Dive Brief:
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J.Crew Group Inc. will not be jumping on the oh-so-hot activewear trend, according to CEO Mickey Drexler.
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The so-called ath-leisure trend of the moment, which has primarily women wearing clothing from the gym to the street and even the office, is contributing to many clothing and sports retailers’ sales growth.
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But after exploring the possibilities J.Crew has decided that yoga and other sports apparel is not a natural part of its merchandising, which has traditionally been more classic, if fashionably classic, basics, Drexler told Bloomberg.
Dive Insight:
Lululemon may be ujjayi-breathing a sigh of relief at the thought that J. Crew won’t be yet another competitor in an era that it helped introduce to American clothing shoppers.
But the decision is a little bit of a head-scratcher for J.Crew. For one, while CEO Mickey Drexler says yoga and other apparel is too much of a leap, J.Crew is famous for its swimsuits, an activewear category, if a small one. For another, J.Crew would seem to benefit from some expansion of its merchandising. Many of J. Crew’s newest stores are in malls, which have seen slowing traffic. And the company has experienced shrinking margins of late, enticing shoppers with sales to clear out its inventory.
