Large-scale Concept

Destination XL (DXL)
Canton, Mass.
Locations in Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas and Memphis, with plans for up to 100 stores by 2015
www.destinationxl.com

Casual Male Retail Group has introduced Destination XL (DXL), a retail concept it hopes will increase the company’s per-store operating margins by 10 to 20 percent and double its share of the big-and-tall market.

Those are mighty lofty expectations but COO/CFO Dennis Hernreich thinks CMRG knows its customers well enough to understand what will make them feel comfortable, entertained and well-serviced in a retail setting.

CMRG is also betting that, as a one-stop shopping concept, DXL will attract big-and-tall shoppers not currently patronizing its nearly 500 Casual Male and Rochester stores.

At 12,000 sq. ft., DXL stores are more than three times larger than the average Casual Male unit. They have a product mix to fit most every lifestyle and budget, as well as a merchandising presentation that makes it easy for men to find what they are looking for.

Merchandise is displayed along the perimeter of a race track in lifestyle boutique settings that cover categories like action wear, contemporary, casual, traditional and dress. It is further tiered by price: Value-priced brands lead into mid-priced and then segue into higher-end brands.

Instead of the some 600 styles a typical Casual Male stocks, DXL stores carry more than 2,000 styles. There are six dressing rooms in the center of each store, and fashion consultants are available to help customers choose a wardrobe that fits their needs and wallets.

Each DXL will replace an existing Casual Male or Rochester store, and Hernreich views the new chain as “the culmination of all three of our concepts into one convenient, ultimate shopping experience for the male customer.”