Signs of Stability in Retail? - CNBC.com
Black Friday 2009: Store times
All right peeps- in case you were wondering when everything opens for Black Friday I made a consolidated list for ya. For those in NYC the Apple store opens at 12 am tonight with discounts on iPods of up to 30% (BUT if you really want discounts on computers I would hit Mac Mall's 96 Hour Sale). Also, Wal-Mart is open for 24 hours BUT door busters start at 5:00 am which include $3 nightwear $248 32 inch Emerson plasma TV, a TomTom GPS One 124-SE for $59 and DVDs for $3- $5. Babies R Us Sale Starts at 5:00 AM - Ends at 1:00 PM
Bass Pro Shops Sale Starts at 6:00 AM - Ends at 11:00 AM
Bealls Sale Starts at 4:00 AM - Ends at 1:00 PM
BestBuy Sale Starts at 5:00 AM
Cabela's Sale Starts at Midnight
Costco Sale Starts at 9:00 AM
Craft Warehouse Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
Gander Mountain Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
Gap Outlets Sale Starts at Midnight at Participating Stores
Half Price Books Sale Starts at 7:00 AM - Ends at 10:00 AM
Harbor Freight Sale Starts at 7:00 AM
Home Depot Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
JCPenney Sale Starts at 4:00 AM
Kmart Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
Kohls Sale Starts at 4:00 AM - Ends at 1:00 PM
Lowe's Sale Starts at 6:00 AM - Ends at Midnight
Meijer Sale Starts at 5:00 AM - Ends at 12:00 PM
Menards Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
Northern Tool] Sale Starts at 6:00 AM
OfficeMax Sale Starts at 7:00 AM - Ends at 12:00 PM
RadioShack Sale Starts at 5:30 AM
Sam's Club Sale Starts at 5:00 AM
Sears Sale Starts at 4:00 AM
Sports Authority Sale Starts at 5:00 AM
Staples Sale Starts at 6:00 AM - Ends at 10:00 AM
Target Sale Starts at 5:00 AM - Ends at 12:00 PM
Toys R Us Sale Starts at Midnight - Ends at 1:00 PM
J. Mendel: accessories
I've talked a lot about the dresses and how this company is doing over all, BUT I didn't point out the incredible accessories which adorned the models. Check out these dazzlers:
GOD this is my kind of necklace! What I love most- you can wear it with a gorgeous gown (pictured here) or with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt!
Again- wearable art! Just awesome.
Rachel Roy- more wearable looks
This look makes me happy.
So does this one. Most of Rachel's pieces sell in stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. (*Note NMGA's same store sales were down by 27.3 % in July. I know- Yikes.)
More from day #1 MBFW: Backstage with Elie Tahari
There are two constant truths in my life: 1) I am ALWAYS running late. 2) I tend to find myself in some pretty unbelieveable situations. Usually those truths never collide into a serendipitous moment, but on Thursday that's EXACTLY what happened when I missed Elie Tahari's presentation (by about half an hour because the Mara Hoffman/Nicholas K/Whitney Eve presentations went over) then RAN INTO Elie Tahari in the hall way of his show room! We talked about Fashion's Night Out which was happening that night (video TK) and his take on it. This is what he said:
"I really think if anyone is going to shop tonight it might be the fashion people. I doubt the general public will come out."
Where I have yet to see the numbers from Fashion's Night Out, Tahari, who told Fashion Wire Daily they have been responding to the market downturn by reducing price points and producing clothes in color palates like beige and sand, expects this collection to retail in 300 locations.
Hitha Prabhakar @ Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek - Elie Tahari from Hitha Prabhakar on Vimeo.
On Fox News Radio this morning!
Will be talking about how negociate your way into a good deal on the radio this morning. Here is a list of stations (more may be added, please check my twitter for any updates). Everyone tune in!! KCOL Fort Collins, CO 0905AM ET WDUN Gainesville, GA 0920AM ET KOGO San Diego, CA 0940AM ET KFBK Sacramento, CA 1038AM ET
Everybody get Rowdy.
No, seriously. Dallas Austin's new-ish/re-launched collection "Rowdy" definitely makes you want to scream in good and bad ways. Rowdy is hitting stores just before the x-mas retail non rush and it's sort of forward thinking for someone whose roots aren't really in fashion. I spent a lot of time talking with Dallas about why he decided to re-launch Rowdy and why in the world he decided to open up a retail store when retail is suffering so badly and his response was "because my gut was telling me to do it." Okay. While I'm not sure if opening a store and launching a collection is necessarily the best thing to do in this economic environment, I do admire Dallas for his drive and his unconventional way of doing things. Hello-he's a music and business genius! He must be doing something right. Also, did you know his musical influences are mostly in rock and alternative? Think Bauhaus (shout out to Peter Murphy) The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy and of course Alice and Chains? I almost fell over when he told me that. This collection, according to Dallas embraces all of that. Hmm.
OK I know what you are thinking. How can this POSSIBLY encompass anything 120 minutes-esque? Well, to be honest it doesn't. But there is a sort of ZZ Top/"Diddy runs the City" look and feel to it. I liked it.
My personal favorite- men's underwear with a pocket for God knows what on them. I'll leave it up to your imaginations.
Sneakers with instructions on how to roll a "blunt" on the side (Mom, if you are reading this I will explain what a blunt is later.)
I kind of dig the lightning bolt t-shirts. I wonder if Dallas will let me design lightning bolt headbands for him...
Yay Dallas!
Yay Jen!!
When will wearing Obama gear stop being cool?
It seems like the new fashion trend in NYC is not booties and opaque tights for the ladies and skinny jeans for dudes but Obama gear. Between the "Hope" t-shirts and "Yes We Can" pins and the Obama/ Biden tote bags, I am experiencing some major fashion fatigue (I am in Zurich right now so no one is wearing that stuff). The lovely peeps (and my former collegues) at Metro the free international daily asked me when I thought Bam fans will finally be over wearing all that election tchotchke. I said after the inauguration in January, but I just logged onto the Barak Obama site and it seems his gear is now on mark down. Maybe the Obama gear fad is going end sooner than I think...
Thoughts?
Let them eat cake.
Recession? Economic crisis? These days the fashion industry is (in Guy Trebay's words) having a "Marie Antoinette" moment. I have to tell you, I kind of agree. Between the half million dollar fetes I attend almost daily for a new book, store opening or product and the INSANELY expensive press kits I get FED EXED to me even though offices are just down the street, it seems the fashion industry continues to debauch out even though Rome is burning. I think we are gonna have a rude awakening...
It's that time of the month...
...when I get ready to analyze monthly retail sales numbers on Fox Business!! If you are near a TV, tune in between 1- 2pm. I really don't expect the consumer to have spent very much of anything in July, but I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised by the numbers tomorrow.
Clarification: Steve and Barry's
A frequent reader pointed out how he thinks I made a mistake by saying Steve and Barry's revenues were increased by not spending money on marketing. He thought I meant earnings so I want to clarify. Dear reader:
This was not me speculating on how Steve and Barry's made their cash, this was a quote from the chief executive when I spoke with him. You say,"You can't increase revenue by not advertising- revenue is sales. You can only increase profit by cutting expenses." I agree with you, but I'm directly quoting from the source that prob. knows his business best... or at least it seemed like he knew his business best when I spoke to him last year. Hope that helps.
XO, Hitha
Despite Kalinsky, Norstrom STILL falters.
Man, you know the economy is REAL bad when someone like Jeffrey Kalinsky can't save a retailer like Nordstrom! The other day the retailer reported a fall in same store sales by 9.1% far worse than what analysts expected. Total sales dipped to $750 million from $803 million in 2007. Jeffrey, who started the extremely well edited and influential Jeffrey boutiques in New York and Atlanta sold a majority interest of his stores to Norstrom and took on a full time gig. Problem is even his keen eye for knowing what's hot way before it sizzles (I bought my Balenciaga motorcycle bag because I saw it first at Jeffrey six years ago), isn't really working for Nordstrom right now. The tourists aren't buying into it either!
Economists state the obvious when it comes to apparel spending.
Carl Steidtmann, chief economist at Deloitte Research and auther of the group's Leading index of Consumer Spending tells Women's Wear Daily, "People's spending on apparel isn't likely to pick up anytime soon." Gee, ya think Mr. Steidtmann?? Maybe it has to do with that little housing crisis we are experiencing, or gas prices reaching (in some areas) to $4 a gallon, the rising prices in staples like milk and eggs or what about the fact that there are no jobs??? I sometimes wonder why we need a 50 page report to tell us what people in the middle of America can tell us in one sentence...
Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart: this is really not good.
Wal-Mart just announced the very talented Norma Kamali is going to be designing for the mass retailer. Under the long term licensing deal brokered by Cherokee Inc., Kamali will establish a lifestyle brand that will encompass women's wear, children's clothing, accessories, footwear and home products reports Women's Wear Daily. Price points will be suitable for the "Wal-Mart customer" meaning, cheap.
OK, the reason WHY Wal-Mart has consistently reported high sales numbers has to do with the fact that they know their customer!! These people aren't going to Wal-Mart to buy designer duds, they are going to Wal-Mart to buy pasta, pasta sauce and gas!! This is going to be a disaster...
Victoria's Secret: Not bringing sexy back?
(Gisele in an Ipex bra-- and guess what peeps? She's still sexy!)
On Thursday Victoria's Secret announced on an earnings call that the company will tone down the racey ads, windows even catalogues to appeal less to the men out there and more to the ladies. Translation: the company's market share is down and they need to focus/infiltrate a different side of the lingerie industry. A lot of media outlets have been reporting how difficult this is going to be for the brand- and I agree- if they were going for a complete overhaul. But spokesperson for the company the brand told me on Thursday (before I went on air) they will never really break from it's "sexy" branding.
Even if they decide to start to focus on more staple products like the Ipex Bra, (probably the LEAST SEXY but totally effective bra on the market right now) or Pink by Victoria's Secret, (wildly popular with the college demo.) scantily dressed skinny pretty models are still going to be hot. I don't know what everyone is worried about.
Not even hot pictures of John Mayer can save them.
In effort to get those numbers up and not lose COMPLETE investor confidence, Gap Inc. just signed a deal with the Marinopoulous Group to bring the Gap and Banana Republic to Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia. If they can't make the sales numbers happen state side, might ast well go overseas, right? And what about Old Navy? I guess they figured it was a lost cause so they decided to keep that one out of the mix!