According to the Associated Press, LivingXL is an online
and print catalog launched in May 2007 by the parent company of
Casual Male XL, the nation's largest chain of men's plus size
clothing and apparel stores. Casual Male Retail Group hopes to
leverage its marketing know-how from its 500 stores into the
largely untapped market for specialty products that make life
easier for the growing population of obese men and women.
Casual Male, based in Canton, MA, is the
first large retailer to enter
the niche served by a handful of mom-and-pop catalogs and online
retailers, which offer a limited selection of products, with
little marketing.
LivingXL is the new incarnation of
www.SyperSizeWorld.com,
an online store based in Vancouver, WA, that Casual male bought
in October.
Casual Male last month mailed 350,000
catalogs nationwide in the first of seven LivingXL editions to
go out this year. The company expects to send 2.5 million
catalogs with items ranging from 500 lb. capacity bicycle seats
to seat belt extenders, to oversize bath towels, to large
button television remote controls and extra strong clothing
hangers.
Retailers Selling Plus Size Clothes
U.S. chain stores that cater exclusively to
plus-size adults include: Charming Shoppes Inc.'s Lane Bryant
for women and Casual Male for men. Others serving plus size
girls include: J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart Stores and Sears, which
carries "husky" sizes for boys as well. But, no large
retailer specifically targets larger kids. Torrid, a chain owned
by Hot Topic, caters to trendy, plus-size women aged 15 to 35.
Plus Size Resources & Websites
www.volupwoman.com
www.largelypositive.com
www.grandstylemom.com
Council on Size & Weight
Discrimination, New York (845-679-1209)
www.cswd.org