Talbots
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[edit] Introduction
Operating under the brands Talbots and J. Jill, The Talbots, Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer, cataloger and e-tailer of women’s classic apparel, shoes and accessories. At the end of fiscal 2007, the Company operated a total of 1,421 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the U.K., with 1,150 stores under the Talbots brand name and 271 stores under the J. Jill brand name. Its direct marketing operation circulated approximately 126 million catalogs worldwide in fiscal 2007, with 48 million under the Talbots brand name and 78 million under the J. Jill brand name. Talbots brand on-line shopping site is located at [www.talbots.com] and the J. Jill brand on-line shopping site is located at [www.jjill.com].
The Talbots, Inc. currently employs a combined total of approximately 16,000 associates worldwide, including 12,300 associates at Talbots and 3,700 at J. Jill.
Talbots assortment for women features modern classic styles in apparel, shoes and accessories, providing head-to-toe wardrobing for all occasions--from work, to weekend, to special occasion. The merchandise is offered across several Talbots retail concepts, including Talbots Misses, Talbots Petites, Talbots Woman, Talbots Woman Petites, and Talbots Collection.
In addition to its line for women, which is available throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K., Talbots offers classic children’s clothing through Talbots Kids, and classic sportswear for men through Talbots Mens.[1]
[edit] History
Talbots was founded in 1947 in a 17th-century colonial frame house in Hingham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The following year, the Company launched its direct mail business by distributing 3,000 black-and-white flyers to names obtained from The New Yorker magazine. Today, Talbots is a leading national specialty retailer, cataloger and e-tailer of women’s, children’s and men’s apparel, shoes and accessories.
The first Talbots store located in Hingham, Massachusetts.
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Talbots has a long-standing commitment to serving both its customer and the community in which she resides. This synergy between customer and community service is best summarized by the Company’s credo, "Do What is Right for the Customer".
Talbots, publicly traded since 1993, acquired The J. Jill Group in 2006, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company offers its merchandise under the Talbots and J. Jill brands via stores, catalog and internet. Together, the brands serve a broad diversity of women within the fast-growing 35+ population through an extensive range of sizes and distinct yet complementary styles.
At the end of fiscal year 2006, the Company operated a total of 1,365 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the U.K., with 1,126 stores under the Talbots brand name and 239 stores under the J. Jill brand name. [2]
[edit] Talbots Concepts
[edit] Talbots Misses
Talbots Misses is the Company's core business. The assortment, which generally ranges from sizes 2 to 20, evolves strategically to allow a customer to build and update her wardrobe from year to year. Talbots Misses stores average approximately 3,200 selling square feet. Each store is designed to blend with its surrounding environment and is decorated in a warm, residential style. At the entrance of each store is Talbots signature red door.[3]
[edit] Talbots Petites
Talbots first Petites store opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1985 and expansion of the concept began in 1990. Petite sizes from 2-16 are carried in the catalog and online, and a Petites assortment is included in every Misses store, except where it has generated enough sales to warrant a separate store of its own. Talbots Petites stores have approximately 2,200 square feet of selling space, and are similar in design to Misses stores.[4]
[edit] Talbots Kids
The Talbots Kids concept was launched with a catalog in 1989 and two stores in the fall of 1990. The assortment includes colorful, wearable clothing for girls and boys in sizes 2-20. Each store measures approximately 2,400 selling square feet and features a play area. Talbots Babies was added in August 1995 in four expanded Talbots Kids stores and nationally in September 1995 through the catalog. The line, which is in all Talbots Kids stores, extends the size range in Kids from newborn to size 16. The Talbots Babies assortment includes soft, comfortable clothing for boys and girls in infant and newborn sizes.[5]
[edit] Talbots Accessories and Shoes
Already successfully established in the Company's catalog and stores, separate Accessories & Shoes stores were introduced in September 1995. Talbots Accessories & Shoes stores average 1,300 selling square feet. [6]
