Kohl’s has tapped soccer star Carli Lloyd to help market its Tek Gear activewear label.
For a spring and summer marketing campaign, Lloyd joins comic actor Ellie Kemper, who portrays a character known as “Kohl’s Mom.” The broadcast spot demonstrates “how Tek Gear apparel’s breathable fabrics and flexible stretch keep players cool on the field and parents comfortable on the sidelines,” the retailer said Monday.
Kohl’s launched Tek Gear over a decade ago and last year listed it as one of its best-performing private labels. Revamping its owned brands has been a key part of the struggling department store’s turnaround for several years now.
Kohl’s Tek Gear brand features seasonal fleece, shorts and tops, as well as breathable performance training gear for men, women and kids. It’s not the retailer’s only activewear line. Last year Kohl’s expanded its FLX athleisure brand to include items for kids.
These moves come amid signs of trouble in active and athleisure apparel retail, with Emarketer principal analyst Sky Canaves last month calling it “increasingly crowded and competitive.” At Gap Inc., sales have improved at Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic, but Athleta continues to suffer declines. Lululemon, once dominant in the space, appears to be on a downward spiral.
In response, many activewear brands are expanding beyond their core offer.
Others, like Adidas, Fabletics, Alo Yoga and Vuori, appear to be doing fine, though. Even Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson is bullish on the market, telling analysts last month that “the active category remains strategically important and resilient.”
“Even amid disruption, customers continue to make fashion choices that are active-oriented,” he said.
