MALL'S JOB HOTLINE WILL FOCUS ON TEENS.

Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer

Stocking the latest merchandise and offering discounts are tried and true ways of attracting customers.

Now one mall is hoping to draw shoppers -- especially teenagers -- by offering them a paycheck.

Starting Wednesday, the Northridge Fashion Center will host a holiday job hotline aimed at teens. Those who call (877) 6255-562 will hear a prerecorded message of job openings in the mall. A dozen temporary and permanent positions will debut on the list, to be updated periodically.

``Our teenage shopper base is really high,'' said Lisa Avakian of the Northridge Fashion Center. ``This would be a way to reach out to our consumer base.''

In any given month, 66 percent of teens will visit a mall, according to Rob Callender of Teen Research Unlimited, a Chicago research firm that defines teens as been the ages of 12 and 19.

On average, teens spend $102 per week and most of that goes toward retailers, Callender said. That adds up to a whopping $179 billion each year.

``They don't have the obligations like a mortgage or veterinary bills,'' Callender said. ``They have a huge amount of disposable income and in general the bulk of that will go to retailers of some form.''

The Northridge Fashion Center is a big draw for teens, partly because it is within a mile of a half-dozen schools.

At Windsor Fashions in the mall, teenagers make one of every three purchases, said manager Lupe Navarrete. The store, known for its formal wear, targets teens by advertising in high school papers and by stocking gowns months before proms.

Navarrete is listing at least two positions on the hotline because publicity never hurts.

``Bottom line is getting our name out there,'' she said.

Downstairs from Windsor, Sidecca is listing four or five part-time sales positions. The store, which stocks edgy clothes, accessories, and shoes that cater to teenage girls, only accepts applications online.

``You have to have a lot of people lined up because the kids call in sick,'' said Craig Johnson, who owns the store with his wife, Debi Millman.

Listing jobs on the hotline would have helped Crystal Alvarez avoid going door to door to collect applications. On a recent afternoon, Alvarez, 18, had four stuffed in her hand.

``Sometimes they aren't so friendly,'' Alvarez said. The teen from North Hills wanted to work in the mall because she loves roving the center with her buddies on weekends. She wasn't surprised to hear that teenagers spend big bucks at malls.

``A lot of kids come in groups of like seven,'' she said. ``Older people come ones or twos, so when we all go into a shop, it's guaranteed to make a lot of sales.''

julia.scott(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Olivia Ramirez, 17, rings up a customer at Sidecca in the Northridge Fashion Center. Starting Wednesday, the mall will open a holiday job hotline.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer