Lands’ End’s Strategic Advantage

“We believe the most efficient way to guarantee quality is to start from the very beginning,” reports Centner. That means quality assurance is factored into merchandise planning, both in design and fit.

Company officials concentrate on preserving the classics-oriented style for which it is widely known. Centner says she can define the Lands’ End look by what it isn’t: “Not overly accessorized, not overly feminine or frilly. It’s not conservative so much as simple, classic and elegant.”