore unimaginable. Attention to design detail has paid off, as evidenced by the success Target has had with its largest women's fashion initiative to date, Isaac Mizrahi.

* Price/Value Channel Shift: As customers have stepped up their massmarket apparel purchases over the past few seasons, the influx of cash has enabled retailers to significantly up their quality level. At the same time, department stores have been struggling to maintain a profit, not exactly in the position to demand much of their vendors. The qualitative difference between garments at the high and low ends of the spectrum has narrowed significantly.

* Brand Migration: National brands were one of the last strongholds of the department store channel. But it was only a matter of time, as lucrative examples such as CK Jeans have proven, that more of the keystone brands that define that channel would migrate downward. Warnaco is bringing Ralph Lauren's Chaps brand to Kohl's in '05. As of holiday '04, Levi Strauss Signature will be at every major mass retailer. Brand-loyal customers will have nothing left to compare--save price.

* Lack of Newness at Specialty: While new labels abound at mid-tier and mass-market retailers, some of the top specialty store brands of the past decade are getting tired, reflected by weakening comps. Victoria's Secret just underwent a massive store redesign to win back its increasingly sophisticated customers. Once-unstoppable Abercrombie & Fitch is soon unveiling a new retail concept in hopes of driving growth.

* Improved Merchandising: Discounters have finally cut the clutter and now leave enough room for shopping carts and strollers to navigate apparel departments.

Even to the trained eye, the marketplace has become downright confusing. Retailers on all levels have their work cut out for them to convince shoppers that their particular price/value equation adds up to the best deal.