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FOCUSING ONLINE: Aéropostale Inc. is looking to get more bang out of its Web site, the fastest growing part of the teen chain’s business. “The business has the potential to be 10 percent of our total volume,” Julian Geiger, chairman and chief executive officer, said Thursday while participating on an e-commerce panel organized by GSI Commerce. “It’s a very easy way to touch customers. About 80 percent of our marketing dollars are spent online. Can you go much higher than 80 percent? Probably not.” A million customers browse the Web site each week, Geiger said.
The $2 billion, 900-unit mall-based Aéropostale is moving fast online with its new P.S. From Aéropostale division for seven- to 12-year-olds. P.S. this month opened its first store in the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, N.Y. Plans call for nine additional stores, primarily in the New York metro area, during fiscal 2009, as well as an e-commerce site. The site is currently information-only and provides a look book.
As far as social networking, Geiger said it’s “clearly” part of his customers’ lives, but that it’s “way too early to react in a business way….We do not want to make a mistake.”
On the same panel, Claire Babrowski, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Toys ‘R’ Us, said that by 2010 or 2011, “our Internet presence will be a global platform.” The company already operates e-commerce in Japan, China, the U.K., Canada and the U.S. “We are growing our Internet presence, and e-commerce business is a major strategy.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was also on the panel, which was moderated by Lauren Levitan, founding partner of Moxie Capital LLC.
— David Moin
GATHERING NO MOSS: A nude photograph of Kate Moss, taken by Chuck Close, will be auctioned at Christie’s South Kensington on Wednesday. The image, which originally appeared in W magazine’s 2003 tribute issue to Moss, is expected to reach an estimated price of 7,000 pounds, or $11,400 at current exchange, to 10,000 pounds, or $16,300.
— WWD Staff
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