By Jaclyn Trop
Teen retailer American Eagle is targeting even younger shoppers with the recent opening of its children's store, 77kids, at Twelve Oaks in Novi.
The Novi store, which opened two weeks ago, outfits babies, infants, toddlers, children and pre-teens. It is riding a new trend where parents — more affluent and with fewer children than their counterparts of generations past — are dressing their younger children in their own stylish image, retail consultants say.
77kids opened its first location in Pittsburgh in July and will have 21 stores by the end of the year as it capitalizes on new interest in children's fashion, said Betsy Schumacher, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer of 77kids by American Eagle.
"Kids these days are so savvy," Schumacher said. "Kids want to look cool and fit in, and they want their clothes to be fun."
The store, which caters to children through age 12, is reaching out to the younger siblings of American Eagle's core customers, as have P.S. by Aeropostale and abercrombie by Abercrombie & Fitch.
The concept is a good one, said Ken Nisch, principal at Southfield-based retail consultant JGA Inc. Parents are willing to spend money on children's clothes and accessories, and 77kids can capture some of the dollars in the market, he added.
Adults have more disposable income to spend on their children as they enter parenthood later in life and have fewer kids on average.
Parents' tastes are becoming more sophisticated, with a growing sense of fashion and design influencing their purchases, Nisch said.
"American Eagle is taking what a 17-year-old would wear and translating it into a product for infants and toddlers," Nisch said.
As a children's store, 77kids distinguishes itself from trendy "tween" shops such as Justice and The Buckle by offering more classic designs and creating them for children who have not yet reached their pre-teen years, Schumacher said.
There are interactive kiosks where kids can try on clothes virtually or pretend to be disc jockeys, a "denim canyon" that resembles a maze and a "goody bar" with candy and temporary tattoos.
"We really focus on the mom and the kid," Schumacher said. "The mom wants the kid to look cool, the mom wants value, and the mom wants a shopping experience."
Stacy Sheaffer of West Bloomfield visited the Novi store Wednesday and picked up a pink zip-up hoodie for her 22-month-old daughter.
"If they had it in my size, I'd have bought it," Sheaffer said. "It has some very cute stuff. It's not full of animals and polka dots and stripes."
77kids is several notches cooler than competitors such as Gap Kids, The Children's Place or Gymboree, Nisch said. From distressed denim jackets to jeans in different washes, "they've taken all of these styles and brought them to baby clothes so that they can be totally in sync with their hipster parents."
It's a sentiment that resonates with parents who pride themselves on being cool or stylish, said New York-based fashion writer and consultant Rachel Raczka.
"I think anyone who likes dressing themselves really likes the idea of having a second self to dress, in cuter, itty-bitty clothes that are a bit cheaper," Raczka said.
The "kids getting older younger" trend is a byproduct of the hectic pace of today's world, said New York-based consumer culture expert and branding strategist Adam Hanft.
"Everything is happening faster today, so it's logical that the velocity of change is happening with the transition from childhood to adulthood," Hanft said. "It's the increasing sexualization of society and the role of the media in creating and marketing a culture of seduction."
But Hanft is skeptical that 77kids will have staying power in the marketplace.
"Its prurience is gimmicky," he said. "Retail relies on repeat purchases, and this 77kids idea will be a notable novelty."
