A Lofty Facelift

Has anyone noticed the slow rebranding of several retail chains in light of the current economy? One company that has caught my interest in its rebranding efforts is Ann Taylor Loft. From what I can tell, their product selection has not changed all that much, but they are taking a trendier and more youthful approach to marketing. Take the image below for instance:

Image: Ann Taylor Loft

I just got the new holiday mailer last week, and I must say it's the only magazine that came in the mail all week-and that's during the influx of pre-Black Friday mailers, mind you-that I actually kept. The images were catchy, and quite honestly made me want to check out the newest offerings in person.

In addition to changing their marketing approach over the past nine or so months, ATL has also upgraded their website and changed the way they do coupons. All in all, I think that the brand has done an excellent job of repositioning itself to appeal to an enlarged consumer base. Only a few years ago, Loft's target customer was a mid-30-something making around $75K per year. Perhaps the income level hasn't changed, but it seems to me that the target customer may have changed slightly. Their image-particularly the one advertised in their mailers and through their store windows-strikes me as something new for the brand. How to sum in a few words? Sophisticated casual; simple but refined elegance.