Metropark Aims to Buck Sector

By Lynn Cowan

Clothing chain Metropark USA Inc. filed last month to go public, weeks before many of its brethren, from department store Nordstrom Inc. to Gap Inc., were preparing to report slumping same-store sales.

But with the highest same-store sales-growth figures of any retailer in the U.S. and a marketing concept that relies on cocktail-fueled in-store "VIP" events hosted by DJs, this chain might have the chops to pull off a public offering, even as its sector is pummeled by the economy.

Based in City of Industry, Calif., Metropark tries to set itself aside from other mall clothing chains by appealing to fashion-conscious 20-to-35-year-olds. Its stores host club-like gatherings for customers, complete with alcohol and DJs, while music videos play on flat screen TVs. The marketing is more than skin deep, and the brands Metropark carries aren't typical mall fare: They include such labels as English Laundry, Rock & Republic and True Religion.