Sears, which has posted declining apparel sales for the past four years, is trying to grab a share of the growing Hispanic market with the introduction of clothing aimed at Hispanic women.
Latina Life, which is being created in partnership with Latina magazine, will debut in the fall at 425 Sears stores nationwide. The line is being designed primarily by Jones Apparel Group, the same company that owns Anne Klein and Nine West.
“We expect Latina Life apparel to appeal to a diverse population of fashionable women who are looking for fresh, beautifully designed and well-fitted pieces that can take them affordably from work to weekend,” said Gwen Manto, Sears Holding Corp. executive vice president and general merchandise manager.
The partnership with Latina, a monthly magazine whose main audience is Hispanic women, will be the first by a major retailer and a Hispanic-focused media partner.
Clothes in the collection will feature sheer mesh tops, fitted pants and camisoles embellished with beading and rhinestones and will be priced between $36 and $79. The brand will expand next spring to include costume jewelry and accessories in bold colors and metallic materials.
The NPD Group, a marketing consulting firm, said Hispanic consumers spent $6.6 billion on apparel last year, up 3.3 percent from the previous year.
“[The Hispanic population is] a huge market that’s been ignored. There is a lot of buying power there,” said Mike Gatti, executive vice president of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association.
The marketing plan for Latina Life includes in-store signs, seasonal magazine inserts and editorial features.
“This is a step toward making a multimedia company that surrounds Hispanic women. It will be very evident in the stores that Latina Life is tied to the magazine,” said Fabio Freyre, chief executive of Latina Media Ventures.
Mr. Gatti said the addition of Hispanic-influenced clothing lines shows that stores have changed their marketing strategies to take advantage of a growing segment of the population.
Hispanics make up 39.9 million people in the United States, up from 9.4 million in 2000, according to the Census Bureau.
“If one group is more prominent [in the area], stores may change the way they display merchandise,” he said.
Sears is not the only department store to target Hispanics in an attempt to sell merchandise. Sears’ sister store, Kmart, started the Thalia Sodi Collection, designed by Mexican actress-singer Thalia Sodi, in 2003.
Daisy Fuentes, model and former host of MTV’s “House of Fashion,” teamed up with Kohl’s Department Stores in 2003 to begin her own line of clothing and jewelry.
Hispanic customers are a growing segment for Kohl’s as we expand into markets with significant concentrations of [the Latino population],” said Julie Gardner, senior vice president of marketing for Kohl’s.
Even name brand designers are getting in on the act. Perry Ellis International introduced its Cubavera women’s clothing line this spring at select J.C. Penney and Macy’s stores.
Kmart bought Sears, Roebuck & Co. in March for $12.3 billion, forming the Sears Holding Corp., creating the third largest U.S. retailer behind Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
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