For a year, the American Eagle Outfitters children's line has been an online-only project. Today, the South Side retailer plans to open a version of its 77kids store at the Mall at Robinson -- but only for 77 days.
Tucked into an 800-square-foot space near the company's existing teen clothing store, the feel of the place will be temporary -- lots of plywood, chalkboard, even some felt. A countdown sign will keep track of how much time the store has left.
For customers, it'll be a chance to get their hands on the clothes for children ages 2 to 10 before buying and to see if American Eagle kids is on to something with this project.
For its part, the retailer will try out ideas and get real-time reactions before going ahead with plans to open its first traditional 77kids stores in the second half of 2010. Betsy Schumacher, chief merchandising officer for the line, said the company is working on store designs and looking at potential sites for permanent locations.
"Especially for kids, I think the customer experience is really important," she said. Children will be able to write on chalkboards and the retailer's plans call for having free candy and treats on hand.
The children's clothing store prototype is part of American Eagle's push to find ways to grow sales. The company's namesake chain selling clothes to teenagers is running out of room to grow nationally, although there may be international opportunities. In addition to the 77kids project, the retailer is investing in an intimates line called aerie that has done well and a small Martin + Osa chain for older customers that has had mixed success.
Ms. Schumacher said 77kids is meeting sales expectations after its first year, although she declined to break out numbers. The months since the online launch have given the staff a chance to interact with customers and mothers groups, whose feedback contributed to fit changes, tinkering with color palettes and even a new sleepwear collection.
Temporary or "pop-up" stores have become trendy in the retail business, with chains using the sites to create a splash, do a little research and then move on without a long-term commitment. Among the more well-known examples include a store Target set up in Manhattan a few years ago and another it floated on the Hudson River. Others have come from Nike, Gap, even Wal-Mart. This holiday season Toys 'R' Us plans to pop up for a short time in various malls.
The Pittsburgh region is getting the only 77kids pop-up store partly because that lets the staff at the SouthSide Works headquarters keep a close eye on how it's going and partly because this has been a strong market for the young operation.