Arcadia-owned Evans is to launch a young fashion brand online under a new name in the latest attempt by a big retailer to capitalise on the growing waistlines of the UK’s teens.
The 260-store retailer, part of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, currently targets women of all ages in sizes 14 to 32 but wants to segment shoppers so it can focus its marketing and product more efficiently to specific demographics.
It plans to launch a transactional website later this year, offering more trend-led clothes in larger sizes. The name and exact launch date of the site have yet to be decided but it is expected to offer product from a handful of young brands outside of the Arcadia Group.
Womenswear supplier Ruby Rocks has signed a deal to produce an exclusive offer for the new website - the first time Evans has worked with third-party brands on a tailored young fashion offer.
Ruby Rocks design and production director Izzy Przedpelski said: “This is the first site specifically designed for the younger, larger girl who wants to be really on-trend.”
Evans declined to comment on the launch.
It is the latest in a string of similar moves by major retailers vying for a share of the growing plus- size market.
Last month Marks & Spencer introduced a plus-sized range of school uniforms, and this week it emerged that designer label Marc Jacobs is to start offering its clothes in size 14 and above.
Fashion etailer N Brown has continued to find success with the older plus-size market and earlier this year fashion etailer Asos launched a dedicated plus-size offer called Asos Curve.
The venture also follows Evans’ 2009 launch of a fashion range designed by Beth Ditto, lead singer of Gossip, which gained widespread editorial coverage for the brand and was thought to have been a commercial success.
1 Reader's comment