Market Conditions People are willing to spend the money for trends like fur, leather details, suede and fringe details. Online shopping has become the most utilized form of purchasing within these few years. New technological advances mainly contribute to the uproar of virtual shopping. Social media leads the trend in demonstrating what's new and what's hot. Customer thrive off of the greatest shopping experience through retail stores. Product Competition The outerwear apparel industry is facing saturation in US market. The overall size of the US apparel market is $ 249 bn in 2014. Women's apparel has a market size of $110,826 m. The effective advertisement and promotions required for the product. Factors that can affect our product success The fashion-forward design The designs and styles offered by competitors like ZARA, Forever 21, etc. The availability of high number of substitutes Conclusion The revealing of Haley Vest for Spring 2017will resonate with our target market The color, design and trends will be a great fit for Macy's Retailer. The wholesale price will be $32.32 and the retail price would be $92.34. MACY'S FINAL REPORT VJ Thomas, Amber Bowden, Megan Sozio Fangdi Hou Product Development Professor James Gutman April 26, 2016 2 Table of Contents Target Market Report Introduction............................................................................................. 3 Our Product .............................................................................................4 Target Market .......................................................................................... 5 Demographics........................................................................................ ...5 Psychographics ........................................................................................ 7 Market Segmentation .............................................................................. 8 Market Conditions ....................................................................................8 Product Competition ...............................................................................11 Factors to affect Product Success ..........................................................11 Constructing the Haley Vest: The Experience .......................................12 Behind the Scenes: Southern Hart of Chic Ad ........................................14 Testing Standards for Haley Vest ............................................................15 Haley Vest Marker ....................................................................................17 Vest Tech Pack ..........................................................................................18 Spec Sheet ..................................................................................................19 Costing.........................................................................................................20 Choosing Production in China...................................................................23 Southern Hart of Chic Line Sheet .............................................................25 Conclusion .................................................................................................24 Customer Profile .........................................................................................26 Store Report ................................................................................................27 Macys Store Listings ...................................................................................38 Work Cited ..........................................................................................39 3 Introduction: As merchandisers for Macy's Private Label, Maison Jules, we-that is VJ Thomas, Amber Bowden, Megan Sozio and Fangdi Hou, present to you our Target Market Report. Maison Jules is a feminine, elegant and chic, Parisian street-style inspired women's clothing line sold exclusively at Macy's. The private label carries an assortment of classic yet modern pieces easily to mix and match and create personal style. Macy's is targeting the female, millennial population with their Maison Jules brand. The specific age range they are seeking is 19-30. She is a young and trendy woman who dreams of the Parisian lifestyle. She loves vintage inspired, classic pieces with a modern twist. Her favorite outfits are easy to wear, but look beautifully feminine and romantic. She loves floral patterns, lace and is not afraid of color. Being from the millennial generation, she is an avid social media user. She views Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook daily. She gains a lot of her wardrobe inspiration through these sites, as well as popular fashion bloggers. When the brand was first launched, Macy's partnered with the well-known French fashion blogger Garance Dore. She has a large social media following that helped get the Parisian inspired line off the ground. This started the brand off on the right foot with strong brand awareness. Since its launch, the styles have been kept easy to wear and appealing to a variety of buyers. They do this by offering most of their garments in a variety of colors and patterns. The Maison Jules brand is also 4 priced competitively. With better quality than the fast fashion competitors, and only slightly higher pricing, the cute and stylish brand is hard to pass up. Our Product: For Spring Summer 2018, Maison Jules is releasing a new product called \"The Haley,\" a sleeveless Duster Vest, one of our favorites pieces in our new line titled, \"Southern Heart of Chic.\" The Haley vest, which is a loosely fitted below the knee duster made with lightweight crepe and lace detailing is the perfect spring outerwear that reflects Maison Jules easy-to-wear yet fashionable aesthetic. We believe this piece will be attractive to our customer, specifically in our target geographic focus this season-that is the Southeast/ South Central and Mid-Atlantic region of North America-where Macy's has a total of 249 stores. We believe that a southern style inspired collection with a Parisian twist will boost sales in the region where Macy's have the least amount of brick and mortar stores and will entice a rejuvenated enthusiasm towards our products in the region. Southeast USA fashion sense is not all about cowboy boots and hats. Southern women style also consists of lady-like pieces such as dresses, fitted jeans and bright colors- the epitome of the Maison Jules concept. This trendy vest adds something new to the collection, while still following the Parisian Chic style needed to be a cohesive addition to Maison Jules. Although Maison Jules offers a variety of tailored jackets and layering pieces, their line does not consist of any vests. With vests becoming increasingly popular, this is a missed 5 opportunity for Macy's. This fashionable vest would be a perfect opportunity to fill this gap in their product line. A key in the Maison Jules brand is versatility. The garments are all easy to pair with one another to create beautifully chic looks. The vest is a perfect piece to add to the assortment, because it can be easily paired with a variety of existing Maison Jules styles. For example, it can be worn on top of the \"Long-Sleeve Dress\" to add structure to the classic silhouette, or it could be paired with the \"Heathered Lace-Contrast Top\" and \"Frankie Skinny Pants\" to compliment a more casual outfit. Adding the vest to the assortment will give the customer another option to complete their outfit and give them another effortless way to style their Maison Jules wardrobe. Target Market: We are targeting the millennial female population ages 19-30 (Millennial are USA's largest and most diversified generation. Macys target consumers are millennial's between 16-34) with a focus on the South Eastern/South Central and Mid-Atlantic regions of North America. According to the Macy's_inc_store_listing excel sheet attached at the end of this report, the states represented in these regions along with the number of stores are as followed: Alabama-Southeast-2 stores Colorado-South Central- 14 stores Florida- Southeast-60 stores Georgia- Southeast-23 stores 6 Illinois- South Central-25 stores Kansas- South Central-4 stores Kentucky- Southeast/North Central -7 stores North Carolina- Southeast-11 stores South Carolina- Southeast-2 stores Oklahoma- South Central- 4 stores Texas- South Central-52 stores Tennessee- Southeast-7 stores Utah- South Central-6 stores Louisiana- South Central- 5 stores Virginia-Mid-Atlantic- 27 stores (Macy's Inc. Store listings) Demographics: Our customer's ethnic background varies across all racial identities (Most millennial's are immigrants or children of immigrants.) However Caucasian, African American and Hispanic customers constitute our geographic region. Our customer is in the lower to upper middle class, single, or with an average household of 2.6 (the average household in USA.) (ArcGIS) She is a college educated, working professional performing in various fields' such as the private sector, entrepreneurial, business and start-ups and/or non-profits. As a carrier of a bachelor's degree, she makes up to 50,000-60,000 a year. (A survey of 1,500 Millennial's resulted in shopping preferences at JCPenney, Macys, Forever 21, Nike, Under Armour, and Zara.) Millennial's also have a $200 billion annual buying power. (Refinery 29) 7 Psychographics: Lifestyle: Our customers in the southern USA geographic region are conservative, relaxed, have strong family values and close neighborhood ties through churches and community centers. Our southern customers are also slower paced than those who live in the northern region of USA. Our customers display \"Southern Hospitality\" from their kind smiles and respectful sayings, \"Yes, ma'am\" down to sharing the names of their favorite brands to their friends and families. Millennial's in general are more open-minded, more tolerant of change than their parents. Our customer's care about the environment and are more in tune with what is happening in the world. They love music (country, rock and pop), are on social media more then they sit in front of the TV and enjoy nights on the town. Millennial's are reported not influenced by advertisements although on social media often, purchasing isn't based solely on companies marketing efforts. However, before purchases are made, our customers tend to investigate a bit further on the brand and reviews of the product. When they do find a brand that they love, they are usually quite loyal. (Forbs) This is why it is so important for Maison Jules to capture our customers attention initially because it is most likely that they will come back to shop with us again if they are satisfied with our product. Style: We target women in different fields that desire a high end and flirty look for a great price. She likes to mix and match as well as accessorize. Prints, strips, lace, and pops of color are her weakness. Since she spends a lot of time meeting clients out of the office, she needs comfortable yet fashionable looks. Our 8 customer loves shopping at department stores, such as Macys and Belk. Having a classic vest like the \"Haley\" is a perfect addition to her wardrobe. She can throw it over a flirty dress, a blouse and trousers, and even over blue jeans. Pair our Hailey with a wide brim or cowgirl hat and a trendy printed silk scarf around your neck and you have yourself a southern Parisian chic look. Market Segmentation: Lets take a peek into the life of Willow Rinehart Twenty six year old Willow Rinehart is a southern belle who resides in a 1,125 square feet home in Dallas-Fort Worth Texas. (Dallas is the third largest city in Texas and ranks #1 metropolitan areas in the Southern U.S.) (New World Encyclopedia) Her husband of one and a half years, Jeffrey Micah Rinehart, who she met at a country-rock concert in Nashville three years ago, lives with her and their five-month old son Riley along with their brown-eyed aussie puppy named Hart. Willow received her bachelor's degree in journalism/communications at the University of Texas at Austin and Jeff studied law at Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville. Willow and Jeff truly value the time that they share together as a family whether its spending weekends in the city visiting the many museums that Dallas has to offer or just enjoying the great outdoors parks. Baby Riley especially loves the Dallas Aquarium. The young couple has a median household income of 120,000. The two are working on paying the mortgage for their homes and are still paying back college debt. Willow and Jeff are fortunate to rest in the upper middle social class, which 9 dictates how much they are able and willing to spend on the type of lifestyle that they want. While they are not together, Willow spends her mornings at work. She is highly tech savvy spending up to 35 hours online a week for work and additional hours on social media and online shopping. When she isn't behind the computer at work, Willow tends to have meetings out of the office usually in small cafes, in her clients place of business and even out in Dallas's many public spaces. Since she meets with a variety of clients, Willow tries to keep her look clean, yet stylish. She updates her look monthly, shopping often in department stores such as Macys and Belk. She also likes to shop at Ann Taylor and Zara and occasionally splurge at Nordstrom's. When she isn't with her family or at work, Willow likes to spend her time at the mall, gym, and/or traveling. Some of her favorite travel destinations are Paris and Barcelona. Market Conditions The fashion industry is heavily influenced by the economy. As trends include more detail, intricate designs and luxurious fabrication, it shows that consumers are ready and willing to spend money. Some of the most popular trends for 2016 include fur, leather details, suede and fringe details. People are willing to spend the money for these trends, but the way consumers spend their money will be different than it has been in the past years. In the past few years, shopping has been done virtually which is putting brick and mortar retail businesses in a difficult position. Online shopping has become the most utilized form of purchasing within these few years. New technological 10 advances mainly contribute to the uproar of virtual shopping. Mobile shopping from smartphones is projected to increase from $3 billion to $31 billion just within the next year (Business2Community). Like our customer, millennials are the generation that's making this all possible. By 2020, it is said that this generation will have more spending power than any generation (Business2Community). This means that they are in tune with technology, usually meaning that they are active users on social media, which is becoming the dominating factor in online spending. The newest trends, sales, reviews and ratings can now all be found through social media, which creates a relatable and memorable experience through online shopping for the consumers. Our customer is fond of the most popular social platforms, which is her way of finding out what's new and what's hot. As a result, brick and mortar retail businesses are beginning to change for the worst as the year progresses. In 2016, we are expected to see more turnarounds, bankruptcies and store closings than ever before (Retail Dive). Mobile and online shopping is beginning to dominate the fashion industry and it is heavily effecting store sales in the long run. Even though our customer enjoys a day out shopping with her friends, she could always go for a day to lay in bed and click away on her smart phone for the newest looks to be delivered to her front door within days. Professionals believe that the only way people will be willing to leave their house to shop in a store is if these retail stores offer the consumers the greatest shopping experience because that is what the customer thrives off of. Product Competition: Evaluation of total market/market size: 11 The underlying assignment aims at analyzing demographic and psychographic aspect of the targeted consumers for our product the \"Haley\" a loose flowy duster vest. The target market selected for discussion purpose is Southern USA and it is intended to discuss market size, factors affecting company's success, and evaluation of the total market as discussed below: Loose flowy vest jackets are under the product category of outerwear in the apparel industry-which is facing saturation in US market. The physical store retailing of US apparel market has matured such as retailers Zara and Forever 21. The overall size of the US apparel market is $ 249 bn in 2014 among which South US constitutes $ 225 bn (With The U.S. Market Saturating, American Eagle Is Aggressively Inking International Licensing Deals. 2015). Women's apparel has a market size of $110,826 m (Statistics and facts on the Apparel market in the U.S. 2016). It can be said that women apparel hold's a majority of share in overall apparel market. Since the company is planning to enter the market, it is expected that company would serve small proportion in initial stage. The advertisement and promotion would enable company to capture 0.01% in initial few years. The effective advertisement and promotions would pave the path of increment in market share. Factors that can affect our product success: There are numerous factors posing potential for affecting our success like fashion-forward design of loose flowy vest jacket. The fashion forward design is 12 critical success factor making it comparatively easier for the company to attract customers' attention. It is also necessary for company to keep in mind designs and styles offered by competitors like ZARA, Forever 21, etc., which are leading fashion retailers (Fukunishi & Yamagata, 2014). The threat posed is their wide customer base, appealing designs and attractive offers thereby necessitating Maison Jules to take all these factors in mind at the time of designing our loose flowy vest jacket. It has identified that US market is flooded with wide variety of apparels. The high competing pressure and availability of numerous brands in the market creates a complicated situation for our company. The consumers of our Southern USA geographic enjoy high bargaining power as they are having high number of substitutes. The number of apparel players is high providing more or less similar nature products to consumers (Statistics and facts on the Apparel market in the U.S. 2016). Constructing the Haley Vest: The Experience Problems During Production When constructing this vest, there are a few issues that the manufacturers may run into. The polyester fabric gave the most issues because sewing this type of fabric usually calls for puckering. Another issue was the lace because the fabric stretches, but the crepe does not. This problem lead to minor complications while constructing and final fit. Putting a safety stitch around the piece before sewing it together could be a possible solution. 13 There is also an issue with the iron-on fusible because it gives the vest lapels a permanent wrinkle. Perhaps using a different quality in the near future would solve this. Lastly, the hand sewing from tacking the facing to the outer shell creates a pull that affects the clean look of the vest. In the future, a different technique should be considered. Overall, constructing the vest was an easy job with some bumps in the road. The silhouette was rather simple and minimal so there weren't too many complicated seams to sew. Constructing a vest for Maison Jules was fun, simple and inspirational. -Amber Bowden 14 Behind the Scenes of \"Southern Hart Of Chic\" video advertisement: (Short note from creative director) Hello, My name is VJ Thomas and I am the creative director and videographer for the Maison Jules Spring 2017 commercial ad titled, Southern Hart Of Chic. We chose to shoot this season's look at Philadelphia University's Campus. We mostly shot on the East side of School House Lane. We were able to reserve a perfect location-that is the backyard of White Corners House. We really loved the old southern house feel that White Corners exuded-actually the house reminded us a bit of our customer, Willow Rinehart's own home. The combination of the white exterior of the home, large windows, and of course the green of the grass and bushes surrounding the house was truly a picture perfect moment and a great location. We think that we got a couple of great shots. The sun was out, the weather was nice, and the flowers were booming. As for the styling, our model, Megan Sozio sported our Haley Vest with a very muted light pink blouse, jeans, and casual flat boots. She topped the look with a grey-rimmed hat. Her look is the epitome of casual chic that our customer is all about. We directed our model to be sweet, a little flirty, and loving light in this short film. Our model also fits into the millennial criteria so I believe our target customer will relate to her quite well. -VJ Thomas 15 Testing Standards for Haley Vest: 1. Crocking- AATCC 8 Crocking is the transfer of dye treated fabric onto other surfaces by rubbing. The Haley vest consists of a polyester crepe along with a stretch lace. The lace fabric has been dyed to create an ombre effect with dye color titled ballet slipper by company Deval Fabric Spray. Maison Jules will have a crocking examination on the dyed lace to ensure that crocking does not occur. If crocking does occur at the minimal-then we may continue with the use of this dye company and provide a warning label along with the vest during retailing. If crocking occurs at the maximum, then we will have to withdraw from the use of Deval's product and substitute the dying services to another company. 2. Lightfastness- AATCC 16.3 Lightfastness determines fabric colors resistance to fading when exposed to light, whether natural sunlight or artificial light (such as retailing lights). Because light has the ability to disrupt pigmentation, this testing is critical for our Haley vest. Thankfully, polyester crepe is known to resist fading. However, the lace component of the vest is dyed so testing will have to be done on the dyed lace fabric. The Haley will be revealed in our Spring 2017 collection, which means that the Macy customer will get the opportunity to wear the vest during the hot summer months. Because our vest is quite casual and versatile, we expect that our customers will wear it out occasionally which will lead to sun exposure. 3. Wrinkle Recovery- AATCC 66 16 The Wrinkle Recovery test determines the fabric's ability to recover from wrinkles and creases. We do not want out Haley vest to be a burden to iron. Our customer, Willow Rinehart is a busy, workingwoman who is married and has a child. Ironing is the last thing she wants to do early in the morning. However if she wants to, we at Maison Jules want to make it easy for her. Our polyester crepe must be able to recover from wrinkles in an instant. However, since our crepe is lightweight and thin, it is easier for wrinkles to occur. Fortunately, after our testing, we found that our selected crepe is easy to iron and resist creases. 4. Strength Test (Tensile)- ASTM D 2261/1424 Our selected polyester crepe was selected by the Maison Jules design and merchandising team due to its color, properties, feel, and weight. Since the crepe is lightweight, we want to ensure that no tears will occur during the production of the garment or during the lifecycle of the product with our customers. The strength test is made to determine how the material will react under certain strengths. We aim for our vest to have a long life and would like to ensure that it will be safe during certain pressures or from simple day-to-day occurrences. 5. Abrasion Resistance- ASTM D 3884 Abrasion resistance is the capabilities of a fabric to repel wear due to continuous rubbing off of another material. An ASTM test for abrasion is so important because we as a company hold a high standard in terms of the look and feel of a garment. We aim to utilize the best fabrics at the right cost. Our girl will most likely be wearing the Haley vest on top of a shirt, jeans etc. She will also constantly have to either sit in the car (the vest will constantly have contact with the car seat) or carry her child. Whatever she is doing, we want to make sure that the 17 inside of the vest resist wear as the outside of the vest. Haley Vest Marker 18 Haley Vest Tech Pack Haley Vest Spec Sheet 19 Asia Costing 20 Central America Costing 21 Domestic Cost: 22 Garment Production in China 23 Deciding on what part of the world to produce a garment has a huge impact on the cost, risk and time. Three different regions were compared to find the best place for production. Those regions were Central America, Asia, and Domestically in the United States. After careful evaluation, we decided to have our vest produced in Asia. China provided us with the most benefit and the least amount of risk. Production in the United States would have offered several benefits. First, it would save a lot time. We wouldn't have to wait weeks for the product to ship across the ocean, but only a couple days to reach our warehouse. Being close to production also allows for a quicker response time if any problems arise. Next, production in the United States would ensure us that our products were being produced safely and the workers were a paid a fair wage. We would be providing jobs for citizens in our own country and not overseas. There is also a huge benefit when it comes to communication. There is no need for a translator, or long international flights. Unfortunately, production in the United States is not feasible for our garment. The cost of production is just too high in order to sell to our target market. Producing our garment in the United States would have cost our company the most money to produce. While we would save money for duty and shipping of the garment, we would still have to pay duty and shipping for the fabric itself. We would also be paying $16.00 per garment in labor alone. Compared to China, that is twice as much in labor. After factoring in the cost of material, labor, shipping, overhead and other miscellaneous fees, it would cost our company $27.29 to produce the vest in the United States. With a markup of 35%, we would have to sell our garment for a wholesale price of $41.99. This would mean that Macy's Suggested Retail Price would be $119.97 for a 65% markup. This price would be to high for the Maison Jules Macy's shopper, and therefore eliminates that possibility of producing domestically. Production in Central America could be a viable option for some companies. The passing of CAFTA and having the Short Supply List can really reduce the total manufacturing cost in this area. Being in Central America, it is also a closer distance to the United States, which reduces shipping time. Cost of labor is also relatively low, but still higher than China. While CAFTA and the Short Supply List make production in Central America a viable option, it was still not the right option for our company. With the total manufacturing cost being at $22.43, it was less than the cost domestically, but higher than China. The majority of the cost still came from the labor to construct the garment. The labor cost in Central America would be $12 per garment. This is 1 times the cost of labor in China. There is also an additional shipping fee when producing in Central America. We would have to pay to have the fabric shipped to Central America, and then pay to have the finished garments shipped to the United States. Our wholesale price at a 35% markup would be $34.50, which would put the Suggested Retail Price for Macy's at $98.58. This price does fall within the higher end of the Maison Jules product, but production in China will still provide us with a better option. Besides the cost of manufacturing, there are other factors that make production in Central America a risky choice. Central America is known to be an unstable region. They have a long history of conflict and unfair treatment to their 24 workers. Even with the agreement with the United States, many companies find the countries in Central America to risky to do business with. The most economical option for our production is Asia. China had the lowest cost for labor evaluated at $8 per garment. Even with the higher duty fee of 16.5%, the total manufacturing cost of our vest was only $21.01. This would leave us with a Suggested Retail Price of $32.32 with a 35% markup. If Macy's wanted to sell the vest with a 65% markup, their Suggested Retail Price of $92.34. This price falls within the pricing of their current Maison Jules line, and will still leave Macy's with a large profit. The cost of production is not the only reason to produce in China. In recent years, China has become a safer place for production. With safety standards and the welfare of the workers increasing, companies can feel better about having their garments produced in China. Labor costs are also slowly on the rise in China. This rise in labor cost is correlating with an increase in quality. In respected factories, poor quality is no longer associated with production out of China. It is due to the most competitive price, better quality and safer manufacturing practices, that our company chose to produce our vest in China. 25 Maison Jules Southern Hart Of Chic Line Sheet Season Spring 2017 Designer Collection Maison Jules Southern Hart Of Chic Phone: E-mail Name Haley Duster Vest Style # VEST 9323 Materials Polyester Crepe/ Stretch Lace Origin China Wholesale Price $32.32 Retail Price $92.34 Notes 16 1 234 56 78 vj@maisonjules.com 26 Conclusion We are excited about the revealing of our Haley Vest for Spring 2017. We believe that this is a product that will resonate with our target market not only in the south, but also across the nation in the Macy stores. Our colors, tan and light pink are currently trending colors, duster vest are also reoccurring trends for the spring/summer so I believe that it will be a great fit for Macy's Retailer. The soft pink lace detail on the vest pockets and yoke will attract our feminine customers. We included two gold snaps conveniently as a closure as well as added detailing. We are producing our product in Asia. After our costing calculations we concluded that the suggested wholesale price will be $32.32 and the suggested retail price would be $92.34. We believe that this is a great price for our Haley vest for the Macy's customer. We hope that our product will be desirable to you, the buyers. We hope to receive your orders soon. Thank you. 27 Customer Profile Product Development and Entrepreneurship Professor Gutman Report By: Amber Bowman, Fangdi Hou, Megan Sozio, VJ Thomas 28 Store Report Product Development and Entrepreneurship Professor Gutman Report By: Amber Bowman, Fangdi Hou, Megan Sozio, VJ Thomas 29 STORE: TARGET REASERCHER: VJ THOMAS DATE: SATURDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2016 LOCATION: PHILA-COTTMAN 7400 BUSTLETON AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19152 ABOUT: Target Corporation (NYSE TGT) is an upscale discount retailer that offers outstanding value, innovation, and high quality merchandise at appealing prices in spacious and customer-friendly stores. Target targets to be the preferred shopping destination for its customers who's median age is 40 and median household income approx. $64k.1Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Target is currently the second largest general merchandise retailer in the United States. STORE REPORT SUMMARY: Target retailer was visited on Saturday the 13 of February 2016 at 10:40 AM by researcher VJ Thomas. Female fashion merchandise was the first product category displayed from a wide angle as one enters through the automatic sliding doors of the single level retailer just past the double row of cash registers. Across from the fashion merchandise were fashion accessories such as purses, scarves, wallets, umbrellas, hats as well as a wall of trendy sunglasses. Focusing on the women's fashion clothing department-the following is the order of general display of merchandise (however inconsistencies do occur): Swimwear Youthful trendy outerwear T-shirts/jeans/fashion athletic wear Casual fashion outerwear Business Business casual Women's trendy business/social Plus size Maternity Discounted goods The Ladies Fashion Department started just after the front doors Customer Service desk all the way to the fitting room, which was located in the back of the store. In general, brands with the most presence throughout the ladies fashion department were Xhileration and Merona (both private labels), Mossimo, (exclusive 1 About Target, \"Target Facts\". https://corporate.target.com/press/corporate 30 licensed brand) WhoWhatWear (Target's collaboration for the month), AVA VIV, (Plus size) and Liz Lange Maternity. PRIVATE LABEL BRAND FOCUS: Xhileration: Target's private label brand Xhileration is the first brand presented after the swimwear display, which is always the first section of the women's department in the Phila-Cottman store. Through observation, one will notice that this private label's target market is from teens to mid-20s. However, the label seems to draw a junior sense of style yet young adults could also potentially wear the brand. o ASSORTMENT: The Xhileration brand was found throughout the store and carried the same sense of youthful, fun and trendy looks. Styles were flirty, bohemian inspired with prints (flowers, Aztec), lace, ruffles, and heavy/lightweight knits. All articles of clothing were sold: Dresses, shorts, denim, long and short sleeve shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, cardigans, tank tops, pants, and skirts. o SIZES: XS-XL o COLOR: In the first display of Xhileration merchandise, the color scheme ranged from kaki, mustard, navy, black, salmon, and baby blue. Throughout the department, additional colors were present. o PRICES: (GENERAL): TOPS: $19.99-$22.99 SHORTS: $17.99-$22.99 DRESSES: 27.99 o **ABOUT 6-12 styles displayed of each product o COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Made In China o QUALITY: Tolerable/ serge seams/ Merona: Target's Private label brand Merona is another brand that is placed throughout the women's department, even alongside Xhileration and Mossimo merchandise. Merona targets the older customer. o ASSORTMENT: Styles by Merona can range from fashionably casual to business casual and even strictly business. They also offered dressier tops and appropriate nightlife dresses. All articles of clothing are displayed from dresses, shorts, denim, long and short sleeve shirts, tshirts, sweaters, cardigans, tank tops, pants, and skirts. o SIZES: XS-XL o COLOR: Merona offered less prints and more solid colors such as blue, grey, black, white and generic designs such as strips and plaids and occasionally fashion prints o PRICES: Varied CASUAL TOPS: $22.99 FASHION TOPS: $19.99-24.99 31 DRESSES: $27.99 PANTS: (MODERN FIT): $27.99 o COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Made In Indonesia o QUALITY: GOOD. (Had the quality of LOFT Brand Mossimo: Mossimo is a brand immediately thought of being associated with Target, however it isn't a private label but is categorized under exclusive licensed brand. Since it's one of two women's brands in Target that target an older customer (the other being Merona), it will be included briefly in the report. The quality of Mossimo products surpasses the Merona brand and the styles are more fashion forward. Sizes go up to 16W and prices range, similar to prices we observed previously ($24.99 to $29.99.) All articles of clothing are displayed from dresses, shorts, denim, long and short sleeve shirts, tshirts, sweaters, cardigans, tank tops, pants, and skirts. **Mossimo seems to have a larger merchandise assortment than Merona and Xhileration. SPECIAL COLLABORATIONS: o WHOWHATWEAR is this month's exclusive partnership with Target. Whowhatwear.com is the leading online platform for premium, fashion and style content. Their know-how about the industry showed as the collection was chic, smart and very fashion forward. Sizes ranged from 2 to 16 (XS-XL) and prices were below $50. The assortment was casual to business tops, pencil and flared skirts, long dresses, and working women styles. All styles were made in China and the collection was displayed near the back of the department. Up to 812 pieces of each item was stocked. o QUALITY: Great textured cottons, soft feel, eye-catching prints and colors. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: The selection that Target offers is limited compared to other retailers that solely focus on fashion. Women clothing is only a small fraction of the store while home goods and electronics seem to dominate. However, the selection of clothing that is offered is of pretty good quality. Prices may seem a bit high, especially for casual tops; however, the lifespan may just as well be longer than Wal-Mart items. During my two-hour visit at Target conducting my research, not one employee approached me. I did have one female employee side-eye me a few times assuming it was due to the time frame that I roaming the ladies section and the fact that I was constantly scribbling notes in my notebook after going through the racks. I did hear one customer's comment of Targets selection: **CUSTOMER COMMENT WHILE IN TARGET: \" They don't have cute stuff today. Before I went, it was popping!\"-Unknown Latina woman, mid-20s. 32 Store: Kohl's Researcher: Fangdi Hou Date: Thursday, 11 February 2016 Introduction Kohl's Corporation is an American outlet store that deals with general merchandise. Some of the merchandise that the store retails is footwear, accessories, and home products. However, it has a bias towards women products and accessories. The target market is the middle-income earners. Women's private store The store visited was the Chicago Department on 8th February 2016. The arrangement is that the beauty products are at the front and the clothing items are at the hind counters. The store has a bias towards the products that are designed for women. They include clothing items, shoes, jewels, and beauty products among others (McGlynn, 2014). The majority of Americans are middle-income earners, and this is the target market for the company. Therefore, it is very popular among the Americans. The stores stock national brand apparel and private label. Some of the items that are private labels include Life + Style, Croft and Barrow and jumping beans. There are also brands that are exclusively stocked at Kohl's. They include Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony. There are both business and casual wears for women at the store. Private label brand focus *Life + style: it is a private label and has variety. It is displayed next Jennifer Lopez and has a whole row of different items of the brand which range from shoes to bedroom accessories. It targets all age groups. Assortment: Life+ Style brand is displayed conspicuously in the store where it is easy for customers to see. The shoes and bedroom accessories such as foot bed cushions are to be found in the store Sizes: the shoes are of different sizes and they range from size six to nine and they are labeled med which means that the range is normal. Color: there is variety of color. The shoes have black, red cream, white and even some having several colors. The bedroom items have soft colors especially cream and golden yellow. Prices: there is a range in the prices of each item. Foot bed cushions $ 34-$37 Shoes $25-$32 Dresses $19 - $23 Country of origin: Britain 33 Quality: Tolerable *Croft and Barrow: croft and barrow is another conspicuous private brand at the store. It has a variety of women clothing that range from skirts, dresses, tops and pants. They are both casual and business and they target different ages. Assortment: there is a variety. They include business and casual. There are also evening dresses and youthful pants and tops. There are also women's shirts that are made in different styles. Size: L-XL Color: black, white yellow, printed, yellow, pink and checked. Prices: Business suits: $30-$41 Dresses: $25-$35 Evening dresses: $25-28 Pants: $24-$30 Tops:$19-$22 Country of origin: the items are made in the United States. Quality: they are of high quality Overall impression There is a very wide variety of the items that are stocked at the store. One of the reasons that the store has become famous is because of the wide variety. Customers are almost guaranteed of getting any item that they are looking for at the store. 34 Store Observed: Macy's Researcher: Megan Sozio Dates and Times Observed: 2/12/16 at 1:00pm, 2/15/16 at 6:00pm Location: King of Prussia Mall Summary For this observation, Macy's in the King of Prussia mall was observed. The Macy's at this location has three stories and is 252,243 square feet 2. The women's clothing department is located on the third level. This is where the majority of the observation took place. The entire third floor is divided up by brand with signs and small dcor to distinguish one brand from another. The only exception was the dress section in the back that contains a variety of brands. Macy's even identified their private labels with signs that said \"Only Macy's\". The Macy's private label brands that were observed are the following: Style & Co, Alfani, Charter Club, Thalia Sodi, International Concepts, Maison Jules, and Bar III. Private Label Brands Style & Co: This was the largest private label display in the women's clothing section with about 100 styles. This band has a casual aesthetic and a large denim selection. There was a sign listing all 27 available styles of denim. There were two tables with folded denim and one table with folded shorts. The rest of the items were displayed hanging. The articles observed had a variety of \"Made in\" labels including, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, El Salvador, and Jordan. Style & Co was also the most affordable private label brand. Prices in this collection and ranged from $17.98 for a t-shirt to $46.50 for a blouse, dress, and lightweight sweatshirt. Style & Co had the messiest display. The denim tables were sloppy and unorganized. The denim was all mixed together, making it almost impossible to find a particular style and size. The table displaying shorts was bare and messy. Some clothing racks were organized, while others were mixed together and disorderly. Style & Co also had the poorest quality products. Alfani: This brand had a medium sized display with about 60 full-price styles. The section had one table and the rest of the merchandise was hanging. The style of the brand focused on modern business professional looks mixed with dressier weekend attire. The prices were slightly higher than Style & Co, but still affordable. The prices ranged from a $34.50 fashion t-shirt to a $99.50 dress. The garments had a variety of \"Made in\" labels including Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and Korea. Alfani's display was also unorganized. It had a messy display table and clothes that had fallen off the hangers were simply placed on top of the rack. Charter Club: This Macy's private label brand is trying to meet a more highend client. Charter Club had the most expensive garments and featured more 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Prussia_Mall 35 luxurious fabrics. These products had the overall best quality. The style of the line was preppy and nautical. Outerwear was on display costing $149 and cashmere sweaters had an original price of $189. The most affordable items were a Rayon and Nylon blend cardigan for $29. These cardigans were displayed folded on a table, while the rest of the garments were hanging. The cardigans on the display table were messy and unorganized, but the hanging garments seemed more orderly than the previous sections. Charter Club had a slightly larger section than Alfani, with around 70 different styles. All of the articles of clothing examined were made in China or Vietnam. Thalia Sodi: Macy's partnered with the Latin musician Thalia Sodi for this line3. These garments offer Latin flare with feminine, colorful, and sexy styles. These pieces would make for a perfect night out outfit. This was the smallest section observed with only about 30 styles, but they were available in a large variety of color options. There were no display tables used. All of the garments were hanging. These items were moderately priced between $39.50 for a shrug and $89.50 for a dress or faux leather jacket. The items observed had \"Made in\" labels from Vietnam, China, and Indonesia. The collection seemed too small for the retail floor space, so there were some Alfani displays mixed in. Because of this, the space seemed unorganized. INC (International Concepts): This brand was prominently displayed upon entering the floor. It was located just to the left of the escalator. This was one of the largest departments with about 90 styles. This collection had some affordable pieces like tops for $39.50 and some more expensive pieces like dresses and jackets for $119.50. This line focused on trendy styles inspired by the runway2. Macy's is targeting woman in there 20's and 30's with this collection. There was a large denim selection with signs explaining the six different denim fits. INC had one of the largest use of display tables. Two tables were used to display denim, one was used for a sweater display and the last table showcased t-shirts. The clothing in this department was mostly made in China, with a few pieces being made in Taiwan and the Philippines. Maison Jules: This brand was prominently featured on the right side of the escalator. It was easy to see the Parisian inspiration with the feminine, girly and classic style of the line. The collection was relatively small with around 50 styles and the retail space was shared with another private label brand, Bar III. Maison Jules had two display tables and two benches. This brand also had six mannequins, which is more than any other brand. In addition to the mannequins, there was also six body forms used to display outfits. The prices ranged from a $39.50 top to a $129.50 light jacket. Most items fell at the $59.50 prices point. This line targets the younger Macy's customer. It was a pleasant surprise to see some Maison Jules items were made in the USA. Most items seemed to be made in China, while the pants in the collection seem to 3 http://macysinc.com/macys/private-brands/ 36 be made in Indonesia. The quality of the garments seemed well made and appropriate for the price. Bar III: This brand was focused on the trendy, and modern women. It shared floor space with Maison Jules, and has a similar customer base. The price range was also similar ranging from a $29.50 top to a $99.50 jacket. There were slightly more styles available at around 55 styles. Bar III featured three mannequins, one display table and one bench. The display tables were again very messy and uninviting. All of the items examined had \"Made in\" labels from either the USA or China. The quality was similar to Maison Jules. Overall Impressions The general appearance of the women's clothing floor of the King of Prussia Mall was acceptable. The carpets all looked worn, and there was some outdated lighting and decorations, which made the store look old. This aside, it still looked clean and well maintained. During the time of the observations, the store was not busy. In each section observed, I was the only customer for most of the time. During my hour and a half visit, I saw two people working in a different department on the floor, and five others employees walk by. No one said hello, or asked if I needed any help. Although, towards the end of my visit I observed a manger walk past another customer and asked, \"How are you doing?\". Once they stated they were doing fine, the manager walked away. Macy's offers a large selection of items and styles that will meet almost everyone's needs. During the observation, it was easy to tell that they had problems keeping the sections organized. Every brand observed looked messy and unorganized. This is most likely related to the lack of employees, because the store did not have many customers. The price range varies, but still remains relatively affordable. When looking for an affordable to moderately priced garment, Macy's is the perfect place to look, as long as you don't have high organizational expectations. 37 Store: Nordstrom Researcher: Amber Bowden Dates Visited: 2/5/16, 2/13/16 Location: King of Prussia About: Nordstrom is an upscale department store that dedicates high fashion apparel and accessories to men, women and kids. John F. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin first founded the company in 1901 as a shoe retailer. Over the years it grew and developed into a successful brand that now includes Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom Last Chance, Trunk Club, Jeffery boutique and hautelook.com. The brand targets the fashionable upper middle class, but more geared towards women. There are 121 full-line stores and 194 Nordstrom Rack stores in the U.S and Canada. Products: Nordstrom consists of a variety of fashion brands, including private label brands that are exclusively sold at Nordstrom. A few examples of their private label brands include Chelsea 28, Halogen and Nordstrom Collection. Chelsea 28 is a brand full of trendy and modern products that are targeted towards young fashion-forward women. Prices range from $40-$90 for shirts and $100-$500 for sweaters, pants and coats. The products are made from good quality fabrics and trims. Some fabrics were even imported and dyed in different countries for superb quality. The fabrics include wool, faux fur, cashmere and some polyester fabrics. The brand includes prints, blues, shades of pink and neutral color palettes. There were about 2-5 different styles of each product displayed. Most products were lined or overlocked on the inside. Sizes range from XXS to XL. Most products were made in China or Turkey. Halogen is also a brand that incorporates fashionable pieces for a more mature customer and for an everyday look. Prices for basic tanks and tops range from $20-$80 while sweaters, pants and coats range from $90-330. These products are also made from quality fabrics and are either fully lined or overlocked. These fabrics include cotton, polyesters, spandex and blends. There were more soft tones and neutral color palettes in the collections. The products range from XS-XL and include petite and plus sizes. These products were made in China. Nordstrom has its own brand of clothing called Nordstrom Collection that is geared towards both women and men who are also more mature but still very in tune with fashion. Prices for tops and coats can range anywhere from $90-$400. This brand is more geared towards quality and execution so the fabrics are some of finest and most durable. They include wool, cashmere, silk and denim. Like the other brands, the color palette includes neutral tones, hues of blue and a few tones of peach. Sizes range from an XS-XL. The 38 insides are mostly lined, overlocked or French seamed. These products were made in China. Store: The Nordstrom in King of Prussia has three floors including all departments and a place to sit and eat food from their small caf. All of these products were displayed in a professional, clean and shoppable manner on hangers. There was no clutter, bright lighting and space to walk around the aisles. Women's clothing was located on the second and third floor of the department store. There were so many people shopping so it was difficult to receive any sales help. No one directly approached me to ask if I needed help but there were plenty of people around that would have been glad to assist me. The associates were polished and behaved in a professional manner. My overall visit was generally successful. Nordstrom has a very clean and welcoming environment that always makes my shopping experience better than expected. 39 Macys Store Listings (Focus Southeast, South Central, Mid Atlantic, USA) 40 Work Cited Gomez, Vivian. "Macy's Sharpens Focus on Millennial Strategy for Fall." Retailing Today. 2 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. . "Private Brands." Macy's, Inc. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. . Berry, Allison. "Macy's Sets Its Sights on Millennial Customers with Three New Brand Launches | TIME.com." Time. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. . "Maison Jules." Dresses & Clothing. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. . \"Macy's Private Brands.\" Macys Inc. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. http://macysinc.com/macys/private-brands/. Accessed February 28, 2016 \"Macys_inc_store_listings.\" Excel document. 2015 \"2015 Average Housegold Size in the United States\". ArcGIS. 28 Feb. 2016. https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=a5058e5b253d42319be574ea9fcff1eb \"The Myth Of The painfully Hip Millennial. \" Refinery 29. Web. 28 Feb. 2016. http://www.refinery29.com/millennials-brand-loyalty Schawbel, Dan. Forbes. \"10 New Findings About The Millennial Consumer. \". 28 Feb. 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennialconsumer/#6797b5cc28a8 \"Southern United States\". New World Encyclopedia. Accessed on Web. 28 Feb. 2016. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Southern_United_States "Business2Community: Predicting 2016: Shopping Trends to Watch." Business 2 Community. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. . "Retail Dive: NRF 2016: Why Brick-and-mortar Retail Faces a Shakeout." Latest News. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. . Fukunishi, T. & Yamagata, T. 2014. \"The Garment Industry in Low-Income Countries: An Entry Point of Industrialization.\" Palgrave Macmillan. Statistics and facts on the Apparel market in the U.S. 2016. [online]. Available at: http://www.statista.com/topics/965/apparel-market-in-the-us/ [accessed on: 29th February 2016]. \"With The U.S. Market Saturating, American Eagle Is Aggressively Inking International Licensing Deals\". 2015. [online]. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/07/31/with-the-u-s-market-saturatingamerican-eagle-is-aggressively-inking-international-licensing-deals/#172e8d6b1de5 [accessed on: 29th February 2016]. SOUTHERN HART OF CHIC Spring 2017 VJ Thomas, Megan Sozio, Amber Bowden, Fangdi Hou ABOUT MAISON JULES Maison Jules is a feminine, elegant and chic, Parisian street-style inspired women's clothing line sold exclusively at Macy's. The private label carries an assortment of classic yet modern pieces easily to mix and match and create personal style. Other Private Labels Maison Jules - Female Millennials, 19 - 30 - Trendy - Dreams of Parisian Lifestyle - Loves vintage inspired clothes, Floral, Lace, Color - Moderate Price Range Maison Jules Social Media - Instagram - Tumblr - Pinterest French Fashion Blogger Garance Dore Maison Jules: Behind the Scenes Style Blogger Rachel Martino - #AmIFrenchYet Our target geographic focus this season-that is the Southeast/ South Central and Mid-Atlantic region of North America-where Macy's has a total of 249 stores. Southern USA fashion sense is not all about cowboy boots and hats. Southern women style also consists of lady-like pieces such as dresses, fitted jeans and bright colors- the epitome of the Maison Jules concept. Alabama-Southeast-2 stores Colorado-South Central- 14 stores Florida- Southeast-60 stores Georgia- Southeast-23 stores Illinois- South Central-25 stores Kansas- South Central-4 stores Kentucky- Southeast/North Central -7 stores North Carolina- Southeast-11 stores South Carolina- Southeast-2 stores Oklahoma- South Central- 4 stores Texas- South Central-52 stores Tennessee- Southeast-7 stores Utah- South Central-6 stores Louisiana- South Central- 5 stores Virginia-Mid-Atlantic- 27 stores (Macy's Inc. Store TRENDING COLORS SPRING 2017 INSPIRATION Demographics Various racial identities (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic) Lower to upper middle class Single/ Average household 2.6 College educated, working professional 50,000-60,000 a year Shopping preferences: Macys, Forever 21, Nike, Under Armour, and Zara THE HALEY VEST Why is it such a good fit for our customer? VEST SPEC MARKER HALEY VEST MARKER Market Conditions People are willing to spend the money for trends like fur, leather details, suede and fringe details. Online shopping has become the most utilized form of purchasing within these few years. New technological advances mainly contribute to the uproar of virtual shopping. Social media leads the trend in demonstrating what's new and what's hot. Customer thrive off of the greatest shopping experience through retail stores. PRODUCT STRENGTHS The fashion-forward design Our Haley Vest will resonate with our target market The color, design and silhouette will be a great fit for Macy's retailer PRODUCT THREATS The designs and styles offered by competitors like ZARA, Forever 21, etc The availability of high number of substitutes Domestic Costing Central America Costing Asia Costing AATCC & ASTM Testing Crocking- AATCC 8 Lightfastness- AATCC 16.3 Wrinkle Recovery- AATCC 66 Strength Test (Tensile)- ASTM D 2261/1424 Abrasion Resistance- ASTM D 3884 SOUTHERN HART OF CHIC PRESENTATION THANK YOU! Market Conditions People are willing to spend the money for trends like fur, leather details, suede and fringe details. Online shopping has become the most utilized form of purchasing within these few years. New technological advances mainly contribute to the uproar of virtual shopping. Social media leads the trend in demonstrating what's new and what's hot. Customer thrive off of the greatest shopping experience through retail stores. Strength The fashion-forward design The revealing of Haley Vest for Spring 2017 will resonate with our target market The color, design and trends will be a great fit for Macy's retailer Threats The designs and styles offered by competitors like ZARA, Forever 21, etc The availability of high number of substitutes Product Competition The outerwear apparel industry is facing saturation in US market. The overall size of the US apparel market is $ 249 bn in 2014. Women's apparel has a market size of $110,826 m. The effective advertisement and promotions required for the product. MACY'S FINAL REPORT VJ Thomas, Amber Bowden, Megan Sozio Fangdi Hou Product Development Professor James Gutman April 26, 2016 2 Table of Contents Target Market Report Introduction............................................................................................. 3 Our Product .............................................................................................4 Target Market .......................................................................................... 5 Demographics........................................................................................ ...5 Psychographics ........................................................................................ 7 Market Segmentation .............................................................................. 8 Market Conditions ....................................................................................8 Product Competition ...............................................................................11 Factors to affect Product Success ..........................................................11 Constructing the Haley Vest: The Experience .......................................12 Behind the Scenes: Southern Hart of Chic Ad ........................................14 Testing Standards for Haley Vest ............................................................15 Haley Vest Marker ....................................................................................17 Vest Tech Pack ..........................................................................................18 Spec Sheet ..................................................................................................19 Costing.........................................................................................................20 Choosing Production in China...................................................................23 Southern Hart of Chic Line Sheet .............................................................25 Conclusion .................................................................................................24 Customer Profile .........................................................................................26 Store Report ................................................................................................27 Macys Store Listings ...................................................................................38 Work Cited ..........................................................................................39 3 Introduction: As merchandisers for Macy's Private Label, Maison Jules, we-that is VJ Thomas, Amber Bowden, Megan Sozio and Fangdi Hou, present to you our Target Market Report. Maison Jules is a feminine, elegant and chic, Parisian street-style inspired women's clothing line sold exclusively at Macy's. The private label carries an assortment of classic yet modern pieces easily to mix and match and create personal style. Macy's is targeting the female, millennial population with their Maison Jules brand. The specific age range they are seeking is 19-30. She is a young and trendy woman who dreams of the Parisian lifestyle. She loves vintage inspired, classic pieces with a modern twist. Her favorite outfits are easy to wear, but look beautifully feminine and romantic. She loves floral patterns, lace and is not afraid of color. Being from the millennial generation, she is an avid social media user. She views Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook daily. She gains a lot of her wardrobe inspiration through these sites, as well as popular fashion bloggers. When the brand was first launched, Macy's partnered with the well-known French fashion blogger Garance Dore. She has a large social media following that helped get the Parisian inspired line off the ground. This started the brand off on the right foot with strong brand awareness. Since its launch, the styles have been kept easy to wear and appealing to a variety of buyers. They do this by offering most of their garments in a variety of colors and patterns. The Maison Jules brand is also 4 priced competitively. With better quality than the fast fashion competitors, and only slightly higher pricing, the cute and stylish brand is hard to pass up. Our Product: For Spring Summer 2018, Maison Jules is releasing a new product called \"The Haley,\" a sleeveless Duster Vest, one of our favorites pieces in our new line titled, \"Southern Heart of Chic.\" The Haley vest, which is a loosely fitted below the knee duster made with lightweight crepe and lace detailing is the perfect spring outerwear that reflects Maison Jules easy-to-wear yet fashionable aesthetic. We believe this piece will be attractive to our customer, specifically in our target geographic focus this season-that is the Southeast/ South Central and Mid-Atlantic region of North America-where Macy's has a total of 249 stores. We believe that a southern style inspired collection with a Parisian twist will boost sales in the region where Macy's have the least amount of brick and mortar stores and will entice a rejuvenated enthusiasm towards our products in the region. Southeast USA fashion sense is not all about cowboy boots and hats. Southern women style also consists of lady-like pieces such as dresses, fitted jeans and bright colors- the epitome of the Maison Jules concept. This trendy vest adds something new to the collection, while still following the Parisian Chic style needed to be a cohesive addition to Maison Jules. Although Maison Jules offers a variety of tailored jackets and layering pieces, their line does not consist of any vests. With vests becoming increasingly popular, this is a missed 5 opportunity for Macy's. This fashionable vest would be a perfect opportunity to fill this gap in their product line. A key in the Maison Jules brand is versatility. The garments are all easy to pair with one another to create beautifully chic looks. The vest is a perfect piece to add to the assortment, because it can be easily paired with a variety of existing Maison Jules styles. For example, it can be worn on top of the \"Long-Sleeve Dress\" to add structure to the classic silhouette, or it could be paired with the \"Heathered Lace-Contrast Top\" and \"Frankie Skinny Pants\" to compliment a more casual outfit. Adding the vest to the assortment will give the customer another option to complete their outfit and give them another effortless way to style their Maison Jules wardrobe. Target Market: We are targeting the millennial female population ages 19-30 (Millennial are USA's largest and most diversified generation. Macys target consumers are mi