Bradlees: bringing up baby - Apparel Merchandising

Discount Store News, March 4, 1996

The mass market is discovering that good things really do come in small packages. The latest parcel is infants' apparel, which the industry is pegging as one of the best childrenswear opportunities for 1996.

Bradlees, the beleaguered regional chain, is a leader in nurturing the infants' business. The Braintree, Mass.-based store is aggressively developing fashion and distinct niches in the apparel business as part of its fight to put some distance between itself, the national discounters and insolvency.

Childrenswear has been an especially strong suit for Bradlees, consistently outmuscling menswear and womenswear in terms of growth. In 1995, the most successful of all children's size ranges was infants, which accounts for 30 percent of the total kids' mix and takes up an average of 2,500 sq. ft. of floor space. "Kids as a whole is making plan, but infants is beating plan substantially," reports Karen Cotton, Bradlees' divisional merchandise manager of childrenswear. This year, Cotton's strategy is to grow childrenswear as a whole by 5 percent and to grow infants in particular by 10 percent. "TO grow an apparel classification by that much as saying a lot, especially in this soft economic climate," she says.

Cotton will develop infants' apparel by taking advantage of the fashion direction that began to impact the category last year. "The whole infants' apparel world is very different than it was just a few seasons ago. It used to be dominated by cheap, domestic sets," observes Cotton.

The surge will come in no small part from product produced by manufacturers that in the past emphasized larger sizes.

"A lot of the fashion sportswear vendors that we use in toddlers and youth sizes began interpreting their most popular looks into infants last year," says Cotton. "It gives the childrenswear department real continuity when we carry the same looks through all of the size ranges."

Manufacturers are bullish on opportunities in infants. "Infants is definitely the hottest kids' category right now," reports Walter Ginsberg, president of TLC for Girls, a New York-based manufacturer of fashion sets. "Mothers today want more than just basic pull-ons. They want excitement and style for their little ones. We're giving them swing tops and leggings, the kinds of looks their older sisters are wearing," he says.

The infants' size range was added to the TLC lineup, which stretches to size 14, three years ago. Infants now accounts for five percent of the company's total business; Ginsberg plans to grow that number to between 10 and 12 percent this year. Infants' skus offered per season will be extended from 10 to between 15 and 20.

Infants is also gaining importance at Baby Be Mine, the division of New York-based Mirrors that manufactures fashion denim separates. "Infants has traditionally represented the smallest part of our business, but now it's growing," says Marcey Brownstein, Baby Be Mine's New York sales manager. "We're offering the same looks in infants as we are in sizes 4 to 6X." For '96, these include very fashion-forward appliqued and embroidered skooters, skirts, vests, jackets and pants. Price prints for Baby Be Mine merchandise at Bradlees extends to $16.99.

Cotton notes that adopting a fashion point-of-view in infants' apparel allows her to tailor the assortment specifically to boys or girls. Unlike other childrenswear areas where girlswear has received the bulk of the fashion attention, boyswear gets its due time in the style spotlight in infants. "Girls come to the forefront of the aisle, and that may be what customers see first a lot of-the time, but boys is also very important to the business," says Cotton. Trends such as pique polo shirts, denim overalls and polyester fleece are filtering down from contemporary menswear. The mix also includes updated sports- and transportation-themed sets from such vendors as Day Baby and Izod Kids.

Unisex fashion is still an option. Sets are presented in primary tones, a departure from the pastel pink and blue staples of the past.

The way in which Bradlees is attempting to upgrade its infants' department is indicative of the overall changes president Mark Cohen is trying institute at the chain. Cohen is using a less-is-more philosophy in an effort to help the regional discounter emerge and recover from Chapter 11 protection.

The plan of differentiation involves utilizing a narrowed pool of childrenswear resources. The infants' selection now includes several brands that top out the mass market price ladder. Among them are TLC for Girts, Evy of California, Baby Be Mine, Tiny Toes, Little by Little, Doe-Spun, Great Guy, Jordache Baby, Pop Kids and Kalula Kids. Cotton has also been able to attract vendors whose labels are usually limited to midlevel chain and department store distribution. They include Day Baby, Izod Kids and Baby Beluga. Infants' dresses from Ceil Ainsworth, a moderate label, sold out during Holiday despite $39.99 retail tags, says Cotton.

That price is considerably higher than the level found at typical discount stores. Dresses at most mass outlets sell for up to $24.99, although some merchants recently began stepping up to $29.99 tags.