Macy's Retools Juniors Section to Attract Teens.

MACY'S West wants to become everything it isn't to juniors.

Though teen shoppers have mostly ignored department stores in favor of edgier specialty shops during the past decade, Macy's wants to bring them back by giving its juniors departments a hip makeover to appeal to the fussier tastes of the teen market.

The company has rolled out three THISIT (pron6unced "this is it") stores at Northridge Fashion Center, Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton and Valley Fair Shopping Center in Santa Clara. Seven more are planned this year, including shops at Del Amo Fashion Center, South Coast Plaza and Mission Viejo.

"We wanted to give teens what they want, and that's their own environment," said Rob Smith, Macy's West vice president of juniors. "Macy's is a traditional store and this creates more energy. It's not their mother's department store. We wanted to give these stores their own brand identity, which includes a new name."

Gone are the carpeting, staid layouts and quiet atmosphere. Instead, the new look for the 12,000- to 26,000-square-foot departments is built around industrial chic, with concrete floors, exposed ceilings and brushed aluminum pedestals for mannequins.

Music blares from a flat-screen television and Bose speakers suspended from the ceilings. A disc jockey spins tunes, and there is an iMac Internet kiosk for teen shoppers to log onto the store's Web site and chat with other customers.

"We revamped the whole sales concept. We even wanted our sales help to be on the same wavelength as our shoppers, so they wear black uniforms and often sport tattoos and piercings," Smith said.

Spotlight on merchandise

In addition, the departments will serve as a one-stop location for all junior merchandise from dresses and jeans to cosmetics and accessories.

Orange cases form display islands featuring edgy, youthful brands of cosmetics such as Lorac, Bourjois and Souson, which teens are encouraged to test. Floor-to-ceiling metal poles have moveable mirrors and lights so customers can check out their new look.

To put more emphasis on lifestyle rather than individual designers, THISIT displays merchandise by type -- purses, jeans, tops -- regardless of who makes them. And there is lots of inventory.

"We're trying to not just bring in mainstream names like Guess and Tommy Hilfiger, but clubbier names such as Baby Phat and Spyk," Smith said.

Macy's picks the locations based on demographics and store layouts. For instance, the Northridge department is actually located outside the Macy's in the mall and lacks some THISIT amenities because of space constraints.

Designers say the approach is a welcome change.

"I think it will come as a great surprise to teen shoppers," said Andrea Hildebrand, sales associate for Roberta, a Los Angeles-based junior dress line.

Smith declined to release sales figures but said the stores are doing well so far.

New generation of customers

"They're not a hip company for that audience. But, if they can change that image, they will have new customers who will grow up with their fashions," said Ira Mayer, publisher of Youth Markets Alert, a newsletter covering the marketing of goods to young people.

No doubt Macy's wants to grab a bigger piece of the $75 billion spent by teen-age girls every year. But the competition is fierce, with boutiques like Rampage, Hot Topic and Charlotte Russe vying for the same market. Meanwhile, teen Web sites such as Delia's and Alloy offer merchandise, chat rooms and celebrity interviews

Other department store chains are also launching ventures to attract the youth market J.C. Penney Co. is testing a new store concept called Noise in a Dallas suburb aimed at both junior women and men. The move came on the heels of the chain's successful launch of Noise magazine, a teen fashion publication that has posted a circulation of 3.3 million since debuting last August.

And in a joint effort, Nordstrom and Teen People magazine mailed out an interactive lifestyle CD-ROM along with a fashion "magalog" to 600,000 teens about two weeks ago. The mailing includes information on a style contest with a grand-prize trip to Teen People's "What Next?" fashion event.

At this point, North Hollywood-based Robinsons-May says it doesn't have any plans to redesign its juniors departments.

"It's an interesting concept. I think retailers are aware that the needs of the children of baby boomers have to be addressed," said director of special events and public relations Melinda Martin.

Meanwhile, shoppers like 16-year-old. Chavon Mattillo are finding the Macy's experience "cool."

"It's my first time here and I like it," Mattillo said at the Northridge store. "They have a lot more clothes than I expected, and I can shop here for my makeup. Normally I have to go elsewhere to buy it."