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J.Crew cuts budget Mercantile and Nevereven lines

By Robyn Turk

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Just two weeks after the departure of its chief executive officer, J.Crew is making changes. The brand is shutting down its two budget-friendly lines, Mercantile and Nevereven.

When former chief executive officer James Brett stepped down, he alluded to disagreements with J.Crew's board of directors as his reason for leaving. The abrupt closures of its two lines seems to be closely related.

In a company memo, J.Crew outlined the cuts to Mercantile and Nevereven in favor of a focus on the J.Crew Factory outlet name. J.Crew Factory carries the same collection as J.Crew, sold in outlet stores. "We believe that a 'good' price tier opportunity is better served by the J.Crew label," the memo, which had been leaked to the Wall Street Journal, stated.

Mercantile launched on Amazon just three months ago. It was originally instated in 2015 by previous chief executive officer Mickey Drexler and holds 42 physical stores. The line will be phased out in spring 2019.

Drexler's original intention of the Mercantile line was to bring well-priced items closer to shoppers, with stores in residential areas, as opposed to outlet stores further away. Drexler never wanted J.Crew products to be sold through Amazon.

The Nevereven line only launched 16 days ago. It carries clothing and accessories with a simple aesthetic, with an average item price of 59 dollars.

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