Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (New York) has announced plans to roll out a high-end fashion line in 24 of its top stores this week and make it available on its Web site in late September or early October.
The line, called Collection, will be 40 percent more expensive than the company's usual merchandise, on average, and includes about 50 items, according to a company spokeswoman.
Ann Taylor is also launching a line of beauty products and a new chain that will target baby boomers.
“We know there's a client there who has an appetite for more upscale, expensive product,” says Adrienne Lazarus, president of the Ann Taylor brand division. In some of the top-selling Ann Taylor locations around the country, she says, “we're sitting next to Neiman's, Prada, Gucci. When we put in even slightly higher-priced merchandise” recently at the top stores, customers snapped up the items.”