American Eagle Outfitters opens first local 77kids at the Mall at Robinson
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The new children's clothing store created by South Side retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc. is going for a bit of a backyard clubhouse feel: Still within mom's line of sight but with enough edginess to let kids try on a little adventure for size.
Young customers chasing around a lighted image of a small bird on the floor of the 77kids store at the Mall at Robinson can avoid boredom while their mothers keep one eye on them and one on the checkout.
Those $34.50 girls jeans in a "dark destroyed wash" already seem torn and frayed. Cool. But, look, Mom, there's lining inside the frayed spots. The $14.50 graphic T-shirt for boys with the message, "Let's Get Weird," is trendy but doesn't exactly push into nastier zones where an older audience might tread.
The South Side company that's a teen icon with its jeans and hoodies is trying to draw on that heritage with a kid-friendly experience. There are games such as a funky version of bean bags, a Goodie Bar offering trinkets and candy, places for children to take their own pictures and even a drinking fountain tucked in the back.
"For us, it's really about being a kid and letting them be a kid," said Betsy Schumacher, chief merchandising officer for the brand, which takes the 77 in its name from the founding of American Eagle in 1977.
The 5,800-square-foot Robinson store set to open today is the first of five planned nationwide for the back-to-school season. Two more should be ready by the holiday shopping season.
Then that will be it for a while. At American Eagle's annual shareholders meeting in June, CEO Jim O'Donnell laid down the law. "I do not plan to open the eighth store until we have proven practices," he said.
But this is what happens when an older sibling messes up.
Even as the children's brand's grand opening events roll out, American Eagle's failed Martin & Osa chain is winding down. Clothes meant to generate sales among a clientele older than the company's core teen audience can now be had for 50 percent off online. Twenty-eight Martin & Osa stores have been steadily closing, including a Ross Park Mall location scheduled to shut July 25, according to the website.
First Published July 15, 2010 12:00 am
