Small Business Saturday Supports Local Businesses During the Holiday Rush

Happy Halloween!

And with the passing of Halloween comes Thanksgiving and with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday shopping (and then a whole lot of holiday excitement from there!). I know, I know, we’re moving too fast – but the truth is – it does go that quickly!

Retailers everywhere are preparing busily for the biggest shopping day of the year, also known as Black Friday or the day after Thanksgiving. American Express (AMEX) wants you to remember your local small businesses this year with its Second Annual Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26.

AMEX provides perks for consumers to patronize their local small businesses. A $25 statement credit is available to card-members who register their cards for the Small Business Saturday and spend $25 or more at any participating small business. In addition, Facebook (always one to get in on the action) will offer $100 worth of free Facebook ads geo-targeted to a particular area for participating small businesses.

Currently, more than 200 businesses have joined American Express OPEN, which handles all of AMEX’s small businesses. And that means you’ve got plenty of small businesses to choose from. Check out the AMEX Small Business Saturday Facebook page to get all the details.

The holiday season means lots of shopping, so let’s not forget about our small businesses who are working hard to provide us with all sorts of great goodies for ourselves and our loved ones.

Will you participate on Nov. 26 and visit an AMEX participating small business? Are you already gearing up for after Thanksgiving shopping? Share your thoughts here!

-Heather Strang

The Answer to Vacant Retail Space

Walking around downtown Portland the other day, I couldn’t help but notice some rather large and empty retail spaces off of SW 1^st Ave.  Not only is it unsightly, it also made me wonder how commercial property owners are paying their bills when they have several vacant spaces. Surely, there’s a solution that is a win for everyone involved.

Novato, Calif.-based The W Foundation (TWF) and The Walter Kieckhefer Company (WKC) came up with an excellent solution for unused retail space earlier this summer. The two came together and created a space education exhibit out of the WKC’s marquee retail spot in Marin County.

Pretty innovative, right?

It’s a great idea for empty retail locations nationwide. Temporary museum exhibits are a solid go-between while property managers work to woo retailers into empty spaces. Especially in high-traffic areas, exhibits can attract a variety of individuals and bring new life to an empty space.

Now, I’m starting to visualize what type of museum could go into that vacant space off of SW 1^st Avenue. Do they have a traveling Sex & the City exhibit? If so, it would be perfect! I wonder who I should talk to about it…

What are your ideas for vacant retail spaces? Would a museum work in your city? Leave us your thoughts here.

-Heather Strang

*Photo from Kieckhefer Properties.

Sofia Vergara Saves Kmart

Sofia Vergara is everywhere. What started as a gorgeous and hilarious addition to Modern Family has turned into a full blow Sofia-a-thon. The tabloids can’t get enough of her and the paparazzi follow her around like mad. So, we knew a clothing line was just around the corner.

And sure enough it was.

Sofia by Sofia Vergara was launched this month by Kmart. While I would not have made Kmart my first pick for Vergara, she’s a smart lady – so there must be a reason why she opted to take her clothing line to Kmart.

What I do love is the ad campaign thus far. Work What You Got encourages women to embrace their assets, as Vergara no doubt has, and choose clothing that reflects it. In fact, on the Kmart site the tagline is, “You are a woman, so dress like a woman.” Whoa. Those almost sound like fighting words, but I’m intrigued. Can I channel some of Vergara’s sexiness by dressing like her? If so, count me in!

The commercial that began airing in October is even more intriguing. While I don’t notice the clothes too much, I am totally engaged by the ever-changing women, along with Vergara’s voice. Before you know it, I’ve scurried over to my computer to check out the collection. Maybe I can get that Vergara feel by donning her duds…

And here is where things get very, very interesting.

The clothes are good-looking. The clothes are so good-looking, I just might shop at Kmart for the first time in 10 years. I mean, people, they are that good. They are sexy and flattering and feminine and wow, it’s a good-looking line. Have I mentioned the clothes are good-looking?

I’ve got to say, I’m a little shocked, but I’m also delighted. Kmart needs this and there’s nothing I like to see more than an underdog hitting the jackpot. I wonder if Vergara knew she was possibly saving a retailer with this new line.

In any event, I’m off to Kmart. I want what Vergara’s got and if it lies in a $22 black lace back dress (which by the way is so hot!), then I’m on it.

What do you think of the new line and of Vergara’s Kmart presence? Leave a comment here or join me shopping at Kmart!

-Heather Strang

It's Time to Get Serious About Halloween

October is halfway over (gasp!). And do you know what you’re going to be for Halloween? If not, you’ve fortunately got the National Retail Federation (NRF) to help you out. The NRF recently released its 2011 Top Costumes survey by BIGresearch to help out those of us who may be costume challenged.

First though, we’ve got some fantastic news to report:

• It’s anticipated that consumers will spend $2.5 billion on Halloween costumes this year.

• $1 billion will be spent on children’s costumes, $1.2 billion on adult costumes and $310 million for pets.

• The average American is expected to spend $72.31 on Halloween candy, costumes and décor.

• In total, Halloween spending is set to reach $6.86 billion.

And guess what? That’s the highest amount in the survey’s nine-year history. Who says things aren’t looking up?

Bottom line: Halloween is going to be a blast this year – whether you’re a consumer or a retailer. To ensure that it’s your best ever, follow some of the costume guidance below:

• Already, more than 2.6 million men, women and children will dress as zombies this year (Note: please don’t dress like a zombie, it’s waaaay overdone. Clearly.).

• Witches are the top choice for adult costumes, followed by pirates, vampires, Batman, cats and vixens.

• For the kiddos, princesses reign supreme along with Spiderman, Batman, Superman, fairies, Disney princesses and vampires.

• Dogs, apparently, like to dress up, too (or more accurately, their crazy owners like to dress them up). The top dog costumes are pumpkin, devil, hot dogs, and cat (ouch!).

So, get out there and spend your $72.31 – or more. And while you’re at it, try to guess what I’m going to be for Halloween this year. I’ll give you a hint: it’s from the '80s.

Happy Halloween!
-Heather Strang

*Photo by By AlejandroLinaresGarcia (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Love Your Body Day is a Perfect Retail Opportunity

I was getting a manicure the other day (and yes, the shallac phenomena has suckered me in!) when I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on a conversation between two women preparing for a vacation in Mexico.

It went something like this:

“I tried on all three of my bathing suits last night and I hate how I look in every one of them.  I have too many rolls! So, please do not take any photos of me in a bathing suit. Please.”

Friend says, laughing, “I know girl, me too. It’s depressing, right? And then, we’ve got to be careful with the all you can eat and drink deal at the resort, because I read recently that margaritas and pina coladas have about 500 calories each.”

She proceeded to continue on about what items they could and couldn’t eat.

And let me tell you, these were beautiful women who had perfectly healthy and trim bodies. They were going to gorgeous Mexico and all they could talk about was their body size and calories.

Something’s very, very wrong with that picture.

It took everything I had to not interrupt and tell them about the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) Oct. 19 Love Your Body Day, which is all about celebrating one’s body and accepting it exactly as it is. Something these two ladies desperately needed to do, so they could get on with celebrating their vacation to Mexico – especially when it was pouring rain in Portland, Ore.

I was super pleased to see retailer Lane Bryant involved in the Love Your Body Day festivities in California. In fact, Lane Bryant is hosting a special event on Friday, Oct. 21 in Culver City, Calif., at The Westfield Culver City mall. From 6 p.m.-9 p.m., shoppers are encouraged to attend an evening of fashion at Lane Bryant, including 30 percent off all store items, dancing hosted by a live DJ, specialty Lanetini cocktails (no calorie counts included!) and a $500 gift card to be given away to one lucky winner – all in honor of Love Your Body Day.

If it was up to me, retailers would make every day Love Your Body Day and encourage women to let go of self-criticism and instead, embrace the beauty of their features – in all its many shapes and sizes. I would love to see more retailers joining forces with Love Your Body Day. Do you know any who are?

Leave us your Love Your Body Day insights here. What retailers are doing this well? Let’s talk about it!

-Heather Strang

Kenneth Cole Asks Us The Important Questions

If you read Retail Design Diva often enough (and we know you do!), then you know that I regularly encourage, suggest, state and request that retailers use their influence for good (not just for sales).

I’m proud to report that there is a retailer doing exactly that. And it makes me so happy I can hardly stand myself.

Kenneth Cole unveiled its "Where Do You Stand? Campaign," addressing hot topics, such as marriage equality, gun control, a woman’s right to choose and war. Wow, Kenneth – way to stick to the superficial topics! The retailer hits some of the hardest, most debated topics in our nation in this campaign – and does so in a powerful way through the use of video, imagery and language.

This campaign does so many things well, it’s impossible to touch on them all, but here are a few to note:

• Excellent use of social media. It isn’t the typical example of social media use with Facebook and Twitter logos splattered all over the page. They are stylishly placed and easy to find, but don’t take over the campaign message.

• While addressing massive social issues, the retailer showcases what it does best—fashion— and in a way that’s not distracting, but rather adds to the questions at hand. Who can pull that off? Amazing.

• It isn’t negative; it’s thought-provoking.

• There’s another aspect of the site, called What You Stand In, that focuses in on the fashion piece of the business. Users can watch style-guide videos covering fall trends for men and women’s clothing.

A big round of applause for Kenneth Cole please. They do an outstanding job using their power and influence as a major retailer to get consumers to think about something other than just what they’re going to wear for the fall season, while also getting them to think about what they’re going to wear for the fall season. Brilliant.

What are your thoughts on the "Where Do You Stand?" Campaign? Tell us about it here!

-Heather Strang