So Petite Sophisticate is closing its full line retail stores (but keeping its outlets and online store) due to the lack of sales over the past few months. But why are they closing all four of them? Charming Shoppes has 52 Petite Sophisticate Outlet stores, and could have closed, say, 10 of those instead. The full line retail stores have only been around a year and this to me is giving up too soon. I completely understand that it's a money issue, but couldn't they have at least hung around a little longer? If Charming Shoppes was an elementary school student, surely the teacher wouldn't be too happy about giving up so quickly. Even Gap Inc.'s Forth & Towne lasted more than a year.
Is this a form of petite discrimination? As noted, all four non-outlet Petite Sophisticate stores are shutting down, while only a handful Fashion Bug (100 out of 1,000) stores are being shut. Technically, the closing of all four Petite Sophisticate stores is proportionately smaller than the 100 out of 1,000 Fashion Bug stores, but the Fashion Bug remaining aren't necessarily outlets). Of course, none of the Lane Bryant or Catherines stores are closing. What also upset me is how the Charming Shoppes company was described in the press release:
a leading multi-brand, multi-channel specialty apparel retailer specializing in women's plus-size apparel
Specializing in women's PLUS-SIZE APPAREL? Petite Sophisticate doesn't even carry anything larger than a 14P. I realize that they have more plus sized brands than the one petite brand, but it's almost as if they're purposely ignoring the fact that Petite Sophisticate even exists. Maybe I'm going too far by saying this, but it seems like Petite Sophisticate is a poor family member taken in by wealthier relatives. It feels like a "we're here to help, but you aren't my kid, so you aren't going to get as much help as my kid" sort of situation.
What do you think? I'd love to have your reaction!
Is this a form of petite discrimination? As noted, all four non-outlet Petite Sophisticate stores are shutting down, while only a handful Fashion Bug (100 out of 1,000) stores are being shut. Technically, the closing of all four Petite Sophisticate stores is proportionately smaller than the 100 out of 1,000 Fashion Bug stores, but the Fashion Bug remaining aren't necessarily outlets). Of course, none of the Lane Bryant or Catherines stores are closing. What also upset me is how the Charming Shoppes company was described in the press release:
a leading multi-brand, multi-channel specialty apparel retailer specializing in women's plus-size apparel
Specializing in women's PLUS-SIZE APPAREL? Petite Sophisticate doesn't even carry anything larger than a 14P. I realize that they have more plus sized brands than the one petite brand, but it's almost as if they're purposely ignoring the fact that Petite Sophisticate even exists. Maybe I'm going too far by saying this, but it seems like Petite Sophisticate is a poor family member taken in by wealthier relatives. It feels like a "we're here to help, but you aren't my kid, so you aren't going to get as much help as my kid" sort of situation.
What do you think? I'd love to have your reaction!
