Just can’t contain myself

I am a big fan of The Container Store. I admit that I didn’t know much about the Coppell, Texas-based, 50-store specialty chain until I moved to Denver for a couple of years, and was faced with organizing a new home in short order.

I had spied a Container Store atop a hilly padsite overlooking Park Meadows Mall in south Denver, and decided to give its advertised storage solutions a whirl.

Two hours and hundreds of dollars later, I wheeled my brimming shopping cart to my parked SUV, and transferred the piles of pantry shelves, cleaning tools and bathroom storage racks from cart to car.

That was the first of many visits to The Container Store, as it became my go-to place to tame home and office chaos.

Now that I’m back in Lincoln, Neb., I miss the store -- but am always interested to read about the latest corporate happenings. This week I received a press release promoting some new services and promotions, including “click and pickup” (order online and pick up in-store, a la Best Buy and Wal-Mart), call-ahead curbside pickup (again, think Best Buy), and free shipping for online customers.

For my friends in Chain Store Age’s Manhattan office, they are enjoying a “scan and deliver” service whereby customers of the chain’s two Manhattan stores use a hand-held scanning device to scan bar codes on items selected for purchase, pay, then head home and wait for the items to be delivered home.

The Container Store calls the package of perks its “GoShop Suite of Services.” Because I have some pretty in-depth background on the chain, having interviewed its founders Garrett Boone and Kip Tindell extensively, I know the perks are more than customer-service benefits -- they are smart thinking by a smart retailer that is poised to grow sales even in an economic downturn.

-- Katherine Field

Geaux local

If I had a nickel for every time a shopping-center developer told me that homegrown concepts are now on the hot tenant radar list, I’d be a very wealthy woman.

With the stalled expansion plans of the nationals, and the increasing vacancies in malls around the country, I can see why local retail tenants have emerged as the new black in leasing prospects.

Recently, I visited one homegrown Baton Rouge, La., restaurant concept that is bound to grab some attention from the likes of Stirling Properties, General Growth Properties, JWA and the other property owners that are busy Louisiana players.

Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar has two locations in the Baton Rouge area. (Note the spelling of bistreaux? If you’re from Louisiana -- and I am originally -- you know the ‘eaux’ drill. If you’re not? Just remember that anything that ends with a long ‘oh’ sound is spelled ‘eaux.’ Think geaux instead of go, bistreaux instead of bistro.)

The bar and grill concept was started by two Louisiana State University walk-on basketball players who met on the hardwood in 1997. Jack Warner and Brandon Landry’s boyhood dreams of playing for the LSU Tigers were realized not with coveted basketball scholarships, but as ‘walk-ons’ to the program.

The Walk-On’s story goes something like this: Warner and Landry conceptualized the restaurant while on a road trip to play the University of Tennessee basketball game. Increasingly intrigued by the variety of restaurants and bars the team routinely encountered on its away games, the two decided to flesh out their own concept -- and did so on an airplane napkin during the flight home from the Tennessee matchup.

A decade or so later, Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar was born, and I had the occasion to eat there a few nights ago. My friend Bob and I watched the New Orleans Saints football game on one of many flat-panel television screens, while eating wings and drinking beer.

The food was great. The Abita beer was too. But what was even better was the feeling of being inside a successful concept that needs to spread its wings into other college-town marketplaces. I can see the Baton Rouge menu of high-end pub grub augmented by south Louisiana specialties being customized to regional fare in other towns. And the LSU decor could easily give way to another team’s colors.

Walk-On’s was packed the afternoon we were there. And Bob tells me the weekend evenings can be standing-room-only. Perhaps Stirling and GGP might want to take a gander at this homegrown concept. Looks to me like it has plenty of room to greaux.

-- Katherine Field

Is the mall rat an endangered species?

I hate bad news. But this is a little tough to ignore. Mall vacancies have hit a decades-high rate, and some feel the relief may be slow in coming.

Reis released its latest findings earlier this month and the picture isn’t any prettier than it’s been over the last few quarters. The vacancy rate at U.S. strip malls reached a 17-year high in the third quarter of 2009, and mall vacancy was the highest in at least 10 years.

"Our outlook for retail properties as a whole is bleak," said Victor Calanog, Reis director of research. "Until we see stabilization and recovery take root in both consumer spending and business spending and hiring, we do not foresee a recovery in the retail sector until late 2012 at the earliest."

Ouch.

I for one still frequent my mall and favorite strip centers. In fact, one sunny Saturday about two weeks ago, my friend Kay and I spent nine hours at Southpointe shopping center in Lincoln, Neb. I’m not telling how much we spent, but I will say that between us we hit four figures. “Just doing our part,” we said, “to keep our favorite stores in business.”

Banana Republic benefited from our day at the mall, as did Von Maur, Buckle and Victoria’s Secret.

Both of us 40-something, Kay and I don’t fit the demographic of the typical mall rat. But with mall rats in frighteningly short supply, we’re perfectly willing to fill the role as long as we’re able. In fact, we’re planning our next outing, again at Southpointe. Neither of us will be able to approach what we spent on our last trip, but suffice it to say that Banana and Von Maur will know we’ve been there.

-- Katherine Field

Baton Rouge malls: what’s up, what’s not

On a recent trip to my home state of Louisiana, I enjoyed an extended visit in Baton Rouge -- a city that has seen beaucoup changes since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

Baton Rouge didn’t get the brunt of the storm, but it got the brunt of the aftermath, as thousands of evacuees descended upon the mid-sized city. Many stayed after the storm subsided, and the resultant expanded population has challenged the capital city’s infrastructure and services.

Baton Rouge’s retail scene was a hub of activity after the storm, but like most municipalities, the recession has stepped in and slowed the tumult. What I saw a couple of weeks ago was a retail climate that is experiencing its ups and downs during the downturn. Here are some of my impressions:

Perkins Rowe, a massive Main Street mixed-use destination located just off Perkins Road didn’t exactly appear to be flourishing (see picture above). Don’t get me wrong -- it’s a beautiful project and stores are certainly open and operating. What I didn’t see, though, was traffic. We drove through the development on a Saturday, when you’d expect shoppers to be walking the pedestrian-friendly streetscape and entering the attractive storefronts. But it was a ghost town. My “guide,” a friend and Baton Rouge resident, suggested the metered parking was having an effect.

Turns out the convenient parking in front of the stores comes with a price … you get to pay to park. My friend said he knows plenty of people who rebuff the center just because of the parking situation.

On the other hand, the Towne Center at Cedar Lodge (see picture below) was bustling on a sunny Saturday. The mixed-use project located on Corporate Boulevard. in central Baton Rouge was teeming with cars and pedestrians. Developed by locally based Creekstone Cos., Towne Center features great restaurants (think Fleming’s Steakhouse, P.F. Chang’s and Bonefish Grill) and popular tenants such as Whole Foods Market, Banana Republic, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek and Gap.
Do we really know what makes one project work and another, at least from appearances, not work? Location is always a major factor, but I didn’t see much difference in the sites. Tenants matter, but both projects had attractive retailers and popular eateries. (In fact, Perkins Rowe might have the edge, with the state’s first Orvis and Z Gallerie, as well as Barnes & Noble and Anthropologie.)

Then there’s the X factor. In this case, could it actually be that charging for upfront parking is sending a message to Perkins Rowe patrons that convenience comes with a cost?

In this day and age, convenience should be a standard, not a premium.

-- Katherine Field

Retail Idol

I wouldn’t say I’m a closet “American Idol” fan, but the truth is only my closest circle of family and friends know I rarely miss the reality show once the season launches.

So it stands to reason that I was intrigued when I heard about developer Madison Marquette’s “Retail Star” contest -- a new business award modeled after “American Idol.”

The Washington, D.C.-based company used its Bayfair Center, San Leandro, Calif., as the venue for a unique competition that had entrepreneurs pitching for $250,000 in free rent, start-up capital and build-out allowances toward launching their own business in the Bayfair space.

Starting in May 2009, contestants presented their ideas and business plans to a panel of judges, who over the course of several months narrowed the field from 60 to four. In August, an Oakland, Calif., man, Ben Wanzo, was crowned Retail Star, and his TeachBar concept is preparing to open in Bayfair Center.

TeachBar will host affordable educational seminars in what Wanzo describes as a “learning cafe” environment. The learning cafe will occupy a 1,300-sq.-ft. space at Bayfair Center and provide classes, lecture series and cultural events with topics targeting high school students and adults, taught by coaches and teachers from the community. According to founder Wanzo, TeachBar will offer a relaxed atmosphere where locals can enjoy a selection of quick-serve dishes and drinks while connecting with friends or exchanging ideas with other community members.

Wanzo was awarded $25,000 in start-up funds from Madison Marquette, a complete retail space build-out (valued at more than $200,000) and a year of free retail space inside Bayfair Center.

The retail concept will undergo construction this fall and is scheduled to open in November.

In today’s economy, it takes creative thinking to lease retail space. This is perhaps the most unique approach I’ve seen -- kudos to Madison Marquette for thinking outside the box.

You can view a recap of the contest by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpWStiBvhU.

-- Katherine Field

Social media breaks backs

YouTube scares me. And it should scare you, too. Because once negative information about your company makes the Internet, trying to contain the damage is akin to attempting to stamp out a California wildfire with a wool blanket.

It can’t be done.

One in a long line of YouTube corporate victims is United Airlines, which became the unwilling lyrical topic of a disgruntled singer/band member after his valuable guitar was smashed by careless airline luggage handlers in the spring of 2008.

After months of unrequited phone calls and letters to United, asking for reimbursement for his $3,500 Taylor guitar damaged on the tarmac during a Chicago connection enroute to my home state of Nebraska, Dave Carroll of the band Sons of Maxwell took to the i-waves and aired his frustration in verse.

“United Breaks Guitars” is a catchy song with an even catchier music video that debuted in early July. The ditty is a scathing, yet amusing, recap of Carroll’s attempts to receive compensation for the pricey instrument. Within a day of its release, “Breaks Guitars” had been viewed by thousands. To date, more than 5 million people have heard the song and seen the video.

On Monday, Carroll came out with part two -- “United Breaks Guitars Song 2” -- fulfilling an earlier promise that he would record three songs railing against the airline’s antipathy.

“Song 2” has received nearly 80,000 views so far. But what is more significant is that Carroll didn’t need to record it.

Shortly after the release of the first song, United contacted Carroll, making nice and offering to pay for the guitar. Carroll’s response, though amicable, was a publicly aired “No Way, Jose.” In a viral version of a press conference, Carroll made it clear that, while he would happily have that $3,500 reimbursal sent to a charity, nothing would stop him from recording three songs.

So, for United, it’s two down and one to go. How much havoc will ultimately be wreaked for the airline, which already has endured much-publicized financial woes? Only time will tell, but in the meantime Carroll’s tell-all has no immediate end in sight.

What’s the lesson? Watch your back, and you might want to have a film production crew in your pocket. You never know when a retaliatory music video might be in order.

Somehow missed “United Breaks Guitars”? Follow these links to the background story and the two performances. Leave yourself plenty of viewing time; they’re not short.

http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/story/united-breaks-guitars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-UoERHaSQg&feature=channel_page

-- Katherine Field

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, to Sears or Wal-Mart shall my freshman go?

Comforter set, check. Towels and sheets, check. Laptop, check. Microwave, check.

But to get my daughter ready to enter the University of Nebraska in three weeks to begin her first year of college, I still need to buy a futon, an alarm clock (with a LOUD alarm), a desk lamp, a television stand and some throw pillows.

Our plan is to do some shopping this weekend. Lo and behold, in my e-mail inbox early this morning was a promotion from Wal-Mart Wire -- the subject line read, “Get Your Rooms Ready for Fall: Desks, Futons, TV Stands and More.”

Bingo. I perused the items, with discounted prices no less, and rapidly marked the items I needed, then confirmed they are in stock at the closest Wal-Mart store (3.52 miles from my east Lincoln home). I printed the pages, showed them to Holley, and we made a date to do our off-to-college shopping on Saturday.

Sears, on the other hand, had a different strategy for boosting back-to-school sales. The retailer recently introduced a Facebook page with three applications designed to help college students plan for their move into dorms. It comes with such applications as a dorm room designer tool.

There’s just one problem. Sears is reaching out to the students; Wal-Mart contacted me, the parent. The one with the wallet that actually has money in it.

My daughter loves Facebook, but Sears’ new page isn’t going to interest her. Why? She doesn’t need it. The dorm designer application is provided online at the University of Nebraska Web site. So is the roommate matchup, a tool that allows you to get to know your college roommate.

But Sears’ bigger mistake, in my opinion, was focusing its efforts on the students. Wal-Mart moved up the money chain and marketed to the parents. If a bet were placed on which retailer garners the biggest share of the back-to-school pie, in the Field house, the money is on Wal-Mart.

-- Katherine Field

L.L. Bean-less

There are times when I feel a little isolated living in Nebraska. Friday was one of those times. While thousands of people lined up to await the grand opening of the new L.L. Bean store that also signaled the first retail opening at Legacy Place in Dedham, Mass., I was only able to follow the fun online.

Never mind that it was pouring down rain in Dedham, which is just outside of Boston. Bean fans braved the elements for hours to jockey for upfront positions in the half-mile-long grand-opening line -- as the first 500 inside the store would receive gift cards ranging in value from $25 to $500.

L.L. Bean’s newest store is a two-level, 30,000-sq.-ft. space that is built to silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Its new home, Legacy Place, is a 675,000-sq.-ft. open-air center developed by WS Development and National Amusements. “The first store opening at Legacy Place is a major milestone for us,” said David Fleming, the corporate marketing director for WS and, I have to say, a good friend of mine. “As evidenced by the turnout, we couldn’t have asked for a better retailer than L.L. Bean to help us open the center.”

I’ll say. I just wish that Nebraska had an L.L. Bean store. The closest one to me is near Chicago, about 500 miles away. And since this Dedham store is the only one the retailer will open in 2009, I’m out of luck for any hopes of a heartland store any time soon.

The next best thing to being there? Check out a video of the opening.

-- Katherine Field

Viva La Sunday

Never mind that racy ads and daily wine-drinking are the norm in France. The majority of the notoriously uninhibited French population says that Sunday shopping would erode the ‘French way of life.’

The Sunday shopping ban, in place in France since 1906, has been the topic of much debate of late. The National Assembly voted on July 14 to relax the ban and allow French cities to create special retail zones for Sunday shopping.

It would mean some big changes for the small country. Employees would have to be paid double-time to work on Sundays -- and they are free to refuse to work if they choose.

If the statistics are right, a bunch of retail employees may continue to keep their Sundays free. One opinion poll found that 55% oppose lifting the ban; 57% said they would refuse to work on Sunday.

A whopping 85% said Sunday should remain a day off.

Remember when our own country operated under a similar code? In my hometown, during the 1960’s and ‘70s, no store was open on Sunday, except perhaps the local grocer or convenience store. And Blue Laws prohibited alcohol sales on Sunday.

Despite heavy opposition, the French shopping ban is expected to win Senate approval next week and be adopted later in July.

Perhaps as we continue to send our associates to the unemployment line, we could direct them overseas. I hear there may be plenty of Sunday jobs available, and the pay is great.

-- Katherine Field

Kohl’s can thank me later

Kohl’s owes me, and the retailer doesn’t even know it yet.

My 84-year-old mother traveled from her home in Louisiana to visit me a couple of weeks ago, and while we were lunching together at one of my favorite cafes, she commented on a particular outfit I was wearing.

I shared with her that it was a Dana Buchman ensemble, which I had recently purchased at Kohl’s.

Dana Buchman? At Kohl’s? Mom’s eyebrows raised, as I knew they would. My mother is one of those well-to-do, fashionable, elderly types who dresses to the nines even for her weekly grocery-shopping excursion. She favors high-end brands and timeless pieces -- in great quantity. (My older sister went through Mom’s closet recently, and counted 14 pairs of almost-identical black slacks. And not a single pair cost less than $150.)

Mom loves Dana Buchman, but she purchases the designer’s items from high-end department stores – not Kohl’s. When I told her that Dana Buchman now had an exclusively-for-Kohl’s line of apparel and fashion accessories -- at supremely discounted prices -- she was visibly interested. And I knew it was only a matter of time before she scouted out her local Shreveport, La. Kohl’s store.

She found it -- and only one day after her return home from her visit with me in Lincoln.

Mom now owns 11 Dana Buchman pieces from Kohl’s. And I can assure you that this is just the beginning. She will now add Kohl’s to her shopping trail, and that means regular visits and sizeable purchases.

I’ve shopped Kohl’s for years -- but until Dana Buchman entered the picture I will admit that I had never bought clothes for myself. The retailer was my go-to for my son’s shorts and my daughter’s tops and underwear, but little else. Since Kohl’s added a label I love, I have now begun exploring other departments -- and recently made a bedding purchase that topped $500.

Kohl’s seems to be figuring out what other retailers are still struggling to understand -- what shoppers want and what motivates us to part with our money even during a recessionary period.

Kohl’s doesn’t really owe me anything, but I’d like to think that I will have played a part -- albeit a small one -- when the next quarter’s sales results reflect an unexpected increase in the southern region.

-- Katherine Field

Shopping Scheels

The fall 2009 football season started early in Lincoln, Neb., this year -- in July, with a preseason game in the aisles of Scheels All Sports.

I went shopping last week for wide-receiver gloves for my son Jake, an incoming high school sophomore and soon-to-be member of the Lincoln East football team. Our first, and only, stop was the local Scheels at SouthPointe Pavilion, an open-air lifestyle center owned by RED Development.

The glove aisle was overwhelming -- a full wall, top to bottom, of hand-gear for every offensive and defensive position. Within seconds of our arrival, however, a Scheels associate headed over to offer his assistance.

I’d say he was in his late teens, maybe early 20’s. He clearly had played football, and knew more than enough about the glove selection and the types/brands Jake needed to try out.

My son is not a fast shopper. He ponders and waffles until I want to scream. (My husband and I used to draw straws for who would take Jake to the toy store to spend his allowance -- the loser accompanied him to Toys “R” Us.) But the associate never batted an eye, staying by Jake’s side through the entire pondering and waffling process. When my son finally narrowed his choices down to two pairs of gloves, the associate trotted to the football aisle, grabbed a high-school game ball and tossed it to my son.

Trading back and forth between the two pairs of receiver gloves, my son caught passes from the associate. The two began expanding the distance between them until the football sailed from one end of the aisle to the other, with me caught in the middle and running for cover.

I have no idea if this is standard operating procedure at Scheels, but no one looked askance at a couple of guys playing football in the store. And the impromptu game allowed my son to test out the gloves and make an informed decision, which made the $45 purchase that much easier for me to swallow.

Yesterday, my husband took Jake back to Scheels for football cleats. The two came home raving about the young woman in the shoe department -- a former college basketball player who knew as much about football shoes as she did about shooting hoops. While Jake didn’t run sprints through the store, he was able to jog around the department in a dozen pairs of shoes until he found exactly the right pair.

Scheels is based in Fargo, N.D., with 23 stores in eight mostly Midwestern and upper-Midwestern states. The retailer’s largest store to-date opened late last year at the Legends at Sparks Marina, another RED Development project that debuted near Reno, Nev. The 295,000-sq.-ft. store features some pretty wild attractions -- an electric trolley traverses the parking lot, and a Ferris Wheel and a 35-ft. Wildlife Mountain offer in-store entertainment. But most significant? The store advertises that “each shop is staffed with experts who are focused on their passions.” I believe it, and I’ll return to our local store to leverage that expertise toward making the right gear and apparel purchases for my family.

I know a few companies, such as Home Depot, that could take a page out of Scheels’ book. The privately held sporting goods retailer has set an example of how to maintain its core service values even during an economic downturn.

-- Katherine Field

Darden Restaurants looks to cut costs -- and wait times

Wal-Mart Stores is an acknowledged master in the retail industry when it comes to dealing with vendors and controlling costs. And now the nation’s largest full-service restaurant chain is hoping to learn from its example.

The July/August issue of Fast Company magazine reports that Darden Restaurants -- operator of Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse -- has launched an ambitious plan to transform its supply chain, with the hopes of saving some $20 million annually. In the article, “Why America is Addicted to Olive Garden,” senior VP Barry Moullet says Darden is studying Wal-Mart to "understand the components of cost" with its vendors and become a better and more informed negotiator.

The article provides a fascinating glimpse into some of the inner workings at Darden, including the critical role leading-edge technology plays in its success (in that, it is similar to Wal-Mart). The restaurant chain’s IT department is headed by Patti Reilly White, chief information officer, who leads a 170-person team. Among White’s projects: a pilot program to reduce wait times by having waiters use handheld devices to submit orders and payments at the table, thereby eliminating lag time.

She also has launched another project to share wait times across restaurants so that a hostess or host can guide customers to nearby Darden units that are not as busy. In the future, White envisions giving customers online access to the information.

Additionally, Darden is working on an automated ordering system that will eventually replenish its restaurants based on electronic-tagged inventory and guest-traffic forecasts.

There’s a lot more in the article, including a profile of the top man at Darden: CEO Clarence Otis. The son of a janitor from Los Angeles’ troubled Watts neighborhood, Otis is one of a handful of African-American CEOs in the Fortune 500.

-- Marianne Wilson

A famous Father's Day card

In my e-mail inbox this morning was a Father’s Day video card from Famous Footwear. No, I’m not a dad, but I’m married to one – and, equally on point, I can appreciate what the St. Louis-based discount shoe retailer is doing to unconventionally woo shoppers.

The subject line, “A little something special to lift your spirits,” wasn’t particularly revealing, but intriguing enough to prompt me to open the message. Inside, I clicked on a video box and watched a charming video of a young father romping with his tiny daughter in a sunny outdoor setting. A Father’s Day wish preceded the final thought: Make Today Famous.

A ‘forward to a friend’ prompt will allow me to send this message to any of my friends and family. Clever, and an example of a retailer that is thinking outside the box in tough times and coming up with a cost-effective and attention-grabbing way to reach out and touch current and potential customers.

I was planning on visiting my husband’s favorite little tobacco shop this weekend for a couple of nice Father’s Day cigars, but now I’m thinking shoes….

-- Katherine Field

FAO remembered, and refreshed

The recent news that FAO Schwarz had been acquired by Toys ‘R’ Us sent me on a little impromptu journey down memory lane.

I’m not from New York, nor was I raised in any city with an FAO Schwarz toy store, but still the venerable retailer has played a big part in my life. I first met Dik Glass, then senior VP store development for FAO Schwarz, in 1989. He and I worked together on a cover story for another retail magazine, and forged a long and enduring friendship.

When my son Jake was born in 1993, Dik gave him a life-sized stuffed replica of Coco the gorilla. He proffered the gorilla in the middle of a presentation I was making in Houston, only because he knew it would make me laugh. (What Dik didn’t realize, though, was that to get Coco back to Nebraska from Texas, I had to buy an additional airline seat, something I never told him!). Coco has been a fixture in the Field House ever since and is still today a top-ranking treasure on Jake’s must-always-keep list.

Dik’s gift, and his friendship, sparked a keen interest in FAO Schwarz for both Jake and his older sister Holley. We visited the store in Kansas City, in Country Club Plaza, when it opened in 1994, and made the 215-mile trip east a quarterly trek for almost a decade. Every time we visited, each of my children would pick out one toy to take home -- and I would report back to Dik what the kids picked and how much we enjoyed our visit and the interaction with the store associates.

I haven’t spoken with Dik in years, and a quick Google this morning revealed that he is now CEO of MorseHarris Holdings, an Old Greenwich, Ct.-based project management firm that worked on the Hershey’s Times Square flagship in New York City. As well, the company -- whose founders are former FAO owners -- is responsible for FAO Schwarz’s real estate, design and construction.

That Dik is still involved with the creation of great stores designed to delight both children and their parents comes as no surprise to me. It’s what he was meant to do. I only hope that Toys “R” Us does what the company’s chairman and CEO promised it would do in today’s acquisition announcement: to “work tirelessly to preserve the distinctiveness and integrity of the FAO Schwarz stores and brand as we grow the business and, indeed, take the brand to even greater heights.”

-- Katherine Field

Making the ‘connection’ with Ann Taylor’s call center

I’m just as “connected” as the next gal -- e-mail, iPhone, texting, instant messages, Facebook, e-commerce, you name it. But a recent experience reminded me that even the coolest “apps” don’t hold a candle to the guidance a knowledgeable customer service agent can provide.

One of my friends is getting married and while I have a closet-full of potential ensembles for the occasion, I decided to treat myself to a new dress. I found the ideal little number on Ann Taylor’s Web site: a sleeveless black Ponte knit and satin cocktail dress adorned with a black satin belt and ruffle-trimmed crew neckline.

Rather than waste time calling or visiting local stores to find the dress in my size, I decided to order two sizes online, and try them on when they arrived, and then return the one that doesn’t fit.

After adding the two sizes to my virtual shopping cart, I wanted to give the dress’ image a final once-over before hitting the “checkout” icon -- this proved to be a mistake. When I returned to my shopping cart, one of the dresses mysteriously disappeared!

Worse, when I went back to the page where I originally ordered the dress, my size was no longer available. Someone obviously had the same buying intentions, but beat me to the punch!

I immediately called customer service and was connected with a lovely agent named Liz. After filling her in on my dilemma, she confirmed my fears -- the dress was no longer in stock online. “It’s a hot item,” she said. “I’m watching the inventory sell as we speak. But there is still hope. Have you tried our Style Finder service?”

I had not, so I asked Liz to explain what I was missing. Using a specific style number and size, the software hunts for the item across each store’s available inventory. When the desired merchandise is located, the application electronically places an order and the store is prompted to ship the merchandise to the shopper.

The shopper then provides the credit-card information to the customer service agent and is billed when the store ships the merchandise. There is a service fee of $7.50, as opposed to almost $10 for standard ground shipping online.

When I asked Liz what are the chances that she could find the dress, she said, “The service has a very high success rate, but there is a small chance that we may not find it. Overall, we have more happy customers than unhappy ones.”

Willing to take the risk, I abandoned my online order, gave Liz my Ann Taylor card information, wished her luck and hung up.

Within 15 minutes, I learned the sale was indeed meant to be. I received a confirmation e-mail explaining the dresses are available, and they would be shipped from a single location. The e-mail also said they were being shipped the next day and should arrive within three-to-five business days.

Clearly, this service has been a staple at physical stores for years, and thanks to Liz, now I know it’s an option through the call center. By integrating the solution across the two channels, Ann Taylor is upping the ante on customer service -- and it is working. The experience reminded me why I am a loyal Ann Taylor and LOFT shopper, and now I have a new strategy when shopping online.

Now comes the hard part -- I pray that I am equally satisfied with my purchase when it arrives.

Epilogue:
Literally minutes after filing this blog, there was a knock at our front door. It was UPS delivering my dresses -- only one day after placing the order. By the way, the size 10 won!

-- Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Greetings, Norman, and welcome to Wal-Mart

I grew up in north Louisiana, where the humidity is high, the cypress moss is heavy and the rivers and bayous are murky and thick. (You have to be from there to love it.)

One of my favorite activities as a child and young teen was traversing the waterways in a kayak with my dad and twin sister. We would start out early in the morning, with a lunch packed by mom and our oars in hand, and work our way through the green slime to get into the open water where we would alternate between floating and paddling. And beating nutria over the head.

That’s right, nutria. (For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a nutria is a swimming rat.) Hardly an excursion went by without one of those gross swimming rats trying to claw its way out of the water and into our craft. My sister and I would scream, “Nutria, yuck!” and begin to beat it over the head with our oars until it would let go of the kayak and plop back into the water.

Those wonderful memories were rekindled when I read the recent account of Norman the nutria, a “pet” bayou rat that allegedly freely roamed the aisles of an Abbeville, La., Wal-Mart. (Abbeville is way south in the state, where everyone should accept nutria, and armadillos, as a routine part of life, in my opinion.)

Apparently, Norman frightened a Wal-Mart shopper, who is now suing the retailer for “pain, suffering, mental anguish, fear, disabling injuries, and medical expenses.” Rebecca White said in her lawsuit that the Abbeville Wal-Mart associates allowed the nutria to run loose in the store and that, when she was pushing her shopping cart down an aisle, Norman ran out from behind a rack and frightened her. She said she injured her back and foot trying to protect herself from the nutria.

Reports described nutria as having bright orange buck teeth and weighing up to 18 lbs. That sounds about right.

Wal-Mart has declined comment about the pending lawsuit, but I would offer the following suggestion. Let Norman continue to be the mascot, but provide any leery shopper with a borrowed oar from the outdoor department.

-- Katherine Field

General Growth Properties: Still alive and kicking

In last week’s Omaha World Herald, as in many newspapers nationwide, I suspect, a page two story speculated about what the General Growth Properties bankruptcy filing would mean for the shoppers and retailers who visit and inhabit, respectively, the two Omaha-area malls owned by the shopping center giant.

I knew the story’s ending before I reached it. Nothing. Because Westroads and Oak View malls weren’t among the 160 malls listed as part of the bankruptcy filing -- and even those that are likely won’t notice a blip; GGP’s legal insolvency will be virtually imperceptible at the mall level.

But that hasn’t stopped the rumblings. Ever since the Chicago-based developer filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York on April 16, the media and the bloggers have been busy. Would GGP crumble? What of the mall in my hometown? Would mall and corporate employees be sent packing?

General Growth owns some of the premier malls in the country, and its occupancy rate is 92.5%. The Chapter 11 filing is a tactical move to allow the company to regroup and restructure which, when the company exits bankruptcy in about a year, can lead to a stronger entity.

The New York Times called the bankruptcy the “biggest real estate collapse in American history,” and analysts said it’s a harbinger of troubles to come. That may be true. But General Growth can’t worry about that. It’s got malls to lease and manage and tenants to deal with. And so far it’s done a pretty good job of both. Despite the downturn, General Growth’s properties appear to have held up better than many.

And to those who would say the bankruptcy is an indicator that more troubles are on the way and that the mall industry as a whole is on the brink of disaster, Stephen Sterrett, CFO of the nation’s largest mall owner Simon Property Group, was quoted as saying, “It’s important for people to understand that [General Growth’s bankruptcy] is totally distinct from the business of the mall business. This is all related to their balance sheet and their capital. The fundamentals of the mall business are pretty good.”

I don’t mean to minimize the filing, the reasons behind it, or the foretelling of struggles ahead. General Growth’s bankruptcy, say analysts, is likely to negatively impact mall values -- this at a time when real estate operators are already grappling to stay ahead of their debts and keep their centers leased. But, at the same time, the event certainly won’t go unnoticed -- and could even motivate measures that would help the industry as a whole.

Did it take a giant to fall to advance an industry’s cause? Let me know what you think.

And, yet, when General Growth emerges from bankruptcy -- albeit a little leaner but likely a lot healthier -- and if real estate will have benefited from additional government intervention, this story may have a happy ending after all.

-- Katherine Field

Lost business

Sears lost my business yesterday. So did T.J. Maxx. Here’s what happened:

As soon as I walked into Sears (in Plainfield, N.J.), I noticed that the store was warm. It was hot outside -- an early blast of summer -- but that was no excuse. I stopped at several stores prior to Sears, including Walgreens, Target and A&P, and all of them were fine. I’m a hardy sort and the heat typically doesn’t bother me, but after about 10 minutes in Sears, I decided to pack it in. I wasn’t warm anymore: I was downright hot. And I noticed I wasn’t the only one. “I thought I was having a hot flash,” I heard one woman say to another, “until my son asked me, ‘Mom, why is it so hot in here?’”

As I was leaving, I stopped at a check out to ask if there was a problem with the air-conditioning: Was it broken? One of the sales people told me, “We don’t know. They don’t tell us anything.” Another associate added that the air-conditioning hadn’t worked properly for most of last July, “and I hated coming to work every day because once I got here, I had no energy.”

I’ve written for years about how important a store’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning level is to the overall shopping experience, and about how a malfunctioning HVAC system translates into lost sales. But not until yesterday did I really experience it first hand. I would hope that Sears has enough respect for its customers and employees -- because they are the ones who suffer most in these type of situations -- to get its air-conditioning fixed and back on track before summer really kicks in.

After leaving Sears, I stopped at T.J. Maxx (in Union, N.J.), where the indoor comfort level was remarkably better. After trying on a couple of items, I made my way to the check out. The line was long, and not moving very fast (actually, it wasn’t moving at all). Then I saw the cause of the problem: only one -- ONE -- register was open (this in the middle of a Sunday afternoon). And it was staffed by a harried-looking young man, who looked only 17. I heard someone say he was waiting for a price check. I looked at the merchandise in my hand, all discretionary items, and decided it wasn’t worth the wait. A young woman who was about to get in line came to the same conclusion. “Forget it,” she said to her friend. “There’s only one guy working and the line isn’t moving.”

I’m hoping my experiences yesterday at the Sears and T.J. Maxx stores were out of the ordinary, and that they respect their customers enough, in Sears’ case, to provide an optimum temperature environment, and, in T.J. Maxx’s case, to provide a better level of store support. Because if they don’t, ultimately, it’s not the customers who suffer, it’s the companies themselves.

-- Marianne Wilson

Glass to retire as Wal-Mart director

“Mephistopheles” is retiring from the Wal-Mart board of directors, effective June 5.

Actually, it’s just David Glass, and he’s not really the Devil. If you’re a Wal-Mart fan, you probably think he’s more like an archangel, considering all the positive things that occurred during his watch as a board member since 1977 and as president and CEO of the Bentonville, Ark.-based giant from 1988 to 2000.

In many ways, Glass was instrumental in making Wal-Mart into a retail giant. He was one of Sam Walton’s early disciples, joining the chain when it had just 123 stores. It was to Glass, not Jack Shewmaker, that Walton entrusted the legacy of his chain. Glass helped engineer Wal-Mart’s vaunted distribution system, its reliance on information technology, and the launch of Sam’s Club and the company’s supercenter format. He also began Wal-Mart’s international expansion, with an acquisition in Mexico. “Retail is detail,” it is often said, and for Glass the “devil was in the details.”

During Glass’s 33-year tenure, Wal-Mart grew from $340 million in sales to $401 billion. Global store count grew to 7,873 stores.

Known for his dry wit, Glass was not flashy. He appeared uncomfortable doing many of the public appearances a corporate leader must endure. In that way, he was no Sam Walton. But in his deep baritone voice he rarely faltered in defense of Wal-Mart.

Which brings me to why I called him Mephistopheles: In 1992, Glass was interviewed by NBC’s “Dateline” news show about the company’s “Buy America” sourcing program and its purchases of goods made in overseas factories that allegedly employed underage workers.

Clearly not prepared for the questioning and the video evidence presented to him, Glass cut off the interview. But what struck many observers at the time was the tone NBC set for the interview. Its own correspondent was filmed straight on. But Glass was filmed from a camera angle just above the floor that dramatically accentuated his thick and bushy eyebrows and his quavering jowls. He came off like the devil incarnate.

Wal-Mart, and David Glass, learned from that experience that they needed to be more media savvy. Not angelic. Just savvy.

Check out Chain Store Age's story on Glass here.

-- Murray Forseter

The Bridal Registry ‘A-Ha Moment’

These days, it’s more common than not for a chain to offer a gift-registry service. But a recent shopping trip sparked an “A-Ha Moment” for me: Those retailers that want their registry service to stand out from competitors -- and even be viewed as “special” -- need to pay attention to the smallest of details when closing a “gifting” sale.

It all started with an invite I received to a bridal shower. It contained an insert listing the stores where she and her fiancé were registered: Fortunoff’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Since the invites were mailed after Fortunoff’s demise, my choice was easy.

I hit www.bedbathandbeyond.com to get some ideas and there it was -- an 8x10 Lenox frame that had the right combination of elegance and price.

Upon arriving at my local Bed, Bath & Beyond store, I made a beeline straight to the bridal and gift-registry section, an impressive department filled with a complete assortment of fine china, everyday-ware and other fine gifts. The department supervisor welcomed me, and printed out my friend’s bridal registry.

We chatted briefly about the details of Susan’s upcoming shower, including venue, date and whether it was a surprise. Then I pointed out my gift, and within minutes she returned with the frame. We were off to a good start.

As she handed me the frame, I asked, “You don’t gift wrap here?”

“Of course we do,” she said. “Did you need that wrapped?”

I was suddenly confused. She knew it was for a shower. That should have been her first question before even handing over the frame.

This all got me thinking: Now, more than ever, chains need to focus on customer service. Paying attention to even the smallest of details makes all the difference. In-stock merchandise and attentive associates are great, but ensuring that I am set with wrapping, greeting cards and gift receipts are just as important.

Not to mention, I was a prime candidate for a little upselling. Did I need a wishing well suggestion? Did I want to consider any wedding gifts? Unfortunately, the associate missed her opportunity to find out.

Clearly, the chain has the fundamentals of a successful gifting program in place. By following my aforementioned suggestions, however, I think Bed Bath & Beyond could move beyond a retailer that merely offers a gift registry, and establish itself as the gifting destination.

-- Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Sears revives buyer protection plan

Sears has a new KidVantage Club program that offers “user” protection to parents. The program will replace an apparel item that wears out before a child outgrows it.

It’s an interesting idea, especially at a time when parents are looking to extend the value of their investment in their children. But it’s not the first time Sears has tried this tactic. Some 20 years ago Sears made the same offer for its Toughskins denim children’s line. That guarantee failed to excite sufficient allegiance during a period when the appeal of brand name jeans -- even for toddlers -- far outweighed Sears’ private-label offering.

This time Sears has extended buyer protection to almost all labels carried. In addition, buyers will receive 15% discounts on future purchases once they buy $100 worth of clothing or shoes.

Sears is pushing in-store activity. KidVantage can be accessed only through a store visit. It’s not available online. Considering that comp-store sales tumbled 9.5% in 2008, and an even greater 11% in the fourth quarter, Sears might have felt compelled to do something to generate more in-store traffic.

— Murray Forseter

Celebrating Walgreens

In past issues of Chain Store Age, we have written about Walgreens’ inclusive hiring policies, which focus heavily on employing the disabled. But witnessing the chain’s commitment in person really drives its consequences home.

On Saturday, I visited my neighborhood Walgreens for a couple of sundry items and, during checkout, chatted with the elderly cashier who is usually there when I shop. With measurable snow predicted for the rest of the weekend, our amiable conversation inevitably wandered to the incoming weather, and soon “Norman” was offering me advice on how to protect my fledgling tulips and daffodils from six inches of wet snow.

Although I’ve been talking with him on and off for several years, I had no idea Norman was an accomplished gardener. And, in our five-minute conversation (there was no one else in line), I learned something else about him: He has Alzheimer's Disease.

With no prompting from me, Norman went on to say what Walgreens has done for him. When he was diagnosed about a year ago, he went straight to his manager and explained the situation. He said there was no hesitation on the part of Walgreens about his job security. He was to keep working and he would have their full support.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” he told me. “Sometimes I have trouble remembering which keys to press on the cash register.” But, in times of difficulty, another associate will step in and assist, without making him feel badly about his confusion.

“I’ve actually gotten better because of Walgreens,” he said. “My doctor said it’s because I’m keeping busy and continuing to exercise my mind.”

We’re all better because of Walgreens. Despite an economic downturn that saw Walgreens announcing in January it would cut 1,000 jobs and slow store openings, the company has stayed the course in continuing an innovative hiring program that aims to have 3,000 disabled people on the payroll by 2015.

I’m not sure that Norman falls under the customary “disabled” classification, but he faces many of the same challenges that would make him unemployable by most organizations’ standards. That Walgreens has not tolerated, but rather embraced, his disability speaks volumes about the retailer.

-- Katherine Field

Toys ‘R’ Us sells peace and quiet

My children are 30 and 27 years old, and I am not yet blessed with grandchildren. Thus, my visits inside a Toys “R” Us store are not as frequent as they were decades ago. So it was with a little bit of bemusement and nostalgia that I read that Toys “R” Us is adding a low-cost department in the front of its stores featuring approximately 100 items for $1, $2 or $3 with themes such as dinosaurs, games and fun toys, princess dress up, musical instruments, art supplies and party favors.

The company is calling the new departments “$1-$2-$3 Fun!” shops, but old timers might recall that Toys “R” Us used to have a power alley that customers had to traverse before getting into the belly of each store. Stocked with low-priced items similar to what will go into the $1-$2-$3 Fun! shops, the merchandise had a slightly less politically correct name. The goods were known as “shut up toys,” meaning parents would bribe their kids to behave properly inside the toy emporium by buying them a low-priced plaything.

Toys “R” Us says it believes parents “will appreciate the exceptional values found in our $1-$2-$3 Fun! Shops.” I believe they’ll equally appreciate the peace and quiet a few bucks will buy.

— Murray Forseter

The parrot is back

One of the more annoying but identifiable radio advertising mascots, the Marty’s Shoes parrot, is back. Consigned to advertising purgatory when Secaucus, N.J.-based Marty’s closed its 47 stores last year, the parrot returned to the airwaves this week hawking a resurrected chain of, for now, three units.

Operated by the founding Samowitz family, Marty’s three stores are in Garwood, Greenbrook and Westwood. The new chain is headquartered in Westwood.

Marty’s return from the dead is but another example that retail franchises may have multiple lives.

Despite going out of business at the end of 2008, West Coast-based Mervyns is seeking an afterlife. Last month the Morriss family bought back the intellectual property as well as naming rights to the company founded by Mervin Morriss. Media reports suggest Morriss’ sons want to relaunch as an internet-based retailer.

That’s the route Montgomery Ward has taken back to life. Though its stores, catalog and Internet operations closed in 2001, Ward was revived on the Web and in print in 2004.

Bringing companies back to life, or at the very least buying up the trademark rights and then reselling them to parties who see equity in the brands, appears to be a thriving cottage industry, made more so by the continuing economic hardships that are forcing many retailers to discontinue operations. Among the retail brand names purchased and awaiting a second life are Linens ‘n Things, The Sharper Image and Bombay Co.

Among the group, only Marty’s had a distinctive radio personality. Truth be told, to this discerning listener’s ear, this time out of the cage the parrot has a slightly less strident squawk.

— Murray Forseter

Gap looks for comeback

It’s been a long time coming, but Gap may finally be waking up to the fact that a brand can’t live on cost-cutting alone. Speaking at the Bank of America 2009 Consumer Conference, chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy, a man who to this reporter has often seemed missing-in-action, said Gap hasn’t been played the hand it was given as well as it should have, and that it was “unacceptable” that the company was losing market share. Amen, on both counts, I say.

Murphy was frank in cataloging the company’s failures, starting with its namesake division’s unexciting, uninspiring and outdated store fleet. He acknowledged his disappointment that Old Navy was not gaining market share at a time when other low-cost value formats were gaining. He also said “shame on us” with regards to the fact that the brand’s store design has remained virtually unchanged since it launched 15 years ago.

Looking to the future, Murphy implied that changes are in the works. Old Navy is testing two prototypes, and Gap will debut a new store design in the third quarter. Banana Republic also has a pilot store in the works, along with a new store design.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Gap has promised a lot over the past several years, but hasn’t done a very good job when it comes to the follow-up. I don’t know if the brand can ever regain its cache, but now -- a time when many of the companies, including Abercrombie & Fitch, that took away its market share are struggling -- would be a good time to try. One big thing in the company’s favor is its balance sheet: Gap has no debt and is sitting on $1.8 billion in cash. That’s not a bad position to be in these days. Gap should use it to its advantage.

— Marianne Wilson

What Downturn?

I was convinced that Staples wouldn’t actually put a store at the corner of 48th and “O” Streets in Lincoln, Neb. The “Coming Soon” sign staked in the cleared ground had begun to fade, and the once pristine site was showing signs of accumulating debris.

I was wrong. A flurry of activity launched last week, and it is now clear that a new Staples is under way at one of my hometown’s busiest intersections.

Staples isn’t the only active builder. I received word a few days ago that development partners Steiner + Associates and Mall Properties were forging ahead with the new mixed-use project in Hampton Roads, Va. -- Peninsula Town Center. The 1.2-million-sq.-ft. development is slated for a summer opening and will feature upscale retail, dining and entertainment options, as well as significant office and residential components.

Another project marching forward is Northstar Communities, in Columbus, Ohio. Locally based Nationwide Realty Investors and The Robert Weiler Cos. cemented an equal partnership in the project in January, combining their residential and commercial development experience to add up to 832 single-family homes, two condominium projects, 1.5 million sq. ft. of retail and office space, and 810 acres of green space.

NRI is also beginning construction on the first phase of Grandview Yard next month, which is located less than two miles from Ohio State University and will encompass 1.5 to 2 million sq. ft. of retail, restaurants, office and residential units. When completed, Grandview Yard will bring 5,000 additional jobs to the City of Grandview Heights, Ohio, and will more than double the city’s income tax base by adding an additional $5 million annually.

My inbox has been flooded with more stories of projects that are marching forward, despite the downturn. And I’ll keep sharing those stories with you, lest you think the world of retail has gone silent. Do you have a project status report to share? E-mail me!

— Katherine Field

Castles in the Sand

I’ve often been asked about prospects for U.S. retailers opening stores overseas. My standard answer has been that with very few exceptions — Wal-Mart, Costco, Staples and fast food chains being the major ones — American retailers have their hands full on the domestic front. Most U.S. retailers still have not attained national status, so they don’t see the need, immediate or even long-term, to plant their logos on foreign soil.

My concluding (laugh) line sarcastically would note that most U.S. retailers have enough trouble operating here, so why should they export their troubles.

Those comments notwithstanding, the last few years witnessed an increasing interest by retailers, especially department stores and high-end specialty stores, to exploit the oasis in the desert known as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

With office and residential towers scraping the sky and malls offering cool comfort from the desert heat, the Persian Gulf seemed to be the perfect international expansion outpost. Its economy based on finance, real estate and tourism, Dubai attracted the global wealthy elite and those who built and serviced their surroundings.

But the worldwide financial crisis has humbled Dubai. Construction projects have stopped in mid-air; workers are fleeing the country, as The New York Times reported earlier this week.

At least for now, what was once a retail oasis is now no more than a mirage.

— Murray Forseter

Clipping the Coupons

My husband often teases me about how much I love a bargain. I do, and I have the coupons and loyalty cards to prove it.

Stop & Shop, Pathmark and Waldbaums all consider me a loyal shopper. I have CVS’ little red key fob on my key ring in case I forget the regular-sized loyalty card. And I never leave home without my Banana Republic, Gap or Ann Taylor credit cards.

While I look forward to the many rewards and promotions I receive via e-mail and snail mail, Banana Republic’s most recent promotion could be setting the tone for things to come regarding loyalty rewards.

Most of my favorite stores do a pretty good job of rewarding me for my patronage. Stride Rite sends me a $3 discount card every few months reminding me that one of my girls needs new shoes or sneakers. Ann Taylor and LOFT send 20% discount promotions, and The Gap and Banana Republic tempt me with $10 rewards certificates for every 1,000 points I earn (not a tough task when every $1 I spend equates to five points). And just this morning I printed out an online coupon for $5 off my next $30 CVS purchase.

While I love receiving discounts, I can also recall countless times when I was at checkout fumbling in my wallet or bag trying to remember where I tucked away the coveted coupon. Rather than hold up the line, more often than not, I say, “forget it,” only to pay full price.

Just as often, I return home ranting: “Why can’t retailers just electronically load these promotions onto my loyalty or store-branded credit-card account and apply it when the card is swiped during checkout? Enough with these paper coupons!”

The Gap Inc. must have finally caught on to my pain because this week they sent a promotion that does just that. I just received an invitation from Banana Republic to “Save an Extra 10%” on every purchase between now and April 30. But instead of the usual credit card-shaped promotional card, the invitation featured a letter from Banana Republic president Jack Calhoun that expressed Banana’s gratitude for my loyalty during “these changing times,” and invited me to take 10% off of every card purchase I make over the next 90 days. More impressive, the letter went on to add “No offer cards to clip. No e-mails to print. Simply use your Banana card to automatically receive your discount.”

Banana Republic’s promotion is putting those pretty hints of spring -- in the form of earth- and spice-toned dresses, skirts and tops -- within reach. And as I struggle to get out of the door with my two pre-schoolers, finally, I don’t have to try to remember where I put my coupons.

Now if I can just make -- and stick to -- a reasonable spring wardrobe budget, I am in business.

By Deena M. Amato-McCoy

CSI Has Nothing on Target Corp.

I was amazed last fall when I came across an article in The New Yorker that presented an inside view into something that most chains are not very open about: loss prevention. The author succeeded in getting one of the nation’s most press-shy public retailers, Target Corp., to discuss its anti-theft efforts — he even got a tour of the company’s crime lab. (In fact, I wrote about the article here, in a Sept. 18 posting called “Must Reading: ‘Stop Thief!’” Scroll down to find it.)

Now Target has gone one step further, opening up its lab and crime-busting efforts to ABC News in a segment that aired Feb. 2 on “Nightline.” The spot is mainly focused on Target’s effort to combat the growing problem of organized retail theft, and includes footage of criminals at work in Target stores (in one sequence, a couple clears out an entire shelf of iPods) and interviews with the chain’s crime fighters. It also includes some sobering statistics.

All in all, Target comes across as one savvy and sophisticated retailer when it comes to protecting its goods. Click here for the segment in case you missed it.

Marianne Wilson

The Wrong Way to Build Market Share

Conventional wisdom suggests this is the perfect time to build market share by either buying troubled companies or picking up locations distressed retailers have made available. A report Thursday out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, carried that theme forward with comments from outgoing Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson that the consumer electronics retailer might take advantage of bankruptcies in the retail sector by snapping up vacant store locations.

My advice — Don’t Do It!

Perhaps Anderson was just being courteous and casually responding to the possibilities put forward by a reporter asking about Circuit City and the real estate now available because it is closing. After all, Anderson also was quoted as saying, “We are looking at some of those (stores), but our first priority is to stay cash strong. We would be more cautious than we would (be) in most environments and take advantage of less of that than we would have a year or two ago.”

The weight of history, at least in retailing, is that companies that grow on the carcasses of failed or failing retailers oftentimes wind up sharing the graveyard, or at least have one foot in it.

Some examples:

• Ames thought it would expand beyond New England regional status by purchasing Zayre and Hills. All it did was buy their respective problems. Ames shortly thereafter went out of business.

• Gottschalks expanded in the Pacific Northwest by purchasing Lamonts. Gottschalks is now in bankruptcy protection.

• May Department Stores became fodder for Federated to grow. Even after changing the names of the stores and the company to Macy’s, the business is dreary, mostly dragged down by the former May stores.

• Bon-Ton Stores grew from a regional player by buying Carson Pirie Scott from Saks. Nothing tangibly good has come from that acquisition.

• Going back 30-plus years, Kmart rapidly expanded by picking up many W.T. Grant stores. Yes, the buy helped Kmart become national faster than organic growth would have. But Kmart was saddled with many poor locations that contributed to its less than stellar reputation.

Some companies have successfully grown by acquisition. Target comes to mind. It bought Gold Circle, Richway, Gemco, Memco and other stores. And in its early years Wal-Mart bought smaller chains, such as Kuhn’s/Big K.

But mostly, successful retailers grew organically, by picking sites that matched their real estate strategies. They didn’t compromise their beliefs merely to save a few dollars on a location that was slightly off.

Location. Location. Location. If the location does not exactly match, pass it up. After all, one reason Best Buy is still standing, as is Bed Bath & Beyond vis-à-vis Linens ’n Things, is that it had better real estate than Circuit City.

Especially now, build market share from within. Don’t buy other people’s problems.

—Murray Forseter

(Don’t) Spread the Word

Much like the rumor that grows and changes as it gets whispered ear-to-ear, the Internet has the same power to tarnish the truth and make believers out of make-believe.

I received one of those “pass the word” kinds of chain e-mails. While it didn’t promise a pot of gold at the end of three days if I forwarded it to just 20 of my friends and colleagues, it did request that I do the right thing and send it to everyone I know.

The subject of the e-mail was Target. And why I, and everyone I know, shouldn’t shop at Target. The reasons were because Target had recently denied a Vietnam veteran’s fund-raising request to have Target sponsor the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during a spring recognition event.

The message’s sender claims to be a Vietnam veteran and he is hopping mad at Target. So he decided to dig up some dirt. And what did he find? That Target is a French-owned corporation.

Am I missing something? Last time I checked, Target was American born and raised, with not even a store on French soil.

But this vet feels strongly, and I quote, that “if Target cannot support American Veterans, then why should my family and I support their stores by spending our hard earned American dollars! And have their profits sent to France!”

What is most scary is that the person who sent it to me, with a personal note that read “Wow, I didn’t know this!”, is uber-educated, well-to-do and shopping-savvy. If she believed the message, that tells me many others may as well.

Of course, I doubt it will do much harm. Target is big enough to brush off such nonsense. But, then again, those spending dollars are getting harder and harder to come by, and no one, not even Target, can afford to have an embittered chain e-mailer urge even one consumer to shop elsewhere.

(One final note: I did hit “reply all” and let everyone on that one e-mail list know that much of the sender’s rantings were, in fact, baseless. It was the least I could do.)

—Katherine Field

A Retail Icon Disappears. Will More Follow?

Perhaps you were pre-occupied with your own holiday activities and didn’t hear or read about it, but news broke just before Christmas that another link with retail history was about to be severed—the 807 Woolworths stores in the United Kingdom were to be shuttered by Jan. 5, ending 100 years of service to the British public.

There’s very little reason to be anything but nostalgic about this turn of events. Actually, that phrase, “turn of event,” implies a sudden reversal of fortune. That was hardly the case in the United Kingdom. The variety store chain’s departure from the retail scene just took longer than it did in the United States (1997).

“Let’s be clear about the demise of Woolworths. It was not caused by (prime minister) Gordon Brown, or the credit crunch,” Julian Finch of The Guardian wrote in mid-December. “It was caused by failing to attract enough shoppers to spend money. It was the result of being a horrible place to shop, which offered nothing that wasn’t cheaper or better elsewhere.”

In the coming weeks and months we no doubt will learn of many American retailers that no longer could keep their doors open during the current economic crisis. Some will succumb because they too were “horrible places to shop.” Others will fail because they too willingly believed that good times last forever and it was financially acceptable to leverage their future beyond reason in their pursuit of growth. Still others will find out that over-storing does in fact exist when the consumer reins in spending and that only those stores that differentiate themselves can survive such times.

We’ll all shed a tear, or at least get misty eyed, for the departed. Most, however, will not have had the flavorful history of Woolies.

—Murray Forseter

Not-So-Sweet Shopping

Sugar is my new love. At just five months old, the miniature Goldendoodle with shaggy blonde hair and big brown eyes has stolen my heart. (Not a “designer dog” aficionado? A Goldendoodle is a combination of a poodle and golden retriever.)

Sugar has also chewed a hole in my wallet.

New-puppy expense goes far beyond the inevitable veterinarian bills. There’s the succession of collars, each bigger than the one bought two weeks before. And the expensive dog food, the training treats, the training class, and of course the accessories. I have bought Sugar a bandana for fall, one for Christmas, her very own blanket, and a toy box full of dog playthings.

While most of my shopping has been at my favorite PETCO store, a few items have come from online sources. The most recent Internet shopping experience, though, left me wanting. I got an e-mail from “In the Company of Dogs,” which advertised special holiday savings. When I checked out the merchandise, I saw a collar I simply had to have. (It was a pink-and-orange tropical design, perfect for my buff little blond with the surfer curls.) Reduced from $18.99 to $12.99, with free shipping to boot, the collar sailed into my cart and off to checkout I went. Everything went without a hitch, until I clicked “confirm purchase.”

At that moment, a receipt appeared on my screen—for $18.99, plus shipping, rather than the reduced price of $12.99, sans shipping. I sat there, not knowing what to do. The purchase was made, the company had my credit-card information, and the price was wrong.

I had no choice but to call the company, wait through interminable recorded messages and offers, hold while the customer-service staff served what the taped voice described as an “overload of calls,” and gradually become more frustrated as the minutes ticked by. Finally, I got my live person, explained the situation, and he looked up the purchase. He said, “But that collar is $18.99.” And I had to point him to the Web site where the collar was clearly under the sale items and reduced to $12.99. His response was, “Hmm.”

We finally got the mess straightened out, I was charged the correct price, and I have since confirmed that the reduced amount was what ultimately appeared on my credit-card statement. But I was left feeling very dissatisfied that the retailer couldn’t do a better job of integrating information. In this day and age, when sales are few and far between, retailers can’t afford to make these kinds of pedestrian mistakes.

Don’t get me wrong; Sugar loves her new collar. But her next one will come from someone else.

—Katherine Field

Holiday Zen = lululemon

While Christmas shopping at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y., bright and early Saturday morning, I passed lululemon Athletica and received my first holiday gift—an invitation to a free open yoga class.

A yoga enthusiast for 10 years, I look forward to taking “formal” classes led by knowledgeable teachers. With two kids and a full-time job, however, I don’t get to take advantage as often as I would like. lululemon may be just what I need to change that.

The first time I heard about lululemon was at the Technology and Operations Store Summit (TOPSS), sponsored by Chain Store Age and Retail Technology Quarterly in June. This Canadian company opened one store in 1998, with the intention of becoming a “community” where yoga enthusiasts could meet and discuss the benefits of yoga, as well as other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle.

Then a funny thing happened—consumers began flooding the store looking for apparel and accessories to help them pursue their passion for yoga. The chain began expanding, and today it is a 100-plus-store chain with locations in Canada, Australia and the United States.

The chain keeps its passion for yoga at the core of its business model. It offers free yoga classes to employees during their breaks and off-hours. They also give them the opportunity to try out lululemon merchandise, from apparel to accessories, such as mats and blocks.

Keeping true to this spirit, the open yoga classes are helping this lululemon location recreate that feeling of “community” among its shoppers. The Roosevelt Field store features a “Community Board,” which displays local yoga schools, class schedules and discounts. It also features a “Studio of the Month,” and invites teachers from the “honored” studio to lead these weekly classes.

The class I attended attracted 20 students. By moving merchandise displays to the back of the store, the selling floor was transformed into a yoga studio. The store provided the yoga mats, props and even filtered water, available from a water fountain displayed against a floor-to-ceiling sea-foam green tile back splash. Dimly lit track lighting, inspirational music, and statues of Buddhist frogs (which symbolize prosperity) and elephants (strength of the mind) added to the pleasant Zen-like atmosphere—something much-needed this time of year.

While the classes are a nice feature, I’m willing to bet they are helping to increase the store’s holiday traffic. Once the class was over, for example, I saw at least three people stay behind and browse the store.

I had to leave before enjoying everything the store had to offer—I only get so much free time without children these days! But I will definitely go back—for another class as well as to shop. And who knows. If my loved ones read my holiday wish list, I might even find a holiday treat from lululemon in my Christmas stocking.

—Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Black, and Blue, Friday

I avoid Black Friday like the plague. As far as I am concerned, you have to be two things I’m not in order to survive the biggest shopping day of the year: You need to be comfortable in crowds, and you must be naturally confrontational. I am neither.

A small-town, spring-season version of Black Friday taught me early on that I have no stomach for the big-sale mentality. An exclusive boutique named Ida’s, in my childhood home of Mansfield, La., hosted an annual President’s Day sales event—called Ida’s 2.22 Sale. Everything—and I mean everything—in the store was marked down to $2.22 for one day only.

This was the one sale that could get my mother, my two sisters and me into a chilly February lineup at 7:00 a.m. (In the ‘60s and ‘70s, 4 a.m. would have been unheard of.) We would wait with the other townspeople in front of Ida’s door, which, by the way, opened into a remodeled garage at the back of Ida Wiggin’s home. When she threw the door open, we rushed in with everyone else to fight for the bargains.

When I say fight, I mean it. I can remember spying a pair of expensive pants in just my size and reaching for them at precisely the same time as another lady. With her holding onto the pant legs, and the waist band firmly gripped by me, we began to pull. Because I was a teenager and was growing increasingly upset, my mother intervened. (I ended up with the pants; you don’t cross my mother, especially when shopping.)

Feb. 22, 1974 was my last big sales shopping event. I realized that day I simply am not willing to wait in line while it’s still dark outside. And I don’t have the stomach to fight over merchandise.

This past Saturday, I read both national and local accounts of Black Friday tragedies and mishaps. The tragedy, of course, occurred at Wal-Mart—and if a death doesn’t tell us that we’ve gone out of control as a shopping nation, nothing will. Locally, we had incidents of a knife being brandished and several unarmed assault charges filed, but fortunately no injuries or deaths resulted.

My family was safe at home on Friday, snug in our beds while others tussled over televisions and waved weapons over laptops. Later that morning, I checked in with my mother, who still lives in Louisiana, and she reported that she stayed home as well. Seems that, at age 83, she no longer has the stamina, or the stomach, for the fight.

—Katherine Field

Reinventing Kohl’s

Kohl’s local makeover somehow slipped up on me.

Because one of the company’s stores in Lincoln, Neb., is located very near my house, it is a fairly routine stop for me for purchases such as young men’s jeans and shorts for my son, junior tops for my daughter, and candles and sterling silver earrings for me.

I never ventured much beyond those base purchases because, frankly, I haven’t been a fan of the other categories sold at Kohl’s.

However, the company is making headway toward changing my mind.

I stopped in over the weekend and, though I had been vaguely aware of some facade updates (I remember skirting some outdoor tarps on a visit a few months ago, but I was in a hurry and didn’t pay much attention.), I hadn’t noticed much going on inside.

Until this weekend. I charged through the front door with one thing on my mind: buy a couple of Yankee Candles with a sale coupon I had in my purse.

When I arrived my destination—or, rather, what used to be the location of the candle supplies—I stopped short. The candles were gone. For the first time, I opened my eyes and looked around. The store was different—very different.

Before I realized what was happening, I was browsing. Please understand that I never browse at Kohl’s. It’s just not my browsing spot. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what I did. I ambled through housewares, making mental notes of some potentially great Christmas gifts for family members. I found a few placemats on a clearance table—and I snagged two of them. I finally made it to the relocated candle display area, but not before browsing the Christmas decor.

I checked out with just a few purchases—two candles and my prized clearance placemats—but with a mental list to return when I had lots more time to look around.

I read an article recently that Kohl’s had just celebrated its 1,000th store milestone, opening on Oct. 1 its 1,000th store and reiterating its plans to introduce innovation through store design, store remodels and evolution of the in-store experience.

I would say that, at least in one market and with this one customer, Kohl’s plans are working.

—Katherine Field

Obama, Cosby and Kmart

On the Saturday after Barack Obama’s election as the 44th president of the United States, The New York Times ran an article in its Arts & Leisure section entitled, “Before Obama, There Was Bill Cosby.”

The premise of the article was that the depiction of the Huxtable family on Cosby's show, which began in 1984 and runs even today in syndication—paved the way for public acceptance of an Afro-American as a leadership figure. The article pointed out that even Karl Rove, the magna-GOP strategist, said on election night on Fox News, “We’ve had an African-American first family for many years in different forms. When “The Cosby Show” was on, that was America’s family. It wasn’t a black family. It was America’s family.”

Cosby, no doubt, influenced public perception. So did other TV shows and movies that put minorities and women in the Oval Office. Pop culture, in other words, makes it easier for breakthroughs to occur.

Sometimes, however, pop culture stands in the way of transformation.

Take Kmart. No matter what Kmart has done over the last quarter-century, it has been unable to shed its image as the “polyester palace,” the home of the “Blue Light Special.” Kmart recently has even tried to capitalize on the blue light heritage, but to little success.

I believe Kmart’s image problem can be traced to its rapid ascendancy by the early 1970s as the first, and at the time only, national discount store chain. Back then, when TV and movie writers and comedians needed a national frame of reference for their scripts and jokes, Kmart was there for the punch line and context in the ’70s and well into the ’80s. Since many of today’s writers and comedians were growing up in those decades, there has been a carryover effect, even as Wal-Mart vastly outpaced Kmart as the largest retailer in the country. Remember, back then Wal-Mart was not yet a national chain and was an unknown entity to most people growing up along the Eastern and Western seaboards. Only Kmart had imprinted itself on the national landscape and psyche.

Think about the 1988 movie “Rain Man.” Where did the character played by Dustin Hoffman want to go to buy his underwear? Kmart was the running joke throughout the movie.

Wal-Mart’s reputation is by no means pure, given the many lawsuits filed against it for alleged labor violations, its impact on communities where it opens and closes stores, its import policy—its sheer SIZE.

But for now, Kmart has retained its identity as the national butt of humor and low-end retailing.

For Barack Obama, the media helped create a climate of change. For Kmart, the stigma of the past remains just one of the obstacles in its path to transformation.

By Murray Forseter

An Unpatriotic Coffee Break?

Is it me, or does it seem like Starbucks can’t catch a break these days?

As the economy tightens, consumers are keeping disposable income closer to the vest—a practice that is taking a toll on the higher-priced Starbucks coffee chain. Hoping to nab some of these cost-conscious coffee drinkers, Starbucks rival Dunkin' Donuts began offering 99-cent lattes weekdays between 2 and 5 p.m. (The promotion started Oct. 1, and runs through Nov. 11.)

And two weeks ago, Dunkin' Donuts launched its “Dunkin’ Beats Starbucks” media blast. The campaign, which is based on results of a blind taste test among approximately 475 consumers, promotes that more consumers prefer Dunkin’s brewed coffee over Starbucks’ House Blend. (Besides television ads, consumers can visit www.dunkinbeatstarbucks.com to read about the experiment, learn about Dunkin' Donuts’ coffee, corporate promotions and services.)

But on Monday, Starbucks upped the promotional stakes. An e-mail blast and YouTube spot reminded coffee drinkers, “If you vote, Starbucks buys your coffee.” All voters have to do is tell a barista they voted today, and a “tall” cup of coffee is on the house.

The promotion certainly caused attention in my neck of the woods. It was a story on last night’s local news, and I—along with many of my friends—plan to take advantage of the offer.

However, not everyone was impressed by the ad. Election officials for the state of Washington got wind of the promotion, and told a local news station that rewarding voters with free coffee is illegal. More specifically, a federal statute prohibits any organization from “providing rewards for voting,” Nick Handy, director of elections, said in an article on kirotv.com, a news Web site that supports Seattle’s KIRO 7 television station.

To avoid any flack, Starbucks quickly changed the rules of its promotion. Rather than reserve free Joe for voters, Starbucks plans to hand out coffee to anyone who asks for a free cup.

I see the point that election officials made, but I also think they took the situation a bit too far. Not once did Starbucks plan to reward anyone for voting for a specific party. In my opinion, the only “swing vote” Starbucks might have hoped to reward today was a former Dunkin' Donuts supporter.

By Deena M. Amato-McCoy

A Breath of Fresh Air at The Arches

I got an early holiday present last week. Not one to miss a grand opening (or dismiss a fistful of 20%-off coupons), I traveled a short distance from my home on Long Island to Tanger Outlet Center at The Arches, Deer Park, N.Y.

Long Island, with its multi-ethnic population of about 3 million, has no shortage of enclosed malls, strip centers or freestanding stores, but this latest entry injected a literal breath of fresh air into our ho-hum retail choices.

A hybrid of sorts, Tanger’s new 800,000-sq.-ft. outdoor center combines premium outlets, retail, discount stores, restaurants and entertainment. Many of the spaces and most of the restaurants are still dark—but about 70 well-stocked, well-staffed shops and one sit-down eatery, Chipotle, are open.


The fall weather was perfect, and serious shoppers and locals were eager to see what the fuss was about. Because no cars or traffic are visible from within the space, visitors feel as if they are strolling in a small village. A feast of European streetscapes, landscaped promenades, piazzas, fountains, Venetian-style street lamps and covered arches delight the eye. Appealing, sherbet-colored, plaster-fronted buildings of varying heights, with red-tile roofs, shutters and balconies, add to the ambience.

Background sound in the form of live or recorded music was another important ingredient. Colorfully outfitted musicians and street performers interacted with passersby. Amenities included well-marked, clean restrooms, comfortable benches for resting with packages or relaxing with friends and family, attractive landscaping, and translucent panels (or “angel wings” as I like to think of them) over some streets to keep sunlight in and bad weather out.

The entire space is barrier-free and wheelchair friendly. The very visible security force keeps thing smooth, and regular police and at least one EMS worker patrol the center and parking lots on bicycles. A few lucky officers were motoring around on Segway Personal Transporters.


Opening bashes need opening acts, and on Friday night I was swept away by a zillion screaming tweens and teens as American Idol Jordin Sparks connected with her fan base. She, like the entire center, turned in a terrific performance, hitting just the right notes. I gave them both a "10."

By Barbara Hagan
senior desk editor

The Art of Scheduling and Market Research

Conference scheduling is an art, choosing time slots that conform to speakers’ availability and that mesh nicely into a cohesive program. Sometimes it can lead to amusing juxtapositions. Take this week’s Argyle Executive Forum 2008 Leadership in Retail and Consumer Products Forum in New York City.

The kickoff retail speaker was Stephen Sadove, chairman and CEO of Saks Inc. Sadove said sales at the luxury department store and off-price retailer reflect how the wealthy view the value of their stock portfolios, so it was no surprise that sales were down.

Sadove was immediately followed by a retailer who appealed to the polar opposite in net worth. David Brandon, chairman and CEO of Domino’s Pizza, said his customers freak out when it cost $80 to fill their gas tanks, that with an average Domino’s ticket of $20, that’s probably the cost of a cup of coffee at Saks.

Throughout the day’s worth of presentations at the New York Athletic Club, at least one theme emerged—the need to understand and meet customer expectations.

Brandon provided perhaps the most universally relatable example. When Domino’s opened in Taiwan, market research indicated it would do well. Children craved pizza, and their parents were eager to please them. But sales did not take off because Domino’s had failed to fully account for all of the decision makers when it came to family dining. In Taiwan, many households contain three generations—children, parents and grandparents. Pizza was approved by the first two groups, but the grandparents cast a “pizza veto.”

Further research discovered that grandparents really liked fried chicken. Once Domino’s added fried chicken to the menu, sales doubled, said Brandon, proving again that local adaptation of a corporate program is often the gateway to success.

By Murray Forseter

Linens ’n Things’ Fate Revisited

… And so another small city says goodbye to a national retailer.

On May 14, I blogged about Lincoln, Nebraska’s narrow escape from losing its sole Linens ’n Things – only to follow up five months later with the news that not only is Lincoln losing the retailer, but so are 370-odd other trade areas around the country.

Today’s Lincoln Journal-Star bemoaned that Nebraska’s capital city was losing “its second national retailer due to bankruptcy in just over a month.” Steve & Barry’s was the first national casualty, having announced in September that it would close its store at Westfield Gateway Mall, one of more than 100 the bankrupt chain’s new owner will shutter. (At this writing, S&B is still open, but the liquidation sale signs around town are abundant.)

Local bloggers aren’t happy about the loss of Linens ’n Things. Bob is wondering where he will “get my ‘And Things’ from now on!” An unnamed shopper was more wordy in her protestations. “I love going to linens and things [sic] because it is much closer to where I live, they would accept the Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, and they were always available to help (as opposed to Bed Bath and Beyond who weren't).”

People here are concerned about the store’s employees, as several bloggers discussed back and forth the fates of favorite associates who would be losing their jobs so close to the holidays.

That’s the part that mustn’t be overlooked by any of us. There are people in those stores and in those headquarters offices—people with families and bills and responsibilities who now have to find a way to survive without a Linens ’n Things paycheck. As a journalist, I write about the company’s bankruptcy. But as a human being, I regret the loss of a neighborhood store, and I feel for the people most directly impacted—the employees.

In May, I wrote that “the topic of store closures will likely be keeping bloggers busy for the rest of the year.” Who knew just how busy?

By Katherine Field

My TV Debut on Fox

My first impulse was to say no when Fox Business News called yesterday and asked if I wanted to come on this morning and discuss retailers’ September sales results and prospects for the upcoming holiday season. The show (“Money for Breakfast”) is done live. What if I clammed up and flubbed things? What if I suddenly went blank? What if my bus was late? After all, I commute into the city from New Jersey and with the traffic being what it is there was no guarantee I would make it to the Fox studio the time they wanted me there (7:15 a.m.), even if I left my house at 6. No problem there, the perky young Fox rep said, we’ll send a car to your house to pick you up. She assured me I would have plenty of time go into hair and makeup before my appearance. Hair and makeup? My own private car? It was beginning to sound better all the time, and it didn’t take long before my desire to become one of those talking heads that dominate the airwaves these days got the better of me.

Looking back, I’m glad it did. It was a fun experience. I was a bit nervous when I walked onto the set (this was live TV after all). There were monitors all around turned on to stock tickers and I worried the moderator would throw something out of left field based on the latest results—results I hadn’t seen yet. But the sliding fortunes of retailers worked to my advantage in that there were no surprises in the results this morning—only more bad news. The segment went by in a blur. I surprised myself by remembering two different predictions for holiday sales, and getting them both right.

After it was over, I worried that I talked too much—and that my hair looked flat. Why did I gesture with my hands so much? And was I seeing things, or did I catch a glimpse of lipstick on my teeth?

To see the clip, please visit the Chain Store Age home page at www.chainstoreage.com.

- Marianne Wilson

Fill ’er Up—With Food and Fuel

Buying gas at a grocery store has never been my modus operandi. But fuel prices are forcing a lot of us to rethink our usual patterns.

In the upcoming November issue of Chain Store Age, we’re running a brief on Price Chopper’s loyalty plan that provides its shoppers with significant gas discounts at partnering fuel stations. Called AdvantEdge, the program gives shoppers a 10-cents per gallon gas discount in exchange for purchasing $50 worth of groceries. The fuel limit is 20 gallons.

Des Moines, Iowa-based HyVee is going Price Chopper one better. The regional grocer has rolled out a loyalty program at all stores with on-site HyVee gas stations. I’ve been told that the program varies from store to store, or market to market, but I know at least one store in one market that has brought gas prices to new lows.

I shopped a new HyVee near my home in Lincoln, Neb., last night, foregoing my customary trip to discount grocer Super Saver in favor of convenience. After purchasing about $200 worth of groceries, the cashier handed over my receipt with a tip: Take the receipt across the parking lot to the new HyVee convenience store/gas station, fill up, and get 15 cents per gallon off the listed gas price.

Had the food and fuel both been higher than I normally paid, HyVee’s deal wouldn’t have been so newsworthy. But I shopped carefully inside the food store, buying store brands and specials, and am convinced my HyVee grocery total didn’t exceed my usual Super Saver tally. And the regular price of the HyVee gas was $3.12/gallon—a penny lower than any other station on my side of town. So I filled up my car—and paid $2.97/gallon.

Though I ruefully shared a chuckle with the convenience store cashier about being excited over a gas price that approached $3, I still couldn’t help but feel elated, and a little smug, about the whole experience as I drove away.

I called HyVee this morning to confirm that the program is ongoing—and was told it is.

I do believe that I will establish a new pattern, one that involves pairing grocery shopping with a fill-up at my local HyVee.

By Katherine Field

Future Speak

Most people have never heard of Li Edelkoort or her firm Trend Union. But among those in the know the Dutch-born Edlelkoort is widely regarded as one of the leading forecasters of the coming trends in a host of industries, including fashion, retail, beauty and interior design. A well-placed friend told me about her several years back, saying her presentations were fascinating for her ability to seemingly pull all kinds of disparate and percolating ideas, concepts, etc., together.


Edelkoort’s forecasting abilities are on display in the October 2008 edition of Fast Company, where, in a Q&A, she comes off as a slightly quirky, slightly abstract (and a little bit eccentric) one-woman think tank. The article (“Fashion Sorceress”) also contains some of her insights as to what’s coming down the pike. Here are a few gems:

On the “Hot” list, Edelkoort believes that rural will rule, androgyny will be hot and that covering up (with layers and veils and such) wil be cool. She also believes that eccentricity will be cultivated.

On the “What’s Not” list, she contends that the pumped-up look for guys is passé, and that gaudy logos and labels are out (“Incognito is the new luxury.”). And while excessive bling is over, sparkle will remain part of the picture.

For more on Edelkoort, including what she thinks Americans could learn from the Dutch, pick up Fast Company.

By Marianne Wilson

Green Challenge: Make It Easy to Recycle

For all the talk about sustainability, and there’s plenty of talk, there are some huge holes in the implementation of green strategies.

Case in point: My husband’s company hosted a picnic at the Duke-University of Virginia football game on Saturday. Great fun, but the only thing that choked worse than the Cavaliers’ defense was an attempt to promote green among company attendees. Drinks were served in souvenir cups, colored Blue Devils’ royal, with the company logo in bright green and a tagline promoting green practices. 

However, the problem was we couldn’t take our souvenir cups from the picnic tent into the stadium—neither could any of the other fans carrying bottled waters, sodas or beer cans. All those recyclable materials had to be discarded before we passed through the security gate.

But guess what? There were no recycling bins, just large trash cans.

So much for going green.

My challenge to the retail industry is this: Put recycling bins beside every trash can so that shoppers can just as easily toss a bottle or can into the recycling receptacle as the trash can. Food courts and shopping-center common areas are obvious points where there should be recycling bins, but it also would be useful to have them beside trash cans at the entrances of big-box stores, grocery stores, drug stores, etc.

Yes, it’s going to cost more to implement and add recycling—but there would be some positive PR results and, of course, it is the right thing to do.

This is a perfect opportunity for the retail industry to breathe actionable life into green-speak, and lead the way for entertainment, hospitality and other public-service industries.

By Connie Robbins Gentry

Must Reading: “Stop, Thief!”

I’ve just finished reading an article in The New Yorker (“Stop, Thief,” in the Sept. 1, issue—OK, so I’m a few weeks behind) that offers some interesting insights into a $40 billion-plus problem: retail shrink. The author, John Colapinto, presents an inside view into an industry that, as he so aptly puts it, is “virtually defined by its secrecy.” And in a feat I find truly impressive, he got Target Corp. to go public.

Colapinto interviews Target’s head of asset protection, Brad Brekke (he succeeded the legendary King Rogers to the post in 2001), who created a crime-laboratory complex inside office headquarters. Initially designed to combat retail-theft gangs, the labs have evolved to play a key role in the fight against “e-fencing,” or the resale of stolen goods online via Craigslist, eBay and other Web sites (Interesting tidbit from the article: Among the hottest theft items for sale on auction sites are Dyson vacuum cleaners.) The author was given a tour of Target’s crime labs by the company’s manager of forensic services, Rick Lautenbach. (Attention CBS: This could serve as the basis for another CSI spin-off.)

The labs include a “latent-fingerprinting lab,” where fingerprints not visible to the naked eye can be detected and recorded. Lautenbach explains how it all works, and then tells how the lab played a pivotal role in the recent case of a man suspected of repeated thefts at Target stores in Arizona. The man was eventually convicted of felony trafficking in stolen property and computer tampering.

Also on site: a video-analysis laboratory, and a computer forensics lab, where digital storage devices (ranging from BlackBerrys to cell phones) taken from suspected retail-crime gangs are analyzed. Target isn’t fooling around—its senior computer investigator joined the chain three years ago after a stint in the United States Army where, as part of the Computer Crime Investigative Unit, he analyzed the pictures taken by soldiers at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison.

As to the extent of the problem, Target asset head Brekke, in remarks made last year before a congressional subcommittee on organized retail crime, said: “In the most recent year, Target alone made approximately 75,000 theft apprehensions in its stores. By comparison, the total number of criminal cases in all federal district courts across the country is usually less than 60,000 in one year.”

Sobering statistics.

By Marianne Wilson

Gap’s French Accent

In well-traveled fashion circles, retail doesn’t get much hipper than Colette. The uber-cool Paris boutique is a showcase for up-and-coming fashion labels, limited-edited products and high-quality brands, from the past and present. More than a store, Colette is a meeting point of fashion and culture for well-heeled hipsters and fashionistas of all ages and stripes from around the globe.

Now, in a surprising collaboration, Colette has joined forces with Gap, whose own hip quotient has been sorely lacking in recent years. The two retailers have joined forces to open a one-month pop-up store adjacent to Gap’s Manhattan flagship on Fifth Avenue and the corner of 54th Street. (It closes on Oct. 5.)

Replicating Colette’s Paris store concept, Colette + Gap features a combination of unique Colette products, otherwise unavailable here, along with items created especially for the temporary store. Prices run the gamut from $10 to $400.

The merchandise ranges from such signature Colette items as stationery, candles, CDs and room fragrances to limited edition T-shirts designed by French and New York artists. Iconic Gap items, such as the trench coat and sweatshirt, have been reinterpreted by designers selected by Colette. A French artisan has designed a collection of key trinkets styled after such classic Gap products as jeans and denim jackets.

According to Gap, the space is designed to capture the spirit of the Paris boutique. The walls are white, and feature unusual typography depicting letters of the alphabet. An illustrated motif that shows cranes lifting shipping cranes, the American flag and boxes with the respective Colette and Gap logos is featured on the walls. The construction theme continues in a yellow-and-black-striped decorative border that recalls the tape used in construction areas.

Colette + Gap is fun. And while it won’t turn around the chain’s image nationwide, it has created quite a buzz on New York’s retail scene. Gap is cool again. At least for a month.

Marianne Wilson

The Dillard's Decline

In Nebraska, two major department stores have battled for market share. As of last month, there is a clear victor.

Dillard’s announcement in July that it would close 13 stores—one of which is in Crossroads Mall in Omaha—came as no surprise to me. Though I shop in Lincoln, not Omaha, I have witnessed the demise of what was once a great department store chain.

And I have watched its chief competitor—Von Maur—continue its rise in the state.

In the Lincoln Dillard’s, the department I have long referred to as the “club house” (a throw-back term to the old days, when Dillard’s formally labeled its designer-wear section as the club house) has shrunk its offerings to a sad selection of barely designer-wear. In place of Dana Buchman and Ellen Tracy apparel is the Reba line. Hardly comparable. While Austin Reed suits are still displayed, the pickings are meager. Nygard, however, reigns, eating up a huge display area. (For those of you who don’t know Nygard’s Nebraska selection, think crepe-y suits with old-lady floral blouses.)

The latest change to the Dillard’s merchandise selection impacted the shoe department. Donald Pliner was discontinued. Word from the sales staff is that Cole Haan will be next, supplanted by lower-end shoe designers like Steve Madden and Nine West.

Today I read that Dillard’s 2Q loss was $38.3 million, widening from a $25.2 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Same-store sales dropped 4%. And the Omaha store has now closed.

No shocker. I’ve been a loyal Dillard’s shopper for 30 years. I now patronize Von Maur, driving about 10 miles out of my way to do so. My latest purchase was a $250 pair of Donald Pliner shoes.

By Katherine Field

Tales of Brooklyn: Retailing in Red Hook

I grew up in Brooklyn. Spent the first two of my six decades of life there. Thanks mostly to my father’s intimate knowledge of the streets of Brooklyn, I gained a pretty good feel for Kings County. About 18 months ago my daughter opted to reside in the “mother country,” so I’m reacquainting myself with the many ’hoods of my youth. Last year my wife, also Brooklyn-raised, and I did a nostalgia tour of the borough.

One area generally avoided in the past was Red Hook, a hardscrabble warren of narrow streets, run down, low-rise apartments and warehouses abutting New York’s harbor. Aside from a wonderful view of the Statue of Liberty, Red Hook had little to offer the casual visitor.

But Red Hook, as have many neighborhoods in New York, has undergone gentrification. Warehouses have turned into lofts. Renovations turned ramshackle buildings into modern apartment complexes.

Often, the presence of new retail revives a community. In Red Hook’s case, renewal preceded retail.

When it did arrive, retail came with world-class vengeance—an IKEA opened this summer, while 18 months ago a Fairway supermarket made its entry in a five-story, 150-year-old warehouse. IKEA is world-renowned. For those who believe New York City is the center of the universe, Fairway is world-renowned as well.

Though some Red Hook residents feared traffic congestion and the impact both emporia would have on their quiet streets, the stores have been successfully integrated into the area.

A visit Sunday to both stores that are about a half-mile apart could not have been more spectacular. Walking the 346,000-sq.-ft. IKEA, I couldn’t help but comment that one could hear more languages being spoken than at the United Nations. New Yorkers embrace value. IKEA fulfills their desires.

Fairway’s tag line is that it is “like no other market.” Its four New York area specialty food stores live up to the hype, none more so that the 52,000-sq.-ft. unit built inside a Civil War era, 230,000-sq.-ft. warehouse that includes workspaces for local artists, offices for community-based not-for-profit organizations, event spaces and 45 loft apartments. There is more electricity inside Fairway than a dozen regular supermarkets. Perhaps it’s from the co-generational power plant that utilizes waste heat to generate power.

Each store takes full advantage of its proximity to the water. From IKEA’s restaurant you can see the Statue of Liberty; its bedroom department has a large picture window with a harbor view. It also built a 6-1/2-acre waterfront esplanade open to the public. Outside Fairway patrons can sit at tables and enjoy the vista, or walk along a path beside the water.

Successful retailers try to build in theater. For IKEA and Fairway, stores that already are exciting venues inside, the allure of the ocean is an attraction bound to bring back shoppers again and again, if for no other reason that to sit with a cup of coffee and gaze out at Lady Liberty.

By Murray Forseter

Kimono Shopping in Japan

My mom has been into Asian collectibles ever since I can remember—she even has an Asian-inspired room in the house I grew up in. So when I told her I was going to Japan and Korea for two weeks this summer, she (of course) wrote out a laundry list of things that would be perfect for her beloved room. On the top of her list was a traditional kimono—something I thought would be easy to pick up and highly marketed to tourists.

Surprisingly, I had no such luck in Tokyo and put my hopes into finding a reasonably priced one in some of Kyoto’s famed shopping districts. When we arrived via bullet train, I saw many women sporting kimonos about town. (I love how the image at left captures traditional Japanese culture fused with modern cell-phone technology. Given that Japan is so far ahead with m-commerce, I find this picture both ironic and fitting.)

For some reason, even in Kyoto, I still couldn’t get my hands on a kimono. The few I did see on display far exceeded my budget. Feeling defeated, I figured the search for her kimono was a lost one.

That is until my good friend and travel companion Sharon ran into the fast-fashion apparel chain Uniqlo to pick up some t-shirts before continuing on our trip. While looking around, my eyes set on something I never expected to see there: An entire kimono section in the middle of the store. Cheap! Stylish! Perfect.

And just like that, my quest—one that included hours of rummaging through markets and stores for affordable kimonos—came to an end. Why hadn’t I thought of the popular Japanese retailer before? I have often shopped at its global flagship (and largest location) in Manhattan’s SoHo district since it opened nearly two years ago.

My mom loved the kimono—and for all she knows, I shelled out the big bucks to get her exactly what she wanted.

—Samantha Murphy

Say 'Yes' to the Show

Until very recently, my favorite television show set in a retail store was an old "Twilight Zone" episode in which a man somehow gets trapped in a department store after closing time. The lights go off—and the mannequins slowly come to life. Next morning, there was a new mannequin in the store. At the time, the show scared the daylights out of me, and I would hurry past mannequins lest they glance my way. Truth be told, they still give me the chills every now and then.

Apart from that "Twilight Zone" episode, TV shows set in retail stores have left me cold. I gave Unwrapping Macy’s (the 2006 reality show about working at Macy’s) a shot, but it came across as phony and overly staged. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to watch, on the advice of a friend, "Say Yes to the Dress," which is set inside the country’s most famous bridal salon: Kleinfeld, in Manhattan. I was hooked after one episode.

Unlike most other reality shows, this one actually lives up to its hype: It casts a spotlight onto the inner workings of the store. Part fashion show, part bridal drama and part family therapy, the show feels real as it details the many hurdles the sales associates face to make sure that each customer leaves 100% satisfied with regard to the dress she will wear on her big day. Given the demands of some of these customers, it is no easy job by any means.

More than the customers, however, it’s the sales associates and the store’s co-owners, Mara Urshel and Ronnie Rothstein, who fascinate me. I’m impressed with the respectful way they treat each customer—regardless of whether she has budgeted $5,000 or $50,000 for the dress—and one another (with some exceptions). That they all seem to love their job is a given.

During a summer when there is precious little to watch, I’m happy to report that "Say Yes to the Dress" is now back for its second season. You can catch it on the cable channel TLC, at 8 p.m. (7 Central) on Tuesdays.

—Marianne Wilson

Kudos to Chick-Fil-A for 'Moo-ving' Traffic

Do you ever feel like you’re going to be sitting in a drive-through lane until the “cows come home?”

It’s ironic, given that the fundamental purpose of drive-through lanes, particularly at fast-food restaurants, is to provide expedient service.

Problems typically arise during peak hours, when the cars snaking around many restaurants often out-number the bodies standing in line at the inside counter. Unsurprisingly, walk-in service during those hours may prove faster than drive-through.

Such was the case at our local Chick-Fil-A, which was notorious for attracting long lines inside and out, particularly during lunch hour.

Dashing between appointments recently, I found myself sitting at an intersection a half-mile from the Chick-Fil-A and wondering where I could grab a fast sandwich. The clock on my dash registered 12:04, which I expected would mean long lines at Chick-Fil-A.

As I got closer to the restaurant, cars were exiting but there were only two cars visible in the drive-through lane and they appeared to be moving. Pulling into the lane, I saw a teenage employee speaking to the driver in front of me.

“Oh, great,” I instantly presumed the drive-through must be out-of-service.

Wrong, the young man walked to my window, greeted me with CFA’s typical employee enthusiasm, and asked if he could take my order. A second young man took the paper the order was written on and read it into a cell phone.

My car barely stopped moving as I circled the building and picked up my chicken-salad sandwich.

“Great service,” I observed to the cashier, and then asked if the drive-through system was out-of-order.

“No, we just have employees outside taking orders between noon and 1:00 so we can give our customers better, more personal service,” she explained.

And it was clearly working— as I exited the parking lot, the time on my dashboard clock was 12:06, which would be an impressive service record even when it wasn’t lunch hour.

The take-away message for other retailers, including those without drive-through lanes, is Chick-Fil-A’s willingness and ingenuity to do whatever it takes to provide customers with that “better, more personal service,” even when doing so may mean putting your technology investments on hold and standing in the hot sun to personally get the job done.

—Connie Gentry

Ken Macke: A Remembrance

As the only journalist permitted to attend the annual Modes of Creative Retailing conference produced by Jeff Feiner, the retail analyst for Merrill Lynch, in the late ’70s and ’80s, I kept a low profile. Which meant I usually sat in the back of the conference room. I was there on an off-the-record basis, to absorb the details and nuances of the retail industry’s leading executives and their plans for growth.

It was during one of those executive presentations that I first met Ken Macke, at the time the CEO of Target discount stores, the largest but still not overwhelmingly dominant division of Dayton Hudson Corp. Macke was sitting in the last row, gnashing his teeth, mostly muttering to himself as he listened to his predecessor at Target, Stephen Pistner, then president of DHC, explain why the chain was successful. Pistner was trying to woo institutional investors. Macke thought he was spilling corporate secrets. He loathed providing details, such as Target’s unique bag-and-ring checkout system that trained cashiers to look directly at customers and the merchandise on the stand while touch-punching the price into the cash register (editor’s note: yes, there was a time before scanning). The bag-and-ring system made Target a more personal shopping experience.

Target sold many of the same goods as other discounters. Systems, and the discipline to adhere to them, differentiated the Target experience, not just from Kmart, which was 10 times larger at the time, but also from other so-called upscale discounters such as Venture and Gold Circle (Wal-Mart was about the same size and mostly did not compete with Target, as its real estate was in small towns in the South Central states). Product differentiation, such as the Michael Graves collection, would come later, under CEO Robert Ulrich. Under Ulrich, Target became “Tar-zhey.” Under Macke, it was plain, well-run Target.

After Pistner left Dayton Hudson and William Andres retired as corporate chairman and CEO, Macke became, at age 44, the head of the company he first went to work for right out of college when it had just seven department stores. When he took over, the company had revenues of $7 billion. By the time he retired 11 years later in 1994, Dayton Hudson Corp. was the fifth-largest retailer in the country, with 960 stores churning out $21 billion in sales.

Kenneth A. Macke died last Saturday at age 69, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Macke was a bear of a man. Though he always looked to be brooding when talking to the press, that is, if he talked at all to the press, he did occasionally flash a smile that could brighten a room. The thought of him vanquished by this debilitating disease is unsettling.

In June 2005, one of his sons, Jeffrey, wrote a piece for our magazine about his father. Writing about his legacy, he wrote, “He created jobs. He felt more than generously rewarded for doing something he loved, and he never enriched himself at the expense of others’ livelihood.”

I’ve met many retail executives over the last 30-plus years. Macke was not an easy person to know as an outsider. But he was a determined advocate who laid the foundation for what is now one of the most successful and well-respected corporations in the world.

—Murray Forseter

Busted: Confessions of an Unintentional Shoplifter

I got caught shoplifting on Saturday morning.

That’s another retail industry first for yours truly and certainly a lead I never expected to write.

Ignorance is not an excusable alibi so the fact that I didn’t mean to steal something is irrelevant.

Long story short: I paid for a 10-lb. bag of ice; pulled a 20-lb. bag out of the Food Lion freezer and proceeded out the door. The cashier manning the one check-out lane that was open before 8 o’clock Saturday morning, politely but firmly interrupted my exit.

Since I’m not writing this blog from a cell, the story is fortunately about how this young man handled the apprehension—not about my nefarious behavior.

Food Lion had evidently done a superlative job training its associates on loss prevention.

The young man, probably in his late teens, possibly 20ish, excused himself from the three or four people waiting in his lane as he walked over to me and inquired: “Did you mean to buy a 20-lb. bag of ice?”

“No, I thought this was the smaller bag,” I said—as he took the bag from me, held it up and pointed to the large “20-lb.” imprint on the bag.

I was beyond humiliated and apologetic. He returned the 20-lb. bag, handed me the 10-lb. size I had paid for, and appeared to accept that I was merely absent-minded rather than criminal.

He stopped the shrink. He did it professionally. He exercised appropriate judgment and he resumed his cashier duties with limited interruption to the other customers he was serving.

Lesson 1: Food Lion had taught him what to do.

The second take-away message speaks to the generational differences. All you baby-boomer execs out there take note: tattoos and body piercings aside, these Gen X’ers possess an innate ability to react with confidence and poise.

Confronted with a similar situation when we were in our teens, most of us would have sought out a store manager to intercept an older adult who we suspected of shoplifting. Authority was earned through seniority, either in position or age. Not so with today’s emerging workforce—and I for one applaud the initiative and leadership potential of our next greatest generation.

—Connie Gentry

Is Your Employee Smarter Than an 11th Grader?

I can’t give you the absolute answer to the question posed above, but I can tell you what I think it should be. A store employee should be able to guide a teenage customer toward her purchase—and if that employee falls short, then the store manager certainly should be smart enough to help.

My daughter, who will be starting her senior year in high school in the fall, is working part-time for her dad this summer and, as one of her “gopher” duties, she made a trip to Wal-Mart yesterday to buy $25 gift cards for two of his company’s VIP customers. At the register, she handed over the $50 bill her dad had given her as payment, but was surprised to find out she was $16 short.

The store associate said it would be $66 for two $25 gift cards. Nonplussed, my daughter questioned the $16 surcharge and, when the employee didn’t give a satisfactory answer, my daughter asked for the manager’s assistance. To his credit, he came right over, but he backed up the employee: there would be an $8/card charge.

After a quick call to her dad, my daughter said ‘no thanks,’ went straight to Target and bought two $25 gift cards. She paid $50.

When all of this was reported to me last night, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Wal-Mart is now charging fees—and huge ones, at that—for gift cards? Not quite believing that the world’s largest retailer would commit highway robbery, I called the store this morning, and talked to a friendly, and well-informed, lady in the service department. When I explained what had transpired, she immediately said, “Oh, your daughter must have been trying to buy a Wal-Mart Visa card, which has fees attached to it.” After going back and forth for a minute, she and I decided that was indeed the case. And, of course, the lady confirmed what I had suspected all along—Wal-Mart doesn’t charge a fee for gift cards.

However, Wal-Mart should better train its employees and managers. You would think that, when a teen who clearly wasn’t so clear about what she was buying, expressed surprise that there was a fee attached to the purchase, the employee (and certainly the manager) would have realized (as the lady on the phone did) that there was an issue with semantics, and then would have steered her in the right direction.

—Katherine Field

The Buckle: Securely Belted

It would seem that The Buckle is impervious to climate changes—both natural and man-made. The Kearney, Neb.-based apparel chain has successfully weathered a series of Nebraska tornadoes that have sent residents across the state into our basements night after night after night. (A few nights ago, Kearney was hit so hard that I actually checked the next day’s newspaper to see if Buckle’s headquarters building had been tumbled.)

But no Nebraska tornado touched the 376-store retailer—and no economic storm has either. An article in the June 6 Lincoln Journal-Star, headlined “Nebraska’s The Buckle Among Leaders of May Retail Strength,” reported on the youth fashion retailer’s shining performance that surpassed even the discount stores around the country.

For the month of May, discounters such as Costco and Wal-Mart were among the stronger performers as consumers strategized how best to spend what remained after paying their gasoline bills. But, according to the newspaper article, “Nebraska’s own The Buckle, a younger-fashion retailer based in Kearney, blew the doors off again, as it has been for months.” The article cited “staggering” numbers: May same-store sales increases of 34.7%.

I get asked all the time if Nebraska has any retail. Instead of making excuses, I think I’ll just answer “we’re home to The Buckle” and feel a little smug when I say it.

—Katherine Field

Destination Retailing Is a Two-Way Street

The school year is ending and like every proud parent I seize any opportunity to cheer on my students’ successes. Today was cause for a classic moment of spontaneous celebration – the annual arts magazine published by my daughter’s high school featured one of her paintings. The local Starbucks that we frequent almost daily just wasn’t special enough – instead we dashed across town to our favorite ice-cream parlor, Stucci’s.

There are several great frozen-dessert cafes along the way; Goodberry’s is the local craze and, of course, Marble Slab is always popular, but Stucci’s is unique because its selections are extra-creamy, supposedly because the frozen delicacies were trucked in from those prime bovines in Midwestern dairies.

The trip to Stucci’s is an extra 10-minute commute past the other options, which in this gas-centric economy equates to more than just a little pocket change, but for special occasions, it’s worth the drive.

Imagine our disappointment when we saw that Stucci’s name had recently been changed to Golden Cone. The reason, explained the co-owner, is that it has become too costly to transport the Stucci’s brand from Michigan to North Carolina. Instead, the ice-cream parlor has begun to carry the Hershey’s brand of ice cream because it is locally distributed. Hershey’s ice cream is okay, but it is available at a number of local restaurants, including fast-food chains such as Hardees.

The couple who owns the Stucci’s-turned-Golden Cone are really nice folks – the kind of people you want to help stay in business. So, whenever we’re in their neighborhood and needing an ice-cream fix, that will be our first choice. But next time we have cause to celebrate, sadly we won’t think about driving across town for the same kind of ice cream that’s available on several other corners.

The secret to destination-retail success is that it has to be worth the drive, and with gas prices approaching $4.00 a gallon, consumer expectations have been raised.

Now is not the time to trade brand equity for lowered costs – that will cost you in the long run. The real opportunity here would be for the Stucci’s parent company to step in and provide its franchisees with better transportation partnerships – unless of course they are content to keep all their ice cream in the Midwest.

The only winner in this scenario is my waistline, which will benefit from afternoon treats of coffee sans cream instead of extra-creamy frozen desserts.

—Connie Robbins Gentry

Breaching Comes Home to Roost

In yesterday’s mail was a little surprise for my husband and me. In a bright-yellow envelope marked “urgent” was a printed note from our credit-card company, informing us that our account information had potentially been compromised by an “unnamed retailer” and that, in order to protect us from identity theft, we were being issued a new credit card and account number.

The company requested that we destroy our current credit card.

Because in tandem with my colleagues at Chain Store Age I routinely report on the sizeable security breaches that have occurred of late—TJX Cos. and Gap Inc. among them—I am certainly aware of the havoc wreaked by the leakage of personal information. But until it happened to me, I didn’t personalize it. Now it’s personal.

We found ourselves wondering if it was too late. Had our information already been leaked? Was there some spend-happy criminal out there perpetrating shopping sprees at our expense? If so, would we be held responsible?

My husband and I now count among the thousands—make that hundreds of thousands—of people who have experienced these same fears. You can bet that the next time I report on a newly announced breach, I’ll have a new level of empathy for the cardholders who receive that little note in the mail.

—Katherine Field

Memo to Mackey: Watch Out for the Joys of Blogging

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Markets, is back to blogging after months of staying away from the keyboard after it was revealed that he blogged under a pseudonym on everything from the way he looks to the value of Whole Foods stock and the quality of the company’s competitors.

In his first new entry, which includes an apology for putting a “negative spotlight” on his company, Mackey also states, “I’ve learned many things from these events. The primary lesson I’ve learned is that because of Whole Foods Market’s success, I have become a public figure. My personal and work lives are now closely connected—and impact one another. Anything I say or do is now at risk of showing up on the front page of a national daily newspaper and therefore, I need to be much more conscious about the implications of everything that I say or do in all situations …”

Perhaps I am being too harsh on him, but where had Mackey been the last few years? Did he not see the coverage of Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco? Or Ken Lay of Enron? Or that of Robert Nardelli when he was at The Home Depot? Even the straight-laced Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are subjects of personality profiles. Did it have to take Mackey’s public embarrassment to wake him up to the fact that we live in a celebrity society, and that the heads of major companies, particularly public companies, and even more so companies that are frequented by the rich and famous and those who aspire to be, are targets for paparazzi and would-be Pulitzer Prize reporters?

Business journalism no longer is confined to a few select media outlets. It has gone mainstream, partly because of the cult of personality that has engulfed journalism. Fox is launching a new business cable channel. Conde Nast launched Portfolio last year.

New concepts and ideas, case studies and thematic strategic stories abound in all media, as they do at Chain Store Age. But the stories that gain the most attention are those tied into people. Executive profiles fascinate readers. We do our fair share at Chain Store Age, though we admittedly are careful not to focus on peccadilloes or other potentially embarrassing traits or frailties. Not so the consumer business media. They are after headlines—big, bold, banner headlines. The juicier, the more salacious the incident, the better they like it. So if I were John Mackey, I’d keep my guard up. It’s okay to blog again. Just be careful because the media is watching and waiting for you to slip once again.

—Murray Forseter

Weighing in on Linens ’n Things

News of impending store closings in Lincoln, Neb., is generating as many column inches as the Nebraska Huskers’ no. 5-ranked baseball team.

Bloggers are particularly busy trading rumors and predictions for facts as they try to anticipate what retailers are closing in Nebraska’s capital city.

The biggest buzz right now is over Linens ’n Things’ upcoming closure of 120 stores nationwide. Relieved that Lincoln wasn’t on the shutter list, but Omaha is, capital city residents have made LNT a hot topic of discussion.

“I know you were all worried ... [but] Lincoln’s Linens ’n Things is not among the 120 stores the company is closing due to its bankruptcy. However, Omaha isn’t so lucky,” blogged a Lincoln Journal-Star Biz Buzz writer on May 12. “While Lincoln dodged that bullet, there are a lot more coming. Chains that have announced plans to close multiple stores include Zales, Foot Locker and Charming Shoppes, which owns Lane Bryant.”

Bloggers are chatting back and forth about what stores they think are going to close, which ones they feel should close, the rapidly emptying Westfield Gateway Mall on the east side of town, the new corporate silence that surrounds what was supposed to be a new Kohl’s on the south side.

My bet is that my hometown isn’t alone in its retail chatter. The topic of store closures will likely be keeping bloggers busy for the rest of the year.

—Katherine Field

Capitol Makeover

Lincoln, Nebraska, is buzzing with the news that Wal-Mart has selected Nebraska as one of 20 state capitols to get an energy makeover – but not all the buzz is positive.

When the announcement came on May 5 that the world’s largest retailer would partner with 19 states and Puerto Rico to perform energy audits on selected government buildings and recommend ways to lower energy costs, Nebraskans were at once surprised, pleased and disgruntled at the news that our state got a nod. Although we don’t yet know which of the three nominated buildings – the state capitol or one of two state office buildings – will actually receive the audit, the responses have been prolific, and both under- and over-whelming.

One blogger to the Lincoln Journal-Star newspaper opined, “This is great news.” Another whined, “They [Wal-Mart] do a lot of good for the environment, just not for their employees.”

But the most far-reaching, and wary, response came from this blogger: “My concern is the size of the company. We all know they are big, but now big enough to do Nebraska a favor and select us so they can help us. Will we as a state be able to say no to them in the future if need be? What about other states across the country? When you consider their size and the amount of money they are spending lobbying and giving to political campaigns, it would seem that a thinking person would ask where this is all headed.”

Given the suspicious tone of this blog and plenty of others, it becomes quite clear that potentially being beholden to Wal-Mart isn’t a pleasant thought to a population of conservative Midwesterners.

—Katherine Field

Photo courtesy of the Lincoln Journal-Star

Sales Pitch

There’s no optimism in this headline: “The Continued Collapse of the Nation’s Teen Job Market and the Dismal Outlook for the 2008 Summer Labor Market for Teens: Does Anybody Care?” However, retailers looking to hire teens might see a half-full glass vs. the mostly empty glass teens are facing.

Published last month by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, the report has a plethora of facts and figures but the killer stat is this: “The teen employment/population ratio of 33.5% in the most recent quarter was the lowest ever recorded in the 60-year history of national teen-employment data going back to 1948.”

This hit a personal nerve at my house, where we’ve been watching an interesting retail phenomenon unfold. My 16-year-old daughter is seeking her first “real” job and has an interview at her favorite teen-apparel store next week. Whether or not the interview results in a job, it’s been fascinating to witness the recruiting expertise of this particular store manager.

Sorry, revealing the name of the multi-channel mall-based chain would compromise the confidentiality agreement I have with my family—and the point here is that the store manager’s approach could apply equally well to any chain looking to hire.

Case in point: At the mall where my daughter has her interview, another apparel store has a “now hiring” sign posted at the POS—but when an associate in the store asked my daughter if she’d like to take an application to work at that store, my daughter said “no thanks.” Go figure.

Conversely, the dialogue between my daughter and the store manager with the desired job has been going on for several weeks. It started in mid-March, when my daughter was shopping for a dress. The manager struck up a conversation, complemented her on the dress she was trying and then switched from “sell-the-dress” mode to “sell-the-brand.”

She asked my daughter’s age and my daughter immediately took the bait: “Sixteen, how old do you have to be to work here?”

“We prefer over 18, but I sometimes hire mature 16- or 17-year-olds,” answered the manager, who then did a great sales pitch on the value of working in her store, assuring my daughter that she respected and understood that high school students have academic, extracurricular and family obligations. “If you tell me what’s best for you, I schedule your hours accordingly.”

She then turned to me, saying, “And for high-school students, I like it if the parents have input into schedules as well so we don’t conflict with family trips or events.”

Wow, now she’s sold both mom and daughter and we’re thinking this could be the ideal teen job. My daughter left with the dress, an application and instructions to return it the first week in April—which she did.

On that return visit, my daughter reported that the manager continued her sales pitch—again extolling the virtues of working at her store. She ended by telling my daughter that she would not review applications or begin interviewing until the end of the month or the first of May, when she knew which of her college employees would be staying for the summer.

The entire month of April we dealt with typical teenage tenacity—no way my daughter would apply for another job because this was the store she wanted to work in. (Score another point for that store manager—and by the way, want to guess where my daughter shopped when she needed spring shorts in mid-April?)

On April 30 my daughter called the store and the manager promptly scheduled her to come in for an interview. The job may or may not happen—but every interaction with that store manager has left my daughter convinced this would be a great place to work and, if no job happens, it’s still one of her favorite places to shop.

Contrast that to the stores that are on the teen-taboo list. Yes, even when the economy is miserable and reports suggest few teens have viable job opportunities, the notoriously fickle Gen Y gang is choosy about where they will work. Sure, some of it is about working in a “cool store”—but the bigger factor is the store manager. Word spreads fast on stores and managers that are great to work for—and even faster on those that have bad reputations with teens.

Initially, I was surprised to learn that the movie theater and computer-game stores were high on the list of places never to work (after all, they are prime hangouts). But, employment is a revolving door at these establishments, which are all but black-listed by the local teen-texting network. Merchants in our market that have a waiting list of wanna-be associates are those where teens start working in high school and return to work in the same stores over college breaks. Target, Staples, Michael’s and Chick-fil-A are among the most-popular choices.

With unemployment on the rise, why should retailers work so hard to pitch jobs in their stores? Maybe because those teens who are worth stringing along from high school through college are hard to come by. On my daughter’s last shopping trip to the store where she has the interview, three associates were on the floor—one was texting on her cell phone; one was at the POS complaining loudly about the last customer she waited on; and the third was working hard. The manager was not present—but two strikes and one hit don’t produce the same results in store sales that it does in baseball.

—Connie Gentry

Follow Whole Foods Market’s Lead on Bags

With all the attention being given to the green movement, I think it’s time retailers got serious about reducing the use of plastic shopping bags. Just the other day, I went shopping at Target and the cashier used nine plastic bags for my order (a few, it should be noted, were filled with only one or two items). Once home, the bags were destined to sit in my kitchen cabinet—with at least 20 others.

But a message printed on the Target bag caught my eye: “California shoppers: Please return [this bag] to a participating store for recycling.”

That got me thinking. I know that it is not easy to start a citywide—let alone statewide—recycling program. But here’s a much simpler idea: What if grocers, mass merchandisers and drug chains took a lesson from Whole Foods Market and not only banned plastic bags, but also rewarded customers for bringing their own?

Whole Foods shoppers are encouraged to bring any bag from home, paper, plastic, or fabric, to carry groceries. And their proactive efforts earn them a refund of approximately $0.05 per bag.

You don’t have a bag? No problem. The grocer sells reusable bags, created from recycled plastic bottles no less, for $0.99.

If more retailers took advantage of similar programs, they could make that much stronger of an impact on the environment, and get shoppers in on the action.

I can’t imagine that I am the only one who is tired of being bogged down with plastic bags. And statistics show that only 1% of these bags are recycled worldwide anyway.

If all shoppers did their part–and got rewarded for it in some way—I’m willing to bet that one important component of the green movement would surely get underway that much quicker.

—Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Reviewing Shopko's New Format

My hometown Lincoln, Neb., Shopko underwent its extreme makeover several months ago, but until I read Marianne Wilson's and Connie Gentry's coverage of the discounter's new store concept in the May 2008 issue of Chain Store Age (due out May 1st), I hadn't yet made it a point to see the new look for myself.

Although the first of the new concepts debuted in Suamico, Wis., near the chain's home base of Green Bay, Lincoln was an early recipient of Shopko's upgraded appearance. With my 17-year-old daughter in tow, I drove the two miles to the store on Tuesday to compare the CEO's description of the makeover (see "Shopko's Strategy for Growth," page 22, and "Shopko's New Format Shows Feminine Touch," page 156, in the May issue) to what was unveiled in Lincoln.

My first impression, of course, was the new Shopko logo, a feminized and dramatic departure from the former red and blue iteration. I had, of course, seen the new bronze logo on the storefront, but hadn't ventured beyond to see the interior follow-through. I was surprised at the size of the optical department and the pharmacy, both up front and each an upscaled version of what you'd expect to see. The apparel departments filled the interior core of the store, framed by a series of functional, yet aesthetically pleasing, endcap fixtures holding a varied assortment of accessories. The book department was dramatically expanded, so much so that my daughter was moved to make a book purchase. I gravitated toward the expanded patio shop, pleasantly surprised at the merchandising plan and depth of product.

My daughter and I were most taken with the lifestyle graphics that lined every wall of the store. A mixture of product shots and people, the graphics were colorful, upscale, and accented by attractive crown molding ledges.

My biggest disappointment was the fitting-room arrangement. Instead of the prototype's promised four zoned fitting areas, the only one we found was in the women's department, which would force juniors and men and children to travel quite a distance to try on an apparel item. Definitely not ideal.

All in all, I was impressed with the changes in Shopko. As I paid for my daughter's book purchase and we exited the store, I asked her if she would return. "Probably not," she said. "It's definitely better than Wal-Mart, but I still prefer Target." That jives with how CEO Michael MacDonald describes his store, and his customer base. "Shopko merchandise offerings are more traditional [than Target's], whether it's fashion that you wear or for your home. It's going to be current, but not very, very forward ...," he told senior editor Connie Gentry. In other words, there are plenty of stalwart Nebraskans who are drawn toward Shopko's conservative discount merchandise. But my daughter and I likely aren't among them.

Impulse Buys Require In-Stock

Guaranteed, every woman reading this blog has faced the following scenario: On my lunch break, I dash to the local mall to grab a gift. Harold’s, a 43-store chain out of Dallas and a personal fave of mine, is having a store-wide sale. I zip in and nab two great shirts for the birthday boy—my father, turning 81.

Wow, great looking spring skirts and tops. Treat myself to an outfit instead of lunch nibbles? Why, that’s a win-win for the waistline no matter how you measure it. The skirt I like best is available in sizes 0, 2, 4 and 6…(maybe the 6 would work….) But no, the coordinating shirt is only available in L or XL. End result: Harold’s and my waistline both lose as I console myself at Moe’s.

Moral of the story: Retailers that don’t utilize store transfers to juggle sizes and keep sets in stock will lose all those impulse buys. Sure, I could have asked the sales associate to see if the shirt was available at another store, which she did quite efficiently on one of the items I was purchasing for my father. However, the nature of impulse buys is that, if it’s not in the store, by definition it can’t satisfy that spur-of-the-moment consumer whim.

Message to Harold’s: Guys you’re so close, push that POS inventory tool to the limit and bring those sets together—if not for me at your Raleigh, N.C. store, then for my friends in Atlanta, Nebraska or Texas.

—Connie Gentry

Here’s the Hype—Not So “Venti Big”

“We’re doing something big at Starbucks. Like Venti big. We can’t tell you what’s going to happen because that will ruin the surprise. Come to any Starbucks on April 8, at noon sharp, to celebrate something big.”

Ok, I admit it. When I got this e-mail, I was instantly drawn into the hype. And I shared it with friends.

On Monday, April 7, my colleagues Samantha Murphy and Barbara Hagan, and I debated what the “big” announcement would be. “Maybe they will announce that they will offer free wireless,” I suggested.

“Nah, they would tell you to bring a laptop or wireless device. I think they are introducing their self-service coffee machines,” predicted Samantha. (We had just posted this very story on our Web site that morning.)
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” I added.

As we each made our way to three separate Starbucks locations on the appointed day at noon, we learned the big news—the company introduced a new daily brew. This new brew, called Pike Place Roast was named after the first Starbucks store that opened in 1971. It was located in Pike Place, Seattle (home of the famed Pike Place Market).

Truth be told, the entire experience was really a let down—big time. While visiting the Starbucks on Park Avenue in Rockville Centre, N.Y., I was one of four customers on line at noon. The gal in front of me ordered a latte, and only then did the barista ask if she would like to try a “Short cup” (8 oz.) of the new brew for free. She said, “Sure.” Then it hit the barrista to ask the rest of us if we wanted to try one too. Hey, that’s why I was there, right?

After paying for my Grande non-fat, iced cafe mocha (yes, I made a purchase), I also got my Pike Place Roast, as well as a “loyalty card” entitling me and a friend to a free Tall Pike Place every Wednesday from now until May 28.

Sam’s experience had even less customer service. Visiting the East 57th Street location in New York City, “I was surprised by how little fan-fare there was,” she told me.

They too were giving out free samples, although she had to ask about the promotion. Worse, they had her stand off to the side with about five others, all waiting for someone to bring them their Short cup of Joe. After seven minutes—yes, seven—she was served. She received no loyalty promotion.

And poor Barbara, who visited the location on 56th Street and Lexington Avenue, New York City, had the worst experience. There was no signage or indication of a “big announcement.” Being the only one in the store, she was too embarrassed to ask about the promotion and left.

On a high note, the blend was pretty good. It was similar in taste to espresso, which I am partial to. Yet, I still question the effectiveness of this promotion. The e-mail did its job. It caught my attention and brought us all into the stores.

However, with little to no signage or cross-selling efforts, how effective could the overall promotion have possibly been? I have no idea how Starbucks will measure the effectiveness of this campaign, and I would love to know how many customers will become fans of the new roast.

While we may never learn the true results of the promotion, the experience did teach us all one big lesson—don’t believe the hype.

—Deena M. Amato-McCoy

The Real Hy-Vee Story

I read with interest the latest news coming out of Hy-Vee’s headquarter offices. A national report issued Friday, March 21 said that the Des Moines, Iowa-based supermarket chain, which has 223 stores in seven Midwestern states, is planning to test a small format in Lincoln, Neb., explaining that “there is a value in developing a smaller store model with a limited assortment of merchandise.”

What they’re not saying is why the smaller format was created. Huge, and well-organized, opposition to the closure of key stores in both my hometown of Lincoln and the chain’s home market of Des Moines has prompted the grocer to find alternatives to leaving neighborhoods grocery-less.

In Des Moines, Hy-Vee is closing an older store on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and replacing it with a larger store several miles away. In Lincoln, Hy-Vee is closing a longtime store at 48th and Leighton Streets and, like Des Moines, supplanting it with a modern, 80,000-sq.-ft. supermarket about 40 blocks away.

Both neighborhoods in Des Moines and Lincoln erupted. And not just because largely pedestrian neighborhoods—with a significant disabled and elderly population—were going to be without a nearby grocery store, but because a lease provision prevents another grocer from filling the gap for at least five years.

Hy-Vee’s argument was that it needed to “protect its investment” in the new stores by eliminating potential competition for an extended time period. But the residents’ argument packed more punch. In Lincoln, a group called “Release the Lease,” formed to protest Hy-Vee’s lease restrictions, organized a rally and a press conference. The members generated a flurry of coverage in the local newspaper and on area television and radio stations. They met with Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler. And, finally, after a period of non-response, Hy-Vee officials answered—with plans for a smaller store, designed to “allow it to serve areas with unique needs.”

—Katherine Field

Prepared, or Paranoid?

Approximately 100 days after the shooting rampage in an Omaha Von Maur department store, another Von Maur incident occurred—this time in neighboring Lincoln, Neb.

I was in my office on Tuesday (March 18) on the phone with one of my Chain Store Age colleagues when, in the background, I heard some kind of urgent news break-in over the radio. The broadcaster said a man with a butcher knife was in my local Lincoln Von Maur—in the upscale SouthPointe Pavilions shopping center—and that the open-air center was in the process of being evacuated.

A few panicky hours later, during which time the center was successfully cleared by quick-thinking Von Maur and SouthPointe personnel and swarming Lincoln police, it was announced that the man—though not yet apprehended—was likely not a threat, but rather was apparently shopping in Von Maur before heading over to the nearby Scheel’s Sporting Goods to have his knife sharpened.

Sounds ridiculous, I know. And many a family shared a shaky laugh over dinner that night, as they discussed the events of the day.

Although it appears that the man was innocent, though not very bright, the incident shines a scary light on the state we’re in. The Dec. 5 shooting in Omaha, which left eight innocent people plus the shooter dead, has left the rest of us fearing the worst, looking over our shoulders even on a sunny Tuesday at our favorite upscale shopping spot.

—Katherine Field

Take Two on Irresponsibility

After reading my colleague Katherine Field’s blog on a mall’s responsibility to assume a more authoritative role in what happens in its stores, my first reaction was, “No, it is the retailers who are responsible for the merchandise they sell.”

Then I walked through a recently opened XXI store with my 16-year-old daughter this weekend. Blaring throughout the store was a rapper repeatedly swearing a vulgarity that if I were to write it in this blog I’d be out of work tomorrow. Suffice it to say, the first word was “mother” and the second was unprintable.

Like Katherine, I’m not a prudish mom—but that was tasteless. Frankly, if the words have to be bleeped out of the song when it is played on the radio, what business does a retailer have blasting it on the store’s airwaves?

What was interesting was my daughter’s reaction—definitely an artsy, edgy kind of teen, even she raised her eyebrows over the choice of in-store music. “Honestly, Mom,” she told me, “I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if I’d been shopping with my friends—but shopping with you, yeah it was harsh.”

So I asked her, given that she’s the age demographic XXI is looking for, should they be allowed to play that music? Her answer: “It depends on who they are targeting, like radio stations play those songs all the time and may get fined for the swearing, but it’s worth it if they get more listeners. Personally, I didn’t like the store because it was so hard to find things and I didn’t like the music.”

I’m still of the opinion that it’s the retailer, not the property owner, who has responsibility for what is presented inside the store. However, perhaps malls should borrow the film industry’s rating system and post G, PG or R beside store names on the mall directory. Of course, that would spawn endless debate and probably create more confusion than clarity for shoppers. (I’m reminded of the mothers who protested the “obscene” T-shirts sold in department stores…basically if it’s not Build-A-Bear Workshop, most stores would probably earn an R rating.)

Ultimately, I think it is the consumer’s choice what they buy, and the retailer’s choice what they sell. The gray area for me is the public environment—if stores are operating in a family-focused shopping center, then both retailers and property owners have a responsibility to keep the visual and auditory environment free of vulgarities. That would include swearing, sexually explicit language, pornography, graphic violence and any images that promote derogatory feelings toward a group of people.

—Connie Gentry

Irresponsibility at the Mall?

Much like homeowners are responsible for the goings-on inside our own dwellings, mall owners may need to assume a more authoritative role in what happens in the shopping centers they own.

If I permit underage drinking in my home, I am accountable. If I distribute cigarettes to the teens who visit my kids, I am to be held responsible. Should mall owners accept the same accountability?

A report this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” titled “Morality at the Mall," questioned retailer Spencer Gifts’ practice of selling sex toys and games in suburban malls around the country. While the retailer maintains a chainwide policy of refusing the sale of sexually explicit items to minors, many stores didn’t honor the ban—and sold freely to kids the same ages as my own—14 and 17.

Would I want my children to be able to drive down the road to our local mall and buy sex toys at the Spencer’s store (which, by the way, neighbors a slew of other retailers that skew young) or any other store for that matter? I don’t even need to answer that.

I don’t suggest that malls be liable. But I do feel they should assume a more active role in assuring that a tenant follows the dictum of its parent company.

Visit http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4399117&page=1 to view the ABC report.

—Katherine Field

Spitting Nails

I’ve somehow found myself into the middle of a retail catfight. A newly opened natural nail spa on the east side of Lincoln, Neb., has attracted an enthusiastic customer base—women who have tired of acrylic tips and seek natural nails that still have all the visual appeal of their acrylic or silk-wrapped counterparts. Count me among them.

The Natural Nail Spa is a single unit, operated by an accomplished nail technician who worked for years to establish her own business. She envisioned the types of services she would offer (spa manicures and spa pedicures) and those she would not (quickie “mall” pedicures, as she calls them), all in an upscale, highly sensory environment. Sounds fine, right? Not exactly.

Several customers—rebelling against pricey spa pedicures with no alternative offering—conferred on the side and decided they would approach the owner about expanding her services to include a less expensive “express” pedicure. They put together their arguments and made a group appointment to present their ideas. The owner listened, then politely refused, explaining that she chose to maintain her $25 manicures and $45 pedicures, that she would not be interested in offering a lesser experience, but that all were certainly free to visit the local mall for $19 pedicures with no explanations required.

Now the ladies are angry. And two have called me to ask for my help in convincing the owner, who is a friend of mine, to give in. Ridiculous, surely, but there is an interesting quandary here. If the customer is always right, is the owner obligated to expand her services to satisfy demand? Or is the owner in charge of her own store, and her own destiny, and is she right to stand her ground? My feeling is the latter. And I told her so. As long as she makes each manicure customer feel free to visit another salon—mall or otherwise – for a cheaper pedicure, and truly doesn’t make them feel guilty for utilizing another purveyor, then I feel she is perfectly justified in staying true to her spa-only convictions. What do you think?

—Katherine Field

A Renaissance Man

Some people lead cool lives. Max Raab, who died recently at the age of 81, was one of those people. Truly a Renaissance man, Raab founded several successful apparel companies, helped pioneer the concept of in-store shops and produced movies in his spare time.

Back in 1958, Raab and his brother started a clothing line called The Villager. The preppy-styled collection grew into a national phenomenon in the sixties. Raab even convinced department store retailers to create special in-store shops, with their own custom look, dedicated to the brand. I can still remember its logo—the Villager name enclosed in an oval with an eagle—with crystal clarity. “Is that a Villager?” my friends and I would ask each other whenever one of us turned up in an outfit that looked even vaguely preppy. It was the first brand that we ever panted over, from its shirtdresses and wraparound dresses to its button-down shirts and madras shorts. More than that, it was the first logo that we ever really coveted. In 1969, Raab sold The Villager (it was eventually acquired by Liz Claiborne).

Even as he was enjoying success in the apparel industry, Raab had his sights set on something else: the movies. In the late 1960s, he bought the film rights to the futuristic novel “A Clockwork Orange.” He was listed as an executive producer on the film, which was released in 1971. He went on to rack up film production credits for a whole slew of movies, including “Walkabout” and “Moment to Moment.”

But as much he loved the film business, Raab couldn’t get the rag trade out of his system. In 1974, he founded another apparel company, J.G. Hook. Initially a menswear line, it expanded into women’s sportswear. He also opened a necktie manufacturing company, Tango.

In 1998, Raab left the apparel business to start a documentary film company, Max Raab Productions. He produced and co directed “Strut!,” a documentary celebration of the Mummers, and “Rittenhouse Square,” a musical rhapsody.

In the final year of his life, Raab returned to his first love: retail. He opened a shop that sells tin toys and model planes, boats and cars. Published reports said he opened the store just for fun.

Good for him.

—Marianne Wilson

Penney’s Ullman Bets on American Living

In the Old West, according to movie lore, the hero rode into town on a white horse. He stood for strong traditional virtues, like family, hard work and honest value for the dollar.

This being the 21st century, the new American hero rolled onto the stage at Skylight in New York City on a Segway, a motorized scooter. At least that’s how Myron “Mike” Ullman, CEO of J.C. Penney, made his appearance Tuesday night at the debut of American Living, Penney’s biggest product launch ever.

Ullman uses a Segway to get around because of a physical condition that limits his mobility. But his ability to tap into the core of Penney’s customers is in no way impaired. Building on a turnaround foundation laid by predecessor Allen Questrom, Ullman has expanded Penney’s position as a true alternative to traditional department stores and specialty stores. By bringing to Penney Sephora, a company he ran before joining Penney, Ullman did what Questrom could not. He layered on a cosmetics option that brings female customers into the stores over and over.

With American Living, Ullman adds another coup. Developed, designed and produced by Polo Ralph Lauren, but with no mention of that pedigree in any marketing campaign, American Living is meant to be an “aspirational” choice across 40 different merchandise categories, from apparel to home furnishings, said Ullman.

The brand will officially launch with TV ads during Sunday’s Oscar Awards. Merchandise will appear in 600 of Penney’s top department stores across the country.

Will it work?

Probably, if the quality is there and Penney promotes it aggressively and often. Given Polo Ralph Lauren’s and Penney’s history, it’s fair to assume positive responses to both assumptions.

Particularly during these troubled economic times when customers are looking to trade down in price points while retaining as much quality and value as possible, American Living may well appeal to Penney’s existing public and to the new shoppers it wants to attract with products that have a Ralph Lauren look and feel but don’t mind that the merchandise doesn’t carry his signature Polo horse logo.

The company hopes that within five years American Living produces annual sales of at least $1 billion.

—Murray Forseter

Zappos Backlash

I received an e-mail this morning with the subject titled “OUTRAGE!” I could sense the panic and urgency in my friend’s e-mail and I knew it must be serious.

She attached a linked that revealed the following statement from Zappos.com:

“We will no longer be promoting "Free Overnight Shipping" and we no longer will be promoting our price protection policy. Instead, we will be focusing more on our "free shipping" and our expanding selection of merchandise.”

I went on Zappos.com's live chat option and asked the representative about the change:

"We decided to remove our price protection policy from Zappos because we didn't feel it was consistent with our goal of focusing mainly on customer service rather than on having very deeply discounted prices," she told me. "We found that most of the customers who were using our former price protection policy would actually save even more money if we started out with deeply discounted products in the first place, which is what you will now be able to find on 6pm.com."

"Regarding our decision to stop advertising and promoting free overnight shipping on Zappos it was a decision to stop advertising and promoting it, not a decision to actually stop doing it. Free shipping will always exist. There's always a great chance that a lot of orders are shipped just as fast as when we did provide free overnight shipping."

But judging by the tone of the e-mail, my friend didn't like those odds. And it's evident that Zappos just turned one of their most devoted shoppers into a very angry one. The online shoe retailer had successfully recruited an enormous amount of loyal shoppers with its free overnight shipping incentive and a 110% price-match guarantee. But if the e-mail is an indication of any backlash to come, Zappos better be ready for some major damage control by making it up to customers in other ways soon.

—Samantha Murphy

Mall Violence: Up Close and Personal

It’s been 70 days since a teenaged gunman opened fire in the Von Maur department store in Omaha, Neb., murdering eight shoppers before killing himself. The pages of my hometown newspaper, the Lincoln Journal-Star, no longer carry any stories on the shooting that occurred in our neighboring city, but the tragedy hasn’t been forgotten. And now, with another shooting earlier this month that killed five in a strip mall in Illinois, the wounds have been re-opened.

But instead of licking our wounds and moving on, the time has come for some kind of action.

I read earlier today that the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) have formed a working group to address how to combat active shooters in malls and stores. And a conference, to be held March 30-April 1 in New Orleans and co-hosted by both groups, will focus specifically on mall violence. (Visit www.icsc.org and click on “full meeting calendar” for more information on the Shopping Center Security Conference.)

Attendees of the conference will discuss how to train employees to protect themselves and their customers in the event of a shooting or hostage situation. It’s a sad state of affairs when an entire conference centers around protecting ourselves and our customers from murderers who target malls and retail stores. But that’s what it has come to, and I for one am glad that the NRF and ICSC have taken the bull by the horns.

—Katherine Field

Larry David and Me and Checkout Lines

Have you ever been stuck in the wrong line at the checkout? And by wrong, I mean the slow-moving one. It seems to happen all the time to me. Just the other night, I watched with growing frustration as the woman in front of me took out one credit card after the other, only to have each one declined. She then launched into her personal credit history with the very patient and chatty cashier. Meanwhile, I watched as two people—both of who had walked up to the checkout after me but were in a different line—cashed out and left the store.

I didn’t make a big deal of it as I wasn’t in all that much of a hurry. But the fact is, I don’t like stores that have checkouts with multiple lines. I don’t like having to gamble which line will move the quickest and which line will get bogged down. And I can really get riled up when a new register suddenly opens and the last person on line suddenly becomes the first on the new line.

I have tried not to let checkout line injustices (actually, inefficiencies is a better word) get the better of me. But sometimes I just can’t help give in to what one of my friends calls “queue rage.” It happened this past December, on the last Saturday before Christmas. There were three long lines at one central checkout. The line I was in had come to a standstill, while the other lines moved briskly. Then an associate walked up to the counter and opened a new register. I fumed as she called out to customers at the end of the other lines to come up to her register.

A store manager watched as this all unfolded. I went over to her and started talking (okay, so I raised my voice a little as the discussion went on) about the unfairness of it all, and how the customers would be better served with a single line that fed all the checkouts. She was patronizing. I left the store in a huff, feeling like some ranting crazy lady.

Still, I had to smile when a friend sent me a link to an episode of the HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in which the star, Larry David, fumes when he stands on the “wrong line” at a perfume counter. After loudly going on about the unfairness of checkout lines, he stalks out.

“There’s one way to solve it—one line,” David says.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

—Marianne Wilson

What’s in a Name?

Tom Coughlin is a name shared by two high-profile leaders in their respective fields currently undergoing vastly different experiences.

Tom Coughlin is the head coach of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Exultation would be a mild term to describe his emotions after the Giants upset the 18-0 New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl, 17-14. Coughlin, who barely survived dismissal last year and earlier in this season’s campaign when his team started 0-2 in giving up 80 points, is expected to be rewarded with a four-year contract extension.

Super Bowl weekend also proved to be good to another Tom Coughlin, the disgraced former vice chairman of Wal-Mart, guilty of stealing more than half a million dollars worth of gift cards from the retail company. A judge ruled on Friday that Coughlin would not have to serve any jail time because of his health. The judge added 1,500 hours of community service to Coughlin’s sentence that also included 27 months of house arrest, five years’ probation, a $50,000 fine and $400,000 in restitution. It is uncertain if the government will appeal the judge’s ruling to keep Coughlin out of jail.

—Murray Forseter

Not Your Parents’ Stock Exchange

When you think of the stock market, you can’t help but visualize the loud metal starting bell ringing, and a frenzy of brokers and buyers primed for a busy day of trading. Today, Nasdaq is changing the face of financial trading with an all-electronic environment.

At Nasdaq Marketsite, New York City, there is no trading floor, or even a starting bell to commence daily trading. All processes, from ringing the bell to processing deals and orders, are all done electronically through algorithmic trading technology.

That said, I guess it was appropriate that Juniper Networks, a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company that provides high-performance networking infrastructure and services, was invited to ring the opening bell on Wed., Jan. 30. Juniper is a well-known name in the retail industry, and has retail customers such as bebe stores inc., Hallmark Canada and Rent-A-Center.

(For example, bebe stores, inc., uses the company’s architecture to reduce bandwidth and improve performance across its e-commerce site. Besides helping the company reduce bandwidth costs by 30%, Juniper’s architecture helped bebe accelerate load times by 43%, thus improving the customer experience.)

The Nasdaq event marked Juniper’s 12th anniversary, and highlighted the company’s milestone of reaching $2.8 billion in total revenue for 2007.

Forty-two Juniper executives and associates were present at the event. They cheered on Scott G. Kriens, Juniper’s CEO and chairman, as he rang the proverbial bell and announced Juniper’s next milestone: to keep up the pace and become a $10 billion company.

—Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Local Costco’s 20% Expansion Could Mean 100% Aggravation for Shoppers

I shuddered after reading an article in my local newspaper, the Staten Island Advance, regarding Costco’s plan to expand its busy Staten Island, N.Y., store by 20% (21,000 sq. ft.) and reducing precious parking space by 10%. The reason behind the expansion: to make room for large appliances that are currently available at other locations and to store more inventory.

That seems fair, but according to the Advance, this Costco location “ranks among the top 15% of the company’s 529 stores worldwide when it comes to customer traffic and sales.” The parking lot already resembles a carnival-style bumper-car ride; I can’t imagine it getting any better. Cutting 76 out of 808 parking spaces will be a problem for customers—and, perhaps, for sales, too.

The parking lot is always busy with drivers and shoppers coming and going with carts in tow—not to mention the line at the gas pump—and there are only two ways to enter and exit. I learned to steer clear of this area and do my shopping at the local supermarket or out-of-town Costco (there’s one only 25 minutes away in New Jersey).

After this expansion (which is still being reviewed by the New York City Department of City Planning Commission) I wonder if shoppers will flee and find another wholesale club with more parking; or if they will battle the Staten Island crowd to buy the new stock of large appliances and inventory that awaits them inside.

Costco’s president and CEO Jim Sinegal told the Advance that the store plans to use off-site employee parking and will work with City Planning to improve traffic flow in and out of the lot. Driving aisles will be widened and a pedestrian-friendly grass buffer will be added around the perimeter.

Wider driving aisle and a grass buffer still sounds like less parking to me; and it may not be enough to bring shoppers like me—who want to get in and get out—back into the store.

—Jennifer Mosscrop

Football and Business 1.0

A new release earlier this week from the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association’s 2008 Super Bowl Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey touting $9.5 billion in expected Super Bowl related consumer purchasing evoked personal memories of a time back in the 1970s when my father displayed an unusual interest in the fortunes of the Philadelphia Eagles. Born in Poland, my father emigrated to the United States in 1939, and became a small apparel manufacturer selling to many retail chains across the country. By no stretch of anyone’s imagination could he be considered a sports fan. He barely comprehended baseball, let alone American-style football.

Yet, on this particular day he came home expressing the hope that the Philadelphia Eagles would win their game on Sunday. Flabbergasted that he even knew that Philadelphia was playing, my brother and I asked why he favored the Eagles and not their rivals that week.

It was Business 1.0, he replied. If the Eagles won, a Philadelphia-based chain had guaranteed an order of 100 dozen green and white sports T-shirts, the team’s colors. If they lost, he’d be stuck with the piece goods he already had in inventory.

My father’s economic interest in the outcome of the game did not, however, carry over into an interest in actually watching the contest. He was spared the disappointment of seeing the Eagles lose.

—Murray Forseter

Abercrombie’s Latest R-Rated Gambit

I'm beginning to think that Mike Jeffries is letting his penchant for controversy get in the way of his good sense. I say this because Jeffries, the 62-year-old CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is a micro-manager of his company’s various brands. By all accounts, not a thing gets by him when it comes to shaping the brand experience for customers. So there is little doubt in my mind that the Web site for Abercrombie’s latest brand—an intimate apparel concept called Gilly Hicks Sydney—was not launched without his input and full approval. The site contains video that is nothing less than soft porn.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m no prude. And I knew that Abercrombie, a company that has never left much to the imagination would likely get carried away in its new role as an underwear marketer to teens. The retailer also is a master at self promotion.

The new site’s landing page asks the question: “Are you old enough? Our site shows a lot of skin. Therefore, you must be at least 18 years old to enter this site.” After that, an age verification screen pops up. But as any kid or teen knows, such firewalls are a joke. The one on Gilly Hicks is no exception. It’s easily defeated. My friend has already seen her 13-year-old daughter and her friends ogling the sexy clip. Once on the site, Abercrombie certainly delivers on its promise, with video that show a bevy of young gals and guys (but mostly gals) frolicking with each other on the beach.

The video is beautifully filmed, and the models are attractive to the max, the girls golden and the guys super fit. But as the clip goes on, they are also quite naked, with lots of bare breasts and backsides in full view. What’s most upsetting is that they are naked just for the sake of being naked. The video certainly isn’t selling anything—unless it’s sex. That would be less objectionable if the targeted audience was adults. But it’s not. It’s young teens. And the last thing this group needs, at least in my mind, is some adult R-rated fantasy. There’s got to be a better way of selling underwear.

Check out the video at www.gillyhicks.com. I welcome all feedback; I'm curious to hear what you think.

—Marianne Wilson, mwilson@chainstoreage.com

Comedian Moves into IKEA

IKEA’s recent marketing campaign, “Home is the Most Important Place in the World,” shows consumers how it could add extra comfort to the places where they live. So when New York City resident Mark Molkoff, 31, found himself temporarily homeless (his apartment was being fumigated), he asked IKEA if it could provide a temporary and comfortable home for him. And one more thing: He wanted to record video from the makeshift living quarters daily.

The company said yes.

The comedian-actor moved into the IKEA store in Elizabeth, N.J., on Monday and plans to stay until Saturday. He will be living in the store for all hours of the day and will eat his meals in the restaurant. His wife decided to stay with relatives.

“My apartment is 80% IKEA anyway; it would be like living at home,” Malkoff said in the video posted on his Web site, www.marklivesinikea.com. The site is updated daily with recap videos of his day at the store.

Malkoff, who currently works as the audience coordinator on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," is best known for his video "171 Starbucks," in which he is shown visiting and consuming purchases at each of the coffee chain's locations in Manhattan in one day.

In his intro video, Malkoff said: “Would [IKEA] really let me crash in their pad? Miraculously they agreed,” he said.

As for me, I’m really not surprised. This past summer, the IKEA in Furuset, Norway provided free overnight lodging to shoppers for a few days last July as part of a promotional effort to become a temporary in-store hostel. The event received worldwide media coverage.

And seeing how Malkoff’s “171 Starbucks” video stint received national news coverage last June, his latest endeavor had to be a shoe-in as well.

Here is another video from Malkoff, showing his move into IKEA on Monday: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z3S5s3EITcQ

— Samantha Murphy

Hershey’s Times Square Hits the Runway

I’m a die-hard fan of the cable TV show Project Runway. I love the fun challenges, the creative fashions, and of course, the quirky contestants. Season four is well under way, but this week’s challenge had to be the best yet.

The remaining 10 contestants went on a field trip to Hershey’s Times Square (a.k.a. The Sweetest Place in New York). Their challenge: Create a look using items from the store as their raw materials.

Contestants had the run of the place and no budget. Like all Project Runway episodes however, there was a catch. “You have five minutes to grab whatever you can get your hands on,” said fashion guru and Liz Claiborne chief creative officer, Tim Gunn.

What was more hilarious than watching the contestants shove packages of candy, pillows, teddy bears and mugs into huge plastic bags, was watching them try to determine how to create a unique look based on Hershey’s candy bars, chocolate kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Pieces, Kit Kats, Twizzlers and York Peppermint Patties. The styles ranged from classic and wearable, to campy and downright ridiculous.

In the end, 26-year-old Jillian Lewis, a designer/illustrator for Ralph Lauren, was the only contestant brave enough to work with actual candy. She paired a sexy, strapless corset outlined in red and black Twizzlers with a mini-skirt that featured fringe made out of the red licorice.

While she got kudos from the judges (designer Michael Kors called the look “deliciously chic,” and Elle magazine’s fashion editor, Nina Garcia congratulated her on her hard work), 31-year-old Rami Kashou’s “fun, futuristic, yet girlie” halter-top party dress made of Twizzlers pillows and York Peppermint Pattie wrappers took this week’s top honor.

As always, the show had a bittersweet ending. A “sad brown dress,” according to supermodel host and judge Heidi Klum, got free-spirited Elisa Jimenez “Auf’ed” this week.

All of the contestants should be proud of their work, however. Hershey’s Times Square plans to auction off each designer’s look, and the profits will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to issues facing young women with breast cancer.

It seems this episode, called “Eye Candy,” wasn’t just my favorite. Each week the show sponsors a poll that asks viewers to text their vote. This week, when viewers were asked what was their favorite challenge, 60% said this was also their favorite.

This result eclipsed the 30% of viewers who preferred a challenge that required contestants to create a look for Sarah Jessica Parker’s Bitten line that is sold at Steve & Barry’s.

— Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Ed Brennan: The Penultimate Sears Man

I was on a busman’s holiday in June 1988, walking through the historic Filene’s Basement in Boston with my wife and two young children, when I heard the distinctive, clipped Midwestern voice of Edward A. Brennan behind me. Ed’s son, an executive with Filene’s, was giving his father, the chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck & Co., a tour of the landmark emporium under Filene’s flagship department store (Filene’s Basement had yet to be spun off). Though my informal attire—shorts and a white Polo shirt embarrassingly stained with a small spot of chocolate ice cream from a cone enjoyed just minutes earlier—hardly justified a hello, I stopped my family in our tracks and introduced them to the man who at that time was more powerful than any retailer, including Sam Walton (for the prior fiscal year, Sears boasted sales of $28.1 billion, almost double that of Wal-Mart’s $16 billion).

I first met Ed Brennan, who died at 73 two days after Christmas, in April 1980, just days after his selection by Sears chairman and CEO Ed Telling to head up Sears Merchandising as its president. Ed was just 46 years old, but he already had almost two decades of experience with Sears. Moreover, Sears blood coursed through his veins. His grandfather, father and several uncles were Sears men. So was his brother, Bernard F., who eventually would direct cross-town rival Montgomery Ward. Oh how the press and industry watchers pondered Thanksgiving chatter at the Brennan dinner table. Wonder evolved into wild speculation when word leaked that the two brothers had entertained the idea of merging the two ailing giants in a Quixotic attempt to reverse decades of decline at the hands of discount stores, home centers, and specialty stores, both the soft lines and hard lines types.

Ed had a puckish smile, not the brooding countenance of his brother, Bernie. He exuded confidence. He was a merchant’s merchant, comfortable talking about product yet financially competent enough to have been the executive in charge of launching the Discover Card when it was part of the Sears empire.

He seemed energized when talking about Sears as a “line merchant,” a retailer that provided customers with a full range of choices within a classification and not just a cherry-picked offering of quick sellers. But the business of retailing changed during his tenure. Customers actually preferred the more limited, more price-sensitive merchandise strategies of the competition. By the time Ed retired in 1995, Sears had tumbled to third place among retailers. Revenues in 1994 were $33 billion, just $1 billion behind Kmart but less than half the $77 billion racked up by Wal-Mart.

Ed Brennan was the last merchant to run Sears. His successors—Arthur Martinez, Alan Lacy and Edward S. Lampert—all came from financial backgrounds. The company’s decline, which began before Brennan took office, continues to this day. In 1991, Brennan introduced a “store of the future” for Sears. The future still awaits.

—Murray Forseter

Remembering Benazir Bhutto

The tragic, raw assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan Thursday has unleashed worldwide emotions. But one group of retailers and suppliers, and reporters, no doubt has some poignant, personal memories of meeting the charismatic ex-prime minister during the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) annual conference in Maui.

While he was president of the trade group, Ron Ziegler, the former press secretary to president Richard M. Nixon, reveled in bringing national and world leaders to the NACDS stage. For its 1992 meeting in Hawaii, Ziegler called upon the Western-educated Bhutto to talk about women’s rights and democracy in her native land and the rest of the Muslim world. Bhutto’s appearance came between her two elections as prime minister. She was first elected in 1988, at age 35—the first woman to head a Muslim state. Twenty months later she was removed from office on grounds of alleged corruption. After winning re-election in 1993, she suffered the same fate in 1996. From 1998 until October 2007 she lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai.

I cannot recall details of her talk to the drug store industry leadership that day. But I do remember how she enthralled all who listened with her sincerity, passion and beauty. She had star quality, and even if you did not fully understand the complexities of the world she lived in, she provided a personal link to a part of the world that we in America still have trouble fathoming.

Whenever a recognized figure dies, whether from the sphere of politics, industry or the arts, it is natural to feel a sense of loss even if the closest one got to the person was through a ballot box, a dividend check or a picture screen. Pakistan’s politics is far beyond my personal understanding. But I can say I felt diminished by her death, and frightened that another voice of reason and tolerance has been snuffed out.

—Murray Forseter

Green is the New Black

Barneys.com is getting clever with its Green initiatives this holiday season. Not only is the homepage Green-inspired, the upscale retailer’s hottest new organic items are highlighted throughout the site. Most notably, it offers a “Green Holiday” video in its “Barneys Babble Live” section.

Hosted by Barneys’ creative director Simon Doonan, and featuring fashion designer Julie Gilhart as a guest, the duo discusses how shoppers can go green this season. Barney’s line Loomstate for Barneys Green features an array of items including the greeniest jean on the planet, with raw organic denim. Other lines include recycled wool scarves and even skateboards. And what better to put your organic items in then Barneys’ recyclable shopping bag—the handles of which are made from corn.

But unlike some online videos, this keeps things interesting.
It incorporates random splashes of quirky drawings (like sheep and trees), while the back and forth banter is entertaining: “[The products] are not like those frightening things you see in health food stores,” Doonan quips in his British accent.

Doonan also discusses the retailer’s holiday gift cards, which say “Green is Groovy” and “Save the Planet” in retro-inspired graphics. “I think they are going to sell really well—much better than the Andy Warhol ones last year,” he notes.

Barney’s site also features an interactive mailer with all Green products. Be sure to check it out, if you haven't yet.

—Samantha Murphy

New York’s Happening Retail Scene: Part I

Looking at the Manhattan retail scene, all I can say is: So many stores, so little time. The days before the holiday shopping season begins in earnest and are always filled with a rash of store openings. Here are four of my early favorites:

• Miss Sixty/Energie have opened their first-ever dual flagship, on Broadway and 20th St. The 7,000-sq.-ft. store is filled with everything from men’s and women’s denim, to apparel and accessories on two electric-colored levels. The opening marks the debut of Energie’s footwear line in the United States.

• Mickey Drexler’s latest concept, Madewell, has opened a pop-up in SoHo. It features a full denim wall, filled with skinny and bootleg styles in a variety of washes, tables full of striped henleys and chunky knit sweaters, and racks hung with baby doll dresses.

• Japanese import Muji has launched its first U.S. store, in SoHo, and on opening day there were lines snaked around the block to enter. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Muji was giving away its signature bags packed with goodies to the first 500 customers. The store is spacious and clean, with a spare, streamlined design. As for the merchandise, it is affordable (but not all that cheap) and of good quality.

• Jacques Torres, otherwise known as the "king of chocolate," has opened a handsome new store—his third in the city—on the Upper West Side. The décor is elegant and refined, with oak flooring, crystal chandeliers and dark walnut walls. The shop is filled with all sorts of calorie-laden treats.

• CB2, the GenY format from Crate & Barrel, has opened an 8,000-sq.-ft. space in SoHo. The store looks smart and modern—just like the goods it sells. And a plus, most of the furniture seems actually designed for apartment living.

That’s it—for now.

—Marianne Wilson

Not the Typical Best Buy Experience

Last week, Best Buy Co., Minneapolis, reported that it was renewing its focus on its top-spending customers. As my husband Jack told me about his own visit to Best Buy last week, I found this amusing.

Jack, a professional photographer, is an avid Best Buy fan. Besides being a Best Buy credit-card holder, he spends an average of $700 per year with the company (he makes technology purchases for both his business and personal needs.)

Two weeks ago, Jack purchased a Canon camera from the new store that recently opened here in Baldwin, N.Y. The camera wasn’t in stock during this visit, so he decided to order the camera in the store and pick it up when it arrived at the location.

While picking up the camera last week however, service took an unexpected turn. Jack made his way to the customer-service/order-fulfillment counter and dealt with a twentysomething “blue shirt,” or sales associate. Unsure how to find the order, she called someone who, we assumed, was a supervisor.

“Some guy is here to pick up a camera he ordered,” she said into the telephone.

Insulted by her demeanor, my husband stopped her and said, “Some guy? Is that how you talk to a customer?” Realizing she made a mistake, she apologized and told her supervisor that “Jack” was here to pick up his order.

When the camera finally arrived at the customer-service desk, the associate started turning the box to see the content.

“Is this one of those fancy cameras?” she asked. Jack was uncertain as to how to answer her. Also, he was afraid she was going to drop the camera before he even got to use it.

All kidding aside, if retailers are going to have teens and twentysomething employees interacting with their “best-spending” and loyal customers, they really need to ensure a consistent standard of training. This includes making sure that associates know how to address the customer, as well as guaranteeing they also have sufficient knowledge of what product is being sold on the sales floor, what it is and how it works—something that I always thought was considered a trademark for Best Buy’s “blue shirts.”

Clearly, this might have been an isolated incident. However, this story should make all retailers consider the interactions—and store-level training—that are actually happening in their own stores.

—Deena Amato-McCoy

Blogging About Anthropologie

How far would you be willing to go for your favorite retailer?

If you happen to be Jennifer Fuchs, the answer to that question is simple: Start a blog about it. The name of her blog is “Craving Anthropologie” (www.cravinganthropologie.blogspot.com) and she posts several times a week on it.

Jennifer, who lives in New Jersey and works as an IT project manager for a brokerage firm, writes mainly about her obsession with Anthropologie. She reviews different items and alerts readers to what’s new in the store and her own personal “must-have” picks—all of it accompanied by tempting pictures that made me want to run out to the store and start charging up a storm.

Here is a posting from Oct. 24, in which she reviewed Anthropologie’s “Prepster” knee socks:

“I mentioned that I picked up these adorable socks in the mushroom color. I just have to tell you how comfortable they are. It says they are a mix of acrylic, nylon and wool. Well, whatever they are made of, they feel super soft on your skin. And they stay up perfectly.

I think I have to get the chocolate ones too! I wish there were more colors, I would get them all.”

Jennifer’s site gets about 1,200 to 1,400 visitors a week and counts readers from around the globe. Many e-mail her. Her fans include, not surprisingly, a few folks at Anthropologie. Last May, Jennifer heard from the managing director of Anthropologie Direct, who thanked her for her kind and supportive comments. She was sent a gift card along with a personalized note signed by the Anthropologie Direct team.

The gift card aside, Jennifer does not make any money off her site. She has said she does what she does just for fun—and of course, because she loves Anthropologie.

—Marianne Wilson

Shoppers vs. Buyers: A Message From Maternity Leave

For years, I have heard that there is a distinct difference between "buyers" and "shoppers." It is not uncommon for men to fall under the former category.

Often, men are called "buyers" because they enter a store, choose an item, check out and leave. (My husband and I often joke that my father-in-law exemplifies this stereotype.)

Meanwhile, women—or "shoppers"—tend to visit retailers in search of a complete shopping experience. This often includes interacting with a knowledgeable sales staff.

Recently, I got to see this distinction up close and personal.

I am blogging while on maternity leave with my second child, Cristiana. One of the perks of maternity leave (besides bonding with my newest child and family) is that I have the opportunity to take relaxing shopping excursions. Yes, relaxing.

I almost forgot how enjoyable it is to spend a leisurely afternoon strolling through the mall. (However, now I am pushing a stroller with one hand and using the other to hold my 3-year-old daughter Daniella’s hand.)

One Friday afternoon, Daniella, Cristiana, my mother and I took a trip to Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y. We created two new stuffed “friends” at Build-A-Bear Workshop, visited the Clinique counter at Macy’s and even took a whirl on the merry-go-round. Our last stop was a visit to Banana Republic (one of my favorite retailers), in search of the perfect dress for me to wear to the baby's christening.

A sales associate gave me her undivided attention as I tried on different frocks. She helped me choose a gorgeous black Merino wool dress. (The fact that it is in my pre-pregnancy size was a bonus.)

We waited on line, and finally it was our turn to check out. The cashier was friendly and accommodating.

She asked about my kids, made pleasant conversation and even answered a couple of questions that I had about a merchandise return. I remember thinking, "This is a pleasant shopping experience."

Suddenly, a man waiting on line interrupted our banter. “Can we stop chatting and speed this up? I'm in a hurry,” he sputtered.

After apologizing to the customer, the cashier promised to finish so he could be helped quickly. Then she apologized to me and completed my transaction.

When she invited the man to her station a mere seconds later, he was ornery and less than polite.

As a working mother, I understand what it is like to be in a rush while shopping. However, when visiting a full-service retailer such as Banana Republic, customers, especially those in the "buyer" category, should not expect to make a purchase and get in and out of the store. Banana Republic stakes its reputation on customer service, and that is just what it delivered that day.

Sir, shame on you. You put an educated, amiable sales associate on the spot, and you almost ruined a pleasant experience for other shoppers.

On the other hand, kudos to the store associate. Her assistance was priceless, and I was impressed by how she managed to diffuse an unnecessary, uncomfortable situation.

I urge more “buyers” to stop to smell the roses and actually “shop” for a change. As these individuals are converted to "shoppers," I hope they realize that there is more to a pleasant shopping trip than just making an efficient purchase.

—Deena Amato McCoy

Walmartopia Is No Utopian Theater

I thought I’d treat the staff to a night of theater last week, so tickets were bought for something I hoped would be entertaining and at the same time work-related.

Off we went to Greenwich Village’s Minetta Lane Theatre for the off-Broadway musical, Walmartopia. The play, or more correctly, the screed, has some energetic performances, and even some decent songs, but the overall feeling one gets is that the production resembled a union pep rally rather than a serious attempt at social commentary.

The premise behind Walmartopia is that everything Wal-Mart is bad, especially the way it treats its employees. It time-travels its two protagonists, a mother and daughter who work in a Wisconsin Wal-Mart, into the future world of 2037 when Wal-Mart rules everywhere but Vermont.

Political and social commentary has always been part and parcel of the theater, from Greek tragedies and comedies down through the current crop of musicals and dramas. Among current offerings, the Broadway musical Hairspray, for example, lampoons the racial and social divide of the 1950s and 1960s; the off-Broadway revival of Masked uses the Intifada as a backdrop for family relationships amid a struggle for suppressed nationalism.

The best theater leads the audience to the intended conclusion, not with a whip but with a whisper (or, at the very least, something less than a scream). But Walmartopia has no aspirations to be great theater. Walmartopia wields a sledgehammer to attack Wal-Mart for all manner of real and imagined transgressions. Subtlety was a class in dramatic writing that the authors apparently skipped.

—Murray Forseter

Retailer Puts Money on the Line for 'The Boss'

Humphrey Kadaner, the president of HMV Canada, is a retailer after my own heart. A longtime and dedicated Bruce Springsteen fan, Kadaner is going the extra mile in promoting the musician’s new release, “Magic,” in the chain’s 118 stores.

Not only is HMV offering purchasers of the album a free video and ringtone download of its first single, “Radio Nowhere,” Kadaner is also offering a personal money-back guarantee that they will love it. He is promising a refund and individual letter of apology to any HMV customer who purchases “Magic,” and doesn’t like it.

To date, Kadaner has said he is not aware of any dissatisfied customers. And “Magic” quickly shot up to the top of the charts in Canada. This past weekend, Springsteen, while performing with his band in Toronto, dedicated a song to the HMV executive, who was in attendance with his wife.

While some cynics have questioned Kadaner’s sincerity, saying his offer was nothing but a savvy marketing ploy to boost sales, I’m not among them. Counting last week’s concert, Kadaner, has been to 87 Springsteen shows. (Of course, he still has a ways to go before he beats my record.)

"I believe some would suggest I am nuts," Kadaner told the Globe and Mail.

As a university student, Kadaner was nearly arrested once for trying to sell an extra ticket outside the event. He got off with a warning. More importantly, at least in my book, he didn't miss the show.

—Marianne Wilson

At Home in the Mall

A recent article in the Boston Globe hit home—literally. Seems a starving artist in Providence, R.I., set up more than shop in the Providence Place Mall. He made it his abode. Michael Townsend, 36, and seven other artists built a secret apartment in the mall’s parking garage four years ago—and the group has lived there off and on ever since..

The place sounded pretty cozy—sectional sofa, love seat, coffee and breakfast table, rugs, paintings, china hutch, TV and Sony PlayStation 2—all hidden behind a nondescript utility door. (No running water, though, so the group of eight had to wash up in the mall bathrooms.)

The jig was up a couple of weeks ago when mall security stumbled upon the apartment. Despite the fact that they were impressed with the setup, the guards turned Townsend and friends in on a trespassing charge.

Providence Place Mall is owned by General Growth Properties, out of Chicago. I happen to be well acquainted with the folks at General Growth, and know them to be a friendly, hospitable group. I guess it’s asking a little much of mall owners to ask them to serve as permanent hosts to the homeless, no matter how well they hide.

—Katherine Field

Ice at The View

My mom and I went to a taping of ABC’s “The View” yesterday here in Manhattan. When we took our seats, I immediately recognized a man—one of the three men in the entire audience, I might add—in the third row.

I pegged him for Pinny Gniwisch, executive VP of marketing for online jewelry retailer Ice.com. I had seen Pinny speak at least three or four times at various e-commerce conferences in the past and I was sure it was him. My guess was later validated when I noticed he was wearing an Ice.com hat. But I couldn’t figure out why he was there. Maybe a fan of guests Alan Greenspan and actress Anne Heche?

Half-way through the taping, the ladies of “The View” announced that all audience members were receiving a necklace (5-carat green amethyst and diamond 10K white gold pendant with chain) worth $200 from Ice.com. An image of the giveaway, as well as the company’s Web address, was flashed onto the screen for home viewers. What a smart marketing ploy, I thought.

When the audience members received the necklaces after the show, they squealed with delight—all the way to the elevator, where they then swapped comments about their new beautiful parting gifts.

After the taping, my mom and I went to lunch. She opened up her new necklace and sighed. “I just love it,” she said. And here was the clincher: “Maybe I’ll go on Ice.com for some matching earrings, too.”

Smart marketing ploy indeed.

— Samantha Murphy

Losing Weight at the Checkout

I'm not a big fan of self-checkout. The main reason being that it often takes longer than if I had gone the old-fashioned route and waited in line. My last experience, a week back at my local A&P, was fairly typical. After scanning all my items and putting them in the bag, the machine wouldn't accept my credit card.

“Oh, something is wrong with that machine and it isn't taking credit cards,” a young clerk shouted across the way. “If you want to pay by credit, you have to go to a regular checkout lane and start all over.”

I was steamed, and I made a vow right there on the spot to stop scanning items myself. Just the week before, I had used cash at another self-checkout and while the transaction went through, my change failed to materialize. The person charged with overseeing the stations seemed annoyed when I asked her for help, and gave me my change almost begrudgingly. She acted as if I had done something wrong, which is how I feel most of the time when there is a glitch with these devices.

A recent survey by IHL Consulting Group, Franklin, Tenn., suggests that I'm in the minority when it comes to self-checkouts. It points out that more and more consumers are going the self-checkout route, noting that in 2006, consumers spent more than $137 billion on self-checkout transactions, up 24% from the previous year.

Some other interesting bits from the survey: Consumers in the South are most positive about self-checkout, with 75% having a positive view about the technology; and Of those who used self-checkout at least six times, 86% have a positive view of the technology.

There are a few findings that should make retailers think twice. For example, impulse purchases dip 32.1% when self-checkout is used instead of a staffed checkout. The primary reason for the drop: self-checkout stations lack the merchandise displays of staffed lanes, which means you don't have a chance to grab that candy bar or bag of chips you really didn't need but which proved too tempting to resist.

All this leads me to what I consider the most fascinating (albeit ancillary) finding out of the survey: The average American woman could lose 4.1 lbs. a year simply by resisting the urge to purchase impulse items in the checkout line.

Umm. I don't know. I may have to reconsider my ban on self-checkouts. Four pounds a year is simply to good to pass up.

—Marianne Wilson

Kmart's Bedtime Story

Why can’t all Kmarts look like the two I visited last night?

The Astor Place store in New York City, conveniently located next to the most recent street-scene shooting of the “Sex and the City” movie, looked sharp. Even after a day of retailing, assortments looked fresh, and mostly full, as the press ascended to the third floor home furnishings departments where Kmart unveiled an expanded Martha Stewart Everyday line and a new house label, Abbey Hill, intended as a better-best traditionally elegant alternative to Martha’s more homespun good-better-best merchandise.

At Astor Place, a transition spot between the Greenwich Village East and West, Kmart showcased 500-thread count Martha Stewart sheet sets from $68.99 to $91.99; 400-thread count duvet sets for $80.99; and 5-star bath towels for $11.49. For the Abbey Hill line, top line sheet sets of 250-thread count retail for $22.99 to $57.99; towels sell from $4.99 to $14.99. To help customers feel the difference among the sheet offerings, swatches of different thread counts hang from gondola shelves. The merchandise, including bath accessories, is a winner. And as someone who already sleeps on some Martha Stewart sheets, I can vouch for their quality, at least in previous incarnations of the assortment.

Kmart has placed the new merchandise in all its stores nationwide at a time when Wal-Mart has retreated from a foray into top-tier home furnishings in many of its units. Perhaps Kmart believes it can keep its stores looking smart enough to validate the higher price points. No doubt, Kmart hopes to attract more well-heeled consumers to buy sheets and towels. Even as Kmart upgrades, the market keeps going higher and higher. Bed Bath & Beyond, among others, sells a 1,000-thread count sheet for more money than a full set retails for at Kmart.

Kmart’s challenge will be one it has faced for decades, namely, making the in-store experience complement the upscale merchandise it wants to sell. At Astor Place, despite the intense foot traffic of an urban location with access to the subway, Kmart was up to the challenge, at least last night. So on my way home, I decided to stop by the White Plains, N.Y., store. It was 8:30 p.m., and the store also looked fantastic. Nothing out of place. Gondolas fully stocked. Then I remembered—White Plains is the store where Eddie Lampert, chairman/CEO of Sears Holding Corp., parent company of Kmart, shops. If any store was going to be picture perfect, it was going to be White Plains.

Will the other roughly 1,400 Kmarts look as good? I hope so, or Martha’s and Abbey Hill’s bedroom textiles will be part of a retail nightmare.

—Murray Forseter

Movie Business at Chain Store Age

Manhattan’s retail scene played a big role in the popular television show “Sex and the City” and it looks like more of the same in the highly anticipated movie version, which is currently being filmed outside Chain Store Age’s headquarters here on 55th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan. In fact, our building has been blocked off and the screams from the fans are echoing through the halls here.

As is evidenced by the photo above, all of the girls (left to right: Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall) are back and they are busy at one of their favorite past times: shopping. They are shown here coming out of the very high-end Walter Steiger store and walking north on Park, stopping just short of our building’s entrance. We all knew there would be at least one shoe-shopping scene in the film. After all, our favorite gal, Carrie, had a closet full of them.

I can’t take credit for this fabulous picture. It comes from our senior desk editor Barbara Hagan, who bravely maneuvered past the film crews for this shot. Although everyone was being shoo’d away from the set—as if we’re in their way when we just want to leave the building—I’m impressed with Barbara’s picture-taking skills. Let’s hope she doesn’t leave us now for PEOPLE.

— Samantha Murphy

NRTA Conference Notes

We who work in, and report on, retail tend to gloss over the impact of lease administrators. Each year, when I attend the National Retail Tenants Association (NRTA) conference, I am reminded of the power this group of retail headquarters staffers holds on the profitability of the individual units and the chain as a whole.

I’m blogging from the site of this year’s conference—the J.W. Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson, Ariz. I have attended a full day of sessions with about 600 lease administrators, controllers, attorneys and staff accountants from most of the top chains across all categories of retail. I’ve chatted with lease administrators from Footlocker, PetSmart, Target, Dress Barn, Chico’s, Best Buy, Toys “R” Us and more—and all told me they attend this conference not to be passively instructed, but to actively share best practices among their peers. The goal, they say, is to take back new understanding and improved methods to their respective home bases.

The atmosphere here is reminiscent of an all-star football game, in which top players from a variety of teams come together each year to practice as a team, learn as a team, play as a team.

And, by doing so, they individually and collectively increase their strength and skill.

—Katherine Field

’Tis the Season

Spending season is in full swing—not Christmas (at least not quite yet), but back-to-school, when parents’ expenditures on clothing, backpacks and school supplies approach the gifting costs looming on the upcoming holiday horizon.

In my third trip to hip shoe retailer Journeys—for, yes, a third pair of back-to-school shoes—I watched with interest as a young man adroitly balanced four customers. He may not have looked like your typical high-school success story, with ink and piercings and scruffy hair nicely paired with well-worn t-shirt and sagged jeans, but his service skills more than made up for anything lacking in appearance.

At checkout, I complimented him on his ability to manage multiple customers simultaneously while appearing to remain cool, calm and collected. He smiled quickly, and replied, “Thanks. I actually am better under pressure. The more customers I have, the more fun I have. When it’s slow, I get bored and watch the clock.” He went on to say that this day’s challenges were “nothing compared to the last two days in Iowa.”

The Lincoln, Neb., Journeys employee was referring to the much-publicized sales-tax waivers in states such as North Carolina, Tennessee and, of course, Iowa.

The no-tax shopping days attracted throngs to the malls. This young man had been sent by Journeys’ corporate office to the state next-door to help manage the crowds. At one point, he said, he had 10 customers at once—and he was proud to report that he didn’t get a single complaint.

Sales-tax waivers went a long way toward spurring earlier back-to-school sales—which helped promote advances of 3.1% in July at U.S. retailers—but they also provided valuable, real-life training opportunities for retail employees on the front lines.

—Katherine Field

Mobile Marketing Goes Way Local

I passed an outdoor fruit vendor the other day with an unusual chalkboard sign next to his produce. “Download a Mobile Coupon for a Free Apple,” it read, and offered a Web address for the download.

Although there has been much mobile media buzz within the past few weeks—specifically over the iPhone—I couldn’t believe mobile-marketing found it’s way to a random fruit stand in Manhattan.
When I told my friend about it, she said, “I hope you didn’t do it.” I could tell she thought it was a bizarre scam. Plus, was going through the hassle of downloading a coupon to save 25¢ on an apple really worth it?

So no, I didn’t do it. But I am fascinated that a mobile-coupon offer for an apple was even an option. If anything, it’s evident that we’re moving closer (with caution) to m-marketing and m-commerce. It’s coming soon—and maybe to a local fruit stand near you, too.

— Samantha Murphy

When Good Intentions Go Bad

Retailers and restaurants that align themselves with a worthy cause are becoming more the rule than the exception. And that’s mostly a good thing, but not always.

My family and I were driving through Concordia, Kan., earlier this week, returning home to Lincoln, Neb., from a visit to my home state of Louisiana. Hot and tired from nearly a full day on the road, we decided to pull into the town’s only Dairy Queen for a quick and cool treat.

The young male server was friendly enough during the drive-through order taking, but his demeanor quickly changed when my husband (politely) declined to donate a dollar to the area children’s hospital. After snatching the money from my husband’s hand, he made change without a word, then handed out our orders—undersized enough to arouse our suspicion that the fulfillment side of the business was just as aware of our donation refusal—in hostile silence. The worker then slammed the window shut, replacing the standard “thank you” with a shaking of the head.

We are not stingy people. Yet we are besieged with requests for assistance and long ago decided to pre-select our own charities and not feel obligated to grant every random request that comes our way. That we practiced our belief at Dairy Queen was our right. And Dairy Queen had no right to punish us for it.

I think there is a lesson to be learned here. Retailers and restaurateurs should implement their good-works programs with care. To elicit a negative customer reaction is to cancel out much of the positive benefit.

— Katherine Field

7-Eleven Hypes Simpsons Movie

While thousands sat on edge waiting for the arrival of the iPhone, others, including me, were just as enthusiastic about the long-awaited (18 years, to be exact) “The Simpsons Movie,” which will debut on July 27.

What makes this event even more special is 7-Eleven’s month-long marketing endeavor promoting the movie. The company has turned 12 locations nationwide into Kwik-E-Marts, which is the name of the beloved c-store in the Simpsons’ fabled town of Springfield that sells anything and everything fried, beloved pink-frosted donuts, aged hot dogs and, of course, the Squishee, a knockoff of 7-Eleven’s popular Slurpee beverage.

Being a longtime fan of “The Simpsons,” I had to go see for myself.

I speed-walked from the Chain Store Age offices on 56th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan to the convenience chain’s Times Square location on 10th Avenue and 42nd Street, in hopes of experiencing what Homer Simpson, a loyal Kwik-E-Mart shopper, experiences on a daily basis.

I was already giddy when I saw that the familiar green-and-orange 7-Eleven exterior sign had been replaced with one that read, “Kwik-E-Mart.” Inside, the store was packed with mostly twenty-somethings and teens who were posing next to the Simpsons character cutouts scattered throughout the store and loading up on Blue Woo Hoo! Vanilla Squishees. Products regularly seen in the animated series, such as Buzz Cola, KrustyO’s cereal, and pink-frosted donuts adorned the shelves in real life. Extra goodies such as Simpsons T-shirts, collectable cups and straws were also available for sale.

I got caught up in the excitement and spent $29 on Homer bobbleheads for friends, a collectable crazy straw, three Homer and Marge cookies, and a Squishee (doh!).

At the checkout line it occurred to me that not only is “The Simpsons Movie” getting great promotion (7-Eleven is footing the bill), the marketing stunt is a great way to boost sales and create new customers for the c-store, which is currently celebrating its 80th year of service.

I hadn’t been inside the chain for at least five years before last week, but I plan to go back again this month to pick up a copy of Radioactive Man, which was sold out when I visited—just keep me away from the bobbleheads!

— Jennifer Mosscrop, assistant desk editor.

Barely a Teen—But Online Savvy

My son is 13 and, despite the fact that he’s nearly six-feet-tall and wears a size 13 shoe, he’s still my baby. (I’m writing this with fingers crossed that he doesn’t read this blog!)

My baby or not, he’s one smart shopper, with research skills far beyond his years. He employs a two-pronged purchase approach—researching an item online, then heading to a bricks-and-mortar location to make his buy.

Recently I read a study, generated by security service ScanAlert, reporting that the average time it takes a shopper to make an e-commerce purchase decision has jumped from about 19 hours in 2005 to 34 hours and 19 minutes this year. The report suggested that the increase is due to more extensive comparison-shopping.

Intrigued by the newly released statistics, I asked my son yesterday how much time he spends researching an item before he feels prepared to make a purchase. “It depends on how much I already know about it,” he told me. For instance, he explained, if there’s a video game he’s interested in purchasing, his online investigation is fairly straightforward: he finds out the rating and, if it’s “Mature,” he investigates the reasons why, knowing it may take him the remaining 34 hours of average decision-making time to convince me to let him buy it!

If, though, his targeted purchase is more complex—for instance, a new drum trap-set—he will spend hours online researching brands and components, and, of course, shopping for the best price.

My son said he doubts that he spends 34 hours on purchase decision-making, but he did make it clear that he will spend whatever time it takes to feel confident that he has made the right purchase choice with his hard-earned money.

— Katherine Field

Nine West Scores With Customer Service

There is nothing I like better than a great find during a shopping trip. This week I learned that this feeling can easily be trumped by good customer service.

Prior to a trade show, I made my way to the Nine West store at Roosevelt Field mall here on Long Island (N.Y.). Keeping my eye on fashion and functionality, I opted for a very cute pair of black ballerina flats trimmed in patent leather. They also featured a very stylish gathered back above the shoe’s heel. They were full price, but I didn’t care. I knew they would look great with my Capri pants and that my feet would be more comfortable in flats than if I strolled around in heels.

However, the elastic that gathered the back of the shoe hugged the back of my ankle way too tightly. After 15 minutes, my cute shoes quickly became a painful nuisance. More importantly, my adorable purchase became a $70 loss in just one wearing.

I researched the return policy, but like many stores, refunds are only honored on unworn merchandise. Accepting defeat, I repacked the shoes in their box and set them in a corner.

That is, until my Mom lifted my spirits. “Bring them back,” she said. “Explain that they hurt your feet and you hoped you could get a refund or at least a store credit. You wore them once. The worst thing they can say is no.”

Figuring she had a point, I grabbed my receipt and made my way back to the store—30 days to the day of making the original purchase. I walked up to the checkout, made my case, and within minutes, I got a full refund.

“We really don’t accept returns on worn merchandise, but if they hurt your feet that is not good. We will definitely make the exception,” the associate said.

I was stunned, and pleasantly surprised. The experience also reminded me of why I rely on Nine West for my shoe purchases. Like I said, I like fashion and functionality. And any company that is willing to accommodate my comfort even at the cost of a sale wins my loyalty.

— Deena M. Amato-McCoy

iPhone: The Musical

Apple’s iPhone, whose initial sales exceeded projections, is winning nearly universal praise. Despite some quibbles (how long will that battery really last and what happened to the keypad?), it promises to be the hottest tech toy since … well, the iPod.

New York Times reporter David Pogue is singing his iPhone praises aloud—in the form of a musical. Check out this hilarious and quirky “iPhone: The Musical” clip, sung to the tune of “My Way.” Believe me, it’s definitely worth all 3:17 minutes of your time:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=f390265dcbb9e1f1da97a69637e921d39b6c99aa

— Samantha Murphy

Man vs. Self-Service Checkout Station

There’s a new Lowe’s home improvement store in town, and its arrival has been celebrated with the kind of fanfare reserved for small Midwestern towns who toast national retail names with zeal.

Lowe’s opened in Lincoln, Nebraska, just a few weeks ago, and as soon as my husband and I could find a spare weekend that wasn’t filled with kids’ end-of-school activities, we drove over to check out the retailer’s new digs.

And check it out we did. Our selections in hand, we were faced with the choice of traditional checkout or a new-to-Lincoln self-checkout kiosk. My husband, who like most Lincolnites hasn’t gotten much of a chance to try his hand at self-checkout, opted against human interface and steeled himself to do battle with a machine. But it was a breeze. He easily followed the instructions, punched all the right buttons, bagged the goods, paid with a Visa debit card, handed me the receipt, and marched out, looking quite smug. Mission accomplished.

Self-checkout sets Lowe’s apart in Lincoln. Not only from its nearest competitor Home Depot—which is just a stone’s throw away—but from supermarkets, drug stores and the various retail categories that have begun to do more than dabble in self-checkout in markets other than Lincoln.

Chain Store Age talks about self-checkout in the soon-to-be-out July issue, on page 58, with an interview with Fujitsu Transaction Solutions’ director of self-checkout strategic marketing Paul Burel. According to Burel, whether or not a customer will recommend one retail operation over another is heavily dependent on the wait times at checkout. And self-checkout is going a long way toward reducing those wait times.

Something else Burel said? Statistically in both North America and Europe, more men than women are opting for self-checkout. I witnessed that statistic myself at Lowe’s in Lincoln. And I suspect my husband can’t wait to try his hand at that kiosk again.

— Katherine Field

A Few Things Worth Mentioning

1. Have you seen this yet? An amusing take on advertiser to consumer relationships:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=D3qltEtl7H8

2. Would you pay a retailer $99 a year to learn how to use their products? When I first heard Apple was doing its “One to One” personal training for an annual subscription cost, I couldn’t believe people would actually enroll in such a program. But while I was sitting at the Internet Retailer 2007 show last week, I struck up a conversation with someone holding on to one of the Apple Store training pamphlets.

First, here’s how it works: For $99 a year, you can go into any Apple store and receive personal training sessions on anything Apple related, whether you’re new to using an iPod or ready to master the latest pro software.

But honestly, I thought it was ridiculous at first (who would pay $99 a year to ask questions at an Apple store when you could probably just go in and ask for free?) But then, my new pamphlet-holding friend told me over 4 million people were already enrolled in the program, raking in $400 million for Apple on this new venture.

So wow, I guess people ARE using it. I looked into the service a little more. Face-to-face appointment-only Apple sessions could teach you how to start your own Web sites, blogs and podcasts, as well as learn editing through iMovie. So I guess it’s not as basic as it sounds. And, you have to admit, it’s most certainly a brilliant strategy for Apple.

3. Have you seen the new InMotion Entertainment stores at various airports nationwide? I’ve passed them several times before, but finally stopped to get the scoop last week on my way home from Internet Retailer in San Jose, Calif. You rent a movie for $5 at an airport store and return it at another after you land. Or you can return it at the same store after your round trip home. No DVD player? Rent one too. It’s a nice option if you travel often and are sick of the in-flight movies. Anyway, it’s definitely a creative retail effort. I just wonder if it’s actually working. If you’re as intrigued as I am, visit: http://www.inmotionpictures.com/

— Samantha Murphy

Teens Speak Out: What’s Hot; What’s Not

Urban Outfitter’s Free People is hot, Juicy Couture and Coach are not, at least according to a panel of 17 affluent teens from Franklin Lakes, NJ.

Appearing at Piper Jaffray’s 27th Annual Consumer Conference earlier this week, a group of 17- and 18-year-old high-school seniors from New Jersey enlightened curious investors on the ins and outs of teen fashion and the state of contemporary ‘coolness.’

On the 20th-floor rooftop of the opulent St. Regis Hotel, investors were assured that Birkenstocks are hot. Every guy at Ramapo High owns a pair, according to one student. The teens also downgraded Crocs from hot to not.

And while Billboard Chart-topping rapper Mims would explain “Birkenstocks are hot cause they’re fly, Crocs ain’t cause they’re not,” the students revealed that the rubber, hole-ridden shoes are just ugly.

The scholars from the Garden State declared that Henleys long-sleeved shirts are a product pushing the figurative mercury upward.

Hoodies were another a big winner amongst the panel, not any particular brand or style, merely any zippered sweatshirt with a hood. Seven Jeans proved to be a hit as well, appearing on the majority of the panel’s back-to-school shopping list.

The students confirmed investors’ instincts that Apple’s effervescent iPod is still hot, while radio is not. One student disclosed that she has not listened to her car radio since purchasing the vehicle.

Apparently TV does not possess the reach it once had as the proliferation of broadband Internet access has siphoned teens’ attentions.

— Mike Zahler

Forty Years Ago Today...

I know I’m dating myself, but it was 40 years ago today the Beatles released their signature album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

I remember waking up that morning and turning on the transistor radio next to my bed. The DJs were already all abuzz about the album, saying how it would change the course of music. I bought into the hype 100% (the fact that I was a huge Beatles fan didn’t hurt).

There was no question that I had to have the album that day.

My mother didn’t quite understand the urgency—driving me to a record store wasn’t the number one item on her agenda. The truth is it wasn’t on her agenda at all. But I finally wore her down, and in the early evening she agreed to take me to Vogel’s Records, in Elizabeth, N.J.

By that time, I was a nervous wreck. It was late, so I wondered if there would be any copies left. What would I do if it was sold out—would she drive to Two Guys from Harrison on Rt. 22 (or “the highway” as we called it) to see if it was in stock there? If they were out too, I added, we could always try National, further down the road. Right?

My mother said I would have an ulcer by the time I was 15.

As soon as I saw the display when we walked in, I felt like crying. Yes, there were copies left! I grabbed one.

The store was full of people, and everyone seemed to be talking about the Beatles. I felt like I belonged to a special club. It was exciting just to be there.

A local newspaper about the album was interviewing the solemn-looking man who always sat behind the cash register. He had, of course, ordered extra copies in anticipation of the rush. There were even people lined up outside the store when it opened, he said.

My mother bought the album and we left. I held onto it like gold. And when we got home, I ran right upstairs and put on my less-than-excellent turntable. I was in heaven. What a day!

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with my 13-year-old godson about buying records (or, to be more accurate, CDs). He is a big music fan and always seems to have the latest generation iPod. Nearly all of the music he listens to has been downloaded from the Internet.

“Why would I want to go to a store and buy music,” he said to me, “when I can just download it?”

It’s hard to argue with him. But looking back, I’m glad I didn’t have the option 40 years ago of downloading “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

It wouldn’t have been as exciting—or as fun.

— Marianne Wilson

Bringing Out the Governor

In Nebraska there is one sure way to meet the governor. Attend a mall grand opening.

Retailing in my home state hasn’t quite caught up with the rest of the country, which isn’t so surprising considering that we number just 1 million residents statewide. So when RED Development—co-headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., and Scottsdale, Ariz.—joint-ventured an eye-popping open-air center in Papillion with The Lerner Co. out of Omaha, locals took notice. Including Governor Dave Heineman.

Nebraska’s newly installed chief showed up in the pouring rain last Saturday, May 25, to partake in the grand-opening ceremonies of Shadow Lake Towne Center, Sarpy County’s new shopping and dining destination. And, since I also braved the elements to attend as a RED invitee, I felt it my due to personally meet Gov. Heineman. (In truth, RED VP John Bacon gave me a firm shove in the back as motivation to make my move.)

The governor told me that he is excited about this new shopping center. And no wonder. When the rain slowed to a drizzle, my husband and I toured the grounds, marveling at the Main Street shopping district with its amphitheatre, outdoor fireplace, statuary, water features and extraordinary landscaping. We noted the repeated references to Nebraska history—always a winner with this salt-of-the-earth crowd. And we visited retailers Ann Taylor Loft, Coldwater Creek and Yankee Candle. (ULTA will open its first Nebraska location in this center, as will Sephora at J.C. Penney and Sweet & Sassy children’s salon and store.)

You don’t have to be a politician to understand what this kind of shopping center will mean to the state of Nebraska, and certainly to the residents of Sarpy County. Lucky for us that RED Development seems to have a penchant for all things Nebraskan, given their prior upscale lifestyle projects in both Lincoln and Omaha. Could it be because a number of the executives are graduates of the University of Nebraska? They say not, but I still wonder …

— Katherine Field

Attending ICSC – and Living to Tell About It

Some 52,000 retailers and shopping center developers attended the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Spring Convention last week (May 20-23, in Las Vegas)—and I think I had at least a passing conversation with a third of them (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it seemed like it).

True, we chatted quickly about the latest mixed-use developments (the format that was all the talk at the show), but the subject that came up in every conversation? Feet. And undeniable pain.

With square footage tacked on to already huge distances to cover, this year’s show was almost not doable. The new South Hall was easily a 10-minute hike—without crowds (and it was never without crowds)—and its location forced attendees out into the hot Las Vegas winds to boot, where already blistering feet added swelling to the list of torments. Even men were talking about their feet. We—men and women—compared shoes on the elevators, unabashedly rubbed our feet during meetings, winked at each other as we quick-changed from business shoes to running shoes behind leafy aisle plants.

In fact, it was a man who gave me the most memorable foot-remedy advice. He suggested—and this was amongst a large group of professionals at a Developers Diversified soiree—that we all try an age-old British foot massage. It requires placing one foot in a CLEAN hotel toilet (in the privacy of your room, of course; he wasn’t suggesting public bathrooms), and flushing for a soothing foot massage. Follow with the other foot.

I’m not telling whether I tried it or not. But, as the show progressed into day two, and my feet continued to swell and blister, the remedy sounded less and less revolting.

— Katherine Field

Adding ZIP to Saks’ Shoe Salon

While watching the local news last night, I learned that Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in New York City is preparing for the launch of a new shoe department. This is no ordinary shoe department, however. This new department will be so big that the chain promises that it will be getting its own ZIP code.

When the store’s fourth-floor shoe department sets up shop on the eighth floor in August, it will be called 10022-SHOE. The moniker doubles as the shoe salon’s ZIP code, and customers can actually send mail to the department, according to the report.

The new shoe department, which promises to be more of a showroom, will be a 17,500-sq.-ft. space. However, 8,500 sq. ft. will be reserved for the sales floor; the remaining 9,000 sq. ft. of space will be used for storage.

Besides featuring an express elevator that will transport shoppers directly to the “shoe-room,” the department will be encased in hand-blown glass walls, and glass chandeliers will add to the ambience.

While this sounds wonderful, I hope there will be some modern conveniences too. Such a vast space is sure to draw a crowd daily. This could be a great fit for kiosks that can act as price checkers, as well as help shoppers see whether their favorite shoes are in stock, or even electronically grab the attention of an associate.

Typically, I am not partial to an overwhelming shopping experience when shoe shopping, but I do plan to visit 10022. If Saks can combine my suggestions with its traditional strong reputation in the retail industry, the shoe showroom will be another avenue the chain can use to differentiate itself in the marketplace.

— Deena M. Amato-McCoy

High Expectations at Gap Maternity

As an editor who covers the retail industry, I visit stores for business and pleasure. While shopping, I always take in the new technologies, store designs and the overall store experience. I recently learned that store design and customer experience take on a whole new meaning when you are pregnant.

While the Gap has come under lots of scrutiny and criticism of late, the company is still one of my retailers of choice. In fact, my Gap private-label credit card is being used more regularly now that I am pregnant, thanks to an impressive and expanding maternity department both online and in physical stores. During a recent shopping trip to a couple of stores that feature Gap Maternity, I did notice one area that needs some attention.

I set aside an afternoon to visit Gap’s flagship store on 34th Street in New York City. This was also one of the first locations to feature a Gap Maternity department (approximately four years ago). While I loved the many apparel options I had, I wasn’t too excited about sifting through khakis and shirts that were displayed on low-set shelves found in wall displays and table fixtures.

To make matters worse, the two round sales racks were literally up against each other, and positioned a mere 2 ft. from the wall. This configuration was aggravating to me. And just to make sure it wasn’t my hormones, I watched other "preggies," who were much further along than me, struggle to move through the tight space. And it was impossible for new and expecting moms to navigate their baby strollers through the area.

Curiosity got the best of me and later that week, I visited the maternity department at the 59th Street and Lexington Avenue Gap store. While the sale racks were more conveniently built into the back wall, this 5-ft.-tall mother-to-be had a hard time browsing through the garments hanging on the top rack. And again, I had to squat to sift through low-placed merchandise. (Even though I am used to squatting in my pre-natal yoga classes, I was hoping to save these poses for labor, not shopping!)

If my experiences have any impact at all, I just hope one Gap associate or executive could persuade managers—and corporate planners, for that matter—to alter their merchandising strategies to better accommodate their target customer base—pregnant shoppers.

— Deena M. Amato-McCoy

First Glimpse: Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker

Most marketers would willingly give up their first-born for a few minutes in the sun on The Oprah Winfrey Show. So I can’t even begin to imagine the reaction of the folks at Steve & Barry’s when Oprah devoted a good part of her show on May 18 to a sneak preview of the chain’s new celebrity line: Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker. Parker, who comes across as one of celebrity land’s most sincere and genuine personalities, proved herself an intelligent and charming pitchwoman for the budget collection.

While fashionistas, who consider Parker a style icon, may look askance at her decision to get involved with a value retailer like Steve & Barry’s, it was really a natural for her. Parker has never hidden the fact that she grew up in a big, loving family, but one that had to scrape just to get by. Her empathy for those who can’t afford to spend big bucks on fashion came through loud and clear on Oprah.

There are some 400-plus items in the Bitten line, which will be available at Steve & Barry’s stores nationwide on June 7. Judging by the pieces modeled on the Oprah show, Bitten is made up of comfortable-looking mainstays, including jeans and tees, as well as dresses, shoes, accessories and some outerwear. In keeping with Steve & Barry’s value positioning, nothing costs more than $20.

"It's about affordable, well-made American sportswear,” Parker explained. “It's about fashion not being a luxury and quality not being a privilege, and we don't want someone to hold it up and say, 'Well, you get with you pay for.’ We worked so hard to make sure it's everything women deserve."

While some of the items reflect current fashions (high-rise jeans, for example, and espadrilles), the line is by no means trendy. Parker, no slouch when it comes to fashion, repeatedly stressed this point on the Oprah show, using the terms basic/classic pieces again and again.

One of the most refreshing things about Bitten is that it appears to be designed for women of all ages—and sizes. Indeed, the most important thing that separates Bitten from other celebrity lines is its sizing: It will be available in sizes 2 to 22. In sizing and design, Bitten is a far cry from the latest celebrity line, Kate Moss for Topshop, whose fashions are best suited for the body of someone like, well, Kate Moss.

Much remains to be seen about Bitten, particularly with regard to quality. But judging from the Oprah show, its star spokeswoman already has the audience on her side.

— Marianne Wilson

American Eagle Goes Prime Time

Prime-time television advertising may never be the same thanks to American Eagle Outfitters. In an ambitious marketing gambit, the teen apparel chain is creating a 12-episode series of short films—each one three minutes in length—that will serve as the first commercial break during the upcoming run of MTV’s most popular show, “The Real World” (the show changes its locale year to year, with the upcoming season set in Sydney, Australia).

The American Eagle (AE) effort will be called “It’s a Mall World,” and will feature a cast of rising young film and TV actors and a comedic, boy-meets-girl story line. The action will be set in a mall, and the cast will all be outfitted in AE threads. One of the actors will even portray an AE sales assistant.

In a clever bit of media integration, five-minute versions of each AE episode will run the next day on the retailer’s Web site, with a special feature that makes it easy for consumers to buy the apparel featured on the episode.

AE’s choice of MTV for its new marketing campaign is a no-brainer: The network can deliver the young viewers that are the chain’s bread and butter. Tying the films into the chain’s Web site is another no-brainer, allowing kids to watch the films on their own time, where and when they want.

As for filling a full commercial break with a short film vs. scattering traditional short ads throughout a show, well, it sounds a lot more fun—and more likely to capture the attention of teens, who have become increasingly selective about what they watch. Media fragmentation is definitely challenging marketers, but it has also opened the floodgates to all sorts of marketing innovation. Traditional advertising may never be the same.

— Marianne Wilson

The Sopranos Hit Wal-Mart

One of my pet theorems about retailing is that the success of a company often can be gauged not only by how the culture at large perceives it, but more importantly, by how those who influence popular culture perceive it.

For years Kmart bore the brunt of ridicule for its Blue Light specials and “polyester palace” notoriety. “Attention Kmart shoppers” became a comic catch phrase. Kmart kept its doormat location in the American culture long after it had been displaced by Wal-Mart as the largest discount retailer.

Why? Because, my theorem explains, the comics and screenwriters who wrote the jokes and movie scripts, such as Rain Main, that captivated America during the 1980s and 1990s grew up in the 1970s, the decade when Kmart was the only national discount chain. Their only national, retail point of reference was Kmart, so the jokes flowed (not that they weren’t warranted, but that’s another story).

Fast forward to the 21st century—it is now Wal-Mart that must face the music, or the stinging barb, not so much because it does anything so radically different than other retailers but because its size makes it a larger-than-life target (pun intended). Sunday night’s episode of The Sopranos on HBO provided another case in point.

Tony Soprano and his minions make part of their living boosting product from the shipping terminals along the New Jersey waterfront. They aren’t fans of heightened federal scrutiny of imported cargo. So, as one of Tony’s capos explained, Wal-Mart was making their hijacking job easier by lobbying against inspections of every container that comes into port.

Wal-Mart, obviously, is not the only retailer that has expressed concern about federal intervention in the free flow of goods through the supply chain. But few if any other retailers would get the recognition factor Wal-Mart brings to a script. It was just a quick, throwaway line, but like the single drop of water that lands on a torture victim’s head, the cumulative impact of repeated denigrations of Wal-Mart’s character can have lasting, insidious results.

— Murray Forseter

Barcelona’s Retailing Icon

As a little girl, I remember hopping in the car with my Mom, grandmother and sister and driving to Garden City, N.Y., to visit Macy’s for the day. (This was when Macy’s and Stern’s anchored the town’s Roosevelt Field Mall. Today, Macy’s is joined by Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s and J.C. Penney department stores, as well as 270 specialty stores, more than 20 fast-food eateries and restaurants, and a movie theatre. But I digress.)

A few times a year, we used to visit Macy’s to shop for Easter dresses, Christmas outfits, back-to-school clothes, shoes, housewares, even electronics. Then we would end our shopping excursion with a trip to the fourth-floor snack bar that only served fresh-squeezed juices and frozen yogurt (it was the newest rage back then).

As malls grew in size and added trendy specialty stores to draw in more shoppers, those daylong shopping excursions to Macy’s ended.

A recent visit to El Cortes Ingles in Barcelona, Spain, managed to stir up those old memories, of when shopping in a department store was truly something special. The location is the main branch of the oldest department store company in Spain. The store, which has a history that dates back to 1934, sits in the center of Placa Catalunya at the top of Las Ramblas—the central boulevard that cuts through the heart of Barcelona.

The eight-floor store features such standard department store offerings as menswear, women’s fashions, footwear, juniors and children’s clothing, and cosmetics and fragrances. It also has housewares and electronics departments.

But the store also managed to exceed all my expectations.

Besides a full-service supermarket complete with fresh meats, fish, baked goods and meal solutions, El Cortes Ingles also boasts a candy department, a tobacco merchant, a jeweler/watchmaker and a travel agency. A rooftop cafe nestled on the eighth floor overlooks the city and attracts shoppers and non-shoppers alike.

El Cortes Ingles operates in the heart of Barcelona’s shopping district that is also home to plenty of Spanish designers, as well as chic brands including Versace, Mango, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. While I love the glamorous, high-end designer stores, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia (and a sudden urge for frozen yogurt) as I visited El Cortes Ingles.

— Deena M. Amato-McCoy

Looking for Answers

A side benefit to trade conferences is that industry peers will inevitably discover that no one has all the answers.

I’m blogging from real estate solution provider Accruent’s annual users conference in the company’s headquarters city of Santa Monica, Calif. (Considering it’s pouring down rain in my own home city of Lincoln, Neb., this is a pretty plum assignment.) Here, in both yesterday’s and today’s sessions, I