I.N.C Blot

Federated Merchandising Group (FMG), a division of FederatedDepartment Stores (Cincinnati), is showing off its I.N.C privatebrand in the new Triton Square store in Tokyo. The freestandingstore, which opened in April, is owned and operated by Kosugi Sangyo,who last May signed a licensing agreement with Federated todistribute I.N.C apparel in Japan.

Federated hopes to roll out the I.N.C brand to more than 30Japanese department stores by 2003 as part of a worldwide expansionintended to strengthen the brand and make it more profitable.

I.N.C apparel first debuted at Sangyo's showroom this pastNovember. The apparel's spring 2001 “International Concepts of Style”campaign presented new clothing trends and multi-ethnic models inhopes of appealing to the Japanese woman.

The brand includes apparel for misses, petites and women's sizes,as well as accessories, intimates and swimwear. In the U.S., I.N.C isavailable exclusively at Macy's, Bloomingdales's, Rich's, Burdines,Lazarus, Goldsmith's and The Bon Marché. Federated, one of theleading department store retailers in the U.S., operates more than400 stores in 33 states.