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New apparel, home goods line designed to lure younger consumers
NEw YoRK - Joe Boxer has jumped into the ring with Kmart to form a tag team armed with lively new product and exciting merchandising-all of which is helping to drown out the nagging gloom of bankruptcy.
Central to the alliance are creative new ad campaigns that include, among other things, a television spot of a young man dancing in his Joe Boxer underwear, as well as a series of heavily hyped store launch events. At a recent event at its Astor Place store in New York, for instance, the same model used in the TV spot was on hand to lead a fashion show of Joe Boxer apparel.
The new line represents more than a brand addition, said Jim Adamson, Kmart's chairman and ceo. The retailer will use the Joe Boxer brand to bring in younger customers who Kmart hasn't been drawing. Further, Joe Boxer will bring an additional degree of fun and excitement into Kmart, not to mention creating a point of differentiation with other discounters. In the store, Joe Boxer products spilled beyond the traditional core in underwear to men's, women's, children's and infant's apparel, footwear, accessories and home goods.
After lots of bad press associated with Kmart's bankruptcy filing early this year, Adamson said the Joe Boxer launch has been a chance to talk about something positive happening for the retailer, and not just in terms of potential. "This is definitely good news for Kmart," he said. "The best thing is,...