J. Jill's 'Welcome Everybody' Campaign Assures Customers It's Listening—and Changing

J. Jill’s latest campaign and brand initiative is not only a love letter to the women who shop there, it’s a case study in how to modernize while retaining the brand identity that built its loyal clientele. The Massachusetts-based women’s apparel retailer—one of several companies analysts listed on the brink of bankruptcy two years ago—launched its newest campaign, “Welcome Everybody,” on Aug. 4. As part of the brand initiative, J. Jill partnered with style expert, digital creator and founder of Beauticurve, Rochelle Johnson, alongside “a bold and diverse cast of influencers" to promote J. Jill’s late summer collection. “We’ve done a lot of homework on the brand and the renovation of the brand—not really changing the brand but just updating it and figuring out how we can be more relevant, and a big piece of that was the research,” said president and CEO Claire Spofford. Global Puma Campaign Presents Retro Fashion in the Future An evolving experience It's all part of what the retailer calls “a new shopping experience online and in stores that celebrates the totality of all women and marks a transformative moment in the brand’s evolution.” This includes merging Missy and Women’s sizes to provide a singular shopping experience. J. Jill’s stores now carry styles in sizes XS-2X, or 0-20, with online offerings to include additional sizes up to 4X and 28. The brand has also committed to further democratize the shopping experience by offering price parity across all sizes. The brand said it was one of few retailers servicing the Petite and Tall markets—Spofford told Adweek the latter had been all but abandoned by retailers. As such, it will continue to deepen its range of products in these categories, as well as showcase models and influencers across all body types on all platforms and messaging, including signage, catalogs, digital ads and direct mailers. Size-inclusive marketing has previously proven successful for brands such as DTC swimwear brand Andie, whose customers appreciated seeing a variety of body types that informed how a particular size would look on them. Inspiring confidence in purchases and enhancing the shopping experience are goals that J.Jill also shares. “The vision is to live in a world where the totality of every woman is seen, recognized, valued and celebrated,” Spofford said. “We really listened to customers and other potential customers about how they felt about brands and shopping and their relationship with apparel.” During her first year with J. Jill, Spofford and her team conducted research with thousands of women to better understand their needs and desires, and identify new opportunities. Aidy Bryant Reveals Old Navy’s New Inclusive Styles and Pricing in Latest Campaign Among their findings was that 73% of plus-size shoppers hesitated to try new brands due to uncertainty about whether their sizes would be available. That same segment also represented a majority of respondents who felt retailers were not providing relatable or representative shopping experiences for shoppers and stressed the importance of seeing images of women they could relate to. Additionally, this segment also preferred styles considered “timeless” over “trendy,” and a majority of respondents felt frustrated by a dearth of clothing that fits their lifestyles. This particular finding is noteworthy, and not one Spofford and her team take lightly, given the bulk of J. Jill’s customer base consists of women age 45 and up with an average income of over $150,000, and an average tenure spent with the brand clocking in at 10 years. And while J. Jill's clientele may be women of a certain age, Spofford admitted the retailer was missing an opportunity by not communicating with them in a more modern way. J. Jill stores got a refresh. From markdowns to market share Spofford candidly shared with Adweek that the research and resulting campaign were just a fraction of the work the retailer has done in recent years since its bankruptcy scare in 2020. That also includes managing inventory differently to minimize markdowns. “We used to come out with new assortments and we’d promote them out of the gate, [without giving stores] a chance to even sell at full price … which definitely eroded the profitability, but I think also undermined the brand value proposition to the customer,” she said. “We were screaming the markdown message, and that took away from our ability to tell our full price story and tell our customer and prospective customer why our product is so great and the fabrications that we use and really tell that story [in an aspirational way].” The changes have improved stores’ appearance and profitability. Without the clutter of extra inventory, Spofford said there's now room to tell that “full-price story,” allowing product to be showcased and additional sizes to be accommodated. Spofford sees a great deal of growth potential for the retailer, which was founded as a catalog company more than 60 years ago. She cited this heritage as potentially being instrumental in providing geographical insights, as the company sets its sights on expansion. J. Jill currently has just under 250 stores, with a business split of 50-50 between DTC and in-store retail. “We think that’s a real strength, and I think we can lean in and grow in both of those channels, and I think the best way to do that is to delight our customers and be relevant for her," she said. "That’s what we’ll do and keep listening to her about what she wants us to do next.” It’s Official: Skinny Jeans Are Out, Wide-Leg Denim Is In