Teens warm up to value - Old Navy is noted on teens' top-teen cool list

American Demographics, Nov, 1997 by Kevin Heubusch

Cool and expensive are usually synonymous in trendy clothes for teens. But a discount label has landed itself on teens' top-ten cool list, according to a new survey by the Zandl Group of New York City.

True to teen form, Zandl's top-ten list of coolest teen apparel and footwear brands for fall is dominated by high-visibility, high-priced brands. Seventy-three percent of teens say that Nike is cool. Sixty-seven percent say the same of Tommy Hilfiger, 59 percent of Calvin Klein, and 50 percent of Oakley.

The surprise on the list is number five, Old Navy, says Richard Leonard, vice president of the Zandl Group. The label is the only discounter among the top ten. That's no small achievement in a field where discount pricing is almost always painfully un-cool. Yet 48 percent of teens say that Old Navy is definitely cool. And 52 percent agree that the brand is becoming cooler.

Old Navy won its stripes by careful positioning, largely through its innovative and energetic stores, which banish any hint of a mass merchandiser, Leonard says. Teens don't have the impression that buying the brand compromises either quality or cool. Many are also aware that Old Navy is a division of the Gap, so they feel assured of the quality and they appreciate the bargain.

For more information, contact the Zandl Group, 270 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012-3327; telephone (212) 274-1222.