Windsor Plans More Stores
Prom season starts in a few months, but high school girls are already shopping for sophisticated dresses at Windsor Fashions Inc., said Ike Zekaria, vice president and co-owner of the Vernon, Calif.–based retailer and manufacturer.
It’s also a season of expansion for this 37-store chain, which specializes in prom dresses.
Zekaria announced the company would open six to eight stores by the end of 2006.
One store will open in October at the luxury lifestyle shopping center The Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, Calif. Others are planned for Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Phoenix; and three possible locations in Florida. The company expects to complete the deals for the new stores in the next month.
The company has not opened any new boutiques in the past 14 months, said Zekaria, but he added that business has been good. The privately held, family-run company reported double-digit, same-store sales increases over the past seven months.
Prom dresses comprise 50 percent of Windsor’s business. It also sells denim, dresses and separates for the junior contemporary category. Retail price points are $50 to $90 for denim, and $100 to $500 for prom dresses, averaging $180. “We don’t want to be junior and budget,” Zekaria said.
“We want to be the retailer that addresses the gap between the junior and the contemporary customer.” —Andrew Asch
