Get Excited

Diva is starting to get excited about GlobalShop! She can barely believe that it's almost here—a mere two weeks away: Feb. 29-March 2 in Las Vegas baby! She has, however, already been plotting what she'll pack/wear (any excuse for Diva to shop!) for the tradeshow and for all the amazing events, like the DDI R.A.P., a pre-show celebration where the dress code is "something fabulous." Sorry dear readers, but that party is already sold-out (luckily Diva has connections, so she'll be there).

Don't dispair though, because the next night is the GlobalShop Opening Night Reception, at the Marquee Nightclub in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Tickets to that event are still available online at www.globalshop.org, so snag one before it sells out. Slack off and procrastinate, and you'll be stuck outside those velvet ropes...don't say Diva didn't tell you so.

And no offense to the The Venetian Ballroom, but Diva is sort of pumped that the awards celebrations have been moved to new venues: XS NIghtclub at Encore Hotel for the A.R.E. Design Awards, where DDI Magazine will present the winner of this year's Markopoulos Award and GlobalShop's Best in Show Booth Award; and TAO Nightclub in The Venetian for POPAI's OMA Awards Gala.

Diva is also psyched about the Retail Roundtable on March 1 and the stellar conference sessions this year...and she can't wait to make her way to the show floor and visit all the booths to see the latest and greatest! She's already mapping out a plan of attack, so stay tuned to the Retail Design Diva while you're at GlobalShop for live, at-show blogging. Who knows, she just may talk about you!

What are you looking forward to at GlobalShop this year? How many fabulous pairs of stilettos or groovy skinny ties are you unnecessarily stuffing into your dangerouly-close-to-the-50-pound-limit suitcase? Share it here!

—Diva, of course

P.S. Don't forget to follow Diva and her friends at DDI for some tweets live from the show floor. Check out www.twitter.com/DDItweets (#GS12).

Are You Ready For Some…David Beckham This Super Bowl Sunday?

Hot Man Warning: Reading this blog may over-stimulate your senses. Particularly if your senses are stimulated by H&M, Super Bowl ads, and more specifically, David Beckham.

Okay, so you’ve been warned. Now, onto the good stuff…

I’m not going to lie, I don’t watch the Super Bowl for the football (unless checking out the tight uniforms counts). I don’t even watch the Super Bowl for all the delicious (yet incredibly artery-clogging) food that one gets to eat. I watch it solely for the ads.

There, I said it.
Hype or not, retailers pull out all the stops for their Super Bowl ads. And I love it.

This year is no exception. Except, David Beckham has never before been featured and H&M has never before released such a jaw-dropping, show-stopping commercial.

Now, I could go on and on about how hot he is, but I’ll spare you all of that. I could confess to watching the commercial more times than is probably acceptable on YouTube. But I won’t. What I will tell you is that women now have an even better reason to watch the Super Bowl and H&M marketing execs deserve some serious high-five action for creating a commercial that is half art, half sex, with a quarter of awesome thrown in on top.

The aim of the ad, besides making women drool? To promote Beckham’s new bodywear collection. Filmed in black-and-white (see I told you it was artful!), The Animals “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” croons in the background. The rest is all Beckham. And that’s pretty much the way we like it.

I haven’t been to H&M since late last summer when I was disappointed to find the entire store covered in taupe and navy for their fall collection. It was less than inspiring. But, after seeing their Super Bowl commercial, I’ll be going back. Maybe I haven’t given them enough of a chance…

See for yourself here.

And please do come back and tell us what you love about this commercial, as well as your predictions for how it will rock Super Bowl XLVI. I need to know I’m not the only one in love with this ad…

-Heather Strang

Welcome to 2012! But First, Some 2011 Holiday Shopping Results

Happy 2012! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season.

And now, for the important stuff. Drum roll, please…

The results from the 2011 Christmas holiday season are in (thank you ShopperTrak – who had the data out before any of us were even back to work!), and they are spectacular. In all ways, the 2011 holiday season rocked. Let’s review:

• Roughly $44 billion was spent the week ending Dec. 24, a 37.8 percent increase over the week prior and a 14.8 percent increase over the same time period in 2010.

• Month-to-date sales for December 2011 were 4.7 percent higher than December 2010.

• We’re still procrastinators – 32.4 percent more of us were out shopping the week ending Dec. 24 than the week prior. And yes, that was me on Dec. 24 hitting a few stores for local wine and cheeses (it’s amazing who you forget to put on your list in all of the holiday shopping hub-bub!).

• The day after Christmas was also a booming shopping day; it was fourth in foot-traffic and sales for the entire holiday season, with foot traffic increasing 25.9 percent from the same day last year. Consumers spent approximately $7.1 billion, a 25.5 percent increase from the same time period in 2010.

Whew! So we shopped until we dropped, or until the ball dropped on Jan. 1, 2012 that is. 

I know I was guilty of last-minute Christmas shopping, were you? If you’re a retailer did you experience the same stellar results that ShopperTrak discovered? Leave your comments here.

-Heather Strang

P.S. And here’s to an even more outstanding year in 2012 for everyone!

Image credit: © Nevit Dilmen found at Wikimedia commons

Happy Holidays! Macy's Is Open 24/7 Until Christmas

Happy Holidays! As we inch ever closer to Christmas Day (3 days and counting!), retailers are turning up the heat.

Macy’s recently announced its plans to remain open for 83 hours leading up to the big Christmas holiday. In fact, beginning yesterday, Dec. 21, 14 Macy’s locations are open 24/7 through 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24.

Now, there’s really no excuse to miss out on getting any holiday gifts. Guys, are you hearing us? You can’t bail with the whole, “I ran out of time” excuse. Macy’s just ripped it from you.

In addition, 27 stores will remain open until 2 a.m. on the three nights leading up to Christmas Eve. I’m a bit worried for Macy’s employees, although Macy’s notes that employees volunteer to work these shifts (and surely they’re receiving time and a half pay, right??).

I’m not sure if this is pure craziness or not. I mean, do we really need our retailers to be this available? Or is Macy’s beating out the competition with this ultra-smart (and possibly exhausting) business move? The final holiday reports will show us the results.

In the meantime, happy shopping! Be sure to leave comments below if you shop at Macy’s at 4 a.m. or any other wacky time or have a pulse on whether these extended hours are too much even for crazed holiday shoppers.

May this be your best holiday season yet, and may 2012 shine brightly for you and yours!

-Heather Strang

Holiday Shopping 2011 Is Off To a Successful Start

As if eating enough turkey and pumpkin pie for 10 people all while spending time with the people we love wasn’t enough to make our Thanksgiving 2011 the best ever...Then retail sales skyrocketed on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday (we’re still awaiting word on Small Business Saturday)!

ShopperTrak was right on all the action releasing its Black Friday results the day after the big sales. According to ShopperTrak reports, Black Friday sales increased 6.6 percent over 2010, accounting for $11.40 billion in retail purchases. Retail foot traffic rose as well – jumping 5.1 percent over last year’s shopping frenzy.

Cyber Monday seemed to follow in Black Friday’s footsteps. Forbes reported that an estimated $1.25 billion was spent online, a 22 percent increase from last year (wowza!). Online deals ranging from retail to travel seemed to be getting everyone’s attention – my inbox was practically imploding on Monday with all of the deals offered. Cyber Monday’s success was attributed to not only an increase in the number of consumers shopping online – 11 percent -  but folks also spent 9 percent more than they did last year at this time.

All in all, it’s safe to say that holiday shopping for 2011 is in full swing and that it’s rockin! The prognosis for the rest of the shopping season looks grand, especially with such a strong start. It appears that we’re all ready to celebrate the holidays big this year and give our economy the nudge it deserves.

How did you celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday? What’s your retail prognosis? Leave your comments here!

-Heather Strang

*Photo courtesy of Jobsearch on Wiki Commons.

Gaga's Workshop Sets a New Bar for Retail Displays

Never before in the history of holiday window displays have celebrities turned out to gawk, stare and enjoy. But, they are now.

People.com caught Neil Patrick Harris and his partner at the opening of the Barneys Gaga’s Workshop, not to mention a host of other A-B-listers vying for a glimpse at this much-hyped display.

One of the most prominent features in the workshop that’s catching our eye is the 11.67-ft. by 6.25-ft. laser phosphor display (LPD) video wall by Prysm. It’s titled as the “Gaga Constellation” and is located in a window next to the Barneys front door.

This isn’t just any video wall (as if it could be for Gaga!). Oh no, this thing has it all – including social media and film. There’s a 90-second film directed by Tim Richardson that showcases Lady Gaga as she morphs into a variety of constellations along with a LIVE Twitter feed. Barneys and Gaga fans can send Tweets that will show up right on the video wall.

Who even knew that was possible?!

It’s classically Gaga – over the top, indulgent and raising quite the ruckus. It’s perfect for Barneys, perfect for Gaga and even allows customers to engage (right alongside celebrities). If this isn’t the best display idea, I don’t know what is.

And while I’m not a Gaga fan (she frightens small children!), there is no denying her draw and ability to get attention.

I certainly hope we see more retailers using video wall displays. Can you imagine all of the creative possibilities that exist with this option?

What are your thoughts on this display? Love the video-wall? Know other retailers who are utilizing this stellar technology? Leave your comments here!

-Heather Strang

*Photos courtesy of Prysm Inc.

P.S. The Diva can't wait to see these windows in person! She'll be in New York next week for the annual DDI Winning Windows competition—click here for more info!

Let the Shopping Begin!

Black Friday sales have already begun. Christmas tunes are infiltrating the airwaves. To say we’re a bit anxious for the holiday shopping season to kick in is an understatement.

Lists have been made, cash is available and shoppers…well, they’re chomping at the bit. In fact, I’ve already made some of my own Christmas purchases and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet.

So, if you’re also a retailer, you might be a little excited as well. ShopperTrak recently released its Top 10 Busiest Holiday Shopping Days report just for you. You know, in case, you needed more anticipatory anxiety about how the 2011 holiday season might go.

And while I’m never a total fan of predictions (how do they really know??), the news is so good, it’s worth sharing.

Here are the highlights:

• There are 10 key shopping days that make all the difference for retailers. No pressure. Seriously.

• We’re still procrastinators. Consumers generally wait until the week before Christmas to get their purchases made. Which means Dec. 18-24 will continue to be the biggest shopping week for retailers.

• Black Friday still rules the holiday shopping roost (I know, I’m full of them today, eh?) with predictions to yet again be the top-performing sales and foot traffic day for the holiday season.

• Dec. 17 is the next highest sales/foot-traffic day, also known as Super Saturday.

• And, Black Saturday, or the Saturday after Black Friday (Nov. 26 this year), is also an important day to watch. It’s not as powerful as its Black Friday sibling, but it’s got enough power to earn it a ranking as the sixth-busiest shopping day of the year.  It’s also Small Business Saturday, so be sure to shop local on this day!

When it’s all said and done, what’s most important is that we’re prepared during these days – whether we’re shoppers or retailers. This is an opportunity for us to keep our economy thriving and celebrate one of the most glorious times of the year - together.

So, when will you be shopping? Leave your comments below.

-Heather Strang

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

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