J.Crew (New York) has announced the fall opening of a new New York store on Madison Avenue. The 8500-square-foot location on Madison and 45th Street (near Grand Central Station) will offer a full line of J.Crew sportswear and accessories, with menswear situated on the left side of the selling floor and women's on the right. The product assortment will also include an expanded line of business separates and weekend wear, as well as “so j.crew,” the retailer's line of personal care products.
Because of its proximity to the midtown commercial center, an “ultimate destination for lawyers, investment bankers and ad execs shopping for business casual attire,” according to Crew ceo Mark Sarvary, the store design will feature an urban interior decor compatible with its location. There will be eight full-length windows; an architectural concept featuring furniture and fixtures designed by and manufactured exclusively for J.Crew; and a darker palette of materials such as rift cut oak cabinetry and a black granite floor. The company says the new design will be both recognizably J.Crew and will represent a subtle shift towards the traditional shopping atmosphere and dŽcor of the retailer's Rockefeller Center flagship, which opened in 1999.
J.Crew, in the midst of a nationwide retail expansion program, also plans a new bi-level New York store in the Columbus Circle area near Broadway and 59th Street. The 11,100-square-foot location, expected to open in 2003, will occupy the second and third floors of the retail emporium, Palladium. The company has plans for at least 24 additional U.S. openings this year.
The J. Crew Group, once a diversified catalog marketer, now generates sales entirely from its J. Crew brand of jeans, khakis, and other basic (but pricey) items to young professionals. (The company has also been considering a J. Crew home collection of bed and bath items designed by Emily Cinader Woods, daughter of founder Arthur Cinader.) In addition to its catalog operations and an expanding Internet operation, the company operates about 120 U.S. retail and factory outlets. It also has about 70 outlets in Japan through a joint venture with Itochu.