The Power of Retail

Ever since I took up an interest in photography, I have started to notice things that I’d never even seen before. Maybe I did see the things, but they did not have an impact on me like they do now. My mind has become more curious about how to photograph things in a different way, how to capture them best, how to make ugly things look beautiful and so on. It certainly is a very interesting and time consuming past time.

Here is a shot that I took last month. It’s a simple shot, but I loved the way the colors came together and complemented each other.

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Walmart and JCPenney’s new lines of furniture, Canopy and Linden Street are not well known or branded products, but they are all the same targeting the customers who shop at branded stores such as Pottery Barn and Ikea. Walmart mailed its shoppers a catalog of 33 pages detailing its line of products of the Canopy line, which also has it’s own website at www.canopyliving.com. As a competitive move, all items that are shipped to Walmart stores will have free shipping. With this new brand, the company is hoping to create a different feel and look for its customers. The Walmart name or brand does not appear on the website unless you really go and dig for it, which is an intended move.

JCPenney on the other hand, created its new brand Linden Street, as it realized that its customers were going in for the simpler designs in furniture, bedding and window dressings. Consumers were more interested in everyday furniture, that focused on function and form first and only then fashion, but nothing that was too ornate.

Even before the housing downturn put home furnishings retailers in a spiral, Americans were migrating to a more casual style and lower prices for furniture. Penney’s and Wal-Mart’s moves signal a recognition that the furniture industry has to “find ways to attract a new generation,” said Jerry Epperson, a longtime furniture analyst for investment banking firm Mann, Armistead & Epperson.

“They aren’t going to do it selling $5,000 to $10,000 dining room and bedroom suites,” he said. “Younger people are buying items, not suites, and they want them to be practical and functional.” Smaller living spaces, younger households and the desire for everything to be both functional and fashionable have led consumers to ready-to-assemble furniture and modestly priced pieces that will move from first apartment to family room.

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One of the most fun things that one can buy in the summer are nice summer sandals. Nothing quite like declaring summer, but showing off your tippy toes, isn’t it? I try to buy a couple of new sandals each season, so that I get my shoe buying fix and update my wardrobe. Lately, I’ve been rather impressed with Ecco shoes, a brand that I’ve never worn before. Their products are really great quality and have a nice understated elegance to them, nothing too flashy or crass at all. Agreed, they are known more for their comfort than their styles or fashion forwardness, but they are great shoes for anyone who has to spend a lot of time on their feet.

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Kids love to be able to design their own clothes, and now a retailer has come up with the very same idea in a workable manner. Springwise reports that Fashionology LA, a Beverly Hills store is allowing its teen customers to design their own clothes, by selecting from a several designs as inspiration and then selecting what they would like to make of it, using the touch screen Design pads. They will also be able to select a mood suhc as Pop, Rock, Peace, Malibu or Juku, select the embellishments they would like to be on the garment and so on.

Once the design process is complete, you head to the U-Bar where an inhouse Fashionologist will use a heat press and add the design elements to the garment. Once ready, the customer can put on the garment and be photographed in it and if she agrees, the photo will be shown on the stores 70inch screen and also be emailed to her so she can share her new look with her friends. The cost of the process costs from USD 20-90 depending on what item you pick and how elaborate the design is.

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Sears is working hard to change its image and has teamed up with MTV to create a new back-to-school movie and will be adding to its line of street clothing and accessories that are designed by LL Cool J. The company has been redoing its image for quite some time now, trying to change people from thinking that all it sold was hardware, but sales have not been all that great and the so the company is trying to woo the young and the urban hip with this new line of clothing and branding.

According to Sears CMO, Richard Gerstein, “While mom may decide what the acceptable place is to shop, the kids are deciding what clothes they want and what places have it. If we come out of our season with much more relevance with this group, and improving our sales and profitability with this group, we think it’s a big win.” No one is sure whether these new initiatives will turn the tide for the company and rejuvenate its image and it will be interesting to watch.

…Some industry observers said they don’t believe Sears has the credibility to compete in the increasingly crowded teen market. Nor are they sure whether this latest effort will yield more success than previous initiatives aimed at bringing back shoppers.

“Trying to be everything to everybody is difficult because consumers have so many choices,” said Morningstar analyst Kim Picciola. “If they can manage to reinvent themselves, I think it will be a big win for them. But I think that’s going to be a challenge in this current environment.”

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Walmart is no longer Wal-Mart! Yes, that’s right, the hyphen is gone, as is the star in the middle and it has been replaced by an organic looking flower at the end instead. Walmart has changed its logo several times before as well, and the last time was in 1992. This change was long overdue, since it had started looking very dated. The new logo will appear on stores by the fall, but is already coming in new print advertisements and TV commercials so consumers are getting quite familiar with it already.

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The options for TVs can be quite confusing and add in the options of TV placements and you can be quite lost. It’s not all that complicated, it’s just that the variety of choices can be rather confusing, that’s all. I personally think that being able to use a LCD mount is a great way to save space and maybe even put a TV where it would not have been possible before. They are a really great way to utilize narrow spaces and turn them into a effective entertainment centers and even the focus of a room. I can’t imagine why someone didn’t think of this option earlier, since it really is a great way to take full advantage of your space.

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I’ve always been fond of jewelry and over the years have built up a nice collection of both costume and authentic jewelry. The two things that I must wear at all times are earrings and bracelets or bangles. I just feel too bare without them. Mind you, I’m not into wearing anything too jingly-jangly, it needs to be elegant and understated, and sometimes just something fun and bold. Since the gold here is so famous, I’ve been looking to get a nice gold bangle or two, something that I can wear almost on a daily basis, without looking like a Christmas tree. If you get the right carat of gold, it is sure to look really refined and classy instead of bold and brassy. I’ve already looked at options in a couple of places, but still haven’t found the kind that I’m really looking for, the kind that I will be happy to wear everyday. The hunt is always fun though!

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Since I’m in retail, I do try to visit new malls and get a perspective of the shoppers and tores there. It’s not strictly business and is something that I do for my own research and writings, but since I’ve started taking photographs on a serious basis, I have enjoyed taking photos of different malls as well. Here is one of my favorite malls in terms of architecture and public space. It has been designed very differently from the regular malls and if you go there in the mornings, you will be sure to get some really great photos of the magnificence of the building. If you think it is a bit silly calling the architecture of a mall as magnificent, then you have to see it and really take it all in for yourself and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Read more about it and see more pictures here at the site for Dubai Festival City.

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Our neighbor is a keen home improvement enthusiast and is always working on some project or the others. Lately, he is planning to install some new vinyl siding that will do well in both the heat and the cold of the desert. With the temperatures soaring and falling quite a bit, insulating the home from all the elements is especially important out here. Getting work done on one’s home is quite organized out here as there are lots of really good contractors who will finish the job on time, will not overcharge and will guarantee their work for a good amount of time. So, it really is a pleasure to make some changes and improve things around the house, unlike in places where you end up tearing your hair out just to get some very basic work done. Here, it actually is a fun job.

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