SOCIAL CALL PLUS: Fashion brands are Rating recognizing that men are different than women when it Berlusconi’s comes to shopping and Style. social media. PAGE MW1 page MW4 A new fashion Take As Profits Climb, Target Tweaks Mix By Sharon Edelson MINNEAPOLIS — Change is in the air at Target Corp. First, the retailer has several key executive posi- tions to fill. In October, its top marketing executive, Michael Francis, left to join J.C. Penney Co. Inc. as ■ ■ ThursDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011 Women’s Wear Daily $3.00 president. Target also is searching for a president WwD for target.com to succeed Steve Eastman, who left in October after the Web site crashed for the second time. Douglas Scovanner, Target’s longtime execu- tive vice president and chief financial officer, said he will retire in March and the retailer recently parted ways with its longtime advertising agency, Peterson Milla Hooks. Despite the turmoil, Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer, minimized the impact of the changes. “We have a very deep and talented bench,” he told analysts Wednesday during Target’s third-quarter earnings call. “We will very shortly be naming a leader for the [online] team,” al- though he declined to address the time frame for the marketing hire. The management changes come as Target has a full plate of initiatives, including the launch next year of smaller urban City Target units ranging in size from 60,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet, roughly half the size of a typical Target unit. City Target loca- tions will include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Miami and the Washington, D.C., area. The retailer is entering the Canadian market in 2013, rolling out 125 to 135 stores in sites purchased from Zeller’s. “We’re busy at work trying to find additional sites to augment the Drape, Zeller’s sites,” Steinhafel revealed Wednesday. Target’s expansion comes as its growth rolls on in the U.S. In the third quarter ended Oct. 29, the re- tailer’s net earnings rose 3.7 percent to $555 million, from $535 million in the prior-year period. Earnings per share jumped 10.2 percent to 82 cents from 74 cents in 2010. Adjusted for two items — an unusually Two“We can finally give women something SEE PAGE 8 they can just buy and not have to stress about.” That’s Robert Tagliapietra, IN WWD TODAY talking about the new secondary line s Price he and Jeffrey Costello are launching for Promotions spring under a licensing partnership with Hit A&F The Jones Group. Named C&T Costello PAGE 3 Tagliapietra, it features 13 fluid, often RETAIL: The teen retailer draped, dresses, each retailing for $298. reported For more, see page 7. higher profits for the third quarter but saw its stock plunge 13 percent after badly missing Wall Street estimates. Inflation Worries Rise PAGE 3 FINANCIAL: An uptick in apparel price inflation in October has analysts and brands worried that consumers might see higher prices as the key holiday season begins. Stefani Greenfield Joins Jones PAGE 2 FASHION: The founder of Scoop NYC and fashion consultant has joined The Jones Group as chief creative officer. photo by john aquino john by photo Greenfield Heads to Jones NEW YORK — Stefani Greenfield is joining The Jones Group as chief creative officer, WWD has learned. Greenfield will report to Richard Dickson, Jones’ president and chief executive officer of branded businesses. She will start at Jones on Nov. 29. While few details of her responsibilities were available, Dickson oversees Jones brands like Jones New York, Nine West, Anne Klein and more recent additions such as Stuart Weitzman, Robert Rodriguez and Rachel Roy, as well as B Brian Atwood and Rachel Rachel Roy. Greenfield is best known for building the Scoop NYC chain of stores, but she left the re- True To Size tailer more than three years ago. She started Boosting E-Commerce Sales Via Virtual Fitting Rooms her career in the late Eighties at DKNY during the brand’s launch period, then joined Esprit as vice president of design and merchandis- ven the most seasoned online shoppers still online; 52% of computers are sold online and almost ing. Greenfield co-founded Scoop NYC in 1996 end up with purchases that do not fit right or 60% of books,” Haldre says. “Yet, apparel is the largest Stefani and grew it into a chain of more than 15 units. look good. Enter the “virtual fitting room,” e-commerce category in terms of value—$31 billion Greenfield After leaving Scoop, she launched consulting E firm My Next Act in 2008. Since then, she has being used by both traditional retailers as well as new in apparel was sold in 2010, compared to the second worked on several new projects, including Curations for HSN and e-commerce sites. largest category, which was computers with $26 billion. the Theodora and Callum brand. Her future at those brands now that “Fit is a major friction point for e-commerce apparel The growth of apparel e-commerce will be phenomenal she will be joining Jones could not be learned at press time. purchases given the diverse range of fits even within with new technologies.” “Stefani Greenfield is a proven industry expert with an excep- the same brand,” says John Auerbach, president of Gilt At 95%, men name “fit” and “comfort” as the tional eye for product,” Dickson told WWD on Wednesday. “She Groupe Inc.’s full-priced luxury men’s wear site, Park most important factors in their apparel purchase, the exudes style and she has a connection to culture.” Dickson didn’t & Bond. Monitor survey shows, followed by quality (90%), elaborate on specifics but said that the hire fits in with the compa- ny’s strategy for growth, for which he has been assembling a team of Park & Bond aims to price (90%) and durability (89%). executives. “It is one of my top priorities, infusing modern, talented, curb fit-related merchandise Fits.me allows our But among men who shop for energetic people into this company,” Dickson said. returns by employing Fits. “ clothing online, more than 7 out customers to see how different — MARC KARIMZADEH me technology. The site of 10 (73%) are very or somewhat launched August 8, and was styles and sizes will fit their concerned about not being able the first in the U.S. to use the body, and allow them to select to try on clothing, according to SECTORS IN THIS ISSUE application. Fits.me uses a the best matches. Monitor data. robotic mannequin that can ” To use Fits.me, an online FINANCIAL 3,6 INTERNET MW1,MW2 RETAIL 1,3,8 ACCESSORIES MW3 transform into thousands John Auerbach, Park & Bond customer clicks the “Fitting Room” FASHION 4-5 MEDIA MW4 of body types, based on the button when deciding which measurements consumers provide. size to buy. He provides a full range of measurements, “Fits.me allows our customers to see how different including height, neck, chest and waist. As a result, the styles and sizes will fit their body, and allow them robo-mannequin visibly moves, taking on the specified DAILY QUOTE to select the best matches,” Auerbach says. “We’ve frame. Consumers can see how the product will truly fit on had universally positive feedback on the Fits.me their own body, and be given the recommended size to buy. implementation.” On the Park & Bond site, Fits.me is currently in The initial barrier to men’s Six out of 10 men browse the Internet for clothes, limited use, with plans for expansion. according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle “Right now we offer Fits.me on certain styles shopping is greater, but once MonitorTM Survey. Those earning $75,000+(65%) within Lacoste and Hugo Boss,” Auerbach says. are significantly more likely to shop online than men “In coordination with the Fits.me team, we will you’ve converted them, they making less than $50,000 (56%). be expanding the number of brands and products Luxury was slow to adopt e-commerce, as service currently taking advantage of the technology.” have a greater sense of loyalty. was more easily provided in-store. But now that Brooks Brothers offers different options for — WEDNESDAY LONDON’S OLIVER WALSH. PAGE MW1 Internet shopping is a given for most high-end retailers specialized fittings. Its “Select” dress shirt program and brands, the hunt is on for better e-service. Since allows online consumers to select their fabric, collar consumers are already showing patience by waiting and cuff styles. Next they choose their fit—traditional, for their apparel to be regular or slim—and input TODAY ON WWD.COM shipped, stores do not want their collar and sleeve Zuzanna Q to disappoint them with Men Who Browse the Internet measurements for a made–to– EYE: See Spring 2012’s Top Models, Bijoch more pictures from Julia Reyes improper fit. It could mean a for Clothing, by Household Income measure fit. Taubman’s book launch at the Whitney lost sale or, worse, a lost online Brooks Brothers also offers a and the latest edition of Celebrity customer. Heikki Haldre, YES NO “Digital Tailor” at its Madison Fashion at WWD.com/eye. 65% the CEO and co-founder of 60% 61% Avenue flagship in New York. QRETAIL: More images of the ck % 56% Estonia-based Fits.me, cites 55 Using white light technology, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans and 45% 44% a GSI Commerce study that 40% 39% the Digital Tailor takes a quick Calvin Klein Underwear holiday shows 79% of customers 35% 3D image of the consumer’s windows and Target’s Merona line would be reluctant to buy body, yielding hundreds ACHARD at WWD.com/retail-news.