Lingerie fashion show

Chains: fashion-forward with Collins lingerie - Joan Collins lingerie line to be sold in discount stores

Chains: Fashion-Forward with Collins Lingerie

Many discounters are counting on "Dynasty' star Joan Collins' new lingerie collection to add the risque glitz that they hope will drive the category through the crucial holiday period.

Backed by a strong promotional push from the licensee, Sanmark-Stardust, and talk show stints by Collins, the lingerie collection, according to discounters, has already become an asked-for item by their customers.

For many discounters, Collins' lingerie represents the only real fashion-forward and designer line in their intimate apparel departments. In fact, most buyers said this may be the first designer lingerie label geared to the middle America market.

Although the collection offers sleepwear, loungewear and daywear lines, the latter represents only a small percentage of the group, since Collins' "Dynasty' character, Alexis, is associated more with evening activities.

Floral shaped and beaded laces, flocked dot netting, metallics, bows and ribbons all combine to dress up the camisoles, slips, teddies, peignoirs, gowns, jumpsuits, lounging pajamas and robes in the collection, and the colors red and black are featured in many of the lingerie lines.

"This is the first time we have had anything as fancy as this,' said Nancy Wahl, assistant loungewear buyer for Braintree, Mass.-based Bradlees. "It's completely different for us-- more styling and updated fashion.'

"It's hitting for middle America, whereas most designer lines' have usually been higher priced, noted Janice Fitzpatrick, sleepwear buyer for New York-based Alexander's. She said it made sense to make the Collins collection appeal to the broad base customer, since much of middle America watches the show.

The nylon and satin-like polyester fabrications, and the typically $8 to $35 price points, bring the line within reach of most discounters. However, the Collins collection will also sell as full-priced retailers, such as Jordan Marsh, Emporium and Bon Marche.

Distinction among the retailers' selection of the line will come in the extent and type of garments carried. While several buyers from some of the nation's discount chains said they have to keep their often conservative --in price and style--customers in mind, other discounters said they are purposely stocking the more "want-to-see' risque pieces to draw shoppers' attention and to differentiate the merchandise from the basics already offered.

"It's a fashion leader and I am hoping it attracts the customer's eye,' explained Mary Jo Gorman, intimate apparel buyer for Green Bay, Wis.-based Prange Way. Gorman said the Collins line should help department sales overall by drawing in additional business. Prange Way has placed six sku's in all of its 20 stores and opted for a few additional and more updated items in some selected locations.

At Nitro, W.Va.-based Heck's, intimate apparel buyer Bob Faulkner said most of the Collins collection is above his customer price point level, but he is bringing in the teddies, which will run store-wide and retail for about $10.

Although Bradlees' Wahl said, "We don't want to forget our customer who wants the regular robe,' she added that "there is a market out there for this [the Collins line].'

Several discounters have already shipped the line to their stores but said it was too early to tell how the line is selling, while others will begin shipping this month to coincide with holiday ads and circulars.

Prange Way's Gorman shipped the line in early October, and the store then ran ads later in the month, but early sales results were inconclusive.

Alexander's merchandise hits the stores this month, and buyer Fitzpatrick said the discounter will be running some advertising, plus it "hopes to have window backups in every store' for the Collins collection.

A few buyers said they are carefully testing the Collins line in only selected stores or on a special ad.

"The best way to test something out is on an ad basis,' explained Sharon Krumm, lingerie buyer for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer. Krumm said the stores will receive the merchandise this month, but some of the pieces will not be on the floors until an ad and tab breaks in early December. Featured in the ads will be a coordinating robe, gown and teddie, and Krumm has backed this up with additional robes, teddies and daywear pieces.

Heck's will highlight its selected pieces in its Christmas circular, Faulkner said, while Bradlees' ads, running this month, will feature five to six styles. "With the ad, we should do really well,' Bradlees' Wahl said, and she noted that customers had already begun asking for the line back in October.

Point-of-purchase material --including posters, banners, buttons and header cards--have been supplied to the retailers from the licensee, and most buyers told DSN the stores will be using some of the POP items with and around the merchandise.

Four-way displays and header cards highlight Prange Way's selection, and Heck's and Alexander's will also use display fixtures for the line.

Bradlees is merchandising the groups together on fixtures between the daywear and sleepwear/robe area "in one little shop,' Wahl said. Although overall business is starting to pick up over last year, Wahl said she anticipates more sales to stem from the Collins line.

Meijer will merchandise the Collins collection together within an area of the lingerie department. "The line itself looks promising, not as fancy as I had expected, but a little cosmopolitan,' Krumm said. The Meijer buyer said the lacy and feminine look has been a constant seller for her, and she is hoping the Collins' line will be plus business. "I hope to develop it as a branded line.'

Heck's Faulkner said the licensee is supporting the line well and he used a supplied video tape on the collection for a manager's seminar. "There is no question that it will be successful,' he said of Collins' merchandise.

Other discounters, including K mart, Target, Ames, Jamesway, Venture and ShopKo, are also picking up the Collins line, while Caldor and ALCO are among those passing on the collection.

Photo: Items from the new Collins lingerie colection are already on the sales floor at this Target unit in Bridgeton, Mo.

Photo: Collins reclines in her two-piece peignoir set. Many discounters and off-pricers have picked up the new lingerie line for holiday.