The Doneger Group Has Expansion in Mind
Abbey Doneger, president of The Doneger Group in New York, flew out to Los Angeles to take the wraps off the company’s new office on the second floor of the California Market Center (CMC).
This was days after the 59-year-old company, founded as a buying office, announced it had bought Tobe, another longtime East Coast institution known for its fashion-trend observations published in reports and used in retail consulting services. The purchase price was not disclosed.
“The Tobe business is a wonderful business and a terrific brand,” said Doneger, who hosted a cocktail party at the CMC on Oct. 10 for buyers and clients. “They are leaders in what they do.”
Doneger, who has been with the company since 1973 and its president since 1980, noted that the company is in an expansion mode that isn’t stopping at the western edge of the United States. The company is looking toward Asia and other international locations to find clients as the retail industry plays catch-up in places such as China and India. “International is a targeted area of growth for us,” said the congenial Doneger, who always seems to have a smile on his face. “We want to provide a global, wellrounded offering to our clients.”
Recently, Doneger expanded in the European market by hiring trend expert Amanda Hallay as its European trend analyst based in Paris.
Already the company has clients in South Africa, Central and South America, Japan and England as well as the United States. The group also has a color-trends forecasting division called Doneger Creative Services.
The New York company has always had 10 to 12 trend analysts and market observers visiting Los Angeles periodically to track the latest comings and goings in juniors, contemporary and young men’s fashion.
But as the Los Angeles apparel industry and specialty stores have grown in importance, Doneger decided to open a 3,000- square-foot office to spend more time here. It will be headed by Janine Blain, who has 20 years of experience working with Directives West, a buying office; C&C California, a Tshirt manufacturer; and Macy’sWest, a department store. “California has been extremely important when it comes to lifestyle trends and retail,” Doneger said. “Also it is consistent with the strategic vision of our company, which is to provide well-rounded fashion-trend merchandising service orientation for our clients.”
The L.A. office in Suite A229 will have three on-site employees for now. But it will be supported by the 120 working in the New York office, at 463 Seventh Ave. The Doneger Group in New York is located near the offices of Tobe, which will remain at its 501 Fifth Ave. office and be a separate division.
Tobe, headed by Kathy Deane, will keep its staff of 15 people, who work with clients such as Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Talbots, Nordstrom and J.C. Penney. The company, more than 75 years old, publishes The Tobe Report, a fashion and merchandising publication for the retail industry. Tobe Insights focuses on in-depth retail consulting projects. “We will work very closely with Kathy and her team to identify what they believe are opportunities for growth,” Doneger said. “We believe we can help support the marketing effort of the Tobe business, which is an area the company has not focused on. They produce wonderful reports, very well respected and well read. But there is still a bigger world out there we hope to expose the business to.”
—Deborah Belgum
