RIP Forth & Towne: I wish we knew you better

by Brian Reich | 28 Feb 2007, 2:00am

I have never shopped at Forth & Towne, the store  concept targeting women over the age 35 that that Gap company launched 18 months ago.   And yet, I feel a certain sense of sadness over Gap’s announcement this week that they would shutter the chain by summer.

Why?

I think Forth & Towne had it right.   I think Gap had stumbled upon (and I say stumbled upon deliberately because right now it seems that the Gap leadership doesn’t know how to do anything right - the good stuff must be accidental) a  powerful model for customer service that had the potential to redefine brick and mortal retail operations everywhere.

Forth & Towne was designed to cater to a certain group of female consumer, described by the Seattle Times as “women who have outgrown Banana Republic but aren’t ready for Talbots.”   Each location is equipped with (at least one) style consultant, trained to recommend pieces in the most flattering silhouettes and to point out styles and products that an average shopper might not otherwise be aware of.   At the center of each store is a circular fitting salon that helps focus the energy of the shopper on their fitting experience, and simultaneously receive total focus from the store’s associates.   The whole goal was to create a shopping experience for moms, and similar, that was unique and tailored to their lifestyle - allow them to “shop without fear of running into their babysitters in the dressing room” as the Washington Post wrote.

The average American is exposed to about 5,000 advertising and promotional messages per day,     Those pushing products, services and ideas hope that their message is one of the few that actually resonates with a target individual, resulting in a purchase, a donation, or really any commitment of energy or focus.   The chances are pretty slim.   I don’t think most marketers fully understand the increasing difficulty that people have making choices.   Instead of supporting the natural process that people must go through each day to make choices, marketers continue to bombard us all with options.   Rather than help to guide a person towards a decision, most marketers overwhelm us until we become paralyzed by the choices.

Forth & Towne distinguished itself with good customer service - their concept recognized that certain audience experiences need to be different, and that clothes shopping is at the top of that list.   Organizations typically offer every conceivable option for an experience hoping each target group will find something small that is personal or meaningful to them and that will keep them coming back.  The focus at Forth & Towne was the exact opposite, looking instead to customize the experience so that each woman felt they had a meaningful and personal experience they couldn’t find anywhere else.

It would have worked, it should have worked… Gap couldn’t figure it out, but I hope other retailers (and organizations of all stripes) do.   In the meantime, women aged 35 and up will have to without, returning to the cramped dressing rooms and uni-styling that most  chains (Gap included)  provide.

TAGS : From the Trenches Retail Seattle Times Washington Post