Maurice Sasson began a new life this week as a moderate brand available exclusively on jcpenney.com.
Parent company Jordache Enterprises several months ago stopped selling Sasson at Nordstrom, where it retailed for $68 to $88, in the hopes of finding a retail partner that would expand the brand’s customer base.
“We had Maurice in the better market for a while and we were looking for a broader avenue of distribution,” said Ira Spiegel, vice president of Sasson and Jordache’s Kikit Jeans brand. “As a division of Jordache, we’re used to doing big projects and we were looking for a little bit more volume out of the label.”
Jordache wants to replicate the success of its Kikit brand. Relaunched in 2002 and retailing for $30 to $40, Kikit has been a strong seller at Macy’s.
“We want to turn [Sasson] into a major brand with another major retailer,” Spiegel said. “Our Kikit brand has been so successful in Macy’s, it’s become an all-door brand for them. We wanted to develop another brand with another retail partner that could be the same thing.”
Spiegel noted that retail consolidation has left fewer stores with which to be a partner. Developing specific brands for existing partners has become a necessity, he said.
The brand will bow with four long-pants bodies, including a basic boot-cut style and a straight-leg style, all of which are available in three washes. The line will focus on clean finishes and darker washes, giving it a more upscale or contemporary look from Kikit. Retail prices will range between $29 and $39.
Spiegel acknowledged that launching on Penney’s Web site represents the first test for the brand, partly because selling solely through the Internet required focusing on a few key items.
“You don’t get the breadth of product shown that you would at a retail location, so you have to pick your best products and be sure they’re exhibited in the right way,” he said.
The early response from Penney’s has been positive, Spiegel said, adding that the retailer has already placed an order for some spring products, including a capri style.
“We’re hoping to do a couple million at retail on the Internet and see that the big opportunity is when we hit the retail stores,” Spiegel said.