Monday, April 07, 2008

Age has lots of meanings

Clothes brands have had a profitable niche catering for “older women”. What these brands have not realised is that today’s “older women” is not like yesterday’s “older women”. It is all about not understanding the difference between requirements based on chronological age and age cohort.

This is article explains the problems that such a brand (Alexon) is having coming to terms with the demands of the older women of 2008.

The merchandise director at one of the UK's leading independent department stores says: "The problem for the Alexon brands is that the customers they had 10 years ago are now shopping a look that is up to 20 years younger than where they would have shopped a decade ago.”
The former womenswear director at House of Fraser says: "All of the classic womenswear brands like to say they are targeting the 35-plus market, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that their core customer is now at least 50-plus. When you stand in a department store and look at who is shopping a brand such as Alexon, the majority are aged over 60.

All basic marketing stuff but the mistakes keep being made. Dick Stroud

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