On Monday Macy’s announced that it had signed a 10 year alliance agreement with the new owner of the Ellen Tracy (Brand Matter LLC) – under the agreement Macy’s will be the exclusive retailer of Ellen Tracy sportswear.
The exclusive sportswear line will be launched in March of 2010 in more than 100 Macy’s stores (there are currently over 800 Macy’s stores around the US) and online. The line will include jackets, shirts, pants, sweaters, woven tops, knit tops and bottoms. In terms of price points: Jackets will be will in the $99 to $149 range and pants will be in the $50 to $99 range.
I’m glad Macy’s announced the price points because I think they keep me from getting my hopes up. I mean Jones New York and Anne Klein jackets retail in the $179-$209 range so already we know they are not going to surpass Jones New York or Anne Klein in terms of quality and they certainly aren’t going to be anywhere near the fashion jackets we knew and loved that retailed in the high $400-$600 range – but of course in the end it’s all going come down to style and if they will be doing plus sizes which we certainly cannot take for granted since I think we were all floored when the Dana Buchman line for Kohl’s initially came out and there were no plus sizes offered.
Thoughts?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve bought Ellen Tracy since 1987, in both the misses and plus iterations. I liked the bridge-priced ET and will try to get it at Off Fifth, Neiman’s Last Call and other discounters.
But I’m not surprised at this deal. When LIZ sold Ellen, they sold it to a private equity shop. PE shops are always looking to cut costs, make deals. IMO, that’s why they discontinued it at Saks. Saks was its only customer, since Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom were really inconsistent in their traditional bridge offerings.
I wish it had been Saks or Neimans or even Bloomingdales, anybody but Macy’s. Unlike you I do not hold out much hope for the new Ellen Tracy line and would be shocked if it turns out to be anything worthwhile. I’ve never been to a Macy’s that had anything but junk in the women’s dept.