Word: chaine
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Brentlinger has never surfed. She doesn't even swim, which might have disturbed the company's founder, dedicated surfer Tom Moore. He managed to find time for his first love even as the Newport Beach, Calif., surf-gear shop he opened in 1980 grew to an 11-store chain. In the late 1980s the business caught the attention of venture capitalists who were convinced that brands made by Southern California manufacturers for a Southern California lifestyle could work outside the area. After the merchandise was slightly tweaked (some suppliers had to start making long pants and outerwear for East Coast...
...continue to grow, PacSun executives knew they had to push into additional niches. In 1998 the company, based in Anaheim, Calif., opened a new chain of stores called D.E.M.O. to pull in the hip-hop crowd. With their highly polished chrome-and-black decor, d.e.m.o. outlets aren't exactly street. The stores are designed to fit into shopping malls but carry merchandise from P. Diddy's clothing line Sean John and Eminem's line Shady Limited, as well as Phat Farm, Ecko and Enyce--brands that appeal to both blacks and middle-class whites. Company officials had planned to boost...
Though the chain's mer chandise looks cutting edge, Weaver is quite care ful to avoid fashion extremes. Unlike competitor Abercrombie & Fitch, which plays up the libidinous elements of its teen offerings, PacSun sells clothes that would pass muster at any high school with a dress code. Weaver says he avoids resorting to sexual advertising messages to move merchandise. "Many teenagers love it," he says, "but why would I alienate the parents? I can't forget my customer is 15 and doesn't have a credit card...
...Weaver has not avoided all the pitfalls. In 2001 the company misjudged demand, and weaker-than-expected sales hurt earnings, which fell to a disappointing $8.9 million in the third quarter of 2001. Weaver chalked it up to the growing pains of a rapidly expanding chain. "Suddenly I realized that all the things I was able to do with 150 stores, I couldn't do at 650," he says...
...time. Before, its clothes had a punkish surf-skate attitude that appealed mainly to teenage boys--an image the company reinforced by, among other marketing moves, sponsoring the X Games. But in 2001 Weaver took some tentative steps into the girls' market. Customer response was strong, helping pull the chain out of its mild slump. Weaver today attributes much of the past year's success to the purchasing instincts of girls, who, unlike boys, buy not just a single item of clothing but an outfit with a belt, bag, hat, earrings and any other accessories for which they can find...