I’d like to warmly welcome J.Crew’s crewcuts to our Sales At A Glance bi-weekly postings. I must say, I had my doubts about the line when it was initially introduced just over two years ago, mainly sold through J.Crew stores and a couple of pilot stores. I realized there are the die-hard J.Crew fans who would definitely frequent the store, but would others come?
Now operating in 42 stand-alone stores nationwide and a fully-populated webiste, I believe crewcuts is here to stay.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit a store, I highly recommend it. You simply can’t get a sense for the overall line and quality on-line. The quality is outstanding and the fabrics and colors are fabulous. The designs uphold the same (if not in some cases better) J.Crew standard and are in line with their “Classics with a Twist” style.
I researched J.Crew’s aspirations for the stores:
“We are going after a J.Crew style that our customers really love for themselves and want for their kids. Until now, we feel that the kids market has been missing a certain sophistication, price and quality that we hope to provide,” says Millard Drexler, Chairman and CEO of J.Crew.
Created for parents looking for well-made children’s clothing at friendlier prices (and knowing how hard it is to find), crewcuts features the best J.Crew items … only smaller. …Crewcuts highlights the younger elements of the J.Crew personality and incorporates all of the iconic items the company is famous for, including washed patchwork madras and argyle, as well as broken-in and lightweight chino. Children (and parents) will love the brighter colors, critter embroideries and graphics featured on crewcuts items.
I think J.Crew is doing an amazing job attaining this vision, and I think the clothing will sell well on the resale market. While the introductory pricing at crewcuts is on the high side (just like it’s mother J.Crew) , the sale pricing is great (especially now! – get an additional 25% off sale-priced and clearance items in stores).
Additionally, this is one of the very, very few places where Parents and Kids can coordinate their style and outfits. Many of the items in Women’s, for example, are also offered in Girls. While I often think the coordinating styles are bit too cute, I think J.Crew is being successful with a level of coordination sophistication we aren’t seeing elsewhere.
So, welcome crewcuts! We look forward to tracking your sales, style trends, and ongoing success.
— Suzanne Rielle, Co-Founder, Loobalee.com