Misses', juniors' styling helps hypo large-size sales

Discount Store News, August 6, 1984

Large-size ladies want more colors and more styles in apparel. Discounters want the hefty volume gains that result from meeting those fashion demands.

Chain buyers describe today's large-size customers as extremely loyal to chains that fit her size and styling requirements: youthful looks instead of just the old dark polyester items. Quite simply she wants the same styles as her junior and misses-sized counterparts.

This year a number of chains including Ames, Murphy's Mart, Gold Circle, Hills and Zodys expect their large-size ladies' wear business to increase by 15% to 50%, depending on each chain's current stage of developing the category.

To achieve those volume gains buyers are simply adding more of whatever sells in misses and juniors: cotton-blend fabrications; mix and match coordinate groupings; a full spectrum of colors, and more patterns--including the once-taboo horizontal stripe.

Retailers say manufacturers are starting to jump into the plus-size category with more fashion and coordinating separates. Both Gitano and Garan were mentioned by buyers as meaningful brands in the category. Chains including Hills and Gold Circle have housebrand sweater programs from the Orient in large sizes. But buyers say they would like to be able to get more cotton-blend seaters and fleecewear domestically for their large-size departments.

Polyester pull-on pants and matching cap-sleeve tops are the basic goods that are still half of the business at most chains. Still, retailers say the color story even in the basics is expanding and the nonbasic, updated styles are continuing to gain in popularity.

Overall, retail competition for that segment of the business has increased somewhat over the past two years, with more specialty stores for the large-size woman popping up. But discount chain buyers say there is still a void in the lower price points of updated fashion apparel for large-size women.

Adding It Up

"I don't have a ton of competition," said Gold Circle buyer Holly Huffman, whose large-size business has increased 70% over the past two and a half years. "Lane Bryant is into much higher price points, and K mart, although it is now upgrading, has always been into polyester-only."

Godl Circle, Hills and Bradlees were described by their competitors as chains with strongly developed large-size ladies wear programs. Each of these chains has at least two buyers who concentrate on large-size sportswear (bottoms size 32 to 38 and tops sizes 38 to 46). Both Gold Circle and Hills stock super sizes (bottoms 42 to 46 and tops 46 to 54) as well, although in more basic styles, only. All three chains use large-size models in their ads.

In nonsportswear categories--dresses, swimwear, outerwear and lingerie--most chains still tag large-size on to the junior/misses buyer's responsibilities.

At Hills, the category is called fuller-figure and is presented as a normal part of the total apparel business, rather than as a "stepchild," explained Len Sack, vp of soft lines merchandising.

"We view the fuller-size the same way we would a size 10; the customer could be from 12 to 90 years old," he said. Thus, a broad selection of colors and fashions is the key to this chain's success in the business.

Unlike most other mass merchandisers, Hills puts its fuller-figure sizes in the regular departments instead of breaking out a distinct plus-size department on the selling floor. Sack said that set-up lets large-size women shop along with the smaller women adn feel more like a part of the action.

The Massachusetts-based chain is also different from most other chains because it is committed to selling half-size dresses. Other discounters admit to being in and out of the business in past years because of the markdown risk involved in the dress category. At Hills half-size dresses are assigned to a separate buyer.

This year, Sack expects fuller-figure ladies' wear sales to increase 15% to 20% as jeans, coordinated groupings of matching skirts, jackets, blouses, pants and tops continue to lead the new fashion trends. Generally, the strong looks in misses and juniors are the strong looks in fuller figure, he stressed.

Gold Circle's Huffman expects annual sales growth of 15% from large sizes starting this fall after her department gets floor space (two rounders and a back wall) previously given to maternity goods. The breakout of maternity into its own department as well as the addition of waterfalls in large-size sections land more fashion on the selling floor, she explained.

Another booster in the chain's plus-size program will come during the holiday season when Huffman taps into the chain's "updated fashion" private label program, New Views. For spring, she plans to have New Views styles in the popular Guess-brand, laundered denim look.

A Closer Look

Huffman views large sizes as three styles: traditional, updated and translated juniors. All three include basic and fashion looks. Both the updated and traditional woman are looking for more natural fabrics and colors, she explained. An updated customer would be a working woman more than a traditional one, she explained. Although juniors is a part of the category, Huffman and other buyers aren't sure what percentage of large sizes teen fashions can become.