J.Crew to Debut Children's Line
J.Crew will introduce a new clothing line to its apparel mix this spring called J.Crew Kids. The new line will debut at its retail shops and on its Web site next month.The specialty retailer of adult sportswear made the announcement this week. The clothing will also appear in a special insert that will be part of the fall J.Crew catalog, which will be mailed in July.
Mark Walsh, executive vice president of brand strategy for the company and its Web site, said J.Crew Kids is a natural extension of the brand.
"The launch of the line puts us in front of a completely new customer," Walsh said. "This market is becoming more defined, and there's tremendous opportunity for growth here."
The company seems to be following a trend among retailers to use the Internet as a barometer for new products. In May 2000, Gap Inc. introduced its GapMaternity line for online-only sales. Eddie Bauer launched its children's apparel line on the Internet in September.
J.Crew has more than 100 retail stores nationwide and mails more than 80 million catalogs annually.
The J.Crew Kids clothing line is geared toward children age 6 to 12. Included in the Spring 2001 line are 73 girls' pieces and 61 boys' pieces ranging in price from $12.50 for a basic T-shirt to $38 for dresses and boys' zip-off pants. Sizes range from 4 to 14 for girls and 4 to 16 for boys.
