Forum Explores Youth Market
Wesport, Conn.-based Integrated Corporate Relations Inc. (ICR), an investor relations and corporate consulting firm, presented its fourth annual ICR XChange youth market business forum on Jan. 15 at the Block At Orange in Orange, Calif.
The conference, which was designed to facilitate the exchange of information between business professionals who research and market to youth or invest in companies that do so, this year featured the heads of a variety of youth-oriented corporations, clothing retailers and apparel manufacturers, including Vans, Quiksilver, Mossimo, Hot Topic, Wet Seal, Pacific Sunwear, Urban Outfitters, Kik Wear, AND-1, bebe, American Eagle Outfitters, Fossil and Guess.
Included in the forum were individual presentations from chief executive officers, chief operations officers and chief financial officers of youth-oriented corporations, who provided financial forecasts, growth opportunities and retail sales plans. Panel discussions were given on the topics of footwear, brand power, niche markets, retail and youth market trends.
The panelists for the final discussion on trends were hesitant to predict specific trends, but Greg Weaver, chairman and CEO of Anaheim, Calif.-based Pacific Sunwear, offered the suggestion that future trends stray away from the norm.
“We seem to be in a moment right now that is very ripe for creativity,” said Weaver. “The customer is resistant to things formulaic in the way things are put together.”
Alex Berenson, president of Los Angeles-based Kik Wear Industries, agreed, suggesting that manufacturers seek to create clothing for consumers’ developing tastes, keeping an eye on trends within the music industry.
“If manufacturers are designing merchandise that captures the attention of the consumer and it’s not boring, then trends will develop out of that alone,” said Berenson. “The effect that the music industry has on the clothing industry is really important to our customer.”
Founded in 1998, ICR positions itself as a resource for companies seeking to establish or further entrench their brands, products and services within the youth-oriented consumer market, specifically in branded footwear, apparel and retail. —Darryl James
