Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Ghost of Christmas Past




Christmas will be upon us in a week or so. Before the Grinch takes hold of me I would like to share a memory or two of Christmas past. Whether we want to admit it or not many of our fondest holiday stories are retail related. Christmas, children and retail have gone hand in hand since some enterprising retailer first donned a Santa suit. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and although Cleveland has been a national joke since our river burned, it was a very different place when I was a child. Downtown Cleveland was dense with varied retail and a Christmas shopping trip was a much anticipated event Cleveland's three major holiday decor musts were; Halle Brothers, Higbee's and Sterling Linder Davis. My maternal grandfather spent his entire working life at Halle's and both my mother and her sister did sales stints there as well. Even though Halle's was the highest end in Cleveland [and my family was not] we were loyal customers, due to the employee discount which my mother took full advantage of. Halle's always had the edge on its competitors at the holidays, due largely to their Santa's right hand man. A month before Christmas Cleveland's most famous holiday ambassador would start appearing on television after the local news, MR. JING A LING, a brilliant advertising concept. Upon reflection he was sort of an info-mercial, living advent calendar, talk show host. As I remember he would interview children with a jovial Dickensesque abandon that works so well at Christmas and promise his transfixed audience, [me and my sister] a key to Halle's seventh floor toy dept. Hence his name, the sound of keys he always carried on his arm..The song is still ringing my mind some 50 years later.......


Mr Jing a Ling how you ring a ling..keeper of the keys

On Halle's seventh floor....We'll be waiting for you to turn the key

Higbees had the famous Twigbee shop,[for children only] and served childrens meals in little cardboard toy stoves, Sterlings had the city's tallest tree and Francis the talking mule, Halle's trumped them all. The great department stores are gone now, but the success of their Christmas efforts have become legend in the minds of many.










Thursday, October 22, 2009

sidewalk retail




It's a beautiful October day and it has just occurred to me that my sidewalk retail days are numbered. It's time to drag out all my vestiges of Christmas past with the hope that I can eat a decent dinner tonight, the ramen noodle thing is growing old. The benefit or detriment of my profession is the accumulation of items used in past displays. I have one of everything and sometimes 2 or 3 or 5 or 7 or 9,...hold that thought time to pitch a potential customer...I'm back ...SOLD! a pair of french doors and she was thrilled that they were the right size...Excuse me again, the hood is happening today, lots of strolling, seems that trying to write and sell wasn't such a good idea. It has calmed down now and I'm 100 bucks richer. I've been creating weekend sidewalk sales since the bottom dropped out, on a sunny day you can shop card table boutiques all over Philadelphia. The recession has forced us all out into the streets, there are 3 on my block alone. I generally poke my head out on Saturday morning to see if my neighbors have started their outdoor display process, we always make more sales when we are all out at the same time, the better the selection the more traffic we can stop. Throughout these sales I have re- learned many of the rules that I apply daily to my customers. Practice what you preach. DISPLAY DOES MATTER even on the low level that I am presenting my goods. I arrange my stuff in 'stories' like "Neo shabby chic" or "Atomic age retro' and a good deal of the time "My God what was I thinking" stories, Don't laugh it works...It's the most basic rule of display create a "look" even if the items are junk. I've always said that the first 5 seconds that a customer enters a store are the most important, in my case they are traveling at 40 m.p.h. so I have almost no time to make an impression, nothing makes me happier then to see them pull to the curb...because DISPLAY WORKS. Another hour has passed and I am up 75 bucks, real good considering I've been selling cheap Kinko's copies mounted on foam core..It never ceases to amaze me how movie star portraits sell, [in black and white no less] I am fortunate to live in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood brimming with art students and pioneering couples. The art kids are my favorite, excited to be on their own in a urban environment, I was like that once upon a time, [now I can't wait to get out ] you can see it in their fresh suburban faces as they gleefully dig thru my castoffs. " I've just moved in down the block and I have nothing" is the mantra they all chant "Well step this way I have everything" is my reply. The one thing they do have are worried parents making deposits in a checking account to cover their purchases. Many are return customers arriving to scope out what that "old guy" has put out this week. It's now 30 minutes later, I smiled my way thru a tedious story of how the neighborhood used to be, blah, blah, blah, delivered by a cousin of the former owner of my building, [this occurs at least twice a month]. Everyone around here is related somehow or another so to maintain tranquility in the hood be polite and appear to listen, then tell them you have a call to make, she left. I can now relate my second big secret for successful sidewalk retail. Put out the juicy stuff that you have no intention of selling, at a price no one will pay and be prepared for that one customer that might be willing to say, "I'll take it" The look of your "stories" will benefit from a glamorous "shill" object and if you don't want to sell it you can always tell them it was just sold and the buyer is picking it up later. When you see the disappointed look on their face simply lead them to a bargain that they can afford....Be right back this might be a sale... here I am again, just sold a chair 30 bucks not bad, had to help her get it in her car, Sidewalk service with a smile. My total for the day was 200, hardly a days receipts at Barney's, but at least there is a good dinner for me tonight. Bon Appetit

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Reptiland
















Reptiland

Just when I thought that I had encountered every category in retail along comes a new one. Reptiland,[yes its spelled this way] Rep-ti-land. Just as the name implies it is a roadside attraction, devoted to reptiles and amphibians, established a generation ago by Clyde Peeling, a devotee of our scaley friends, Alligators, crocodiles,snakes,frogs,turtles and lizards. This is no Florida alligator wrestling side show but a legitimate accredited and licensed zoo. Located in Allenwood Pa. a stones throw from the country club white collar prison. I invited a friend Rene to accompany me, knowing this could be of interest to him seeing as how he is a landscape architect and we share a critical eye when it comes to display. We were not disappointed, a winding bamboo path takes you into the world primeval, live stage presentations, glass enclosed displays and a large croc display make for a interesting, entertaining and slightly scary,[snakes] afternoon, the Galapagos tortoises were my favorite,hugh lumbering creatures with a non threatening demeanor that makes them almost cute,despite their size and appearance. A new attraction this year is a butterfly house and I must say it was wonderful, a greenhouse alive with fluttering species of the delicate and precious winged arial acrobats. Such a delight that even this jaded synic has to admit I was impressed.There are so few real interesting vintage roadside attractions remaining that are not flea markets or dank caverns that I highly reccomend Cylde Peelings Reptiland. a perfect family outing. Go take a look http://www.reptiland.com/

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Truth in Advertising



Here's a story I can't help but comment on. We all know how photo shop has changed the advertising landscape, making us all feel too old, too fat, and too everything that people really are. Ralph Lauren really pulled a good one this time. Take a look at what some enterprising computer minion created. Poor Phillipa has been turned into a bobble head. The amazing thing is that this was approved for publication. Can you picture that scene...Yes, Mr Lauren we love it..its so new, so young, so right, just the thing we need to attract a new younger customer,[because his customer has moved to Florida and no longer cares about clothing] This demonstrates clearly how at times the fashion industry lives in a 7 th avenue ghetto and has no idea what the real world is about...and the Lauren people declined comment until the media put the pressure on. Phillipa [poor clue-less thing] has become the poster child for a number of fashion mag editors who are speaking on her behalf, raging on about its alright to be fat. which sells their mags big time, all she can say is I don't understand why I was fired, I've been working at RL since I was 15 "They were like my family" she said..Wake up kid this is Mad. Ave. your dealing with! family, shmalily, RL says she was let go because of "contractual issues" The media is going on about her being too fat, and I agree that the body image thing is way out of control. The real reason she got canned was because she became the center of controversy and bad press does not sell RL rags, [at least not in this case] All you have to do is follow the money, it doesn't matter Phillipa how long you worked for them. You became [by no fault of your own] a liability. You were caught in the middle of the "fat" wars, which sells magazines for the pro fat opposition, take comfort in the fact that I'm sure that minion who created the photo was fired as well. GAIN WEIGHT GIRL! and defect to the other camp, their waiting for you with open arms.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009























Just around the corner

Here it is Christmas time again and lucky for me I'm starting to book a few new jobs but nothing like it used to be. I have decided it is going to be a "Non Bling" season. No gold this year..and of course the designers of ladies apparel have already seen to that. This years BIG color story is grey and every shade of purple, and of course the ferrous accent is silver...No gold....Even red is difficult although some have no problem using it with purple... its not my favorite combo. Green on the other hand is good with purple, especially bright greens with violet tones..kinda Christmassy. The one thing that always works is good old black and white, my perennial favorite and sure fire standby with silver, easily lasts thru New Years Eve..Im sure we will all celebrate the passing of 2009, Good Bye! Im not sure what to this year..we have a holiday season that no one really wants coming on fast. There was a time when I knew what to do. "less is more" every time except Christmas... when more is never enough! ...this year everything seems to be too much, Any ideas? Dear readers, I'm open to any feedback on this subject. I've posted some shots from Christmas past, when Mr Fezziwig used to throw those big parties and everyone spent freely. I'm afraid of what the spirit of Christmas yet to come might have in "STORE" for us this year.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009



Its a Disney world after all

Disney has announces its plan for world domination. While the rest of the retail world has been floundering in self pity Disney has formed an alliance with Steve Jobs to re image the hundreds of Disney stores...Apple and Dis. are turning retail into mini amusement parks with endless Apple interactive thrills, a walk thru a forest of talking trees that know your birthday, set off simulated fireworks and no doubt recommend the latest must have present. Your cashier has become a "guide" who conveniently carries along a super I phone which can process your plastic and print a receipt,[no more check out cues]. This is very well timed, with suburban shopping malls melting away in vacancies, this will make retail agents salivate with excitement. I must say it is about time that mall arrogance and outrageous per square foot charges receive their "comeuppance" no doubt that Dis will have the upper hand in lease agreements. I love this. This plan proves the point that even the most dismal economics create opportunity, the exploitation of children is another subject,but I must say this is a brilliant plan. The time has arrived to move forward, no more "mia culpas". Take a good hard look at your retail plan, be brave and take a risk, try something new to entice new customers,[especially young ones]. Its a new retail scene out there, get with it or get out of it.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I have worked for 35 years for a formal wear shop. Throughout my long association I have seen a number of formal neck wear trends, first it was the cross tie those little flat things with a pin in the center, [think Bill Haley and the Comets] Next was the Edwardian Carnaby street those BIG velvet bows worn with "puffy shirts". Which gave way to the Johnny Carson look, the propeller like butterfly bow, Then a brief moment of sanity the conventional although 'pre-tied" bow worn with wing collars, [think 80s waiters]. The 90s gave us western string ties and band collared [Nehru] shirts with Versace knock-off button covers that slipped on to the button, that was a tough one to like. The last 10 years we have suffered the long tie that turned the tuxedo into a pall bearers uniform. The latest d'riguer in neck wear is the ascot..I really wonder is straight American men will embrace this one. The ascot bears heavy identification with the likes of Hugh Hefner and George Hamilton, not to mention stereotyped 60s closeted men like those in "The Boys in the Band". A few weeks ago as changing their window display into the fall mode when I was handed a group of ascots. All I could do is laugh.. What are these? I asked in my best Dawn Davenport voice. "the latest thing" was the reply..so where are the Gucci loafers to go with them?..I think Ive been at this too long, at times it is difficult to approach new items with an open mind. I constantly remind myself that time marches on and there are plenty of younger customers who have no knowledge of the ascots previous lives. Before writing this entry I hit Google image and sure enough up came Brad, in an ascot tied scarf, how perfect and how lucky he is to have a stylist who is 20 years younger then him to keep him au courant.

If Brad is wearing it