Canada’s Big Men to Get Casual

Casual Male Retail Group Inc. (Canton, Mass.) has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Sears Canada Inc. (Toronto) to operate Sears Casual Male Big and Tall stores located within Sears Canada stores.

The arrangement provides that CMRG will be responsible for the marketing, merchandising and selling of big and tall men’s apparel (featuring its new Comfort Zone line endorsed by former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman).

Casual Male intends to initially open 12 Sears Casual Male Big & Tall stores in the fall of 2004 and, if successful, add 68 stores in 2005. The first stores will be located in metro areas throughout Canada.

“It is extremely exciting to be joining forces with Canada’s largest apparel retailer to launch Casual Male’s first international expansion,” said Casual Male president and ceo David Levin. “The stores will be approximately 1000 square feet and will be merchandised with our new Comfort Zone by George Foreman line, as well as other well-known brands that we sell in our United States stores.”

Sears Canada operates about 125 department stores. It is 55 percent owned by Sears Roebuck & Co. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.).