Kids’ clothing makeover for Big W

Big W will refresh and rebrand its children’s apparel brand in the face of intensifying competitive pressure.

Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci. Picture: AAP

Big W is bolstering its fashion credentials in the face of intensifying competitive pressure across the nation’s $18 billion discount department store sector, where key rivals Target, Kmart and Best & Less are delivering increasingly sophisticated, on-trend clothing to shoppers.

The mass-market retailer, owned by Woolworths, will refresh and rebrand its children’s apparel brand, from toddlers to tweens, and for Winter 2019 will unveil its new label, KID, which will replace its private label B Collection.

The toddler and children’s clothing category is a crucial segment for the discount department store sector, where chains battle for the loyalty of parents, typically young mothers, who are looking for affordable but fashionable clothing. Winning over these parents can help bind them to a store for decades, generating sales to the same child from infant onesies to their first high school party dress or suit.

The new kids label will also be accompanied by the rebranding of its kingsize men’s brand, which will be called Big Joe.

As part of Big W’s continued restructure, as Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci tries to revive earnings at the struggling chain, its most important ranges are being refreshed.

Big W posted a loss of $110 million for fiscal 2018, but this was an improvement from the loss of $151m in 2017.

Sales increased by 0.7 per cent to $3.56 billion, but Easter-adjusted fourth quarter comparable sales grew a much healthier 2 per cent, led by stronger sales in the children’s category.

Mr Banducci has been pushing a storewide revitalisation of Big W, partly centred on refreshing its private label clothing ranges.

The next category up for a restructure will be children’s fashion, led by the new KID label launch, which will be ready for next winter, as well as a new layout for the category in Big W stores.

“Our teams have started the journey to improve our ranges in apparel, which has included customer immersion sessions to understand what they and their families really need and come to expect from Big W,’’ a spokeswoman said.

“The refreshed ranges and brands are focused on giving our customers what they asked for: great value basics, fashion that is versatile and can suit any shape and size.”

Over the past year, Big W has rolled out 13 private label ranges.