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Teen retailers get the cold shoulder for holidays

Posted: Dec 11, 2014 1:51 PM NEW YORK (AP) — Being a teen can be tough, but catering to one is even more difficult.

One reason is technology. Teens are more interested in playing on smartphones than hanging out at the mall where these stores are. They're also more likely to spend their money on iPhones and other tech gadgets than on clothes.

"When I was younger, everyone wanted what everyone else had," she says. But now, Nash says "everyone is putting their own individual spin" on their look.

This change in teen shopping patterns isn't lost on retailers that spent years building their brands around a sort of "insta-look" that shoppers could buy right off the rack.

The three big teen retailers are getting rid of shirts and other items that have their logos and adding trendy fashions and athletic styles. They're allowing shoppers to buy online and pick up in stores. And they're getting fashions in stores faster in an effort to compete with so-called fast-fashion retailers like H&M.

American Eagle, the mid-priced brand of the three chains, says it's adding jeans with different washes this holiday season. Meanwhile, Aeropostale, which is at the low-price range with jeans at about $40, is adding everything from cropped metallic tank tops to floral lace leggings. That's a switch for the retailer, which used to focus on basics like jeans and sweatshirts.

"I still believe that while they strive for individuality in many ways, at 14- to 17-years-old, they still want to be accepted by their friends and peers and that there is still a uniform that they wear that makes them cool," said Geiger, the chain's former CEO who was rehired in August. 

"It is very clear that the young apparel sector in which we operate is going through a period of disruption and turmoil," said outgoing CEO Mike Jeffries on a conference call with investors last week after the chain released disappointing quarterly results. "In response to that, we are making significant changes."

"They have to make a product that is more exciting than the iPhone6," he said.

Nash, the Washington, D.C., high school junior, said at least one of the teen retailers is on the right track. She said she's noticed trendier styles on Abercrombie's website: "I think I may venture back to the store."


Follow Anne D'Innocenzio at https://twitter.com/adinnocenzio
