SoCal is in the Air

             The potent scent of an unknown fragrance catches the attention of your senses and peaks your curiosity, leaving you wanting to know what is inside. The upbeat tunes create a sense of a rebellious freedom and encourage the curious passer-bys to come take a closer look. Upon entering the porch, what is known as a transition zone between the real world and “their” world, the lights become dimmer and the tunes become louder. Palm trees and headless mannequins appear in every corner of the room. No matter if there is snow, rain or sunshine outside, it is always warm, dark and loud inside Hollister.

Hollister Co. is a sister store to Abercrombie & Fitch. It is also a heaven for a typical fashion-obsessed teenager. Inside this miniature jungle are more T-shirts and tank tops than one can imagine. The neon greens, pumpkin oranges, sky blues and baby pinks dominate the shelves. “Black isn’t sold at Hollister because it takes away from the ‘surfer dude lifestyle’ that the store promotes,” said Jesse Juarez, an assistant manager at Hollister in Eugene, Ore.

It is more common to see a 12-year-old girl shopping for a brightly colored tank top than an average-sized woman attempting to find an item that will fit her, since Hollister clothing is designed particularly petit. Hollister is referred to as an “American lifestyle brand,” marketed primarily to adolescents ages 13 -18. Inspired by Southern California, the Hollister style is hip, young and casual.

Hollister is notorious for playing loud rock and alternative music genres. The music is set at certain level to create a unique atmosphere that is unlike any other retail

experience. Those who are bothered by the volume of the music often find comfort in the luxurious chairs that are located all throughout the store.

Hollister Co. opened its first store in July 2000 at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. Hollister’s logo, the flying seagull, is embroidered on nearly every piece of clothing in the store. The company’s “trendy” and “cool” clothing line is not advertised anywhere except in the stores and on the Hollister Web site. “The employees serve as real-life models,” says Juarez. The store makes clothing for both “Dudes” and “Bettys” or in plain English, boys and girls. Hollister has been rated as the No. 1 Teens Top Clothing Brand in a study done by Bancorp Piper Jaffray.

Unlike conventional clothing stores, Hollister has a greeter who remains in the front room, called Betty’s one, and greets the customers by using the store’s ever-changing tagline. This season a typical Betty’s one employee greets the shoppers with a “Welcome to SoCal, our new fragrance!” tagline. Throughout the day, a designated “spritzer” walks around the store and sprays the tables and the mannequins with the store’s new fragrance, SoCal. SoCal’s aroma is the store’s signature scent that lures people in from the streets.

Inside Hollister, the employees serve as models and the T-shirts are always perfectly folded into little squares. In Hollister, one can forget about the real world and stroll among what looks like a jungle of plants, mannequins, brightly colored clothes and energetic youths. Welcome to SoCal!

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