Retailer has big plans for big customers

"Anyone who sells in the large-size market knows how many customers are traumatized by their size," said Bill Mabrey, president of Amplestuff, a Bearsville, N.Y.-based online and mail-order catalog that he describes as "a mom-and-pop store" with less than $200,000 in sales a year.

"Often, people who need this stuff have a sense of hopelessness, and some are even afraid to go out in public because there's no place they can go and sit down in a chair without breaking it," he said.

Casual Male, which had $468 million in revenue last year, last month mailed 350,000 catalogs nationwide in the first of seven LivingXL editions to go out this year. The company expects to send out 2.5 million catalogs with items ranging from 500-pound capacity bicycle seats to large-button television remote controls and extra-strong clothing hangers.

Levin said his company must closely watch consumer response to gauge which products and marketing approaches resonate.

"We believe we've created something that doesn't exist," Levin said. "I'm sure this catalog will morph into something different than what you see in its first initial edition."

For now, Casual Male is bowing to convention by using only moderately overweight catalog models — just as most fashion catalogs feature thin models who aren't representative of the buying public.

"It's pretty much the way the world operates, for better or worse," said Levin. He added that he'd be open to using obese models if customers want it.

The market opportunity for lifestyle products is a mystery compared with the more established plus-size fashion market. U.S. sales of plus-size clothing for adults and children reached nearly $76 billion last year, and are forecast to grow to $107 billion by 2012, according to a study by Packaged Facts, a Rockville, Md.-based market research firm. But that firm and other research organizations haven't published information estimating sales of plus-size lifestyle products.

An industry analyst who follows Casual Male Retail Group expects LivingXL will ultimately pay off for the company, but not quickly.

"It's going to be a slow roll," said Thomas Filandro of Susquehanna Financial Group. "Their management is taking a slow, methodical approach to rolling out this brand."

Even with LivingXL's emergence, the market is still wide open, said Mabrey, of Ample Stuff.

"My response to them is, 'Welcome aboard,'" Mabrey said. "My suspicion is that between their sales and our sales, we'll only have reached 1 percent of the total market. Most fat people — excuse the term — have never heard of either of us."

Howell, the woman from Las Vegas, hopes other retailers follow Casual Male's lead.

"It is an underserved market, and one I believe more and more retailers will be taking a more serious look at," Howell said. "We need more than just clothing."

MORE FROM U.S. BUSINESS

U.S. business Section Front

Employers play Dr. Mom to limit flu impact Pay Czar cuts pay of two top BofA executives AT&T, Verizon face off in TV ads Patented seeds lead to antitrust inquiry Canada court rules for Wal-Mart in union case Newsweek: Google-Microsoft battle hurts consumers AIG, ex-CEO Greenberg settle disputes U.S.-made drywall also being investigated NYT: Medical debt spurs more bankruptcies Washington Post closing several U.S. bureaus U.S. business Section Front   Add U.S. business headlines to your news reader: