Mango is reaching for parents’ pocketbooks with a new assortment of teen- and tween-friendly fashion.
On Tuesday, the Spanish quick-turn fashion giant launched a category aimed at the adolescents (and soon-to-bes) of Gen Z. Mango told Sourcing Journal the move into the tween and tween market caters to young consumers who are just starting to forge their own identities.
“Throughout the years, and given the rise of social media and e-commerce, youth between 11 and 15 years old have become a demanding, curious audience who is interested in exploring and selecting their own trends,” Mango told Sourcing Journal. “From Mango, we felt the need to cover this age group with a selection of products that responds to trends in a relaxed way and that has been created for girls who have developed their own taste and do not want to dress in a ‘childish’ way. They are learning about their tastes in fashion while staying true to their age.
With the expansion of Mango Kids to include Gen Zers up to age 15, the new assortments offers an array of casual styles from sweatshirts, joggers and hoodies to slightly more polished options like fuzzy jackets and breezy dresses ready for selfies and social-media posts.
At launch, the new assortment is available in several countries, including its home territory of Spain, with plans to gradually expand the rollout to more of the 70 geographies that carry the Mango’s Kids’ collection.
Mango is far from the only fashion retailer to look for growth among a younger demographic. Faced with dire financial straits, Francesca’s recently revealed it’s testing new product aimed at the tween market (and finally has a mobile app in the works, a bid to stimulate digital sales while store traffic remains challenged). Gap Inc.’s Old Navy brand launched its first-ever tween line with PopSugar, while American Eagle Outfitters dropped the Offline athleisure play aimed at the middle- and high-school-aged demographic. This all comes as bankrupt Ascena Retail Group, owner of Lane Bryant and Ann Taylor, is shutting down 23 Justice stores, creating new opportunities for rival retailers to grab more of the teen-girl market.