Get Retail Hip Here

“God, you are so old.”

My 22-year-old sister said to me, while simultaneously rolling her eyes. She’s constantly restyling my hair, telling me to change my wardrobe in favor of clothes that show off more of my body and making comments about my shoes that I’ve had since roughly 1997 (they’re comfortable!).  

Basically, I’m just not hip enough for her. I don’t have much recourse to these comments, and my arguments to the contrary only lend themselves to further gasps and eye rolls.

But now, I have actual proof that I am hip, or at least somewhere close to the cutting edge.

Fast Company released its 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail list, and I am proud to say that I have made purchases at all of them (except two!), some of them weekly. So there.

Check out who made the list:

#1 – Groupon - The only way I get spa treatments and try out chic new restaurants these days.

#2 – Trader Joe’s – I could not live without this store. I’m there weekly, often twice-weekly.

#3 – Marks & Spencer - In my defense, it is not located in the United States. But if it was, I would be on it!

#4 – Amazon – Pleeeeaaasseee, I’m a writer. If I’m not online at Amazon, I’m at Powell’s Books.

#5 – eBay – Who hasn’t tried this at least once or twice or …

#6 – Apple – iPod is my favorite workout companion.

#7 – Starbucks – Since it got rid of its gluten-free pastry, I rarely visit, but it has happened on occasion. (I suspect eating gluten-free gets me into the "not cool" sector with my sis as well).

#8 – Shopkick – OK, my un-hip-ness is starting to show – I’ve never even heard of this app retailer!

#9 – Ikea – my apartment is almost entirely furnished by this Swedish rockstar retailer.

#10 – Urban Outfitters – I love Anthropologie! Need I say more?

So where do you fall on the hip-ness scale? Are you a fan of the above “innovative” retailers? Do you get accused by your family members of not being “cool” enough? Leave your comments here!

-Heather Strang

P.S. Also, be sure to check out Fast Company’s The World’s Most Innovative Companies list. There are some awesome retailers showing up there, too.

Atlanta Joins The Sculpture Revolution

  On a recent walk around Portland, Ore., I discovered a small horse sculpture attached to the sidewalk. While it seemed odd (this is the city of Roses not horses after all!), I do live in a city that parades the motto, “Keep Portland Weird” on car bumpers.  

However, I’m learning that it’s not just Portland that has a penchant for random sculpture art. It’s actually the culture de jour for cities all over the country.

DDI’s home of Atlanta recently joined in on the fun with its Light Up Atlanta exhibit commissioned by C.H. Briggs, a local building products distributor. The exhibition is featured in MARTA train stations throughout the city and includes work by Atlanta-based designers who were asked to create sculptures that showcase what the city means to them.

Every piece was made with DuPont Corian, and is backlit to provide that soft glow feeling. Ah yes, even sculptures need a little mood lighting.

Artists featured:

• Kellen Minor, “Seed Bench” at Peachtree Center
• Shelly-Anne Tulia Scott, “Peeling Back the Heart” at Five Points
• Jim Ferguson, “Whirling Dervish” at Decatur
• Tae Jun Park, “Seating Bench 01” at Arts Center
• Ted Freeman, “Hot-lanta Fan” at Five Points
• IA Interior Architects, “Perspectives” at Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center
• Lisa Lin, “Life/Flame/Rising” at Lindbergh Center

So, I showed you my city and DDI showed you theirs, now it’s your turn. What random sculptures are making their way through your city? Tell us about it here!

-Heather Strang

Swimsuits at the Supermarket

I’ve received roughly seven pieces of direct mail advertising with regard to my local Target’s latest expansion. They now offer a full-on grocery store. Good lord.

Now, Target really will be a place I never leave. While I found the continual mailings overkill (not to mention terrible for the environment), it’s a trend that I’m starting to see more often.

But it begs the question - can you be all things to all people? Retail is certainly trying.

It’s even happening in the United Kingdom. Sainsbury, one of the largest supermarket chains in the U.K., recently introduced a beachwear collection. So yes, pick up those carrots and that ham, maybe some toilet paper, and oh – don’t forget your swimsuit!

Whoa. I think retail may have gone too far.

Or has it? According to Sainsbury, it has already seen a 100 percent sales increase in this category and offers, “hundreds of styles at prices starting from just £5.00.” To further promote this revolutionary launch, Sainsbury had women clothed in their swimwear hanging out at Westminister Bridge (see photos).

Those Europeans, they’re so sassy.

It’s clearly a new trend. Swimsuits at the grocery store and groceries at the department store – what more could we ask for? If consumers want convenience above specialization, then perhaps this is the best way to give it to them.

Or are retailers trying too hard to be everything for customers? Leave us your thoughts here.

-Heather Strang

Adventures in Apple Land

I’ve lost my memory. No, not my real memory. I can still very much remember that particular incident with the chair—which was farther from the desk than I thought—and the open salsa container that ended up in my lap when I went to sit in said chair, but that is neither here nor there. I am, however, referring to my computer’s memory, which has been wiped clean. After surviving months and months of getting thrown into backpacks, plopped onto desks and being left on for weeks at a time (oh the life of a college student), one teeny tiny software update led my hard drive to meet its maker, leaving my crashed computer’s memory as squeaky clean as the day I purchased it.

So, I took my little Mac to my local Apple store to get her checked out, and boy was I surprised to find that the man behind the “Genius Bar,” as Apple calls it, would be helping me and another customer at the same time. Being that I had made my appointment during my lunch hour, I was nervous—to say the least—with regard to his multitasking approach. Wasn’t my problem a bigger priority? Wasn’t my time precious? Surely this one man could not handle my situation and another person’s problem at the same time! But to my surprise, the whole appointment went off without a hitch. The computer specialist was able to help the other customer—let’s call him Mr. A—while my computer was having its diagnostics run. Similarly, all my questions were fully answered during the time it took to have Mr. A’s computer download new software. So, kudos to my new friends at the Apple store for being able to effectively multitask without neglecting their customers (especially considering there were nearly as many “blue shirts” in there as customers). However, this situation got me thinking. Is this how customer support now is going to work? Have we, as consumers, become so needy that our suppliers have to juggle us with both hands?

Mr. A is a prime example of consumer “neediness.” He clearly knew his way around computers and jumped at every chance to show it. He’s one of those guys who comes into the store just to hang out and be “among the geniuses.” For everything that the Blue-Shirted Apple Man had to say, Mr. A had a comment. I usually can muster up patience for people like this, but after losing every document and picture I had created in the past year, I was nearing the edge of my civility. I had almost escaped the Genius Bar counter with wits in tact and then he starts his spiel.
Here’s how our conversation went:
Me: (under my breath) Mother trucking, stupid-face computer!
Mr. A: (clearly oblivious to my state of aggravation) This Timecapsule program is awesome, like the greatest thing ever! (Which, I have to say, it is pretty nifty now that I know how to use it.)
Me: Uh huh (sounding exasperated).
Mr. A: Here let me just show you …
Me: … [this is where I may have rolled my eyes]
Mr. A: See here I have … wah wah wah (insert the voice of Charlie Brown’s teacher here)
Blue-shirted Apple Man: It really is a great program, I’d highly advise you to use it next time.
Me: Wow, you’re right Mr. Blue-shirted Apple Man! I definitely will do that!

The lesson I learned from this little adventure is: let’s leave the in-store marketing to the professionals. Employees of big stores know quite a bit about the merchandise they’re selling, seeing as how it’s, well, their job. (They don’t call them “geniuses” for nothing.) As knowledgeable as Mr. A was, I was only prepared to hear what the Blue-shirted Apple Man told me. Come to think of it, what is it about those blue T-shirts that lead us to believe that they have all the answers?

Have you found yourself looking to support staff above all else? What do you think about know-it-all customers? Tell us here!

--Caitlin Sheridan

Girls Just Want a Bargain

I came home from a girls' weekend to discover the oddest thing – all of my kitchen cupboards had been reorganized.  In front of the perfectly stacked items (frankly, my kitchen now resembled an extreme game of Tetris) stood my guy, hands on his hips with pursed lips.

Apparently, he wanted to know why I had purchased an overabundance of unsweetened almond milk, endless cans of garbanzo beans and enough Larabars to feed a small village. I stammered, shocked that a man would even take the time to go through my cupboards. Finally, I confessed – they were all on sale.

I tried to explain.  I grew up rural Oregon, poor as dirt so whenever I see stuff on sale that I’ve:

1) needed in the past
2) might need again

– I have to purchase it. Let’s just say it’s in my DNA.

As it turns out, I might be right. A new poll by ShopSmart found that 76 percent of women are “bargain shoppers” – defenseless with regard to sale-priced items.

And it’s not because we’re poor either. It may actually be hardwired into our genetic code. Only 40 percent of women bargain shop because of limited cash flow, the rest just love a deal. The poll also found that 83 percent of women would seek a deal regardless of their cash situation. And 76 percent of women buy things they don’t technically “need” simply because they’re on sale.

Hence, all those garbanzo beans.

I flat out don’t believe in paying full price - for anything. If I ever have to, I suffer extreme buyer’s remorse, wracked with guilt for days. Turns out 37 percent of women are right there with me – that’s the number of gals who feel guilty paying full price too.

According to the poll, women use a variety of retailers to meet their bargain shopping needs; 93 percent use mass merchandisers, 69 percent frequent dollar stores; and 61 percent shop at discount stores. For me this translates into Ross, TJ Maxx, Trader Joe’s, Target and scanning the adverts for sale items.

How does your female bargain shopping manifest? Are your cupboards filled with sale items, too? Share your story here!

-Heather Strang

*Photo by: User:Tomomarusan (日本語: User:Tomomarusanによる撮影。) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Shopping Via Facebook - It's Here!

According to my estimations, approximately 30 percent of our work days are now spent on Facebook (otherwise known as FB). Of course, my estimations include a sample set of one, but it seems to me that everywhere I go computers are tuned into the big FB.

What the heck are we doing on there anyway?? We’re checking out past lovers, looking for new lovers, reconnecting with folks we haven’t seen in 20 years, viewing the 500th photo of our best friend’s kiddos and shopping.

Shopping? On Facebook?

Yes, it now has come to this, and we may never leave the FB portal again.

Express (one of my fave apparel retailers) recently put its entire product catalog on Facebook. It’s wild, and you’ve got to check it out.  Folks can “like” particular products, “share” them with friends and post comments. Oh, and you can add your dream products – like the drape-neck banded skirt dress (which I have to have!) to your wish list.

This is dangerous people. I may never get off of FB now.

All purchases are made completely via a secure site, just like purchasing products off of the retailer’s website.

And you know what this means. More retailers are to follow. Will we need websites anymore or will everything in our lives now be happening via Facebook?

What do you think about this expansion in social commerce? Are we giving FB more power than it needs or deserves (after watching The Social Network, I really hate that I’m supporting Mark Zuckerberg so much)? Leave your comments here!

-Heather Strang

Emerging Retail Markets Rule The World

My good friend Dave just quit his $60,000 a year job in Portland, Ore., to travel to South America. The thing is, Dave, 31, loved his job, had a great community and not a care in the world. But, something was pulling him, tugging at him really, to leave it all behind for South America. Most of us thought he was a bit crazy to leave such a phenomenal life for the great unknown.

But, after reading CNBC’s Retail’s Hottest Emerging Markets 2011, I now know what was calling Dave to Brazil, Peru and beyond – shopping, delicious, amazing shopping.

Retail has never been hotter abroad than in 2011. Riding off the coattails of a downturn, the world is prospering in new and exciting ways - espeically in South America. When I was in Brazil three years ago, there was just an inkling of what was to come as Brazilian woman strutted their stuff in 5-in. heels and skinny jeans.

Today, with the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games headed its way, Brazil is being flooded with retailers from all angles – Burberry, H&M, Topshop and the like. In fact, according to CNBC, more than $50 billion in investments are set to hit Brazil. So, it’s no surprise that it’s the No. 1 retail emerging market.

Check out the other nine markets that every retailer should be eyeing - if they aren’t already:

10 – Turkey
9 – United Arab Emirates
8 – Peru: Dave is going to have fun there with 5 percent year-over-year GDP growth.
7 – Saudi Arabia
6 – China: Down from the No. 1 spot last year; although smaller cities are finally starting to get some retail play.
5 – Kuwait
4 – India
3 – Chile: It’s estimated that the retail sector will grow 10 percent in 2011 alone!
2 – Uruguay: A smaller size and a strong economy make this an excellent choice for retailers wanting to dip their toes into the South American market.

And while I’ll miss my friend Dave terribly, I’m secretly planning on dropping him very subtle hints (like writing this blog, for instance) so he’ll pick me up some stellar goods during his travels.

What are your favorite emerging retail markets? Have you been to any of the above to experience the expansion first-hand? Give us your thoughts here.

-Heather Strang

 

College Students Show Some Retail Savvy

My sister called me the other night in a complete tizzy. She had been comparison shopping all day and still could not make a decision. Could I help? Da-da-da-da! Big sister to the rescue.

Of course, I could help her (no to the $180 jeans at Nordstrom, and yes to the look-alike pair for less than half the price at American Eagle). Our conversation got me thinking though... Never before would she have spent a day reviewing merchandise – that just wasn’t like her. She’s a college student for crying out loud; typically she would put the $180 pair of jeans on her credit card and call it a day.

It seems as though more college students than ever before are cognizant of how they’re spending their cash. OnCampus Research (a division of the National Association of College Stores – NACS) recently released a survey that showed exactly what I had just experienced with my sister. College students are being – dare we say – more prudent with their funds.

The survey found that:

• College students’ top retail destinations include Walmart and Target.
• They are more concerned with making healthier lifestyle choices (my sister just joined a gym for the first time ever!). In fact, 61 percent of students consume fresh fruit. But, I have to wonder: what are the other 39 percent eating??
• 75 percent of college students’ comparison shop – one of the highest numbers yet.

What does this mean for retailers and big sisters the world over? Well, retailers interested in capturing the college market need to remember that the days of putting goods on mom or dad’s credit card are over. Although not commonly known as being savvy shoppers, college students are starting to catch on. Good for them!

For big sisters, that means being available via phone whenever a shopping “crisis” may occur. Hey, someone’s got to do it.

How does the college student in your life spend money? See any retailers out there who truly know how to capture the market in a healthy way? Leave your comments here.

-Heather Strang

*Photo by Kit from Pittsburgh, USA (Grads Absorb the News) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

How to Talk to Animals and Other Customers

Dr. Doolittle may have been able to chat to a chimp in chimpanzee, and if people asked him, “Can you speak in rhinoceros?” he’d say, "Of courserous, can't you?"" But Dr. Doolittle didn’t have to deal with customers or sales associates, the two lowest forms of humanity on the planet…next to paramecium that is.
 
Scientists report that chimpanzees can understand up to 120 words (in sign language). Dogs can understand up to 150 words and two dozen commands. So, I’d place your average customer and sales associate comprehension somewhere right in between a chimp and a dog. So the sales associate at Forever 21 will be the chimp and I’ll be the dog.
 
CHIMP: (scratching himself and eating a banana) Is this the one you wanted?
DOG: This is a camera.
CHIMP: Yeah. Is it…
DOG: I asked for a CD burner for my…
CHIMP: You must be the wrong guy. I was looking for…
DOG: No, you were speaking to me. I asked for a CD burner.
CHIMP: Are you sure?
DOG: Yeah. I’m positive.
CHIMP: Do you know which one?
DOG: (pointing towards advertised special)
CHIMP: We’re out of that.
 
Okay, frazzled I go to Starbucks, and here’s what happens there...
 
DOG: I’ll have a grande caramel apple spice with whipped cream and three vanilla bean scones.
CHIMP: That’s a vanilla bean frappe with a shot of caramel and spice?
DOG: No, I asked for a grande caramel apple spice with whipped cream and three vanilla bean scones.
CHIMP: You want three vanilla bean frappes with a shot of caramel and spice?
DOG: No, I asked for a grande caramel apple spice with whipped cream and three vanilla bean scones.
CHIMP: Say that again.
DOG: I want a grande…. caramel apple spice…. with whipped cream… and three vanilla bean scones.
CHIMP: Are you sure this time?
DOG: This time?
(The manager comes over and asks what the problem is.)
CHIMP: He keeps changing his mind. I’m not a mind reader!
Exasperated the manager says: “Just give him whatever he wants.”
 
I could have cursed in fluent kangaroo.

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger