Big and Tall Mens Clothes
From LoveToKnow Men's Fashion
For men who require big and tall men's clothes, Casual Male Retail Group provides stylish, tailored clothing for your professional and casual needs. Men who are bigger and/or taller than average need fashionable attire that's suited especially for them. It's not just enough to add fabric; it's all about knowing what areas to highlight in big and tall clothing. In our exclusive interview, Casual Male Retail Group President and CEO David Levin told LoveToKnow's Men's Fashion all about what it takes to satisfy the big and tall consumer, not only in the area of clothing, but also in key areas like shoes, accessories and lifestyle products.
Interview with David Levin
The Business of Big and Tall
What led you to the big and tall industry and founding of Casual Male Retail Group?
In the 1990s, I worked as a corporate turnaround executive spending the last 30 years of my career in the apparel/accessory industry. Since we acquired CMRG in 2002, management has turned an unprofitable chain into a business with sales reaching $465 million (as of May 2008). Our core strategy is truly centered on the opinions and feedback of our consumers, and has discovered that the key driver to our future success lies in our unique ability to make our customers feel heard. Clearly, a tremendous amount of my time and our senior executives’ time is dedicated to customer research so we are able to provide the selection of products and services our customers are looking for to answer their big and tall apparel needs.
When the economy takes a turn for the worse, is an industry like the big and tall business affected? After all, you still have customers who might not be able to buy their clothing in regular department stores and need a niche area like yours.
The big and tall industry is not immune to macro issues such as the economy. I truly believe that a company that will be successful throughout this transition of economic uncertainty will have planned for this as we have.
Eighty-eight percent of customers who have not shopped with us in the last year still plan to shop with us in the future.
Stylish Big and Tall Men's Clothes
It sounds as if you really understand and are interested in what your customers are looking for. What areas do Big and Tall clothes need to address the most?
When it comes to big and tall apparel, I think there are three key areas that need to be addressed the most: size, fit and style/selection.
- The Big and Tall clothing industry is a size and fit driven business. Our retail stores carry more than double the amount of sizes in any particular style than the traditional department stores out there. Understanding both the size specs in grading up clothing in addition to the “fit” of the garments, makes Casual Male Retail Group the expert with over 30 years experience in the big and tall industry.
- Fit is crucial to the success of selling garments in the big and tall niche. Because a person can be big, tall or both, understanding the fit of clothing in relationship to size becomes a significant element of our success.
- Big and tall men want the same choices as their regular size counterparts when it comes to style and selection. Over the past five years, CMRG has broadened our assortment of apparel by introducing new brands, as well as developing private labels for the big and tall man, which have received positive feedback from our customers.
With those points in mind, what should big and tall men focus on when they want to present the most professional image?
Having the right fit is by far the most important thing for men to focus on when they want to present a professional image. I think it is important for big and tall men to know that they do not have to sacrifice style or fit to look professional. Today, whether it is apparel from our Casual Male XL or Rochester Big & Tall stores, we offer a broad selection of suits, sport coats, slacks and much more to appeal to our customer’s individual style.
Other Big and Tall Ventures
Your customer base has other retail options with your group as well. With the launch of your other ventures for larger than average customers (i.e. LivingXL), how has the reception been thus far for products that cater to the big and tall consumer?
Our newest ventures have been a great success. Starting with its May 2007 launch, LivingXL (www.livingxl.com) has been a huge hit and the demand for these lifestyle products has been increasing every day. We were and still are the first large retailer to enter the niche, which until now was served by a handful of mom-and-pop catalog and online retailers offering a limited selection of products. We receive phone calls from customers, both men and women, on a daily basis telling us how these products have made their every day lives easier. From Outdoor Living to Personal Care, consumers now have a solution to their needs.
ShoesXL has also been a success since its September 2007 launch, giving our customers a more comprehensive array of designer styles and sizes to choose from than before.
How did the idea for ShoesXL come about? Did you feel there was a lack of quality shoes for the big and tall man?
Starting ShoesXL was a natural product extension for Casual Male Retail Group. Although we have carried extended shoe sizes in the past, by expanding our inventory and developing a new resource for these shoes, today we are the largest distributor for extended size shoes. ShoesXL has more than 570 shoes to choose from for any occasion, in sizes ranging from 12M and 10W to 17M/W and up to widths of 5E. Designer brands include Bruno Magli, Cole Haan, Donald Pliner, Allen Edmonds, Calvin Klein, Timberland, Steve Madden, Kenneth Cole and Johnston & Murphy. Price points range between $50 and $500.
It sounds as if LivingXL and ShoesXL are not only successful for you, but also very beneficial to your consumers. What do you hope for the future of ShoesXL and LivingXL?
Based on their success to date, we see both LivingXL and ShoesXL as key growth drivers for us moving forward. These two businesses show continued promise as long term ventures for the CMRG business.
Buying Big and Tall
Where can potential customers find your apparel/products?
Potential customers can shop in our retail locations, via our catalogs, as well as online. There are over 450 Casual Male XL stores nationwide and over 26 Rochester Big & Tall stores. All of our apparel can also be found online: www.casualmalexl.com and www.RochesterClothing.com
LivingXL and ShoesXL are available via catalog and online only: www.shoesxl.com and www.livingxl.com. You can also visit www.BTDirect.com, which is another e-commerce business under the CMRG umbrella.
 Polo Ralph Lauren |  Robert Graham short-sleeve sport shirt |  Synrgy suit separates |
LoveToKnow would like to thank David Levin and Casual Male Retail Group for letting us know more about the big and tall men's clothes industry, as well as where our readers can find the clothing, shoes and lifestyle products they need. If you're a big and tall man, or you shop for one, be sure to check out all of the brands under the CMRG name.
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