Target’s reintroduction of the Shaun White apparel line says two things about the partnership between the store and Olympic gold medal snowboarder, that the first go-around was successful and that the retailer thinks it has something it can sell to boys and young men, or at least to their moms. The first Shaun White 4 Target introduction was slated for 90 days or until the line – designed...
Retail Industry Archive
February 2009
Sears Holding unveiled its take on fall styles in New York even as major fashion designers were debuting their latest at Gotham’s fashion week, with the retailer going for relaxed, affordable and even a little retro. Given the times, that might be properly reassuring to its customers. Relaxed was a word that might be applied to the Sears and Kmart offerings across the board and even the...
Rent-A-Center has been getting a boost in the recession, seeing higher comparable store sales as consumers turn to it for furniture, appliances and electronics, but it has been tripped up a bit by an expansion into financial services, which might be an object lesson for Wal-Mart as it looks for new ways to serve lower income consumers. Rent-A-Center has been developing financial services for...
In the midst of a recession it is handling pretty well, Wal-Mart is establishing a financial services program for its customers with a particular emphasis on lower income consumers who might not have a checking account. The move in financial services calls to mind Tesco in the United Kingdom, which offers insurance products, a savings program and personal loans. Tesco links financial services...
For more than 20 years, Faith Hope Consolo has been on the front lines of retail in Manhattan. As chair of the retail leasing and sales division at Prudential Douglas Elliman in New York, she specializes in finding spaces for luxury tenants and has worked with such names as Armani, Cartier and Versace. These days, of course, luxury-retail sales have taken a huge hit in the recession, and many...
Who says it’s all doom and gloom in the retail sector? Santa Monica, Calif.-based mall owner Macerich had a pretty darn good fourth quarter, considering that we’re in a recession. The firm proves that even in this economy, in a troubled sector, some operators can get it right if they have a history of good planning and restraint. The firm owns 72 malls across the country, some of which are...
British cosmetic retailer Lush just opened its 100th store in the United States that also happened to be its 37th operating in a Macy’s, and, despite the recession, is looking forward to opening up to 30 more outlets in its current roll out across the country. The numbers suggest Lush is finding a niche in the U.S. and also that Macy’s can demonstrate a nice flexibility in developing...
The YouTube and BoingBoing web sites are offering a video homage to Trader Joe’s that’s as clever as any Super Bowl commercial and, if you are a regular shopper of the store, even a little poignant. The visual quality might not be great but the framing and editing betray that the video wasn’t put together by amateurs. The director is Carl Willat, who, as proprietor of Carl’s Fine...
Wal-Mart has joined retailers who are combining in store sales initiatives with event-specific microsites to link entertainment releases and product promotions, with the online phase of an initiative involving the teen-oriented vampire saga Twilight just launched. After developing linked promotions in association with the Hannah Montana movie and the latest AC/DC CD release, Wal-Mart has...
A price war among supermarkets and supercenters may cause some consternation among warehouse clubs, although the danger it threatens isn’t so much from direct action as an undermining of member morale. It all relates to membership fees, the annual outlay that club members make to get those big bulk discounts. Thus far, clubs are doing relatively well in the recession and renewals have not yet...
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- Gap Stands Behind Flailing Banana Republic
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- P&G Retail Push Makes Sense, Risks Aside
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- Lauren Conrad YouTube Tops Kohl's Online Fashion Effort
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- Costco Sees Key Product Categories Turn Positive in September
- Target Fashions a Comeback from Recession with Carlos Falchi, Jean Paul Gaultier
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