Mark’s Work Wearhouse has entered the world of “premium” women’s wear with the launch of its new clothing line Ispiri, which will be rolled out in 275 Mark’s stores across Canada by Sept. 7.
Calgary-based Mark’s, which started out selling men’s work clothes, began adding women’s wear to its offerings about seven years ago, said Lara Smith, the retail chain’s general merchandise manager. “We introduced a line of ladies’ basic casuals, but certainly we were not perceived as being on the pulse of fashion.”
Smith said the move into the new marketing segment was prompted by internal consumer research that indicated there was an unfilled niche in ladies’ fashion “between the really high-end designer clothes and the disposable clothes you can buy at the grocery store.”
Smith said Ispiri is intended to fill that niche and is aimed at working mothers between 30 and 40 “who are more aware of fashion than our current core customer.” The new line is priced 25% higher than the chain’s existing Denver Hayes casual wear. “Our handle on this is that we are selling premium clothing without the premium price tag,” she said.
The name Ispiri, which was created by Calgary’s Watermark Advertising Design, is intended to reflect spirit and originality, said Watermark CEO Steve Bottoms.
The launch is accompanied by a national media campaign from Watermark, which includes ads in major women’s publications including Canadian Living and Chatelaine, plus a national flyer, a new microsite and online ads on social networking websites.
The campaign, which launched in mid-August, will run until the end of December.
