Today, the Amsterdam-based design collective Droog, will open their first stateside shop in NYC. The store itself is decidedly massive (5,000 sqf) and features one of the latest designs from the group called the House of Blue (featured below). The store is both a showroom and a model, so that customers can purchase the design and have it created with a variety of personalized materials. The shop will also play host to events including a fashion show this September.
In a sign of the times, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be closing 23 of its satellite gift shops. According to Chairman James Houghton the museum estimates that its current endowment is around $2.1 billion which is a decrease of 25 percent since June 30, 2008. The NYT reports that the museum had 23 satellite gift stores scattered around a year ago, but already closed eight and will close another seven. Instead, the museum will focus on its online shop and mail-order business.
RR friend, online retailer WeJetSet, has been attracting a lot of attention recently with their Travel Chronicles section. Here, they talk with artists and creatives about how travel has impacted on them as artists and people and an underground (and emerging) star Steve Powers was featured most recently.
Travel Chronicles with Steve Powers from wejetset video on Vimeo.
One of RR´s favorite retailers, Japan-based Uniqlo has partnered with Opening Ceremony, on the latest of their guest designer projects and will be releasing at the Los Angeles store today. Following the success of its New York release, the pieces, retailing between $19 to $79, provide an affordable alternative to designer garments with the same design aesthetic still reflective through each piece.
In a bit of news that may affect AmEx only retailers like Neiman Marcus, the historically upscale credit card company is offering some customers $300 to pay off their balances and close their credit card accounts. Since expanding their financial services to a broader range of clients, AmEx´s quarterly profits have tumbled and how the company is eager to streamline their business.
One of the most venerable department stores in the US has apparently been making waves in the American retail market with rumblings of financial problems. Though all payments have been made on time, and a source at Versace claims that there have been no problems, others fear that as result of the departure of former CEO Howard Socol, the new bosses are making the buying season more difficult. Additionally, though new owner Istithmar has been fishing for buyers for the chain, there have been no bites as of yet. This comes after a significant expansion into the Boston, Dallas, and San Francisco markets.
Recently, Nike opened its new retail concept in Shoreditch, London for its Sportswear line. Like many other Sportswear retailers, the store is home to a number of limited edition Sportswear releases and Tier Zero products. One interesting item of note, the store features a floor created by 15,000 pairs of old recycled sneakers.
With wallets tightenint and windows shuttering around the globe, luxury retailers are turning to new tactics to encourage would-be customers to buy buy buy. On Madison Avenue (NYC) of all places, the most exclusive designers stores seems to be embracing the everyman in hopes of selling products. I recently read about several instances of brands training and giving seminars about how to be friendlier and more welcoming.
MaxMara, for example, is teaching staff how to greet and engage customers so that anybody with a credit card will feel like a star. Eric Wilson from the International Herald Tribune tried an experiment to see how these seismic changes would really affect the daily shopping experience… “
Within 30 seconds of walking into Chanel’s fine jewelry store at 735 Madison Avenue, I had a $4,500 black ceramic J12 watch snapped onto my wrist and a cheerful salesman telling me he had just read a book that claimed men who wore big, chunky watches were often remembered by those who met them as being taller than they actually are. I had walked in wearing a digital watch that cost less than $3 (made by Acqua, if you’ll excuse my name-dropping), which was placed gingerly on a velvet tray.
At Emanuel Ungaro (792 Madison Avenue), I tried on a $3,000 salt-and-pepper tweed topcoat with side vents, interestingly enough, in the front. It looked silly, but the saleswoman offered to stitch up the vents, even though the coat was on sale at 60 percent off.
Walking though the Ralph Lauren mansion (867 Madison Avenue), I felt like a regular, encountering no fewer than 17 employees who said “Hello,” “Howareya?,” “Can I help?” on three floors.
At Prada (841 Madison Avenue), where years ago I was made to feel small for returning a belt that, paradoxically, would not fit around my waist, a patient salesman attended as I tried on eight styles of loafers in three different sizes, all of them too big in the heel.
After switching to lace-ups, the only pair that fit well looked like safety shoes. They cost $695. I told him I’d think about it. He couldn’t have been nicer, although I will point out that at John Lobb (680 Madison Avenue), the salesman actually got down on his knees to put my feet into a pair of $1,100 loafers.”
However, there was one bad apple among the group of test subjects… Gucci. t was almost shocking, then, to step into the Gucci store (840 Madison Avenue) and encounter a greeter who asked, in a sharp tone, “What are you looking for?” Upstairs, I thought I’d try on a $350 swimsuit — what the heck? — but stood stock-still in the middle of an empty room for a full five minutes before anyone appeared to offer assistance.
The swimsuit was cute, but unrealistic. As I left, another salesman approached and asked, “You still here?”
“I’m just looking.”
“Looking, looking, looking,” he said, wagging his head….
Toy retailers, manufacturs, and hopeful children from the tri-state area were all drawn to New York recently for the annual Toy Industry Association Fair. Though I was not lucky enought to make it to the fair myself (maybe next year… 
), there are a few products making the rounds online that are sure to generate a healthy buzz this year…
Duck Hunter: Though I am against hunting, I must admit to being a fan of the Nintendo classic, Duck Hunt. With this real life version, charge the duck and launch it into the air. With infrared gun shoot it 3 times and game over- you win.
Green Dollhouse: At $240 (including furniture) eco-friendliness does not come cheap, however, this edu-tainment inspired toy wil hopefully teach younger generations the value of ecology.
Orbit Wheels: In only 1-2 hours, supposedly anybody should be able to master these transportation devices. A hybrid between inline skates, skateboard, and a gyroscope, these $120 parents-worst-nightmares will be in stores soon!
New York is home to a new shop/gallery concept called Partners & Spade. Greeted by the HMS Booze Cruise upon visiting their website, Partners & Spade is home to an interesting (eclectic) collection of art, toys, “found goods” and other miscellaneous goodies.
According to Ashley Butler, from P&S, it is a studio that creates products, film, books, and other content under their eponymous label as well as for other clients. Additionally, they provide “services” like their collection of “backdated confidence trophies” for those who need a little extra boost (I wonder if they have a trophy for “Even though your great comeback may have been 20 minutes too late, that jerk could still feel it telepathically!”?).
Currently, P&S is hosting some in store exhibits from artists Mike Mills and Maira Kalman with curation by Tim Barber and his collection of books.
Why P&S appeals to me is because its depth. They do not seem to be able to sum up their operations in a catchy phrase or description, rather the store seems to be based on exploration and discovery (sometimes of ones past).
Partners & Spade opens its doors tomorrow from 11-6 and 11-5 on Sunday. The shop is only open on weekends and by appointment on weekdays.
40 Great Jones St.
646-861-2827
When looking into the magic crystal ball, once can see visions of flying cars, world peace, and… tomorrow’s consumer! Penn’s Wharton school published a report making predictions about the future shopper. Several valid and intelligent observations are made about how post-societal-trauma, the current recessionary period for example, spending habits and particularly those associated with conspicuous consumption slow down. People adjust accordingly regardless of their income level (Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, claims that “income stability level” and not “income level” is actually the key determinant during this period). Traditionally consumption levels simply rise over time back to their normal levels. However, what the report claims is that this current slump will have longer lasting effects than others due to the generational values and the severity of the situation.
Personally, I believe that the HNWI (high net work individuals) who are unaffected by the crisis, will remain unaffected and continue to consume as in the past. The difference for the rest of us however, will be less of a change in consumerism, but more a response to changes in products and what is being sold in the marketplace. We have already seen a number of “luxury” brands close shop in addition to some simply starting to offer alternative lower priced products as a reaction to dwindling credit lines. I think that the focus will be with brands providing purchasing propositions that make sense in the period, and consumers will continue to consume what they are offered. This may be a chicken or the egg scenario, as in “who is really driving the changes in the marketplace,” but in my opinion it is the manufacturer and producer and retailer.
A very insightful interview was featured in the Sunday CEO section of the Palm Springs newpaper earlier this month with Alexander Calderwood, the founder of Ace Hotels. We have covered Ace Hotels in the past due to their collaborations with Pendleton blankets, among other brands. The following is an excerpt:
“The future lobby of the Ace Hotel & Swim Club was filled with the sweet smell of sawdust, the squeal of power tools and a stuffed fox wearing pearls waiting to be placed in the diorama over the front desk.
The Good Humor ice cream truck out back will be sent away soon for some work. The engine will be replaced with an ice chest for beer; the sing-song music will be kept.
Construction workers tacked down a few more nails in what will become the star-gazing deck. It’s right next to an empty pit that eventually will be filled with aqua blue water and swimmers with oversized sunglasses.
With little more than two weeks until the new hotel opens, general manager Jonathan Heath can practically hear the bells of the tamale cart ding-ding-dinging in the distance.”
One of my favorite moments of the interview is when Calderwood describes his clients as, “cultural enthusiasts”… This is a refreshing way to look at the emerging creative/young generation.
Additionally, it is nice to see a legitimately both “American” and original hotel concept.
Berliner Joerg Koch had a mention in The Moment blog today. Since opening his O32C Museum Shop, based on the O32C magazine he publishes, Koch has been hosting suarees from time to time featuring drinks and dim sum. According to The Moment, “A collaboration between Berlin’s “It” publication and the French designer-artist Item Idem, the space was inaugurated during Berlin Fashion Week with a small reception for the sound stylist Michel Gaubert, and for the following three weekends played high-concept host to a series of get-togethers complete with custom vodka cocktails and fresh dim sum.
According to the 032c editor Joerg Koch, profit is not the motive. “We spent so much money on the decoration of the bar — the chairs, tables and the LV bags (part of Item Idem’s installation) that we knew we’d never regenerate that money from the drinks and the dim sum,” he said. “Normally you do a bar to make money, and we’re useless at that. Our emphasis was on fun, to get people together, to create a social energy not dominated by talk of the crisis, and if that meant spending money, so be it.”
Nevertheless, the bar was enough of a hit that Koch is extending its run through the end of February; after that it will become a monthly event, renamed the Societé de 032C.”
As if seeking to defy any hint of a retail slump, Giorgio Armani opened his latest retail outlet in NYC on Tuesday. The following is an excerpt from Armani’s stint as a guest-blogger on the NYT The Moment blog… It is great to see the social initiative and impressive that his organization is making despite the cutbacks in philanthropic spending…
“Mission accomplished! Last night I cut the ribbon to my new store alongside Mayor Bloomberg and Caroline Kennedy using a giant pair of scissors. The store was literally finished just minutes before we held the press conference at 5 p.m.: As the journalists came up the big staircase, all of the workers were going down and out with their ladders and buckets. I told you we’d make it in time! Though I’ve spent the last three days meeting with many American journalists, I wanted to organize a separate press conference prior to the store party to announce my $1 million donation to the Fund for Public Schools. I told the press, and I’ll tell you, how much New York means to me. The city has been a great support to me and my business throughout my career, so I thought, What better time than now to give something back?
I definitely scaled things down for this store opening, as compared with other store celebrations where we have done extravagant events and fashion shows in tandem with the opening. It just felt right to do something a bit more pared down and to funnel the extra money to charity.”
To read more, go to The Moment
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, beat expectations after its US discount stores accounted for about 50 per cent of all US retail growth during 2008 – while its full-year global sales passed $400bn for the first time, and profits hit $13.4bn.
Despite the recession and tumbling economy, Wal Mart (like McDonalds) is beating the odds…
From the IHT, Mike Duke, who took over as chief executive three weeks ago, said the fourth quarter and full-year results showed that Wal-Mart had gained “momentum” during the year in all of its markets, despite the tough economic environment.
“We are doing all the right things to continue our momentum and to widen the gap between the competition and us. We finished January strong, and February is off to a good start.”
The results again underlined the retailer’s ability to generate cash in a recession, and to use the money to invest in its business at a time when most of its rivals are cutting back. Reduced capital spending on new stores in the US last year, operational improvements and inventory management left the retailer with free cash flow of $11.6bn at the end of January, more than double the $5.7bn of a year ago.
The software giant, Microsoft, has finally tossed its hat into the retail ring. Whether this is a good or bad strategy in light of faltering sales, only time will tell…
“When Microsoft demoed its retail experience privately last month, reactions were predictably mixed: some thought it made sense, others found themselves sizing it up with the Apple Store. Microsoft has a strong brand to sell, with Windows on desktops, laptops, cells and smartphones, and the Xbox 360 is no slouch, either. Putting it all together in one store, controlling its presentation, and having a physical space to demo products to the public — such as the Surface or Sync — seems like a smart move. Though it’ll be interesting to see if the company wants to directly compete with stores such as Best Buy and Gamestop, who sell Microsoft products at retail.”
Apparently, the USA is not the only region with flailing retail numbers… Luxist reports, “The AP reports that the economic crisis and low oil prices are starting to make Moscow’s popular GUM shopping center on Red Square look a bit like a ghost town. Some boutiques are closing while others are doing the same thing that their U.S counterparts are doing, offering deep discounts to lure anyone who might still be shopping. Russia has been a tremendous growth area for many international brands over the past few years as Russians became accustomed to increased spending power. Now it seems that they’ve followed the rest of the world into shopping retreat. “
In October, Alla Verber, the MD of Mercury, the country’s biggest luxury goods group said that sales have fallen at the popular TsUM shopping center. Mercury’s stores sell many of the world’s top luxury brands, everything from Gucci to Maserati cars and Chopard jewelry through the TsUM department store and other luxury shops.
American billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. received quite a Valentine’s present this week. Buffet bought $250 million of Tiffany & Co. debt to help the ailing jewel. Tiffany & Co. is still the world’s second-largest retailer of luxury jewelry but like many retailers, especially those in the jewelry business, it took a deep hit recently. With a stock share price falling and low sales numbers, the Berkshire Hathaway purchase will provide much-needed safety during these times.
As a resource for retail as well as restaurant concepts, I was surprised and interested to see this post in men.style.com today. It is currently Fashion Week in NYC and Duckie Brown and McDonald’s have teamed up on a show together. According to the cards left on chairs at today’s show, Steven Cox spent many of his teenage hours toiling at the fast-food place in his native London. (Evidently, he still craves the cheeseburgers—click picture to read.)
New York streetwear brand and retailer will soon find a new temporary home in star-tailer, Dover Street Market. According to Hypebeast, “The incoming appearance of Supreme features yet another important team-up as just recently we saw the Nigo and Jun Takahashi-created NOWHERE brand also feature as a special retail space within the COMME des GARCONS-centric retailer. Stay tuned for more details this partnership as well as potential collaboration items.”
One of the leading innovators in both retail space and innovative collaborations has re-launched their online presence. Though costs in print marketing and events may be rising and becoming out of reach for many retailers, one could take a lesson from Opening Ceremony and see that an enhanced online presence is worth the investment. The new site has information about both NYC and LA location and is the first major ecommerce platform for exclusive products including their new partnership with Hello Kitty. OpeningCeremony.us.
Last night, Louis Vuitton famed Japanese artist and pop art hero, Takashi Murakami, unveiled some new work at the Gagosian Gallery in London. The Gagosians are a prolific art collecting family with 8 high profile galleries around the world.
This is in preparation for his upcoming show at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. According to Hypebeast, “the show featured three larger scale paintings including work from Murakami’s Time Bokan series and his trademark KaiKai and Kiki characters. Takashi even managed to showcased some live unofficial body painting segments.”
Any hotel designs on the horizon, Takashi?
As one of the most prolific living artists in the world, Damien Hirst has made a name for himself by producing extraordinarily expensive works of art. Not only is he the highest paid art figure in the world, but he has just defied all odds, in this 21st century ressesion, and gone and opened himself a new retail store in London, at 14 Hinde Street in the Marylebone district. Other Criteria, the U.K. artist’s publishing and merchandising company has opened up shop to sell works including some by Hirst himself ranging from his keyrings at 3.50 pounds to prints showing pills on mirror glass shelves, from an edition of 125, at 4,000 pounds each.
And now that the collapse has come, he has opened two stores selling Hirst-created knick knacks, from $5 key rings to prints at a cool $6,500. (Not cheap, but not as steep as usual: The original works pictured in the prints—shelves lined with handmade replicas of pills—have gone for as much as $19 million. In selling the $150 million skull, Hirst broke his own record, for most expensive piece made by a living artist.)
As Hirst told Bloomberg News: “Other Criteria makes objects and books created by artists to an exceptional standard,” said Hirst in an e-mailed statement. “I don’t think art has ever been as popular as it is today and Other Criteria aims to sell affordable art of the highest quality to everyone who wants it.”
Other Criteria
14 Hinde Street
London
W1U 3BG
Tel: 0207 935 5550
(courtesy slamxhype)
Fast Company’s innovation section featured this look into Sparch Architect’s concept for a Green mall that has actually gotten construction approval. Apparently, the idea of a green shopping mall isn’t an utter absurdity. Sparch Architects has just finished designing a million-square-foot shopping mall for Kuala Lampur, and their vision is maximally green, and maximally livable. The building is to be an anchor for an urban revival.
“
Conceived of as a massive hybrid space, that’s part public park, part shopping mall, and part urban promenade, the central space would be a partially uncovered atrium. To understand what’s clever about this design, you’ve got to back up and understand why your average city slicker has a problem with most malls.
First, they’re sealed off from surrounding neighborhoods, making foot traffic and leisure use an afterthought In other words, the ‘public’ space inside isn’t public at all. In most urban planning, that’s a massive problem, because it doesn’t allow for new buildings to build up a working, social fabric in a city—making for the desolate downtowns common throughout the US.
Second, the energy costs are often insane, because a mall is generally a cavernous, fully air-conditioned space. The designers in this project estimate that energy use will be cut by 30%, thanks to the outdoor spaces and the improved shading from green cover.”
From time to time, there is a product that is a surefire “hit” for retailers… In these days, when sales are low, this years issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue can spark a rise in any lagging sales… Featured below is Bar Rafaeli, this year’s cover model…
A personal favorite brand of mine, Dickies, has recently become partner in a new collaboration with Japanese streetwear brand, Soph. Though it may not be earth shattering retail industry news, I was compelled to see the dismal lack of forsight in this project with regard to the astronomical price ( I buy my Dickies at Wal-Mart for $17)… If anybody knows where to get these pants, feel free to make a comment…
SOPH. celebrate their 10th anniversary with a set of pants alongside legendary workwear connoisseurs Dickies. Coming in two colorways, the 874 model combines the use of Cottton Twill and Polyester. Along with custom detailing throughout, the pants were made with a unique low rise fit. Both versions are expected to see a release at all SOPHNET. dealers with a retail price tag of ¥25,200 (Approx. $279 USD).
Fast Company highlighted 15 Japanese products that they predict could make it big in the near future. For all of you shopowners, here is your chance to be adventurous.
Some of my favorites are the Satsuma Kiroko Glass, the Kawaguchi Pots, the Paulownia Dressar.
Click here to watch the whole slideshow.
Business Week had a timely article about businesses that can prosper during the recession. Among them are pawn and thrift stores…
The current economic picture is certainly a gloomy one, with massive layoffs, bankruptcies, the collapse of financial institutions, and a severe credit crunch. But the recession has also injected life into a slew of small businesses that are thriving either in spite of or because of the economic downturn, giving new relevance to the old adage that one man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity.
Among those businesses that are thriving are pawn shops and thrift stores, which have traditionally catered to those in tight financial straits and which have historically seen an uptick during economic slumps. They’re reporting higher volumes of business and even a broadening of their customer bases among those who have recently found themselves with greatly diminished stock portfolios or among the unemployed. “More people are trying resale than may have done before,” says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association for Resale & Thrift Shops, a trade association based in St. Clair Shores, Mich. “And once people shop resale they realize what value and quality they’re getting for the price. They become hooked, and this becomes their way of shopping.” Now, many thrift stores are finding that their inventories are running especially low: Business is booming, and goods for resale aren’t being replenished as fast or as easily.
It seems that the streets of Paris are no longer paved with paté and fromage. The latest craze according to the Economist is sandwiches!
French people ate 1.3 billion sandwiches last year, a rise of 50 million from 2007. The trend represents the changing tastes of the nation, which have drifted away from the traditional plat du jour at a brasserie to embrace more convenient and affordable alternatives.The proof? Bankruptcies of restaurants and cafes in France are up by a quarter, while new low-priced sandwich chains such as Dailymonop’ – which offers boutique sandwiches with fancy fillings like foie gras – and Goütu, with sandwiches for as little as one euro, have flourished. Sample one-euro sandwich: Pâté de foie with cornichons. Perfect for backpackers.
Underscoring the nation’s newest predilection in food, Paris will host the European Sandwich & Snack Show next month, where the 2009 Sandwich World Cup will draw sandwich chefs from around the world. It’s a rather haughty venue for a humble meal, but leave it to France to elevate the quotidian to an art form.
For all of the wine and liquor distributors and retailers, take note of the fantastic new (2006) Mouton Rotschild label by Lucien Freud (courtesy of the Luxist).
The latest artist to grace the famous label of Château Mouton-Rothschild will be Lucian Freud. Freud, who is the grandson of Sigmund Freud, is one of the most famous and most collectible of the modern artists (his picture Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold for over $33 million last year). Freud’s label for the 2006 vintage of Château Mouton-Rothschilld shows a playful image of a red-striped zebra and a potted palm tree that recalls one of his earliest works, The Painter’s Room from 1944. It is a far cry from the controversy-causing portraits which often show his famous and non-famous subjects with their lumps and bumps exposed. As is tradition, Freud will be compensated for his work with cases of the Mouton bearing his label. Picasso, Dali, Andy Warhol and even Prince Charles are among the artists who have designed for the label before. Check out the gallery below for some of the most famous labels.
Hypebeast reported about a great new collaboration between superstar retailer Opening Ceremony and Japanese stationary brand Postalco. Reportedly they are teaming up on a series of wallets and notebooks. Together the two look towards Japanese geometry as the basis for the collection’s design, something seen between the Edo period of 1603-1867. Traditionally the patterns were drawn on a “Sangaku” (wooden tablet) and hung underneath temple and shrine roofs as a tribute to gods and pertaining to mathematics. The collection will be available for sale at Opening Ceremony stores in Los Angeles and New York as well as the Postalco Kobayashi Shope in Japan.
Men.style.com has identified one of the more interesting Ikea collaborations as of late. It is nice to see designers across the board are embracing the cheap-chic trend however (notice the previous clients).
File under weird but compelling: the latest collaboration between Dutch designer Hella Jongerius and IKEA, a series of odd wall-hangings that take their inspiration from Swedish fairy tales—though you’d be forgiven for thinking that peyote had something to do with them, too. Jongerius has collaborated with IKEA before, putting out a line of vases in 2005 (as well as creating whimsical, often animal-inspired work for Vitra, Hermès, and porcelain firm Nymphenburg), but this is her first collaboration with the megabrand’s UNICEF program. (All the hangings are made individually by women in India in order to encourage the development of small businesses.) Perhaps better read-about than hung in your living room, but still: Goats for a good cause—can your chèvre say that?
The highly anticipated new Ace Hotel in New York hosted an open house last night and Men.Style.Com was on hand to take notes…
Among design-minded people, the anticipation surrounding NYC’s branch of the Ace Hotel—set to open next month—has been building for ages. And though it still has a way to go in terms of construction, the place hosted a small preview last night. (Well, on one of its seven floors, anyway.) We’re pleased to report that it lives up to the hype. As you might expect, the Roman and Williams interiors are an attractive (if subtle) variation on the charming, antiqued layouts of the Portland, Oregon, brand’s other locations. Here, you’ll find old-timey Smeg refrigerators, the occasional bunk bed, and (as we mentioned in a recent story) vintage record players and vinyl. (We didn’t spot any Number (N)ine/Pendleton blankets, but the plaid comforters are a nice alternative.) The rooms also feature special pieces from local artists—that’s Ryder Robison’s double buck pictured above.
As a longtime fan of Pendleton, I follow the development of the Ace Hotel brand because I am curious to see what new retail collaborations they will make as the brand evolves…
From London’s Urban Junkies…
It’s the toughest street on the block. It eats shops for breakfast, demolishes businesses for fun, and crushes hopes and dreams underfoot, leaving the select few who survive on top of the Soho Pile.
“Poland Street, also home of UJHQ (we have tamed the beast), has seen more new arrivals and departures than a half term at Heathrow. Newbie survivors so far include Kati Roll, home of handmade Indian savouries, The Chippy, a glossy black fish & chip bar, and the hair salon, Headmasters. Casualties include the Blink Gallery, which seems to be permanently ‘closed for rehanging’, the unceremoniously abandoned Polka Bar, and the cursed space next to Vasco & Pierro’s, which has in 6 months been a salad bar, a Russian charity shop, an empty shell, and a supermarket.
So next to take on the Poland Street beast is Cattle Grid – seemingly taking a leaf out of Bodean’s survival book, serving a variety of Cow and Pig dishes, from steaks to ribs with sides and sauces to spare. With a no nonsense set up and top-notch nosh, we’re feeling a fight coming on.”
Sounds pretty hardcore! If you have a street in your city that does its best to keep the indpt shopowner down, let us hear about it!
A new book about vintage storefronts in Brooklyn has recently been published… Racked has the information;
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS—Attention nostalgists: The Brooklyn Historical Society has extended its photo exhibit of old Brooklyn storefronts—it’s now running until March 22. The photographers have also released a book, Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York, with pictures of old-school shops in all five boroughs.
I am sure more than a few new shops will be inspired down the line by some of these gems.
For me, retail is any representation of a brand that sells directly to the product so by this definition I include real estate offices. And among real estate offices Sotheby’s is definitely one of the best. However, according to Luxist, they are not immune to the current recession… “In what is a sure sign that the luxury property market in Aspen, Colorado has finally hit rock bottom, Sotheby’s International Realty is closing its office there next week. “We are going out of business,” managing partner Mike Russo tells the Aspen Times. “We couldn’t scale back enough to survive.” Back in November my colleague Deidre Woollard reported that Aspen’s property market was in free fall. The dollar volume of real estate sales in Aspen plunged by a whopping 46 percent in 2008 versus 2007. Despite scaling back its operation, Sotheby’s Aspen lost $60 million worth of deals that were under contract to sell in October and November, which put the nail in the coffin. “We didn’t know it would decline to this level,” Russo says.”
Men.style.com recently spoke with the buyers/reponsables from some of the top mens stores in the US about their picks for the best products coming this Spring. Among the shops represented are BBlessing (NYC), Barneys, Bergdorf, Blackbird (Seattle), Jake (Chicago), Oak (NYC), Odin (NYC), Opening Ceremony (NYC), and South Willard (LA). Though I am definitely not a fan of many of the styles represented, it is interesting to see the overall trends towards subdued and muted clothes (with the exception of one bright pink suit).
Personal taste aside, retail needs to be daring like the above-mentioned examples in how confident they are in their buying skills. Time will tell how good they are.
Photog Todd Selby who can often be seen photographing cool people in cool places recently had a shoot with Sarah Lerfel from Colette (Paris). There are some nice shots of her with some new merchandise. (from Hypebeast)
Though it is nice to see a new retail channel and an attempt to innovate in these gloomy days, but not sure if Ritz Carlton has the right idea with this new program…
From Hotel Chatter…
In this economy, we know your need to swaddle yourself in a $125.00 robe and to sleep atop a $115.00 fitted sheet is stronger than ever (not). Lucky for you, Ritz-Carlton Hotels has launched an online shop that will allow you to buy ultra-expensive goods and Ritz-Carlton-branded accessories to recreate the Ritz experience in your very own comfy digs…for lots and lots of cash.
The Online Shops at the Ritz-Carlton feature an array of items that go beyond Ritz-Carlton-branded goodies: Lily Pulitzer, Malo Cashmere and Prada are also among the brands for sale in the online boutique. May we interest you in your very own Ritz-Carlton striped polo shirt for $95? Or perhaps a logo shotglass?
Seriously, we’re not sure who is throwing down the Benjamins to buy this stuff right now, but we’d like to make it clear that we would consider dating him or her.
New experiential branding from Lufthansa… (from the moment blog)
Most American airport lounges are about as welcoming as the lobby of a La Quinta Inn. Which is why Lufthansa’s new $10 million lounge at Kennedy Airport’s Terminal 1 is pretty interesting news. Bringing a taste of its specTACular Frankfurt lounge stateside, the triple-decker glass-walled space has three buffets, showers, a bar with actual bartenders and wi-fi everywhere. And it’s just one in a huge rollout of lounges happening over the next several months from Washington Dulles to Bombay. At a time when most carriers are cutting back, this is also a bit of encouraging news for the dismal business of aviation. (Of course, airlines never mind spending on the premium classes — they know which side their bread is buttered on.) And sure, not a lot of people are flying first right now, but before anyone starts hating on the forward cabins, keep in mind that you can get into the new lounge if you’re a Frequent Traveler (35,000 miles a year) on any Star Alliance carrier.
From Hypebeast: “Having already confirmed the following guest designers for their Designer Invitation Campaign: Opening Ceremony & Steven Alan (March), Shipley&Halmos (April), and Gilded Age (May) for 2009, Japanese retailer Uniqlo previews a selection of looks into each invited brand’s capsule collections for Uniqlo’s Spring/Summer season.”
Brand extensions are becoming more and more popular in the context of the increasing “edu-tainment” trend. Brands are doing their best to combine a fun and informative experience and they are doing this on their home territory more often than not. Take the Heineken Experience recently covered by men.style.com. “Giggly spring-breaking aside, there are umpteen good reasons to visit Amsterdam: The rolling canals, the endless Van Goghs, and, our favorite (sorry, Vinnie), the Heineken Brewery. (The space, a former active brewery, no longer produces the beer commercially.) The Cool Hunter pays a visit to the revamped (and renamed) location, dubbed the New Heineken Experience, a multilevel fun house best thought of as the Universal Studios Tour of boozing. There, you’ll get a special-effects-driven journey through the entire beer-making process, including stops at bottle-green lounges and gleaming-brass brewing tanks. But for those whose next expedition to the Netherlands is not forthcoming, click over to see what you’re missing.”
See also: Porsche Museum, BMW Welt
In September I mentioned and posted some images of the BMW Welt in Munich. More recently, Porsche has opened a musuem of their own…
Buying a Porsche might be especially out of reach these days, so it’s a stroke of luck that the company is opening its first museum this weekend. Designed by the Viennese firm Delugan Meissl, the structure has the badass look of a killer grille, and houses a suitable collection of the brand’s finest cars—everything from the first 356 to a Porsche-powered McLaren. (There’s room for play, too: Most museums these days can boast a café and restaurant, but how many also offer a cigar lounge?) Only thing is, if now’s hardly the time to buy one of these beauties, it’s probably not the time for a quick weekend in Stuttgart, either. Fortunately, a large selection of photos and renderings are available online for a virtual tour—exhaust fumes (not to mention cigar smoke) not included. Check Autoblog for a full slideshow.
(story via men.style.com)
Blurring the lines between business and pleasure (the ubiquitous “bleasure”) and the increasingly overused “culturetainment” (integrating a culturally significant element into traditionally mindless activity) have been among the primary goals of brands in recent times in attempts to differentiate themselves from the self-serving money machines of industry; it is their way to appear to have consumers´ best interests at heart. That being said, examples of culturetainment like both the BMW Welt and the Porsche Museum really do excellent jobs at offering added value to a retail experience. Seeing the history, technology, and passion behind these products goes a long way, and can actually teach devotees a thing or two.
This year’s Michelin Guide for the UK was just released, or really leaked, highlighting four new 2-star restaurants, twenty-six new 1-star restaurants, and a list of four ‘Rising Stars’. The coveted 3-stars were only bestowed upon past recipients including Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal’s ‘The Fat Duck‘, and Michel Roux’s ‘The Waterside Inn‘.
Two-Michelin Stars were newly awarded to:
Newly promoted Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester was tipped for third star status on the 2009 list of ‘Rising Stars’ which also includes three restaurants tipped for their second star status: Tom Aikens, The Ledbury, and Nathan Outlaw. Pubs, family-run establishments, country hotels and trendy London restaurants awarded Michelin stars denotes the exceptional variety and quality of UK cuisine among the culinary world.
[via Luxist]
One of the premier concept shops in the world, 10 Corso Como (Milan) recently released their collaborative effort with Comme des Garcons. The shirt is a little bright and colorful for my taste, but a cool project nonetheless.
We like to keep up with the products and stores that are featured on Retail Refugees. As such, Berlin native Mykita glasses was recently mentioned as one of Alex Kapranos´ 10 Essentials on men.style. com. Alex is the lead singer of band Franz Ferdinand, who happens to be releasing a new album now entitled Tonight. If you recall, we described the handmade aspects and quality/time that goes into making these cool frames.
See below…
The Wall Street Journal published a story discussing the effect that the recession is having across the luxury spectrum and the results may be surprising.
The outlook for high-end labels, it turns out, depends on where in the luxury hierarchy they are located. Retailers took a holiday beating in December, and consulting firm Bain & Co. expects demand for luxury goods this year to fall by 3% to 7% overall. But at the market’s upper-most crust — which Bain defines as 70 brands including Loro Piana and Harry Winston, as well as Hermès, Van Cleef and Brioni — sales for 2009 are expected to hold steady or grow moderately, following growth in 2008 of 8%, says Bain partner Claudia D’Arpizio. Very wealthy people may not be buying as much as they used to, but they aren’t reducing their standard of living, she says.
Bain does expect sales declines in the luxury market’s lower echelons — in the segments it defines as “aspirational,” with brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton targeting upper middle class consumers with handbags priced from $700 to $2,000; and “accessible,” with brands like Coach targeting a broader swath with handbags priced from about $300 to $600. Together, the two segments accounted for about three-quarters of luxury spending in 2008, according to Bain.
But at the high end of luxury, sales are expected to remain relatively firm. Deutsche Bank analyst Warwick Okines is still forecasting a 2.2% rise in 2009 sales for Hermès International but a 0.3% dip at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. He recently reduced his earnings expectations for each company.
While middle-income consumers have cut spending because of their income, “that’s not the case with the wealthy,” says Carl Steidtmann, chief economist at Deloitte LLP. The wealthy are “constrained by guilt, and that’s the hurdle high-end brands have to overcome.” The luxury advertising message is more important than ever, he adds.
Below is a Loro Piana cashmere lined fur blanket. If you have to ask…
In keeping with today´s theme of distinctive products (message being, distinctive products lead to distinctive retail), I am introducing one of the most beautiful cameras to debut in recent years. The new Leica M8 Safari Edition (unfortunately carries a $10,000 price tag) is described by Luxist as coming, “bundled with a 28mm F2.8 Summicron lens and a matching canvas and leather camera bag. The 10.3-million-pixel M8.2 is an updated version of the original M8, the firm’s first digital rangefinder camera, the prototype for which was auctioned off last summer. The Safari model features a matte green vulcanite finish body combined with brushed silver accents and a saddle leather strap.”
With a favorite store of mine in Berlin carrying the infamous and rare Mister Freedom line (Burg & Schild), I was surprised to see that the Hollywood based brand had recently capped a collaboration with J. Crew to produce a limited number of their deck jacket. This is a great direction for J. Crew following their entry into concept retail (their Liquor Store in NYC). Details from men.style.com are as follows.
J.Crew has devoted itself in recent seasons to the atmospheric—the Liquor Store is equal parts stage set and retail space—so when the brand set its sights on creating a military jacket, no surprise that it went for broke on the details. Made in collaboration with the Hollywood-based vintage hound, designer, and retailer Mister Freedom, the Crew’s limited-edition (only seven made) deck jacket obsessively reimagines forties naval garb, boasting enough period details to satisfy even the most meticulous armchair ensign.
US fast-food giant McDonald’s said Monday its 2008 net profit soared 80 percent from a year, lifted by growing demand from consumers seeking low-cost meals in a deepening global recession.Net profit for the full year totaled 4.3 billion dollars, compared with 2.3 billion in 2007, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said in a statement.
Excluding exceptional items, earnings per share were 3.76 dollars, widely exceeding consensus market forecasts of 3.63 dollars.
The robust annual results came despite a sharp 23 percent decline in fourth-quarter net profit to 985 million dollars, from 1.273 billion in the 2007 fourth quarter. Fourth-quarter earnings per share were 87 cents, above expectations of 83 cents.
“Through our strategic focus on menu choice, food quality and value, the average number of customers served per day increased to more than 58 million in 2008.”
The global fast-food giant said it saw growth in comparable sales and customer counts across all segment for ever quarter, and double-digit growth in operating income for the final quarter and the year.
Cost-focused companies such as McDonald’s and budget retailers generally have weathered the global financial crisis better than others as consumers seek ways to stretch their dollars.
