Flowrider

When we went to Las Vegas last month we noticed alot of vacancies in the Fashion Show mall. While the management at the mall found interesting ways to hide the vacancies, at other malls around the country are not so lucky. Mall management- meet Flowrider.
Shoppers used to come to the mall to shop, and now Flowrider is bringing a whole new experience to shopping. A water "ride" that fills vacancies is popping up in nearly a half dozen vacancies nationwide. Giving people a whole new reason to come to the mall is a great idea. Experiential shopping is the new form of shopping.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/business/05mall.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=retailing&st=cse

GROUP PROJECT

AN updae for our group:

We have interviewed nurses, as well as all visited the hospital. We need Bob's email adress so we can interview him about how the store currently advertises, as well as how large the potential budget is. We hope to do more than just put up flyers in the hospital.
Our next step is to take picures of the store and meet as a group to discuss our options.

Job Search

As I begin the job search I am so excited to say the economy is beginning to steadily increase. I have noticed a lot more people in the stores shopping and the stock market has slowly started to go up. We are beginning to see more and more ads for vanity products because the market is beginning to get better. For example Candies has come out with a new ad campaign for their fragrances. (http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/britney-s-final-turn-2088767?module=featured_2088767) Featuring celebrities like Britney Spears and Carrie Underwood, Candies has managed to do well in this struggling economy.

Wal Mart Back on Top

According to a recent New York Times article Wal Mart has found a way to make a name for itself even in this draining economy. While other retailers sales and share values have declined Wal Mart's has surprisingly risen. A recent New York Times article by Stephanie Rosenbloom states “We believe falling gas prices significantly boosted household disposable income in February and therefore allowed for both more trips and more spending toward discretionary categories,” Wal-Mart said in announcing its results. ".
And they couldn't be more right. Because gas prices are lower families do have more money, however not enough to blow on large items. Wal Mart can make a killing in this situation if they keep up their customer satisfaction and merchandise mix.
If you are interested in reading more about Wal Mart and how they stay afloat- and are helping other retailers do the same check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/business/economy/06retail.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=retailing&st=cse

Fashion Week in Milan!

Fashion Week is underway in Milan, and it couldn't be more fabulous! Besides the fact that alot of the clothes are a dreary color and cut, they almost resemble leisure wear from the 1940's and war time era. Why do you ask is it fabulous? Because it is a sense of fashion we have never really gotten to experience first hand. From Prada's bleak brown jackets, to giant fabulous fur coats by Emilio Pucci, it seems like this coming winter in terms of fashion is going to be either very loud, or very bland, with little in between.
Since we will be gradutating soon I wanted to pay extra attention business/ business casual wear. It looks like alot of suits are slim fit and will be tailored to a woman's physique. (Also in bland khaki and dark colors.) They all seem to have high necklines, with scoop neck cuts, as opposed to the usual V neck cut. I do not know if I will follow this trend, because I prefer the V neck, especially since the trend last season was experimental necklines.

That Time of Year!

Its that time of year- RTW time! As the rooms began to pack, the runways were full of glamorous fashions. It is important to have fashion week at this time of the economy because it allows a glimpse of hope for the fashion industry. AFter looking at pictures on WWD.com, I noticed that alot of the styles were very straight forward and not very whimsical at all. In fact, it seemed very structured and the colors were not very exciting. They say that the fashion show lines seem to mimick the economy, especially during war and troubled times.
I would like to see more style and "futuristic" styles in the shows. It is a new year and I think bright colors would stimulate buyers, and give hope to retailers. Come on designers, we want to see exciting designs, bright colors, and hope for the future!

Oh Economy!

Is it just me, or does the dawning of a new day mean the constant downfall of our economy. Tonight I logged onto WWD.com, only to see every headline be about a different company either tanking, or earnings down. From Polo to Fortunoff, it seems all aspects of the retailing world are in trouble.

I need to start seeing good news, or I'm in trouble for graduation. Even leisure activity sales are down, as the flagship Virgin megastore in Times Square NYC is set to close. (NYTimes.com) Thats right, its CLOSING! But, according to this article it will be replaced in early april by our ever-favorite Forever21.

What does this mean? The consumer willing to spend money is ever changing, and right now that consumer is us!

A New Semester, A New Economy

So here it is, the start of a new semester and a new blog! With the start of this new semester comes the downhill fall of our economy- lucky me getting thrown into the work world in three months!
For example, today alone, according to WWD, Bon Ton, Eddie Bauer, and Chico's all suffered massive layoffs due to the increasing economic crisis. I feel like lower end retailers will be the first to feel the stress, but higher end retailers will soon follow. Which makes me worry about what will happen in a few months. Can Obama turn it all around? Or will next thing we know Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Coach all be on a downward spiral towards chapter 11 bankruptcy?