Gloria Vanderbilt finds a home at Kohl's

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM

MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS. —

Kohl's Department Stores is extending the Gloria Vanderbilt brand to its home department across the chain and at Kohls.com.

"Gloria Vanderbilt is already a successful brand throughout Kohl's stores, and its introduction in the home department is a great way to extend our reach to that customer," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's president. "Gloria Vanderbilt Home is an exciting addition that provides more design options in our home department, which is what our shoppers are looking for."

Gloria Vanderbilt Home, which is scheduled to begin rolling out in stores starting late this month, will include comforter sets, sheets, bath towels and bath rugs. All of Kohl's 568 stores should be stocked with the collection "by the spring, well before April," said Tawn Earnest, public relations manager.

Gloria Vanderbilt Home will be exclusive to Kohl's through 2005.

"We've made arrangements with Kohl's so that we can extend the exclusivity past 2005, or we can continue to distribute to them as well as expand to other retailers," said Mary Belle, president of licensing, Jones Apparel Group. "It depends on the performance of the collection between now and then. But we will make that decision with Kohl's."

In addition to comforter sets, sheets, bath towels and bath rugs, the Gloria Vanderbilt Home line will be expanded to other home categories in the future.

"We think we have opportunities to extend the name into relevant categories that are bed and bath related," Belle said. "We'll let the customer lead us to the next step."

The collection comprises a combination of direct import products as well as goods that are manufactured by licensees, Belle said. She declined to provide a listing of licensees.

"It's a partnership between Kohl's, Jones Apparel Group and third party sources," Belle explained.

The collection will be positioned price-wise similarly to the chain's Dockers Home Collection, which retails for $199.99 for a queen comforter set.

Belle described the look of the collection as "modern and classic — similar to the Gloria Vanderbilt brand but interpreted for the home with feminine touches."