FC Experts Blogs
February 28, 2007
Gap's "Forth and Towne" Debacle Being Misinterpreted; Blame AARP
The business press has been all over the Gap's decision to close their "Forth and Towne" division after having sunk $40 million into this ill-fated attempt to win over women 35+ who were -- or so the argument went -- disenfranchised by the fashion world's obsession with the youth market.
Looking for an explanation for what went wrong, the New York Times noted that "...analysts said merchants rushing to fill a perceived gap in the mall created too much competition in a niche market." Huh? The market is far from niche. As the Times reported only a few paragraphs later, "In slides for investors the executives...ticked off the numbers that seemed to ensure success: Baby boomers, they said, spent $42.7 billion on apparel last year, while teenagers spent $20 billion."
The problem wasn't that the niche market couldn't support the number of competitive stores, or that the merchandise assortment wasn't appealing. The problem was that baby boomers don't want to be addressed as baby boomers, and even women as young as 35 don't want to be put into the age box.
The truth is that age is the last remaining taboo in American marketing. It's okay for manufacturers and retailers to target based on every conceivable demographic and psychographic slice of the market. In this post-feminism age is perfect fine to reach out to women as women. You can target gays. You can put Latinos in the marketing cross-hairs.
But for millions of Americans, any reference to age is dicey. And Forth & Towne wasn't exactly subtle; their website proclaims that they were created for "a new generation of women, determined to find current, wearable fashions in fits that flatter. Women who have grown-up, grown into themselves, and want to look as fabulous as they feel."
That kind of ill-disguised, in-your-face-appeal to the older crowd is bound to backfire. Blame AARP for that. Their ham-handed, stereotypical representations of mindless, happy retirees have made most people over 50 await the arrival of their membership package with the joy that awaits an IRS audit notice.
The Times also pointed out that department stores have experienced something of a resurgence, and that their growth "has overtaken that of specialty clothing chains." That's not a surprise. A 42-year old woman who walks into a department store isn't making a public branding statement about her being 42, as she does when she walks into Forth & Towne. Hence the plug-pulling.
The Gap's flop with female boomers mirrors a larger challenge. Marketers are salivating over the buying power of this market, but don't quite know how to target them without turning their brands into Centrum Silver. Even more progressive marketers, like Fideliity, who are trotting out boomer icons, are running a risk. Because the more obvious your messaging becomes, the more obvious your failures will be.
Posted by Adam Hanft at February 28, 2007 1:45 PM | Topic: innovation |
32 Comments
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Great insights...they could have used you during the "planning."
Ha! That topic's covered in Psychology of Women 101, isn't it?
You hit the nail right on the head. I go shopping with my 35 year old wife. For a woman in this age group, with plently of disposable income, an average body type (say size 12-18), there is close to zero selection of stylish reasonably priced clothes. it is ridiculous. Gap was right in identifying that there is a HUGE lucative niche waiting to be exploited here. It is literally a gold mine. My wife is so frustrated by the malls, department and speciality stores. There really isn't anyhting online either.
At the same time your are so right about catering carefully. She won't go in the fat womans store, or the teeny bopper store, or places where a large/extra large only fits a size 6 person. So she def wouldn't go into a store that is perceived as old either (say chico's). You just need a store like Ann Taylor or Gap/Banana Republic with proper sizes, stylish staples type of clothes, and good prices. Looking at the mall today it seems like that is an impossability...
Yes, yes, yes, yes...Occasionally I see a line of clothes that I'd call grown up as well as interesting and I am amazed.
Marketers have got this whole generation wrong. From Dennis Hopper telling me what I was back in the day to AARP apparently selling its mailing list to "anti-aging" retailers to Honda, which got it right when it produced the Element, but mistakenly marketed it to children.
I think we have to not trust anyone. Period. And go ahead making our own decisions.
Brilliant observations and a very sad commentary on today's "youth" driven marketing craze. It's one thing to dismiss such a large segment of people with real dollars to spend, but it's more a sign of Gap's failure to come up with a workable marketing plan.
This segment of women wouldn't be caught dead in Old Navy OR the Gap. There are other companies that do get it. Talbots and Chico's come to mind. Not all women in this range want to look like school marm clones, and Talbot's has changed their product line to reflect that fact. Chico's offers flattering, uniquely cut and crafted, quality clothing that makes the statement "Forth and Towne" was trying to, but failed to convey.
The main problem is that companies tend to stick with what works. Peer Pressure works for teens and children, but style, quality and individuality works for women 35 plus. No amount of peer pressure is going to sell hot pink thong bikini's to this market segment. They simply don't buy it. And why should they?
After basically not shopping for clothes AT ALL for over a year because there is nothing out there suitable for me as a tall, size 10, 38 year old. Then I walked into Forth & Towne for the first time around Feb. 20th, and was very happy. I bought some pants, but was pressed for time and made a mental note to come back when they get their spring stuff in. The next thing I know, I'm reading the stores are going to be closed!
I think part of the problem is not only that women like me don't shop as impulsively as teenagers, we also refuse to buy clothes that are unsuitable and the stores have trained us not to go shopping. Here the store has been open since fall 2005 and only now am I even noticing it is out there.
For myself, I hope they decide to spin it off rather than closing it, but I'm sure that's a forelorn hope. Oh well, I can brave the multicolored horror that is Chico's to buy jeans if I have to, and for the rest, there is always Mark Shale and sewing my own.
I will miss this chain - I fall right into the demo target they were going for and really appreciated their more classic styled clothing. I discovered them last Fall and have spent a ton of money in the stores since then - I'd recently lost a lot of weight so was replacing my entire wardrobe and probably half of it is now from Forth & Towne. I can't stand the clothing at Chico's, Talbots, Coldwater Creek, etc. - it's all overdone, matronly or poor quality with elastic waistbands. Please, I may be over 40, but I'm still very stylish. Also, Forth & Towne has the best fitting jeans I've worn in years - their lowrise is perfect and they don't bind in the knees, are a dark wash and fit fantastic!! I will miss the stores. I keep hearing how women over 35 don't want to shop at a store "for them" - maybe Gap made a mistake when they actually publicized their target - personally I saw many women in their 20's and 30's shopping in the California stores. Yes, they had some bugs to work out, but were making changes as they went. It was also the only Gap chain that even knew the meaning of the word "customer service". Well, I guess Nordstrom's will go back to getting most of my clothing dollars.
I will miss this store...terribly!
There is no other place like it. You felt at home and unrushed when you shopped there, the sales people were there for you, but never obtrusive or hovering, almost all the clothes fit wonderfully-which is a treat believe me- and the designers knew that we don't all have sticks for limbs anymore. None of the styles were matronly but they were still sexyand stylish. You were even offered bottle water as you browsed.
I spent a lot of money there, so did plenty of my friends. Shame on GAP for closing the one store with the demographic that can afford the clothes consistently AND be extremely loyal. And shame on the women who don't want to be "put into the age box"--get over it. It's in your youth obsessed head and no one elses.
Forth never made anyone feel that way, nor did it imply such a thing.
It said we have "grown up".... you won't come here to find blasting rap music or slutty belly shirts - nor will you deal with outrageous prices or snotty dress salon help.
At 40, We ARE grown ups! Women need to deal with their own age neurosis and quit griping they have nowhere to shop.
They all just blew it with Forth and Towne.
Big time.
I love this store and am so dissapointed that they are closing. I am 26 and work in a professional setting where the clothes worked perfectly. I loved the style, price, and fit of the clothes and I'm sad to see the store go.
Being a 31 business woman in LA, it's hard to find clothes that fit my hourglass size 10 frame that are not slutty. But I avoided F&T because it said it was for 35+ women. My first thoughts were "Oh, another Chicos/JJill/Eileen Fisher", or in other words, clothes for old ladies. I just discovered the store about a month ago and after a shopping drought of 2 years, I spent almost $1500 my first visit, then came back for another $900 the next week. I can pretty much echo all the other sentiments here, and add kudos to F&T for the far-superior service. Remember when Nordstrom's was the example to follow? F&T had taken their crown. at the very least, the Gap can put a F&T section in some of their Banana Republic stores.
By the way, if you want to voice your complaints, you can email the CEO at bob_fisher_ceo[at]gap[dot]com
What a shame that this chain has been closed before it had a chance to really catch on! I was just looking at a recent edition of Harper's Bazaar, and the two page spread on Forth and Towne caught my attention. On almost the same day I learned that the company was closing. As a professional of baby boomer age, I finally have the income to buy whatever I please. Unfortunately, not much pleases me (or most of my friends for that matter). Talbot's is "frumpy," and the clothes I bought last year look pretty much like the clothes I bought three years ago. Everything in Chico's looks alike - garish. Ann Taylor doesn't have much of a variety - just the same items in lots of colors. It's a shame Gap didn't stick with its concept. I imagine another innovative company will step in to fill the "gap" left by the untimely exit of Forth and Towne.
I LOVED Forth and Towne!!! I hate to see it close. Although I am over 50, I don't want to dress like a teenager but don't want to look frumpy either. Market the concept differently if you have to and reopen. The clothes are great!!
So another marketing analysis says that I am not comfortable with the idea of aging. Another group of people out to tell me that I am squemish over my impending senility (which can only be around the corner because I am, after all, 43).
The flop here is a market (not a population) obsessed with youth. The only flop here is a store that is only willing to stay open for less than a year - with no marketing. I had a shop in my town and I think I have seen one ad, in a magazine.
Meanwhile I am bombarded with visions of youthful exuberance while retailers go after the kiddie market - oh, and euphemistic speech about "maturing" and "adults" and such. Newsflash - I'm not 20, I have no desire to return to my 20's, and I certianly don't want to dress like I am 20. I cringe at the thought of walking into a meeting wearing something from Gap or Old Navy. And untl the "marketers" get that, they aren't getting one red cent of my money.
I live in Tampa, Florida, and never had the pleasure of stepping in to a Forth and Towne. We never got one. And why in gods name would you put a beautiful full color ad in one of the countrys nationally distributed leading fashion magazines, if the store was only in certain cities! And then to ad insult to injury you are going to close down the Forth and Towne stores and web site... So there is no way for me to get these clothes. When I saw the the ad for the first time I just about lost it, you see I am a very snazzy, fashionable 54 year old woman, and I thought finally clothes for me that I can wear, I will just get them on the web site, They just looked so perfect, I was willing to buy on line,(but no web site) what a shame, back to the search, and to my sewing machine. I can tell you this it would have to be a cold day in ....... before I would ever buy in Chicos, Talbots, or Cold Water something something. It really is a shame, they really blew it and did not try hard enough to make a go of it. Candice in Tampa
Like many of the female posters here, I LOVED Forth and Towne. I placed my first order in February of this year, after receiving a coupon for their store in an order I placed from Banana Republic. I'd never heard of them before. I placed another large order in March, thinkingThen...the marketing slapped me in the face.
See, I'm 27 years old - so the moment I found out their clothes were aimed at the post 35 woman I thought "Gosh, are these old ladies clothes? I'm not even 30 yet, what am I doing on their website. Quick, get me American Eagle before I start looking like my mom."
Forth and Towne was a great store for any woman, regardless of age, who wants professional, yet up-to-date look. The mistake was telling me, and many others like me, that it was for a mature audience, a turnoff for females everywhere.
I am 26 years old, and I LOVE F&T's clothes. I really appreciated their longer shirt lengths and classy cuts. Their "35+" marketing didn't keep from shopping there - and every under-35 friend I brought there loved the clothes too. Infinitely more flattering than usual. It did take awhile to find the store ... and just as it seemed to be gaining attention, Gap announced its closure. What are they thinking?! F&T was the first time in about 4 years that I'd spent money at one of Gap's brands.
One of the first Forth and Towne shops in the country was the store at Algonquin Commons outdoor shopping plaza. I had heard that they were a GAP company, so I entered hoping that the store would live up to the hype.
I'm not Town and Forthe's prime "target market" as I am in my late 20s---going on 30 this year. :-p I do love my GAP jeans, boyfriend cashmere sweater, and the awesome body flattering tees that Gap carries every year. I do have some hoodies I wear with my levi jeans, but for the most part I wear more classic tailored items.
Ann Taylor Loft didn't fit me correctly as I have very long legs with a short torso--and Ann Taylor Loft seems to be cut for a longer torsoed petite woman--even in their regular sections.
I absolutely positively adored Town and Forthe and have bought some fabulous outfits from them. I loved the stretchy knits pieces that could mix and match for a fabulous travel wardrobe (without that texture that screams *travel pieces*)
Town and Forthe is pretty expensive, and I've been saving up to do a late spring shopping spree over Memorial Day Weekend.I have a few formal events to attend this summer. I hope that my store is open this coming week so I can buy the outfits I need and have been drooling over.
I understand the feeling that Forth and Towne did not delight their target market by niching them into such a concrete demographic profile. I think that doing away with the stores all together would be a huge mistake that GAP will come to regret. There are a lot of women like myself that are a bit younger, but lean towards the classic styles of Forth and Towne, JJill, and Nordstrom.
It is tough for younger women to find the styles they want amidst the piles of little frilly dresses with plunging necklines and way too short hemlines. We need classic blazers, knit tops, and pants that look like a million bucks as well as the perfect sundress for a June afternoon wedding.
Please stay open. I love your store and the lines you carry. The saleswomen are also fabulous. You have a winning combination once you find you customer base. Please don't close.
A loyal customer,
Micah Rogier
I'm really sad this store is closing. I don't even live in a city where there is a Forth and Towne location, but when I travel to Chicago I made it a point to shop there every time. I am a 46 y.o. working mother and I never thought of Forth and Towne as a store where "older women" shop (unlike Chico's, Coldwater Creek or Talbots) because the styles were (imho) very chic and not at all frumpy. I found great things to wear to the office and for weekends and so did my 79 year old mom! We have very different tastes, but were both happy with the store.
I think this segment of the market is terribly underserved.
I can't believe they are closing one of the few stores that have classy, well made clothing with a great price and (I thought) broad appeal. I am 48, a size 6, and not ashamed of my age. I have 2 daughters, ages 18 and 25, and we all loved the clothing as well as the store itself. We are blessed in that we can share some clothes, and yet in this case, still look age appropriate and great. This is true of many of my friends as well. The dresses were stylish and classic, not frumpy or 'boxy', too matronly or too young. How hard can it be to make clothes like this?!! Market it however you damn well please - we aren't idiots and will buy what we like, regardless of the geniuses in marketing offices. Maybe you just didn't give it a long enough chance!
I already miss my local Forth & Towne. I am 55 and a size 6 and the clothes were pretty and flattering. The jeans were the first I have purhased in many years that fit so well.
I think the store is closing because it was the baby of the outgoing CEO and not supported by the new regime. That is a shame as it was a beautiful store where many of my friends and their twenty something daughters shopped.
I believe the media is obsessed with the youth culture. I am happy to be my age and am not looking to be twenty again. If GAP hopes to do better financially, closing F&T will not send those of us who shopped there to any of their other stores. We will look to spend our money elsewhere where quality, fit, and service matter. My hope is another retailer will pick up this same concept and open a store they will promote.
I spent just over $2400 over a one week period at F&T's going-out-of business sale. I basically bought one of everything and figure I won't go back to the mall for several years after this. (Weight loss/gain will be handled by my seamstress.) I am a 47-year-old college professor and I don't want to be seen in the same clothes my students wear any more than they want to see me in the latest from GAP/Old Navy. I was thrilled to finally have fashionable clothes to wear that were well-made out of good fabrics: wool, silk, linen. I feel completely betrayed by GAP Corp.; they seduced me with beautiful clothes, an attractive store, fantastic customer service -- and then they dumped me for being too old. It was SO gratifying to go to the store (I was lucky enough to be within driving distance of 3 F&T locations) and be recognized by the sales staff, go into a dressing room with flattering lighting, be given a bottle of water, and then actually be waited on by people who knew the merchandise and could choose pieces that coordinated AND flattered my size 10 hourglass figure. Belts and scarves in the dressing room "lobby" made it a breeze to accessorize and shopping was actually fun. If only GAP had given it a chance to succeed; every time I was in a store women were talking about how great it was, and the final sale days were like a funeral.Is anyone listening?
im really sorry that they have to close. i really love the clothes and they fit perfectly.
Sadly Gap recognized a market need and then failed to give it time to develop into a mature business. While I'm not quite in what Forth & Towne considered it's target "age", Gap recognized for a brief glimmering moment that the AVERAGE women is larger than a size 12, with the wide size range of 2-20. At the same time, providing an outfit for every occasion that was stylish and out of a beautiful fabric or unique print.
With Friends and Family, I always enjoyed going to Algonquin Commons to Forth & Towne. Having spent my career to date in retail, the staff in this store is what all retailers should aspire to achieve. These ladies showed a determination to make the shopping experience unique and a dedication to this concept. It is simply unfortunate that their dedication and hardwork didn't pay off.
To these ladies, I wish you all the best and hope to see you at the mall. You became my #1 shopping destination and I feel like I'm losing an old friend.
To Gap, PLEASE, get it together. Figure out WHO your want for you customer and own it. Remember that the Fashion Forward Customer wants the right item at the right time. She should see something FRESH and NEW everytime that she walks into a location even if that is within the same week. This customer you courted briefly has the disposable income that you should covet.
Give us a reason to return or continue shopping at your other concepts. You may have an opportunity to gain some of your Forth & Towne Customers simply by expanding your Banana Republic Size Range.
For a brief moment you gave us exactly what we wanted, so figure out how to take what you learned and make it work at Banana Republic, Gap or Old Navy.
Give us what we want and we will give your our money. After all, isn't that what the Forth & Towne shopping experience was about to begin with?
The mistake marketers make is targeting an age group when they should just be targeting a style type. Nobody likes to be reminded they are getting old, especially women, and every woman over 35+ is an individual not just an age. I'm 43 and consistently pass for 10 - 15 years younger, I am petite and small boned and I like fashion forward looks not the staid and stuffy "classics" or pajama like travel wear that is often marketed to my age group. This is why I continue to buy casual tops and jeans in juniors and my foundation working pieces from places like Talbots and Nordstrom. I may be over forty, but I'm living a single girl life, no kids and a new career. My lifestyle is 30-something. A marketer who says to me "you're over 40, have college age kids, and a spare tire," has the wrong woman and from what I've been reading, I'm hardly alone.
Today was closing day. I drove an hour and a half to say goodbye to saleswomen who know me by name because of how often I've shopped the stores since just shortly after they opened. I picked up a few final pieces to add to my mostly F&T wardrobe of t-shirts, suits, and everything in between. I can't tell you how much I'll miss the in-store tailoring (which I rarely needed), excellent service, quality and style.
I used to shop your other stores from time to time, probably to the tune of $500 a year for the last several years, plus $250 in gift cards to Old Navy each holiday season for my nieces. Meanwhile I've spent at least $300 every couple of months at F&T. Now I will never shop ANY of their stores again.
I said goodbye to Forth & Towne. And Gap can say goodbye to my business.
Just show the f*cking clothes. Do not mention age, it's that simple. Show many age groups of women wearing the clothes. I'm 43 and I don't shop according to my "age." I shop according to what suits my sense of style. Unfortunately for getting my cash Chico's and Coldwater Creek usually don't do it for me. I don't like colorful gunny sack clothes. I like a lot of what the kids are wearing with some exceptions of course. No minis, no super tight, low rise jeans with every bell and whistle, no camoflauge, and NO excessive sparkles. I hate leggings and skinny jeans too. At the same time, I hate boxy jackets with kooky patterns (Chico's are you reading this) and A-line skirts that hit the floor (Coldwater Creek). What am I, 75? Many women that complain they can't find anything are usually overweight and have let themselves go and/or interpret anything that smacks at a trend as slutty and inappropriate for someone who is mature. There are many trendy looks that keep you appropriately covered that older women can wear.
If you have the legs you can even wear a miniskirt if you know how to do it with class. I don't like my age being referenced every time I turn around. I'm a humanbeing first, a woman second, and a 43 year old third. And no two 43 year olds are alike. If I don't want to live in Talbot classics or wear Chico's "travel wear", why should I have to just because I've reached a certain age?
They blew it.
The problem is marketers, fashion designers telling us we have to dress a certain way at a certain age. I think that’s ridiculous, first of all. Once a person is no longer a child or teenager, this age uniform crap should be irrelevant. Not every 20-year old wants to dress like Britney Spears and not every 40 year old wants to dress up like the Queen of England. How about some stylish clothes simply aimed at women? Irrespective of age. Consider body type, consider lifestyle. That would make me happy.
I wholeheartedly disagree with whomever pronounced that clothing was stylish at F & T. I'm 44 years old and did not have to walk into that store more than once to realize that this was another generic brand. Generic colors, generic styles. Plain, plain, plain boring vanilla with no surprises. What ever happened to delighting the customer? Why does the over 35 crowd need to be perceived as boring? To the contrary, at our age, women finally have made peace with their body types, have become confident about who they are and about their personal style. Just give us some styles to work with!!!
This is the worst news ever!! This is the best most fashionable clothes for the stylish woman. I am so dissapointed, who ever sat at the head of the board room table and made the decision to close this store is quite simply out of their mind!!
Maybe it's because people are sick of having cheap Chinese crap shoved down their throats. Can you say "second hand stores"? I don't know anybody that buys retail anymore... The clothing that was made in AMERICA many years ago is still around, durable and stylish. Meanwhile you buy something at Ann Taylor, the Gap, or wherever, it's falling apart at the seams less than a year later and you can't even give it to goodwill let alone take it to a clothing exchange. WAKE UP PEOPLE.... marketing is not the answer. How does it go again, you can put lipstick on a pig....?
I miss Forth & Towne temendously. The clothing was professional, well made, and beautiful, with friendly customer service like I had not experienced since I was a little girl. Who cares what demographic they were trying to reach?? I am 55 years old and do not shop at The Gap or Old Navy, and most of the clothing at Banana Republic are not suitable either. The merchandise at F & T was consistantly of high quality and met the needs of so many women who are disappointed by the chain stores in the malls that cater to teenagers. They gave up much too soon - come back and try it again, with whatever marketing strategy you need to start over. Obviously there are a LOT of women in the US starving for high quality clothing created for our needs, willing to pay for that quality and service. Forget about "target age group" and concentrate on doing what worked best - beautiful clothing, customer service, and an atmosphere that welcomed shoppers to return to a place where they felt their needs were met. And do it soon!!