Fashion marketer Aeropostale will launch a new “retail store concept” called “P.S. from Aeropostale” this year. The new sub-chain will target consumers between the ages of 7 and 12. The company plans to open 10 P.S. from Aeropostale stores 2009, with the first one schedule to open during its fiscal second quarter.
Aeropostale will also debut a new e-commerce site for the concept, http://www.ps4u.com.
The new Web site will doubtless boost the company’s online revenue, which increased 85% to $79.1 million during 2008, from $42.8 million a year ago.
Separately, the company will be closing its Jimmy’Z line of stores. The company operated 11 of these stores as of Jan. 31. The stores are due to be close by the end of its second quarter. The company’s second quarter ends in late July.
The Querent’s Take: What’s harder, launching a children’s retail/online concept and knowing that information gathering laws are tricky when it comes to kids, or launching such a brand without being able to market directly to customers? The S.E.C. filing that discusses the launch makes no mention of any sort of direct marketing save for the rather passive Web site.
