J.Crew
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| Type | Public (NYSE: JCG) |
|---|---|
| Founded | In 1983 as a mail-order catalog |
| Headquarters | Corporate: New York, New York Distribution: Lynchburg, Virginia, Asheville, North Carolina |
| Key people | Millard Drexler, Tracy Gardner, Kevin P. Gross, Jim Scully and Carlos Loera, Jill Hennessey-Brown |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Apparel, Shoes |
| Revenue | $953 million |
| Employees | 6800 |
| Website | www.jcrew.com |
J.Crew Group Inc. (NYSE: JCG) is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in New York, New York. Founded in 1983 by Arthur Cinader with the launch of its mail order catalog, the company expanded into brick and mortar retailing in 1989 with its first store at the South Street Seaport in New York City. The company's corporate headquarters is located at 770 Broadway at E. 9th street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. As of May 2008[update], the company operates 198 retail stores and 65 outlet stores in the United States.[1]
The company's website, which was launched in 1996, features online-only products, as well as catalog and retail items. The company operates two distribution centers in the Southern United States, in Lynchburg, Virginia and Asheville, North Carolina. The former doubles as its U.S. call center.[citation needed] Online shipping is also offered to Canada and Japan.
In 2009, the company experienced a surge in popularity because of First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama,[2] who wore outfits from the retailer in several high-profile appearances, including an interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in which she mentioned the retailer.[3]
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[edit] Products
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008) |
The brand features collections of men's and women's clothing, accessories, and shoes, in "classic styles" with a J.Crew "twist". Many of the products feature luxury materials such as Italian cashmere and leather, Czech glass buttons, and British wool. Many of the special materials and colors of fabrics are made for and offered exclusively to J. Crew by the company's partners located throughout Europe and Asia. In addition, the company produces a wedding and special occasions line, a high-end line known as the "J.Crew Collection", a children's line called "Crewcuts", and a line called "Crewmutts" that features items for dogs. In 2009, the Crewmutts line was discontinued.
[edit] Initial public offering
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008) |
J.Crew, a large stake of which was owned by private equity giant TPG Capital, had its stock market debut initial public offering on June 28, 2006. The company's share price opened over 25% above its IPO offer price on its first day of trading.
The company is listed on the NYSE under the stock ticker JCG. CEO Millard Drexler, a veteran of Gap, took control of 15% of the company following the IPO. Drexler joined the company as CEO and chairman in 2003, and named Jeff Pfeifle as president. [4]
[edit] Madewell
In May 2006, Drexler announced plans to launch a chain of casual stores in August under the name Madewell. The name is taken from a former workwear company based in New Bedford, Massachusetts.[5] Madewell has 10 locations as of May 2008[update].[6]
