John Lewis Partnership is out to empty piggybanks. The traditionally staid retailer is after the fickle tweenage pound, with new one-stop girlie shop-in-shops to rival high street specialists, such as Claire's Accessories and its Girl Heaven chain.
After a successful six-store trial, tweenie girl department Kids Kitsch will be rolled out to a further 15 John Lewis department stores by October.
JLP children's accessories buyer Clare Fitzpatrick said Kids Kitsch is 'a new departure' and will tap into a UK market worth approximately£600 million.
'Tweenagers have growing spending power, as their pocket money and allowances are increasing. Childrenswear and accessories have been clothing-based for years, but girls are really into lifestyle now,' Fitzpatrick said.
The tweenager phenomenon received validation in 2001, when the term entered the Oxford English Dictionary to describe a child aged between 10 and 14-years old. Tweenie spending power increased by 45 per cent between 1997 and 2001.
Kids Kitsch offers an array of girlie paraphernalia, from picture frames to cushions and fairylights, merchandised in a fun 'touchy-feely' way. Price points stretch from a pocket-money-friendly 95p to a parental wallet-sized£25.
The tweenie boy market remains uncharted water, but JLP is developing a parallel, less fluffy, Kids' Kitsch offer for them. It will make its debut in a five-store trial later this year selling CD cases, skateboard stickers, gifts and toiletries.
Verdict chairman Richard Hyman said: 'The tweenager market is not very well served by retailers and is fickle.'
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