School of Business
Ann Taylor: Survival in Specialty Retail
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Ann Taylor was founded in 1954, and its classic black dress and woman's power suit were staples for years. In 1995 Ann Taylor LOFT was launched to appeal to a more casual, costconscious consumer. Under Kay Krill's leadership, the division began to outperform the original flagship. When Krill was promoted to President/CEO of Ann Taylor Stores Corporation in 2005, she was challenged with rebuilding the Ann Taylor brand - (i.e., meeting the “wardrobing needs of the updated classic consumer”) while maintaining the image and market share of LOFT. By mid-2008, an additional problem appeared: the macroeconomic climate was posing considerable uncertainty, especially for retail businesses. Krill was firmly committed to long-term growth. However, given the 2008 situation, what could she do to unleash what she believed was the firm's “significant untapped potential”?
Publication Title
CASE Journal
Publication Date
1-1-2009
Volume
5
Issue
2
First Page
44
Last Page
68
DOI
10.1108/TCJ-05-2009-B004
Keywords
Ann Taylor, retail, branding, Ann Taylor POFT, macroeconomics
Repository Citation
Assenza, Pauline; Eisner, Alan B.; and Kuperman, Jerome C., "Ann Taylor: Survival in Specialty Retail" (2009). School of Business. 131.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_school_of_management/131