American Fare cashes in on kid's wear; a fun yet easy to shop look makes the difference - hypermarket

American Fare Cashes In On Kid's Wear

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- Early results show children's wear is the "hottest" apparel category here at K mart's American Fare.

Although exact sales figures are not yet available, children's wear--particularly newborn, infants and toddlers--is riding a high crest at the hypermarket, according to American Fare buyer Howard Mohney (for the initial start-up, Mohney bought for infants, toddlers, boys', men's and fashion accessories; he is now covering just the latter two categories).

"We've been very successful throughout soft lines, but in my mind the hottest area is kids'," said Mohney. Apparently, he noted, the demographics are more conducive to children's wear than the retailer envisioned.

Unexpected Result

Yet it is this kind of unexpected result that American Fare does not mind. As Mohney noted, the only problem is keeping children's wear stocked with merchandise.

Like the entire apparel selection, the emphasis in children's wear is on name brands. In infants and toddlers, brands include Curity, Gerber, Camp Beverly Hills and Oneita Kids, while in girls' and boys' wear American Fare offers top names like Cherokee, Gitano, Jams, Catalina, Danskin, Beverly Hills Polo Club, Hang 10, Wrangler and Palmeto.

Mohney said this mix appeals to a wide range of customers and places the hypermarket in competition with department stores.

However, it is not name brands alone that have created excitement and sales in children's wear. Positioning and merchandising of the entire department have also played a large role. Keeping in mind the customer--both kids and parents--the children's wear area is both fun and easy to shop.

Bright colors and graphics are used to generate excitement and interest throughout the department. And central to the area is a colorful sizing wall that allows kids to first check their height along a yard stick and then see where they measure up against sizing silhouettes that also show corresponding color-coded size tags. The result "makes it fun for the kids and makes it easy for the parents to shop," Mohney said.

Falling then on either side of the wall is girls' and boys' wear, that like all apparel, is merchandised on movable fixtures. To enhance the department store-like appeal, Mohney said American Fare uses lots of display fixtures and groups the merchandise in collections rather than by category. So instead of long straight racks, Mohney said the store uses four-ways, t-stands, gondolas, tables and rounders in the approximately 11,000-square-foot children's wear department.

The only non-movable fixture in children's is the backwall, where basics like hosiery and underwear are merchandised. And located on the opposite side of this wall is children's furniture, while toys is just adjacent to the department.

According to the buyer, American Fare combed both the European and U.S. markets for many of its in-store concepts like the children's wear department.

PHOTO : Cross-merchandised with toys on the other side of the aisle, American Fare's children's wear--especially the infants & toddlers segment--is the store's 'hottest' department.

COPYRIGHT 1989 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group