LOS ANGELES — Forth & Towne, Gap Inc.’s retail concept targeting women older than 35, announced the addition of seven California stores to launch by the end of November.
The San Francisco-based retailer operates five stores — the first in West Nyack, N.Y., which opened in August 2005, and four in the Chicago area — and aims to open a total of 14 by yearend.
Three of the stores will launch Sept. 20 at The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks, Westfield Century City shopping center in Los Angeles, and at Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose. On Sept. 28, a San Francisco location will bow at Westfield San Francisco City Centre, to be followed Oct. 6 by a unit at Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, near Los Angeles. Stores at the Otay Ranch Town Center in San Diego and the Paseo Nuevo shopping center in Santa Barbara will launch Nov. 15. Size will vary from about 4,000 square feet to 11,000 square feet.
The decision to saturate California was based on the wealth of fashion-savvy consumers there, said Kimberley Grayson, senior vice president of marketing for Forth & Towne. “In California, we believe that women are very attentive and focused on how their style is put together,” she said.
Grayson said sales have exceeded expectations.
Forth & Towne is to launch a multichannel advertising campaign this month.