Plus-size apparel continues to mean a plus in sales for mass, mid-tier and specialty merchants.

The business, which Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group pegs at $27 billion annually, is "quite good," states Jean Srour, divisional vice president at ShopKo Stores. "Current sales trends in plus-size apparel are low single-digit increases on comps, plus low double digits in intimates." The performance of such products exceeds that of their misses counterparts.

Sandy Sansavera, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Ames, echoes Srour's sentiments. "We expect to see five percent increases," he says.

However, rather than resting on old plus-size laurels to propel profits forward, retailers are implementing several new strategies for growth. They are not only injecting different categories and an expanded breadth of styles into their assortments, but are employing creative merchandising and promotional tactics to encourage multiple-item sales and target untapped customer niches.

Intimates top the list of classifications being added or augmented within the plus-size realm. "Larger women are becoming as unwilling to settle for 'plain' intimates as they are to buy baggy, unfashionable clothing," states Amy Wilder, senior brand manager for Sara Lee's Just My Size Brand. "They want something sexy and colorful, and if they can purchase it where they do their other wardrobe pieces all the better."

Last spring, Just My Size introduced satin stretch panties and bras in a shade dubbed Kiwi Frost. Consumers' reaction to the product was "unbelievably positive," Wilder claims. Color in the form of pewter separates and stretch panties and bras in Ballet Pink will be part of the firm's spring 2002 intimates collection. Just My Size merchandise will include stretch microfiber bras with sweetheart necklines, stretch lace panties and panties in geometric prints.

Lane Bryant, which has consistently racked up low double-digit sales increases in recent years with no imminent change expected, is taking what a spokeswoman deems "an enormous leap" where bras and panties are concerned. "Consistent with [patrons'] feedback, we're going from a small presentation of these products to a major focus, and from basic styling to more of what has become important in the mainstream," she claims, declining to specify the number of skus slated to join the line shortly.

The New York City-based chain, which Charming Shoppes recently acquired from The Limited, will feature a "sexy and colorful, yet functional" intimates story this spring. Lace-embellished panties and seamless bras with plunging necklines, both in lightweight microfiber, will figure heavily into the assortment. Product will be available in white, as well as in such bright hues as fuchsia and yellow.

Similarly, catalog merchant Lands' End is extending its intimates collection, unveiled earlier this year, to include sizes 18W to 26W for panties and 38 to 42 in B to DD cups for bras. The cotton/Lycra and microfiber pieces will tout satin piping and other decorative elements. Lands' End's plans for spring 2002 also encompass the addition of plus-size swimwear with invisible Lycra panels for overall shaping and tummy control. Sizes will range from 18W to 26W.

"In our four years in the plus-size business, we have carved out a niche by [delving] into categories that have not been widely addressed elsewhere, with outerwear, sleepwear and shoes a few key examples," says Pam Saving, fit specialist for extended sizes. "Intimates and swimwear are the tip of the iceberg; there will be more to come."

Just as significant are moves by retailers to offer a wider variety of "dressy" separates and dresses in slinky knit fabrics. Increasingly, savvy players are recognizing that "weight should never dictate style," asserts Kathy Ireland, chairwoman and ceo of Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Consequently, slinky looks, which were once considered "off limits" for larger women, are establishing a presence in plus-size departments.

At Kmart, plus-size sportswear is currently "making its sales plan" and will be featured prominently going forward, according to a company spokeswoman. The chain intends to heavily promote the Kathy Ireland brand slinky skirts, tops, pants and dresses produced exclusively for its stores. "Kmart needs 'contemporary' customers," and slinky options will play a role in attracting them, Ireland asserts.

Lane Bryant is taking a similar tack. Slinky jackets, trousers and short and long skirts will be part of its spring mix. Many styles will be available in greens and reds, as well as in such traditional shades as gray.

Additionally, merchants have begun to build significantly on their selections of tops and bottoms, experimenting with juniors-influenced and other up-to-the-minute styles to foster patrons' loyalty, while drawing from a wider customer base. In tops, ShopKo, Ames and Lands' End are putting their money on fine-gauge cotton-ribbed sweaters and ribbed long-sleeve shirts. Cotton and French terry tunics in stripes and solid brights will make their debut as will moleskin ("faux suede") shirts.

In bottoms, Lane Bryant recently rolled out what it is billing as the first low-rise stretch denim jean for plus-size women in several different washes. Stretch denim boot-cut jeans were also just introduced. Denim, stretch and pointe knit boot-cut styles and flare silhouettes have been planned at ShopKo and Ames alike. The latter will also have an even broader assortment of product within staple categories in ethnic areas where, Sansavera notes, there appears to be an untapped market for plus-size apparel.

Among Just My Size's introductions for spring will be stretch denims in a super-dark rinse, jazzed up with vibrant red stitching; boatneck tunics with nautical stripes; and denim capris in indigo and white. Similarly, VF's Riders division is expanding its line of capris to feature denim and lightweight twill models (the latter in white, black and moss); looser-fitting and buckle-back styles will also be promoted. Other line extensions will encompass "dressier" jeans in a midnight blue rinse and a Hollywood-waist style with a comfortable-eased fit achieved via a one-inch drop in the front.

"The key in plus now is to look stylish without being outlandish," comments Seena Cox, product development/merchandise manager for VF's Riders division.

Yet, stocking more categories and styles clearly comprises just one of retailers' strategies for capitalizing on the growing plus-size business. Other means of driving traffic and bolstering sales are also being put into play.

This October, Lands' End will mail the first of four annual editions of a catalog devoted exclusively to plus-size apparel in sizes 18W to 26W to one million existing and prospective customers. The 64-page inaugural edition will showcase 115 garment skus, ranging from sleepwear and intimates to knit tops, woven bottoms, jeans and capris. About 20 different accessories, among them belts and scarves, will also be featured.

The catalog will be promoted on the Lands' End Web site, at www.landsend.com, which touts a separate plus-size apparel cyberstore added last year in an effort to increase the company's presence in the segment. It will also be trumpeted in several consumer magazines the company already advertises, including Fortune and Gourmet.

"According to participants in our focus groups, the average plus-size woman may not take the time to look at our regular Lands' End or First Person Singular career-wear catalogs because she doesn't expect to find much for herself there," Savings says. "However, she will definitely check out catalogs that speak only to her in terms of options offered."

Meanwhile, Kmart's plan for packing a bigger plus-size punch involves highlighting dresses, swimwear and denim riotwearether beginning in spring 2002. Management believes such a merchandising tack will, like the folded presentations and vertical display fixtures (for related separates) implemented over the past few months, spark increased sales through heightened product visibility and easier access to several different types of plus-size items.

ShopKo continues to utilize shop-like settings to encourage multiple garment purchases. These areas average 1,600 sq. ft. in most stores; some of the chain's largest units devote 2,200 sq. ft. of space to this category. Additional table presentations are being incorporated into the sections to sell more merchandise in less space, and expansion of square footage allotted for plus-size departments is under consideration. "We see still more opportunities to serve our [plus-size] customer with more diversity of product and are looking to expand space where appropriate," Srour asserts.