Target, Victoria Beckham work to spice up sales

Target is counting on Victoria Beckham to spice up sales.

The pop-star-turneddesigner and Target teased looks Wednesday from a limited-time collaboration that go on sale next month, highlighting hot-pink pantsuits and whimsical black-andwhite dresses. The 200 items priced from $6 to $70 also include tops, trousers and rompers for women, as well as some matching children’s items. It’s the first foray into children’s wear for Beckham, the former Spice Girl who started her namesake fashion brand in 2008.

“I wanted to offer a collection of clothes to women who either couldn’t afford designer prices or didn’t want to pay designer prices,” Beckham said in an interview. “Target is about being inclusive, and that is something that is very important to me as a brand as well.”

Target announced the collaboration in October, and the items will be available April 9.

Beckham, noting that the collection also includes products like coloring books, says the inspiration was the things she and her daughter, Harper, do together.

Target pioneered these designer partnerships in the 1990s but has seen the formula copied since then by competitors such as H&M and Gap. These limited-time collaborations can ignite interest in a brand, but come with risks as well. Demand for the 2011 collection with Italian designer Missoni drew frenzied crowds and overwhelmed the Target website, angering shoppers. Or the collections might not be a huge hit with shoppers, as was the case with the Marimekko Collection last year.

The latest release comes as the chain is trying to rev up sales and traffic after its reinvention lost momentum. Target has been sprucing up its fashions and its home furnishings, but it’s battling stiffer competition and an increasing shift to shopping online.