Apparel and home goods cataloger/retailer Eddie Bauer is launching a spin-off next month that will sell plus-size women’s clothing. The 76-page Eddie Bauer Woman book is scheduled to drop on Aug. 26 to 1 million people. About 40% of recipients will be people from Eddie Bauer’s 15-million-name house file who have purchased plus-size clothing from the company’s stores, regular catalog, or Website.
Redmond, WA-based Eddie Bauer began offering plus sizes, along with clothing for petite and tall women, back in 1994; it expanded its plus-size collection in September. “The stand-alone book will create interest in the plus-size apparel,” says chief marketing officer Engle Saez, “which will increase sales and prompt us to keep adding more and more merchandise and increase the amount we sell to existing buyers and prospects.”
Eddie Bauer Woman is part of the company’s repositioning effort, Saez notes, with a return “to the outdoor-inspired Americana gear [Eddie Bauer sold] five years ago.” The company is putting less emphasis on sophisticated models and more on the merchandise, especially outerwear.