The Cooler Side of Sears? Retailer Targets Teens
Department stores. Those are the places your mom goes to buy you things.
That’s what teenagers generally think of those mall anchors. But it’s not stopping Sears from getting young people to change their ways.
Here’s three recent signs that Sears is ready to start catering to a younger crowd:
1. The launch of its Sears.com/prom subsite and Facebook tie-in, which allowed teen girls an interactive component to prom gown shopping.
2. Its soon-to-debut clothing and accessories designer, LL Cool J. Albeit LL Cool J is nowhere near as relevant as Jay Z, 50 Cent, or Nelly, and the new line won’t be available until after the back-to-school season.
3. A partnership with MTV to promote the upcoming movie “The American Mall,” which is produced by the “High School Musical” team and is going to pretty much be an 87-minute long Sears commercial.
Will moves like this help Sears win over today’s youth? It’s yet to be proven, but marketers like Matthew Glass, chairman and CEO of event marketer Grand Central Marketing say that changing the public perception of a century-old brand like Sears is not a short-term battle.
“But I think the company is doing the right things to reach teens,” Glass said. “Teens are looking for reassurance in their purchases from their peers and celebrities. If Sears continues to sell hot brands of apparel and can get teens in the door through teen-relevant promotions and targeted strategic alliances like those with MTV and Facebook, I think they’ll reach a new generation of shoppers.”
And if the new generation of shoppers is not able to embrace Sears, then it may as well start shuttering its stores. But Ben Sturner, CEO and founder of Leverage Agency, says Sears understands it’s not the only game in town.
“Sears really needs to appeal to the youth of today as they are competing heavily versus the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world, and also other retailers as well such as Kohl’s, Macy’s and JC Penny.”
And Glass understands Sears cannot change its corporate culture overnight.
“Sears needs to continue to create a teen-friendly in-store environment to separate its teen experience from the predominance of appliances, tires, tools and other products,” Glass said. “Over time, references to the old Sears can fade away but only with an ongoing and focused effort.”
But Sears is off to a good start, Sturner said.
“The ‘Sears of old’ needs a makeover to be considered hip, cool and trendy in the marketplace as they fight to attract new customers,” Sturner said. “Partnering with the likes of MTV and Facebook is a great way to stay current and relevant as they reinvent their brand.”
