Ted Baker!

Ted baker does it again.....and in silver!

at Kurt Geiger

Y-3 Hayworth II Mid

Hope your friends have health insurance, for jaws will be dropping when you debut these.

What is the first rule of style?

KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!

Go to the Y-3 Store NOW, right here

Next Time You're in London...

Stop at Lodger. 

This most unique shop for custom shoes caught my eye because of how they do it.

they use computer technology to optically scan your pups, make a three-dimensional rendering of your feet, then turn it over to craftsmen that now know more about you than your significant other.

Check it out right here.

Master of Simplicity, Georg Jensen

If you are a person into clean lines like myself, you can do no better than Georg Jensen.

You don't get much variety here, but there is a strength in this well-edited collection of timepieces.

What do you think? 

See the full collection here.

Picasso is Overpriced....

Compared to this masterpiece on top. 

This is the Jaquet Droz, La Chaux-de-Fonds 1738 Torbillion with Repetition Minutes

White Gold case

Alligator strap

Retail: $300,000

So while you're crying about how much your trust fund lost this quarter, that nerd standing next to you with the unassuming watch is trying to decide whether he should forgo a battery change on his timepiece this month and pay your mortgage instead. Perhaps he will, you poser.

The second timepiece is a beautiful non-Toubillion which retails just north of $24,000. 

It is the more sensible option, that is until you make partner.

Purchase them here.

Need a Watch?

Go visit horomundi!

This is the best watch site I have found in a while. Learn from the trade, take part in forums and help get that Armitron your dad bought you for eighth-grade graduation off your wrist so the girls at work can stop laughing behind your back.

On second thought, if you are actually the owner of this watch and it is still in working condition, give me a call. The early-eighties are about to become HUGE again.

Berluti Shoes

These are the finest shoes money can buy. You want them and you don't even know it yet. Visit the Berluti site here and see what true craftsmanship looks like.

News That's Fit To Print

This morning I spent the better part of 45 minutes walking around looking for a newspaper to purchase. There are normally plenty of copies of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Wall Street Journal and New York Times at the Starbucks just one block from my home in downtown Chicago. Today, I visited no less than 15 resources before successfully acquiring a newspaper of any kind. I tried every 7-Eleven, White Hen, Jewel, Dominick's, news stand and bookstore in the neighborhood before, in desperation, deciding to try a hotel gift shop. 

SUCCESS CAME AT LAST!

While walking back to my home, I was stopped no less than 15-20 times by people inquiring where I had found the newspaper. Everyone seemed to be in the same predicament I had been in just minutes before.

The reason was both transparent and obvious, Barack Obama is the 44th President-Elect of the United States of America. And seeing as though I reside in his hometown, which was the site of the biggest election night rally in history, I can clearly understand the enthusiasm.

However there is a MUCH bigger story here. A retailing story, no less. A story being missed by the large conglomerates that run most of the media we have access to in this country. 

It was the theme that catapulted President-Elect Obama to his primary and general election victories. The story is about ...inclusion!

The fact is, young people and old people, rich people and poor people, whites, black, latinos women and men wanted to read a newspaper because they were certain to see articles representing their interests within the pages.

  

Newspapers have seen massive declines in readership across the country for the last 6-10 years, and at a much more rapid rate lately. Television viewership numbers that would have left Peter Jennings, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw in tears 20 years ago , is now cause for chest-thumping by the likes of Charles Gibson, Katie Couric and Brian Williams. 

We are told this flight from old media is due to people having "more options for news." This, however, is an excuse, served up by media executives stuck thinking in the Hillary/McCain mold. They are looking at the "classical" ideas of media and not seeing multitudinous opportunities that lie at their feet for the taking. 

"Classical" media looked at the landscape of all that happened in the world and decided to pick and choose, for us, what was fit to print or report. The "new" way is to show the entire landscape and allow the individual to decide what is important to them.

Let me be clear. This is not another article about how the Internet is better, faster, more comprehensive and revelatory than television or newspapers,though I agree they are. It is more about the growth potential that lie in both of the latter mediums. Something that can help to stem the tide of massive lay-offs happening  within these important American institutions.

Inclusion requires that you not only talk about the full spectrum of people, places and events, but that you reflect the full spectrum with who covers such things for your organization. Last night, for instance, a night full of historic achievement,  there was much talk of the broad coalition of various ages, races and sexes responsible for the Obama victory. The reality of who reported that news did not directly reflect the viewing audience or those reveling onscreen in the possibilities of a "new tomorrow."

The age of the principal anchors handling Election Night coverage on each major news outlet were as follows:

CBS

Katie Couric (51) and Bob Schieffer (71)

NBC

Brian Williams (49) and Tom Brokaw (68) 

ABC

Charles Gibson (65) and George Stephanapoulos (47)

PBS

Jim Lehrer (74)

CNN

Wolf Blitzer (60) and Anderson Cooper (41)

MSNBC

Chris Matthews (63), Keith Olbermann (49) and David Gregory( the oldest 38 you'll ever find)

Fox

Chris Wallace (61) and Brit Hume (65)

All of them White. All but one, male. Two septuagenarians, six sexagenarians, four at or hovering near 50 and two other rather marginalized figures hovering near forty years of age.

I genuinely believe each of them brought a wealth of perspective to the evenings events and did their best in covering what was a momentous night. However lack of perspective is what stood out most. They all talked of JFK, RFK and MLK. There was discussion of the 60's and 70's. However, there was little talk of the impact of the Internet on this election. No chronicling of the Obama fundraising juggernaut done primarily online. No discussion of the continuous evolution of the blogosphere, now used for both information and independent fundraising. Little, if any, discussion of Obama's digital "Get-Out-The-Vote" operation that overwhelmed his rival. Most anchors chose to discuss, only, the more familiar (to them) door-knocking operation. All in all, after a while it became that story your Uncle tells to the new person every Thanksgiving. Partially true,  mildly interesting and thoroughly embarrassing. They were literally, just one glaring example of why there is a massive flight from their medium as a source for staying informed 

Are we to believe it would take a search party to find an anchor of Latino, Asian or African descent? Are we to believe there are no souls under 40, or hell even 30, capable of anchoring or co-anchoring the "Big News" desk at any of these companies? Are we to believe that Katie Couric is the only woman with the requisite qualifications and experience to be a part of the "Boy's Club?" I think not.

How can I know? Barack Obama just proved it, that's how. His campaign was run by a diverse coalition of people, and as mentioned previously, won by a diverse coalition of people. 

MSNBC showcased Luke Russert on several occasions during this election cycle, using him to flesh out stories specifically relating the youth vote. These reports were generally well-received because of the freshness of the subject matter and, importantly, the depth and understanding that resulted from the person reporting the story being of  the same generation. What struck me was how many times they cutaway from his report to find an utter lack of professionalism, not by the 23 year-old reporter, but by the in-studio host. Each time after a generally routine "back to you in the studio" from the young Russert, there seemed always time enough to discuss "how proud of him" they were, how "they wish his Dad (their recently deceased colleague, Tim Russert) could see" him, or all-around head-nodding of "how well he is doing". 

We are all proud of how this young man handled the passing of his father, who was a lion in the media world. His transition into his father's line of work has seen a few kinks, but nobody with sense can say that he has seemed forced. Luke Russert is a fine professional, but it took tragic circumstances to get him on air. There are many other Luke Russert's out there waiting to be discovered. But they are being told to, "Go start in Iowa, Idaho or Montana. Then come back when you get seasoned." Like when you are in your 50's or 60's and you can no longer relate to the rest of the population.

The limitations of those currently sitting in the anchor chair are being projected onto the anchors of tomorrow, I mean TODAY!

Newspapers are not immune from the same line of thinking. The best example I can draw from is the continued slide in readership of the Chicago Tribune newspaper (down 5.8% Sundays, down 7.8% Weekdays) at a time when there is continued growth in the Tribune Company's RedEye tabloid newspaper (now up to over 200,000 copies per day, from 0 in 2002).

The RedEye is an inferior product, as far as journalistic content, when compared to it's bigger sister, the Chicago Tribune. However, RedEye drives great advertising revenue for a company that had seen it's readership literally continue to die off over the past two decades. 

RedEye is viewed as a young persons alternative to newspapers. Not an alternative to the Tribune, but an alternative to all newspapers. 

The RedEye meets most standards of a young news reader in today's society, delivering news in small "bursts." An article is rarely more than 3-5 paragraphs long, and many are just an one inch summation of a news story, accompanied by a screaming headline. Additionally, the RedEye discusses topics and people that relate directly to it's audience. While you can expect to read wide coverage of bands like U2, or television shows such as Desperate Housewives in the pages of the Chicago Tribune, RedEye is more likely to feature recording artists like T-Pain on it's cover and dish news on Gossip Girl within it's pages. They are ahead of the curve now, but the goal is clearly to become the curve. One gets the idea the journalist and editors are young or, at very least, young at heart. 

Readers can decide, quickly, if this is a story they should look into more on the Internet once they get where they are going, or if they will take a pass. Once again, you can no longer tell consumers what news is, they decide for themselves.

The Tribune, and other newspapers, could easily boost readership by borrowing the inclusive themes that come with skewing younger, and without sacrificing it's seriousness. Shorter articles that drive readers looking for more to the TRIBUNE website, where fully fleshed out material awaits. PBS does this for every piece of it's original broadcasting. Instead of leaving it to the  reader to investigate their own choice of web news provider, all the sourcing for the article can be delivered at Tribune.com.  This seems a simple solution, held back only by a nasty word that's been the death knell to many organizations, institutions and even civilizations, "tradition."

Big Media has a question to ask itself in the coming months, if not weeks. Do they dare to be at the forefront, skewing younger and more inclusive with their talent? Or will they continue this prolonged blood-letting  by having sexagenarian talking-heads try to explain the merits and intricacies of FaceBook in vain while the most dramatic cultural and generational shift in our nation's history is taking place on the screens around them?

The way forward is to trust in the profound talent that resides in the many cultures and youth of America. Ask of them that thing which has not been asked before, save service in the military during times of war. Let us ask them to take a seat at the table and be a part of developing solutions to the many obstacles that plague us all.

Being inclusive is not only the rational thing to do, it's the profitable thing as well.

Best of Oct: Barney's NY Part II

If you ever want an idea of what to strive for when creating visually compelling windows, start with these.

The artist or, surely, artists at Barney's achieve the spectacular, the odd, the jaw-dropping, the unique and the spectacular in five panes. 

Coherence, clarity, individuality, deep personality, wit, aspiration and, my favorite, relevance are all present.

To take a theme (ostrich) and work it in 5 mediums, from actual plumage, to wire hangers, even suit swatches takes more talent than one can imagine.

All well done, all telling a separate story, and done with depth (both literal and figurative).

This is usage of the window space practiced in it's highest form.

I look forward to keeping an eye out for this team's work in the coming months.

Best Of Oct. Barney's NY (Rush & Oak St.)

Very few people can do what you see in the first image. In one succinct window pane you get:

1. The hottest topic in popular culture (the Presidential Election).
2. A humorous nod to local pride in race (Abe of Illinois, just like Obama).
3. An unencumbered view of the genius that is Dior tailoring.
4. An uncluttered reminder of your civic duty (Go and VOTE!).

This is one of the strongest simple presentations I have seen, ever. I spent a considerable amount of time taking it in at all angles. 

I came to the conclusion that the single most impressive thing about the entire window, is how the whole visual is authenticated by the small piece of felt pretending to be Abe's beard. Had faux hair been used it would not have been as effective, or gratifying.

This, folks, is damn near genius.

Why Windows Matter

As budgets start to contract throughout the entire retail hierarchy (most especially in support divisions), the usage of window space becomes a critical component of driving your business. 

Let's face it, spending, on advertising in particular,  is dramatically down in the past four months. Retailers, design houses and boutiques are being stretched to a limit not seen in modern retail history. Therefore every function of the company must be lock step in an all-out quest to promote your brand. Every dollar spent on anything beyond inventory must be expected to produce a significant return on investment. 

Display windows, in any store, should be a driving force in that quest. A poor visual display in your window gains little to no interest and thus was not worth the time spent doing them. Good visuals in store windows show the public what you are selling and even drive a specific item in the display to sell much better. Great visual displays are something else entirely. 

Great windows not only drive business, but additionally, they enhance or reinforce your brand and demand contemplation from a public notorious for possessing a short attention span.

Poor Windows are usually done by "a person" working at the store. Good windows are usually done by very competent visual teams that work within the stores, guided by the bureaucratic corporate idea of uniformity. However, great windows can only be achieved through the direction of ARTISTS, whether they are part of a team of visual artists within the stores ,or are contracted out by the retailer. In either case, they are given pretty much complete autonomy, for the retailer hired them for their ability to creatively express themselves.

I saw more than a few examples of each this week.

Here are a few from my most recent walk.

Delivering on the Promise

Specialty Retailers love to tell you how "special" they are. However, from the customers perspective, what makes a retailer "special" is the meeting your clientele's expectation of being introduced to genuinely unique merchandise, artists or designers, and on a fairly regular basis.

While cost-effectiveness virtually prohibits brick and mortar retailers from really knocking your socks off each time you visit, I am perplexed as to why more of them opt not to use their online presence to do just that, showcase something new.

Today I would like to share a couple of websites I visit often, CoutureLab and Portero. While they both speak for themselves aesthetically, I would like to share a few thoughts on why they both work exceedingly well from a (repeat) business perspective. 

CoutureLab is truly one of the most unique and satisfying retail destinations on the web. If you need a gift for the person who has everything, well don't buy that person anything! If you seek a special "job well done" gift for yourself, or for that very special someone in your life, CoutureLab is your destination.

Upon entering the website you start to get a sense that something, both unusual and fascinating, is one click away. Not because you hear the thumping soundtrack of a famous DJ's techno-remix, or the page somehow sways like wheat fields in a windstorm. No, the power in this site's introductory page is it's immediate insistance that "this will be different." Right on page one you are told the site offers custom pieces from their formidable stable of artists and designers. All the while images of unique, one-of-a-kind merchandise flies across the screen before you can fully grasp how awesome they are.

After choosing from a broad range of categories, you are instantly (and I mean INSTANTLY) aware that your are at a destination with an well-edited assortment of artisans unlike anything you are used to. Each page screams "I want it all". From the Bottega Veneta double-flap briefcase to Vincente Gracia's nest and serpent ring , the amount of care, patience and craftsmanship is readily apparent.

The CoutureLab site also offers many different views of each item, a full, detailed description of the merchandise (and artist most times) and one of the best zoom features I've ever played with.

But the true strength of CoutureLab is.... they are always FRESH! 

The first button you can click on the first page of the website is literally "new." And while lots of websites offer that feature, few deliver on the promise as frequently as CoutureLab. My faith is rewarded on each visit by an item I have not seen, or perhaps, a new artist or designer I have not heard of before. I am sure you will admit that being first in your sphere of influence trumps just about everything else.

CoutureLab delivers on the promise by rewarding me each time I take a gander to their site. This, most certainly, is a site you should be visiting on a quite regular basis.

Next up is Portero, or what I refer to as Me-Bay. That's because it is an eBay designed for the likes of Audrey Hepburn.

Now the founders of Portero knew very well, the leviathan that is eBay, sold everything under the sun when they decided to start this company a short three and one-half years ago. The also knew eBay sold almost every luxury goods label imaginable. But what the Portero team understood that nobody else knew then (or really even now), is that luxury can never be luxury if sold next to knock-offs, or amongst disreputable vendors.

So that is what Portero offers, AUTHENTICATION! 

That cannot be overstated in the circus of today's online retail marketplace. Every item sold on Portero is certified as authentic by an in-house category specialist, or in some instances, a certified vendor. So gone are the days of finding out your Louis Vuitton wallet purchased for  $7.45 for is not the real deal when you take it to the store for a repair.

Enter the Portero website and you are jaunted to attention. "I'm sorry, does that say Picasso for sale?", you think before the page even finishes loading. Indeed it is. This is your immediate signal indicating you are somewhere special, where luxury means luxury.  

You are then directed to choose a category, at which time you are inundated by the biggest names in luxury: Hermes (yes croco Birkins live here), Judith Leiber, Dior, Cartier, Chopard, Bulgari, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Baccarat and Lalique. That warm sensation becomes hot flashes as you start to notice the prices. Yes, that is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust in black and stainless steel on bid for $2975, a full 40% off it's retail price of $5550! Yes, that is a Gurhan 24k Yellow Gold Hammered Marquis Pendant necklace on bid for $725, less than half the regular retail price of $1760! Two great examples of why this site is one of the fastest growing entities on the web, for those in the know are aware that rare are the times you'll find Rolex or Gurhan at a discount. Yet here they are.

And therein lies the allure of Portero. A steady stream of new additions to their pre-authenticated auction inventory. The best names in luxury, all new or gently used and at a  tremendous discount. You are now forced to visit on a regular basis, lest that Chanel Large Black Caviar Leather Tote going for less than half-price is still there. Thus, Portero is always delivering on the promise, of sustained renewal.

These are two retailers getting the most on two important fronts, repeat business and word of mouth. Each exceeding the expectations of  their clientele on every visit with something fresh, new and exciting. A business model that can be applied quite easily, given the proper motivation and leadership. 

Now that is what I call "Special."

Gloomy Outlook, But Not For All

Most retail analysts have already written the eulogy for this years Holiday Shopping Season, and they may be correct. However, not all retailers find themselves facing the same obstacles in their path to a successful, 4th Quarter.

There are, in fact, several retailers that should perform strongly in the face of what many are calling the "toughest Holiday outlook in recent memory." Stores that should vastly outperform their counterparts include: Costco, GameStop and Wal-Mart.

Costco is a membership warehouse retailer that carries a wide range of name-brand products, from Snickers and fresh seafood, to Travel and Home Improvement Services, even funeral caskets at select locations.

This holiday should prove to be a boon for Costco above and beyond everyone else because of financial pressure being put on the top end of the consumer segment. The global financial crisis has had an impact on more than just Wall Street. So as more people start to tighten belts across the country, the question will not become "what can I live without", but rather "how can I live the same for less?". 

Costco, with its spotless stores, wide-aisles, hefty and brand-relevant assortment, coupled with a welcoming, friendly, well-informed staff is poised to become the favorite destination of many a budget-cruncher between now and January.

Sales are poised to surge in their electronics category, where the popular Vizio line of plasma TV's deliver a lot of television (up to 60"), for not much hurt on the pocketbook (under $3000). Add to that a full  line of IPod products, as well as several GPS options, all at a discount, and you start to see why this is an opportunity shoppers will not pass on.

The category that will really drive Costco to the top of the "holiday winners" chart this year will be it's unending supply of name-brand household essentials, all at incomparable prices. Whether it's Tide detergent, Starbucks coffee, Heinz catsup, Special K cereal, Crest toothpaste, Shiseido facial cream, Huggies diapers or Advil and Aleve pain tablets, this store has all the bases covered. 

So as more and more Americans make saving a priority, while trying to maintain the lifestyles to which they have become accustomed, stores like Sam's Club will get a bump. The clear winner though will be the retailers that carries the familiar products, at fantastic prices. That store is Costco.

The only category that seems to be bucking every negative trend in the recent retail market is, consumer electronics. Think about it, over the last eighteen months we have seen the wildly successful rollouts of: Nintendo's Wii, Sony's BlueRay DVD and PS3, Apples' IPhone, IPod touch and MacBook Air, Google's G1, BlackBerry's everything, afordable HD camcorders, Microsoft's Zune, as well as others I am sure I am forgetting at the moment. Wow!

Thus far, in 2008, recording artists have produced 15 Platinum albums, with Lil' Wayne's "Tha Carter III" leading the way with sales in excess of 2 million copies. That pales in comparison to the unprecedented 26 video game titles that have sold over 1 million units in the U.S. alone since January 1 of this year. When you consider the top selling video game title of 2008, Wii Sports, sold 6.4 million copies in the United States alone, you start to grasp the gravity of the situation.

GameStop, with 4000+ stores in the U.S., is the retailer best positioned to reap the benefits of the video game phenomenon during holiday 2008. The store is, quite literally, everywhere. And we need them to be. 

They also have something every retailer in America only dreams of replicating, a staff of "users", or people that use and know the ins and outs of everything sold in the store. Non-gaming adults can walk through the doors of a GameStop, ask for a gift suggestion and, depending on how many associates are on staff, get a lively debate on the merits of many options, generally ending in your walking away with a sound choice, sure to satisfy the most ardent gamer.

Beyond being helpful and knowledgeable, the return policy is beyond fair (I would say the best in the retail industry). Just bring the receipt, along with your opened or unopened product, and you can exchange the item, as long as it is within 30 days. This is most fair because the average gamer is more than happy to visit their GameStop more than once a month, if not once a week. 

The Video Game Industry, more than any other, has emulated and capitalized on the model of the Motion Picture Industry's model of making events out of big releases. With the hyper-successful releases of GTA-IV and Halo-3, as well as last nights Fall Out 3, they seems to be going about utilizing this strategy to it's full potential. They also have the benefit of rolling out a few MAJOR titles this year. For unlike movie titles, video game sequels are sure things! 

This holiday season will see the release of Resistance 2 (11/4), Gears of War 2 (11/7), Call of Duty 5 (11/11), Tomb Raider: Underworld (11/18) and Prince of Persia (12/2), which gets a "Batman Begins" style franchise reboot that looks impressive so far.

So, barring running out of merchandise (don't laugh, it happened a lot during holiday 2007), Gamestop seems a sure bet to have a break-out 4th  Quarter.

The last "winner" of Holiday 2008 will be Walmart. 

If for no other reason than they have the smartest (no one claims most beloved) team in the business. They are just spot on in their forecasting, with most other retailers sitting around waiting for Walmart to break the good/bad news and react accordingly. The problem this year is, there will be NO TIME to react to market conditions. Retailers will sink or swim based on the decisions their merchandising teams made, some as early as February 2008. Do you shudder at the thought? I certainly do. 

I can tell you I would not be comfortable with a retail decision made in mid-September,before the market meltdown, let alone 3-9 months ago. The Walmart team are always, always, always analyzing every aspect of their business, so they have razor-thin margins, and the best inventory management systems in the business, hands down. This will allow them to make the moves necessary to ensure they are taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself within their stores. The combination of speed and information will allow them to emerge better off than almost everyone else. Don't look for a massive increase, but expect them to come away with a win, if only marginal.

There are certainly storm clouds on the horizon this holiday season, however, I am comfortable in saying these three retailers brought their collective umbrellas.

Thank You Dana Thomas

Deluxe, despite its horribly misleading subtitle, is a book everyone, who is not perpetually naked, should read.

It is less expose, than penetrating journey into the world of real luxury manufacturers. 

I won't spend much time on the details of the book because I want you to draw your own conclusions. 

However, I will say the book is a page-turner, and I came away all the more prepared, focused and in touch with what I want my "brand" to be about.

This book is part Business, part Biography and Dana Thomas achieves a quite rare feat in these pages, she makes a complex subject very entertaining from page one.

Layaway No Longer a Laughing Matter

For easily the last 30 years, the word "layaway" has carried a negative, almost comic, connotation with it. Comics from Richard Pryor to Chris Rock, even George Carlin, have found humor in this most "common" way of purchasing items. That is, over a period of time, before taking them home.

Oh how times have changed. Layaway is making a comeback!

Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, ceremoniously ended their layaway program in September of 2006, a move the smartest retailer in the world has to be re-evaluating at this very hour. K-Mart never suspended it's program and now, in fact, is heavily promoting layaway in it's 1380 stores.

The culprit? A dramatic downturn in the economy, but most importantly, a freeze on credit throughout every almost every industry.

Most are well-versed of the growing nightmare of home mortgage delinquencies, but few have paid attention to the staggering amount of personal credit card defaults which are rising at an alarming rate. This has made credit card-issuers highly-selective at a time of year when consumers are most likely looking to increase their credit lines, the holiday shopping season.

The solution, at some savvy retailers, seems to lie in having consumers start paying for those holiday purchases before the holidays, in stark contrast to the usual "No Money 'til January 2030" ads we see each November and December.

There may even be a move towards attempting to make layaway more mainstream. 

In October of 2007 I came across this nugget on a business journal site I like to watch. Dieon Sanders, of Professional Football fame, was teaming up with a company that did not seem to fit the "branding" model of most pro athletes. The company? eLayaway, a company that offers layaway on items from over 250 merchant stores. They do not sell merchandise, they are primarily just the servicer of payments to those merchants. Using this model, I foresee a tremendous growth in the next 6-12 months in merchant membership, primarily because it could furnish anonymity to a participating merchant at the store level. A consumer could pay over time at eLayaway, then walk through the doors of say, Abercrombie and Fitch, to pick up their merchandise, all without any sign, within the store, of the transaction being consummated through layaway.

Don't expect to see this in your local Nordstrom, Sak's or Neiman's any time soon, but as more Americans come face to face with the reality of this economic crisis, look for layaway to, perhaps, take on a new persona, wide cultural acceptance.

Best Product of 2008 = Consumer Democracy

Shop Savvy is a new application available on the new G1 mobile phone, powered by Google Android and sold exclusively through T-mobile.

This is the most promising and impactful development on the retail frontier right now. 

Why you ask?

This is literally the democratization of the pricing process. Imagine a customer armed with the knowledge of how much an item they are interested in purchasing cost at every retailer in the immediate area, as well as online.

Well, imagine no more. This amazing application scans the bar code on any product, then gives you the price and location for every retailer selling that item in your current zip code. As a bonus you get prices from online retailers and contact information for each of them. 

Now, if you are on the train and the person next to you recommends a book they are reading, you can scan the bar code and purchase it when you get off the train. The bottle of Veuve Clicquot may cost a few bucks less down the street, find out immediately.

Here is a demo of the application:

There is so much upside to Shop Savvy that I cannot imagine anyone not seeing this as a necessity. This will force retailers to compete on price, thus ensuring that each customer really is getting the best price on their purchase.

The future is here and it's name is Shop Savvy, on the G1 mobile phone, powered by Google Adroid, available exclusively at T-Mobile.

The Great ('08) Missed Opportunity

There are few retailers having "break-out" business right now.

That being said, I wondered if there are any glaring missed opportunities by the major retailers at the moment. It took less than 15 minutes to not only come up with a HUGE missed opportunity, but to have it confirmed by multiple sources as an item each and every one of them had to find new resources to purchase.

The Item.....Barack Wear!!!

Since, at least early February the Obama phenomenon has been in full swing, with a multitude of industries, esp. media, riding his coat-tails to unprecedented growth in their respective trades.  Perhaps none more so than apparel-makers, all mired in what has been a long (well in excess of a year) stretch without an "it" item.  Well the "it" item has been "anything Obama!"

While it is quite easy to say this election has not been decided yet, there is no denying the Obama behemoth in regards to merchandising sales. 

I checked the websites of Saks, Neiman's, Nordstrom, Bergdorf, Bloomingdales and Macy's, nothing! To be fair, I also checked Target, Sears and Kohl's, they also were not selling anything in their apparel divisions.

This cash cow has been left to the online market ENTIRELY! A cursory Google search for Obama merchandise will provide one thousands of shopping options, from doggie-tee's for $9.00 to the Swarovski crystal t-shirt pictured above on sale for $189.99 down from $380.00 at DesignerRhinestoneFashion.com. One retailer, Azalea Boutique, even sold jeans in a dark mocha color named "Obama".

There can be no doubt that designers took note of the Obama-phenomenon, as pointed out in last Saturdays Chicago Tribune. The major retailers will have little choice but to carry the goods come Spring 2009, as many top designers, such as Zac Posen, chose to run with Obama themes and influences for their upcoming collections.

The estimates for how much Obama merchandise has sold from January 2008 to now range from $200 million to $1.4 billion, depending on the source. If he is become President-elect, sales are expected to explode for the foreseeable future. Even if you settle somewhere in the middle of those figures, one question comes to mind....

How did all the smart people at these companies miss this opportunity?

1st things 1st

If you work with, or within, the Retail community and have not read this book, please try to explain to me WHY NOT?

Mark Stevens lays out, quite clearly, the very simple framework for turning any business around. The book is example-driven and done in  very common sense fashion.

I really think it the new bible of professional management techniques. You cannot read this book and come away saying you feel as confident, or as lousy, about yourself, your team, or company. 

It is still the only book I give as a gift to professional clients, and it belongs in your library.....like yesterday.

Now why did I say all that, you ask? I think it necessary to make everyone aware that this blog is meant to be a celebration of the "new". Together I hope to share new ideas and exciting breakthroughs that are decimating the barriers that we find ourselves trying to hurdle in the everyday retail environment.

Whether it is advertising, marketing, human resources, visual presentation, merchandising, training, hiring, increasing sales, budgeting, trend-spotting, fixtures, events, promotions, online-presence or forecasting, if it has to do with the Retail Industry, it's fair game.

Let's get started..