Off-pricers score with fall styles - Apparel

Discount Store News, August 20, 1990 by Jill Lettich

Off-Pricers Score With Fall Styles

Pre-season sale and fall preview of women's and juniors apparel become familiar tunes at retail this time of year. Discounters brace for the flux of transitional merchandise as the first fall deliveries arrive. But in this excitement, they also have to contend with a heavy promotional push from other retail tiers.

So far, early indications show apparel off-pricers fending off full-price retailers and scoring points for their mix of merchandise and values.

"Last year many women were waiting and watching," noted Marcy Syms, president of Syms, the $300 million, Lyndhurst, N.J.-based off-price apparel chain. "Now they actually have to update their wardrobe."

Retailers are hoping for a cozy winter and, by all early shopping indications, so are consumers. For women's and juniors' apparel, the color scheme has gone from summer tropics to New England autumn; and the styling has gone from body hugging lycra for juniors to more casual, looser clothing. Sportswear, in general, is still short with great waist definition and stitching details.

Categories currently doing well include almost all casual merchandise including a much appreciated boost in jeans sales. Novelty jeans are credited with this increase in the junior market. Unusual finishes and a jean with a Chanel-inspired chain belt, offered at Marshalls, as well as other off-pricers, are among the newer jean successes.

Blouses and suits are holding their own in this transitional period as well, retailers report.

What's not doing well? Neons are waning, finally. And retailers are still holding their breath about knit sweaters and separates which have had a rollercoaster ride in the last few seasons, but now seem to be picking up again.

One Marshalls' Long Island store has an entire area devoted to knit separates from Chaus and Jones New York, including new-style stirrup pants and sweaters in basic black as well as bright lime and purple. At Syms, casual knits are also available, but in both stores, the popular knit skirt/knit top ensembles of last year are somewhat stagnant this time around.

With this new fashion impetus, most retailers are anxious to put a so-so year behind them and come up with fast fashion and fast turnaround.

Despite the myriad of pre-season sales that cropped up at department stores late last month, most discounters and off-pricers feel optimistic about fall, both for its fresh fashion outlook and the promise of a somewhat healthier retail climate.

"I don't think fall will be as disappointing as some forecasts we've heard," reported Syms. "I think we'll go over 1989 sales as an industry. We certainly will as a company."

Syms estimated some department store promotions ran two weeks earlier than usual this year, in response to concerns of over-inventory problems. "These sales are a way of testing how consumers will react to higher price points, and it gives department stores a basis for inventory and order decisions," she said.

Syms itself bought fall merchandise earlier than in previous years. By mid-July its stores had its traditional July coat preview, as well as a range of merchandise in all other categories. Availability of more merchandise and an effort by Syms "to be more critical of all purchases and maintain value prices," prompted the early delivery, according to Syms.

Dress Barn also began its fall push early. "We had a great July," said Burt Steinberg, vice president of the $250 million, Stamford, Conn.-based chain. He expected the pre-season sales that ran at such stores as Macy's and Nordstrom's, but didn't see them as a forebearer of promotional overdoses, as was experienced late last year.

"Last year, the department stores ran promotions like discounters. But I don't think they can sustain that over any course of time; they can't afford to erode their margins," he said, noting that while Dress Barn was affected by the promotions last year, it was not an issue this year.

For early fall, dresses and rayon separates are doing well at Dress Barn. Steinberg noted the store expected dresses to continue to do well, though by nature they become a smaller percentage of the total business in the colder months.

"We have early indications that our suit and blouse business is going very well. We're very optimistic for fall," he said.

Also maintaining momentum is Goody's Family Clothing, a chain of 91 specialty stores mostly in the Southeast. "Sales of transitional merchandise have gone well, and we're getting positive reactions in all our departments: women's, missy, junior and plus sizes," said Bert Gurwitch, executive vp and general merchandise manager.

"We're a highly promotional company, so we're not really bothered by promotions by department stores and other retailers," he noted. "We plan to move aggressively ahead for fall and holiday." According to Gurwitch, Goody's promotional stance in the market has kept it strong, despite what has been termed a soft retail climate.

"I think part of the slowdown at retail is a rebellion of the consumer against higher prices," Syms reported. "A woman does not want an entire new wardrobe, but she will freshen and replenish her wardrobe with pieces - a sweater, a jacket, a blouse or accessories."