Clothing retailers launch chains to cater to women 35 and older

NEW YORK — At the peak of their earnings and spending power, women age 35 and older are a huge and potentially lucrative market for the nation’s apparel merchants.

So big retailers including Gap Inc. and Gymboree Corp. are trying to cater to these shoppers, launching store chains with clothes that are trendy but not designed for teens.

Gap plans a store concept in 2005 that will cater to this group, its first new chain in a decade. And Gymboree, the children’s clothing retailer, is trying out a chain, Janeville, with 10 stores.

Even Chico’s FAS Inc., already a marketing success with the 35-plus customer, is testing Soma, a chain of lingerie stores.

‘‘Up until recently, this has been an underserved market,’’ said James Chung, president of Reach Advisors Inc., a Boston-based marketing strategy and research firm. ‘‘Very shortly, you are going to see a saturated market.’’

Female customers ages 35 to 54 spent $30.7 billion in the 12 months ended July, up 1.7 percent in the year-ago period, according to NPD. That compares with $11.85 billion spent by the 13-to-17 age group, a 10.3 percent decline from the previous period.

The new stores are opening as major department stores expand their fashion collections from designers including Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors, hoping to win back the 35 and older shoppers the stores abandoned six years ago in favor of teens.

And discounter Target is developing its own fashion lines for these customers.