On, Wisconsin

OshKosh B'Gosh Inc. (Oshkosh, Wis.) has opened five stores under its new family lifestyle concept.

The new stores, which offer OshKosh B'Gosh branded apparel and accessories for men, women and children, as well as home accessories, are in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Maple Grove, Minn.; Marietta, Ga.; Plano, Texas; and Southlake, Texas. In all, the company plans to open 14 OshKosh B'Gosh family lifestyle stores during 2004, along with about 25 more in 2005.

The stores are designed to provide a home-like setting in which families can have fun exploring together. Company officials say all the details for the stores, including the product assortment and the informal architecture, harken back to a simpler time and reflect OshKosh B'Gosh's “American Heartland” history and family-focused roots.

The stores' interiors are open, loft-like environments. Farmhouses and small town industrial buildings inspired the interior design, which features old-time advertisements painted on the whitewashed walls and classic washboards used as sign holders. Merchandise is displayed on fixtures that are based on American lifestyle icons, such as barn doors, picnic tables and screen doors.