Retail Goes to the Dogs

Despite the snow, hail, rain and/or constant naysaying about the economy, shoppers are out in large numbers for the upcoming holidays.

Trudging down the trendy streets of Northwest Portland for last-minute gifts, I found myself running into other fellow shoppers armed with large packages, children...and dogs.

They're inside the actual stores no less and then traipsing ever so arrogantly down the sidewalk with their owners. I've seen little dogs in huge purses, as well as large husky dogs--next to a display of lingerie.

To make matters worse, these shopping dogs (as I'm now calling them) are often dressed--yes, I said dressed--in bedazzled collars and cozy sweaters.

What is going on here people? These are animals for crying out loud. They might be just "animals" to me, but they are fully accepted as legitimate patrons by the likes of Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Gap and Barneys New York. Even Tiffany & Co. will allow dogs to hang out around their jewels. In a recent LA Times article, Tiffany's regional vice president Jonathan Bruckner was quoted as gushing, "we love dogs."

So, when did dogs in stores become fashionable? While I hate to credit Paris Hilton for anything of value in the world, I'm pretty sure (and I've got the L.A. Times to back me up on this one) more and more dogs started showing up on the retail scene after Hilton was photographed with her tiny dogs all over L.A. However, Nordstrom insists they've been dog-friendly for more than 20 years. I'm going to need actual confirmation on that from a Nordstrom shopper first though.

The article also points out that many malls do not allow dogs (although individual stores might) unless they're in some type of carrier--they figure if the owner is willing to brave an accident of some kind, it should be a mess they clean up on their own. While I couldn't agree more, I'm personally distressed by dogs that bark loudly at other dogs; especially when I'm at the makeup counter trying on a new lipstick. Or when I'm trying to get down the sidewalk and have to make room for the big St. Bernard. I love dogs, don't get me wrong--but dogs in stores? I'm not sure I fully understand the benefit of it.

What's your take on retailers allowing dogs in stores? Will it bring in more customers or turn off those who aren't huge dog lovers? Leave your comments here.

--Heather Strang

Note: This is my last blog post for Retail Design Diva. I've thoroughly enjoyed writing for this blog, and interacting with all of you. In the future, you can reach me at: www.HeatherStrang.com. Thank you and happy holidays!

Happy Holidays!

The Retail Design Diva wishes everyone a happy holiday season! The Diva will be back and blogging on Dec. 29th. She knows you'll miss her, but you'll just have to deal with it :)

The New Male Sex & The City?

Out at the mall the other day, I noticed an interesting trend--men shopping with groups of other men. Think Sex & The City, only instead of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, you've got Carl, Sam, Randy and Charles. According to industry analysts, we better get used to it. Men are no longer deferring the shopping to their wives, girlfriends, best friends or mothers; they're doing it all themselves.

In fact, a recent article in the Chicago Sun Times notes that during the economic lull, men are coming out and shopping more than ever before. An unstable work environment apparently motivates men to start thinking more about their wardrobe. Looking good becomes connected to being successful. Well, duh. Carrie Bradshaw could have told them that back in the early '90s. But, at least they're coming around.

A study by the NPD Group found that 52.4 percent of men planned to spend $100-499 on clothes for the holidays, compared to only 50.8 percent of women.

Retailers are now starting to look at the male demographic as one with some serious spending power. The Sun-Times lists the following mind-boggling statistic: In 1975, men only purchased 25 percent of all available men's products, while women bought 75 percent of their goods. What?! Today, those numbers have been reversed--men are now purchasing 75 percent of their own products. Wow, what a difference 30 years can make.

In addition, more men than ever before are dialing up their friends to accompany them on shopping trips (think girls day at the mall, but with the boys).

"Men are finding friends--they don't have to be romantic friends--who make shopping a social occasion. This is a new phenomenon," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group.

I love this! Why shouldn't men be empowered to purchase the items they care about, especially when it comes to their clothing? It's exciting to see this demographic growing, along with the cultural shift of men hanging out with friends at the mall.

Remember the days when your boyfriend would staunchly sit on one of those uncomfortable benches in the mall, continually checking his watch? Not any more--instead there may be a fight over having to leave the mall before it closes...

What's your take on this shopping shift? Why do you think men are more focused on how they look today, than they did 30 years ago? Know a retailer that's catering to this market in a really big way? Tell us about it here!

--Heather Strang

You Are Where You Shop

"You are what you eat." We've all heard that one before, right? In which case, I'm a tofu almond milk salad, but that's a whole other story. This begs the question--are we also where we shop, particularly in the political arena? Since when did politics and retail align? Apparently, the two are more closely aligned than I ever could have imagined.

And Utica, N.Y.-based Zogby Interactive has the proof. In a recent poll of more than 24,000 voters, the firm found that the political status of shoppers was reflected in the stores they chose to patronize.

Confused yet? I know I was. Until I read the entire press release. Consider the following: shoppers who frequented Wal-Mart were more likely to vote for John McCain (and George W. Bush, for that matter). For the 2008 election, 58 percent of Wal-Mart shoppers voted for McCain, while 41 percent voted for Obama.

The survey also found that Wal-Mart shoppers felt terrorism and keeping the military strong were the United States primary issues, while chosing the "the need for change" as one of the lowest concerns.

Who knew where we shopped could say so much about who we are? 

John Zogby had this to say about the fascinating phenomena, "We are where we shop. Our 2008 results re-affirm that store shopping choices align with political ideology. Shoppers at Wal-Mart and Sears are clearly more conservative than the electorate at-large. On the left are Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's. Elections are decided in the middle, and Obama did that by winning Target, Costco, J.C. Penney and Marshall's by double-digits. If you want one indicator of how Obama pulled off an Electoral College landslide, look at Sears and Wal-Mart, where he significantly cut the Republican advantage Bush held over Kerry in 2004."

One question then, what does it say when you shop at Target, Ross and IKEA? Someone at Zogby should get back to me on this. Incidentally, Target shoppers voted for Obama 63 percent to McCain's 36 percent...

So, if we are where we shop, then we might all do well to think (as I am) about what our shopping choices say about who we are as individuals. Do you believe our shopping choices are closely aligned with our political beliefs? What do you think of the Zogby survey results? Leave your comments here!

--Heather Strang

Ace Your Face

Ace Hardware is going viral this holiday season. With more than 4,600 Ace stores across the globe, the hardware company recently launched “Ace Your Face,” a viral campaign that allows consumers to send holiday greetings to family and friends...oh and coworkers too.

The online tool lets you upload a photo of you and your loved ones--be it family members or pets or whatever/whoever else you hold dear--to create customized holiday scenes. The eight settings feature kitschy group shots with matching snowman sweaters, winter sports adventures and Santa visits. And, it's amazingly simple to do...upload, zoom, rotate, voila! “Ace Your Face” was designed to be easily shared via e-mail, social media sites and blog links--thus the viral spread.

The marketing and advertising promotions for the campaign include direct e-mails to corporate employees and to members of Ace’s customer loyalty program; banner ads on social media sites, such as Facebook, and sites like AOL and Yahoo!; and paid search initiatives. To date, the “Ace Your Face” site has attracted nearly 60,000 visitors. More than 12,000 of those visitors created cards and sent them on to an average of two people each.

I have to admit, I like the catchy, rhyming name, but I wonder how much holiday cards will inspire people to shop at Ace Hardware? Perhaps just getting their name out there and being seen will be enough to remind shoppers that they have options on where to buy Dad that new toolbox/chainsaw/super-manly gift. Do you think viral campaigns work? Let us know!

--Jessie Bove

Photo: I Aced my dog's face.

Tales from the Trenches: Part 1

As we enter into the holiday shopping season, even one like this year’s, retailers around the country are busy gearing up for the rush.

At least I hope they are. In this most challenging of times, one might even expect those in the retail sphere to impress upon their in-store legions that now, more than ever, would be a good time to work just that little bit harder. To put a smidgen more effort into spreading some season’s cheer. To go perhaps the extra mile to elicit a sale from shoppers that seem jittery at best, and downright freaked at worst.

Alas, I recently got a stark reminder of how such intentions may be getting lost in mix.

You see, this past Thanksgiving my mum ventured to these shores for a little holiday. And good European tourist that she is, she arrived armed with a modest mound of moolah and a list from the folks back home of American desirables on which to spend it.

Should be simple right? Cash in pocket, list in hand, all that remains is to locate the stuff she needs. And doesn’t that oldest of promises that we make as retailers go something like this--if you’ve got the dough, we’ve got the goods and nothing would make us happier than to provide them to you? There, it seems, is where the proverbial wheel came off the wagon.

For a big percentage of her planned purchases she visited a retailer with so great a reputation it has attracted the attention of my sister across the pond. Not an insignificant achievement let me tell you. For the purposes of this tale the retailer shall remain nameless, but there’s a clue or two in here so you can probably figure it out.

Upon her visit to said store, my mum--being an old fashioned sort when it comes to her shopping needs--approached the first sales person she saw, showed him the list and waited to pay for her goods. He offered a cheery “Sure, I’ll be right back,” and promptly disappeared.

When this peppy (and preppy) youth did not re-engage with her for a tedious 10 minutes, she approached another associate, this one of the fairer sex, and tried once more. This one also promised a speedy return, but then disappeared as well and was only located when my mum elected to venture into the bowels of the establishment, where she located both of them chatting away and ironing product.

That she actually still bought something sort of amazes me, but she was loyal to the list and keen not to disappoint. She’s like that my mum. She keeps her promises.

I hope for all our sakes that there are plenty of retailers out there this season that are planning to do the same. The tales I heard a few days later from Black Friday didn’t inspire much confidence, ranging from understaffed to underwhelming. 

Did the boom years do nothing more than make us lazy? And wouldn’t it truly be a shame if we compounded the problems out there by forgetting the basics of what it is that we do? 

--Christian Davies, Guest Blogger

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...Christmas

We're T-minus 13 days until Christmas. And do you know how I remembered that I was totally behind on my holiday shopping? I walked through Northwest Portland. Guess what I saw: beautiful Christmas displays, white twinkling lights spiraled through the trees and lovely holiday music (not the annoying kind you hear in the grocery store where Mariah Carey sings, "All I Want For Christmas" for the 5,000th time) filtering down the street.

Suddenly, it dawned on me: The sky isn't falling, so maybe I should go buy some gifts for the people I love.

Retailers just don't know how powerful they are. Or maybe they do. To feel despair after watching CNN and then walk into the street and feel joy--now that's good stuff. With all the nay-saying and negative news, gorgeous Christmas displays are sure to cheer consumers up.

The Seattle Times recently reported on downtown Seattle's efforts to bring holiday cheer to residents, all the while encouraging them to spend some cash. The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) is pulling out all the stops by doing it up big for the holidays. They're suggesting that retailers put up snazzy holiday light patterns on the sides of their buildings, and retailers are doing it. They've got carousel rides in Westlake Park and Santa Claus hanging out in Nordstrom.

The city will also feature a continuous five-minute light and music show in Westlake Park every half-hour in the evening (think Bellagio water and light show, without all the Vegas glam), holiday family photos and more than three dozen lighted displays, including a tricycle, drum set and toy race car. Those Seattle folks sure do know how to party, don't they?

Now, while Portland's lovely lights got me back in the Christmas spirit, the question is: Are pretty lights, displays and Santa enough to inspire shoppers to spend some cash?

The way I look at it, it can't hurt. We've got to do something to counter all of the doom and gloom that's out there. Low prices are a good start to lure shoppers, as is creating an environment that produces joy. Good ol' fashioned joy never hurt anyone, right? And certainly when one feels joyful, one wants to shop and spend money. At least that's how I roll.

What about you? Do gorgeous Christmas light displays, light shows and carousels get you in the holiday shopping spirit? What is your city doing to encourage shoppers to get out there and do what they do best? Tell us about it here!

--Heather Strang

 

Retail Reaches Out to the President-Elect

Retail marketing is always fun to watch. You just never know what type of excitement (or horror!) the next ad campaign will bring. And it's especially exciting to see retailers get involved in world events. But, even so, it was a pretty big surprise when after the recent elections, a few retailers created ads geared at President-elect Barack Obama.

In a recent article by BrandWeek, Al Ries, chairman of Roswell, Ga.-based Ries & Ries, noted that it's highly atypical for retailers to get involved in political campaigns.

He went on to say, "This to me is very surprising. I've been around for a while and I can't remember when Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter or John F. Kennedy or Dwight D. Eisenhower have had an avalanche of ads telling them what to do."

Telling them what to do? Yep, that's right. Retailers are getting bold, putting in their requests to the upcoming president.

And who would have thought Pedigree dog food could be so bold?

The advertisement read like a letter, encouraging President-elect Obama to make good on his promise to allow his daughters to get a puppy for the White House. The ad ran in USA Today and featured a small, adorable dog (that any girl could love!) with a letter stating, "We'd love to help you fulfill your first campaign promise."

Now seriously. That is adorable. I'm not a huge fan of cheesy ad campaigns, but Pedigree really outdid themselves on this one.

After the advertisement came out, bloggers began covering it and publications started reporting on its messaging. The ad popped up on ad of the month sites as well. Not a bad way to get some additional attention, Pedigree.

New York-based Kenneth Cole followed suit with a billboard, "A precedent we can be proud of." Bold, absolutely? Does it work? It got my attention, along with many others in the media.

While it is surprising to see retailers getting so blatantly involved in the current political climate, it also seems to be a good way to garner more media attention.

Both advertisers received many blog posts throughout the web and coverage by outside media of all sorts, not to mention connecting with customers in a different way.

Do you know any other retailers who got in on the action? Think Pedigree's ad was adorable or shameless? Leave your comments here!

 -Heather Strang

Las Vegas Style In A Mall?

The one thing I don't like about Las Vegas (and there is only one thing) is all of the bright, flashing digital displays. You can't take two steps without being bombarded with a digital billboard telling you about the hottest new tiger show in town. So, when I go to the mall, the last thing I want in my face is shiny digital media.

Apparently, I'm in the minority on this one.

Westfield, one of the Europe's largest shopping malls, is oozing digital media from every pore, with more than 100 retailer advertising screens, and one as large as 646-sq.-ft.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Westfield London is one of the first shopping centers to offer such a huge amount of digital media, a la Vegas style. Yet, these digital billboards are more fancy schmancy than traditional digital media. They are encased in sleek pods made of Corian. Insert "ooohs and ahhhs" here. 

Retailers such as Tiffany & Co. think it's a smashing idea, and have signed up to have their digital images flying all over the shopping mall.

Call me old-fashioned, but what about good ole' static billboards? You know something like Giorgio Armani's billboard with David Beckham in Emporio Armani underwear? Now, that would appeal to just about anyone. There are no neon lights or moving images and yet, it's a very effective billboard. In fact, you can walk/drive/jog by it and not get hit with a case of vertigo.

Malls are pretty busy places as it is, and adding digital media seems like a bit too much. The New York Times article reports that digital media companies are trying to lure luxury retailers into digital billboards with the slant that digital is a more upscale advertising option. Clive Punter, CEO of CBS Outdoor International, said that spending on digital outdoor ads has risen "at an annual rate of 40 percent in Britain." Not bad, eh?

There are some definite benefits to digital media, such as advertisers' ability to rotate a multitude of ads to maximize profits. And if retailers want to change up their advertising messages, they can have different ads show at different times of the day to meet particular demographics. As a consumer, though, I find them slightly overdone and intrusive.

Give it to me straight people, is digital media the next big thing in retailer advertising? Do we really want to bring Vegas to our local shopping malls? Europe has and they are kind of smart...Weigh in with your thoughts here.

 --Heather Strang

Don't Call It a Comeback

"Put that on layaway, please." No, you didn't just overhear a conversation from 1983--layaway is actually back in retail action. The last time I encountered layaway, my mother was placing all four of my sisters' school clothes on layaway at J.C. Penney. And let me tell you, that was awhile ago.

But with the recent economic panic, retailers are pulling out all the stops--coupons galore, special promotions filled with a plethora of exclamation points and...er...layaway.

This is quite the stretch. And if we're going to bring layaway back, we might as well reintroduce leg warmers. In hot pink.

Sears and Kmart are leading the way in bringing this dinosaur of a retail program back. In fact, Sears hasn't had an active layaway program for more than 20 years. Until now.

For those too young to remember (or those of us suffering from poor memories), layaway allows consumers to pay a small fee along with a minimum payment to secure their purchase. They then have a specific period of time to pay off the item without accruing interest. At Kmart, customers have eight weeks to pay off the item of their choice without interest. Once the item is paid off, customers then receive their purchase.

According to recent reports, popular layaway items include consumer electronics, video game equipment--like the Wii, lawn mowers and other big ticket items. After giving it some thought, layaway just might be a better option than plopping purchases on credit cards, especially with exorbitant interest rates. I might be able to hop on this train after all.

But, not just yet. The most perplexing part of this shift is that statistically it's not supported. A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found that consumers plan on spending $832, on average, for holiday shopping, which is an increase of 1.9 percent from last year.

Looks like retailers and consumers alike may fair far better than anyone is currently imagining. In the meantime, I'm going to pick up a lawn mower, tires and a new wardrobe and put it all on layaway at Sears. How about you?

Do you remember layaway? What do you think about the comeback? Leave your thoughts here!

--Heather Strang