Boden range to target recession-proof teens

The range, to debut in February, will be positioned between its kidswear range Mini and its adult ranges. The collection is named after business founder Johnnie Boden, who started the chain in 1991.

Boden director Victoria Andreae said the main difference between Johnnie B and its kidswear and adult ranges is that the designs will be more subtle and “not such obvious big bright prints”. She said the range would be priced between its kids and adult lines.

The young-fashion sector has been more recession-proof than other areas, with retailers including Superdry and Republic reporting strong growth.

Johnnie B, which will comprise 65 pieces ranging from swimwear to outerwear, will be sold on its existing website. The retailer will set up a separate website for Johnnie B for shoppers to view the products, although transactions will be redirected back to the Boden website.

Andreae said Johnnie B will not be pitted against young-fashion brands such as Jack Wills and Abercrombie & Fitch. She said Johnnie B will be much cheaper, with T-shirts starting at £14, for example.

She said: “The range will be quite sophisticated and pretty. It is really nicely designed and extraordinary value for money.”

Boden will photograph the range using the children of staff members and friends as models in an attempt to give the range a family feel. It will also offer bottom halves in two lengths to try to combat the size disparity of the age group.

Management Horizons chairman Edward Whitefield said the Johnnie B launch is a smart move. “Teenagers obviously don’t have the same level of expenses so are definitely more recession-proof,” he said.

He added that Boden is now well established and should take advantage of brand extensions. “It is a very sensible and pragmatic leveraging of the brand,” he said.