By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
NEW YORK
Macy's Inc. has signed a deal with Sean John, the trendy fashion brand founded by hip hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs, to be the exclusive retailer for its men's sportswear collection.
The deal begins next spring.
The move, announced Tuesday, is the latest exclusive deal for Macy's, which over the last two years has signed similar arrangements with such labels as Tommy Hilfiger and Ellen Tracy.
As part of the pact, Sean John's men's sportswear collection will be available online at macys.com and in 400 Macy's stores with additional stores to be added. Currently, the men's brand is in 375 Macy's stores. Sean John's men's wear brand is currently being sold at such stores as Dillard's and Belk Inc. Those retailers will no longer carry the men's wear collection starting in October, according to Dawn Robertson, president of Sean John.
The Sean John brand generates sales of about $525 million from a variety of products including fragrance, women's sportswear and outerwear. Menswear accounts for a big chunk of sales, said Robertson, declining to be more specific.
In an interview, Robertson said that the brand, founded in 1998, struggled in recent years, but over the past six months, the business has seen a resurgence as the company has reinvented its fashions and found a broader audience.
"It was a difficult decision" to pull out of the other stores, Robertson said. But she said Macy's plans to focus on increasing sales within each of Macy's locations and eventually expanding to all 800 Macy's stores. As part of the agreement, Sean John will get more prominent placement in advertising and will move to a more visible area on the selling floor, she said.
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