BCBG Inks Parallel Deal With Sears
The BCBG Max Azria Group agreed to stock its Parallel contemporary line exclusively in Sears stores nationwide. BCBG, which acquired Parallel nearly a decade ago, is making the move to revitalize the brand.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The announcement came on the heels of the recent completion of Kmart Holding Corp.’s acquisition of Sears, Roebuck and Co., which was valued at $11 billion and created the nation’s third-largest retailer, now called Sears Holdings Corp., with approximately 3,500 stores.
Sears, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., has approximately 870 full-line stores. It said it is in the process of rolling out Parallel’s Spring 2005 collection to 150 stores and its Web site. It also said it will increase the number of stores carrying Parallel to 425 by the time the Fall 2005 collection arrives. Rochelle Mangold, a spokesperson for Sears, said the company will focus on major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York in selecting stores for Parallel. “If it fits our [customer] demographic, we will roll out to all stores,” she said, adding that it is too early to determine whether Kmart also will sell Parallel.
“Sears is a natural fit as our new exclusive retail partner for Parallel because together we are able to make fashion more accessible,” said Max Azria, chairman and designer of Vernon, Calif.–based BCBG Max Azria, in a written statement. The company picked up the Parallel label in 1996, when it acquired Francine Browner. Designer Katayone Adeli was helming the Parallel line but left shortly after the acquisition to launch her own label, which she has since shuttered.
Mangold said Parallel, which is aimed at 18- to 35-year-old women, will be priced similarly to Sears’ other collections, including its private label Apostrophe and Liz Claiborne Inc.’s First Issue. For example, Parallel’s cardigan wrap will retail for $44, she said.
Parallel is one of eight labels owned by BCBG Max Azria, which is best known for the ready-to-wear and designer collections that share the parent company’s name. —Khanh T.L. Tran
