Mixed reviews for Urban Outfitters, Hollister

I stopped at the Menlo Park Mall, in Menlo Park, N.J., a few days ago, to check out one of its newest tenants: Urban Outfitters. The store was rocking, with a relevancy that escapes most chains. It looked fabulous -- and like nothing else in the mall. Urban Outfitters remains unrivaled among specialty retailers for its ability to make each store a unique and compelling destination. Nobody, at least for my money, does it better.

Meanwhile, another teen fave -- Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hollister brand -- made its Manhattan debut with a 40,000-sq.-ft. flagship in SoHo. In keeping with A&F tradition, the store is very, very dark. Pre-opening promotional materials had promised a SoCal-lifestyle driven experience. But with its dark interiors, the store feels more like a worn-in frat house than it does a beach. Sure, there were some cool touches -- most notably, the pier inside the entrance and the wall of flat-screen TVs with live feed of the surf from Huntington Beach, Calif. But overall, I found the new Hollister a pretty gloomy affair. Lighten up, guys. And let the sun shine in.

Christmas in July

It’s only July, but some stores are already full of fall fashion. There is nothing new about rushing the seasons -- it’s been standard procedure for retailers for years now, particularly those of the luxury variety. Still, I was hoping that the economic downturn would inspire merchants to think more like consumers. And in July, most of us are thinking bathing suits, not warm cover-ups.

But if that wasn’t bad enough, the Chicago Tribune reported today that Sears Holdings has opened Christmas decor shops in its stores and also set up “Christmas Lane” boutiques at Sears.com and Kmart.com. While Sears is obviously hoping to get shoppers in the spirit (and a gift-buying mood) early, the strategy also reflects how competitive the upcoming holiday season is likely to be. And just how worried retailers are that shoppers are going to give Scrooge a run for his money this year.

Anyone willing to make any predictions for the upcoming holiday season?

J. C. Penney takes on Manhattan

J. C. Penney is ready for the Big Apple, but is the Big Apple ready for J. C. Penney? The chain is looking to make a big splash when it opens its first-ever store in Manhattan (on July 31, at Manhattan Mall in Herald Square). It’s pulling out all the stops -- and digging into its deep pockets -- to create a memorable first impression with a multimedia advertising and promotional campaign.

J. C. Penney’s Manhattan marketing blitz was detailed today, in an article in The New York Times.

The article reveals that, along with the traditional media advertising, there will be a host of extras, including shopping bags with the letters “NYC” highlighted inside the J. C. Penney name, a unique logo, and customized content on the chain’s Web site (jcpnewstores.com/nyc).

As for the ads, they are done in a tongue-in-cheek style designed to appeal to New Yorkers. Some of the ads also take on Herald Square’s most venerable retail tenant: Macy’s.

“We heard Herald Square needed a good department store,” one ad reads, according to the report.

Recession aside, it will be interesting to see how a chain long associated with middle America fares in the middle of an urban playground, one that also happens to be America’s fashion capital. What do you think -- will J. C. Penney have Big Apple appeal?

Juicy gets intimate

Someone forgot to tell Juicy Couture about the recession. The company launched its new format, an intimate apparel concept called Love G&P, with a store at Las Vegas’ Forum Shops at Caesars Place. (The G&P stands for the first letter in the names of Juicy co-founders Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy.)

Love G&P has a soft, feminine look that is more toned down and grown up than most Juicy stores. It’s done in cream and pink hues, and has a vintage feel. At a time when some intimate apparel stores have taken on an R-rated cast, Love G&P seems refreshingly old-fashioned, but in the most inviting way possible. Maybe everything old does become new again.

Full-figured women: Attention must be paid

Hurray for Christopher & Banks Corp.! The chain is set to open a new format that will feature merchandise from its nameplate division as well as its plus-sized offshoot, C.J. Banks. The company expects the concept, debuting in Scranton, Pa., will be the prototype for all its new stores. This comes at a time when other retailers, including Ann Taylor, have abandoned larger sizes entirely or, as in the case of Bloomingdale’s, reduced the space allotted to them.

I’ve never understood why mainstream retailers don’t give the plus-sized shopper the attention she deserves (the average American woman, by the way, wears a size 14 according to recent figures). But I’m happy to see that women of a certain size are finally speaking up. The first-ever Full-Figured Fashion Week was held last week in New York City, and it featured a mix of plus-sized fashion shows, panel discussions, and guest appearances from “curvy” celebrities. The attendees included marketing professionals, fashion buyers, designers and plus-sized fashionistas. You don’t have to be thin to love fashion. But that’s something that many retailers (with a few exceptions, including teen fave Torrid) still don’t get.