Target has spent the past few years building giant SuperTargets which sell everything from clothing to electronics to groceries. But the second largest discount retailer is trying another kind of experiment: smaller Target stores opening in urban environments. The stores are smaller because space is at such a premium in urban areas.
The company is researching the option, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregg Steinhafel said yesterday in an interview at Target's Minneapolis headquarters, adding that the retailer has no definitive plans or sites for such stores.
"We know that consumers in dense urban areas love Target," Steinhafel said. "We have to work harder at trying to get a smaller Target in those areas."
Target plans to open more U.S. stores in metropolitan areas as well as remodel existing locations to add groceries and encourage more frequent visits. On its earnings call yesterday, the company said it's planning for a "modest" decrease in fourth-quarter sales at stores open at least a year as shoppers continue to pare discretionary spending.
Tests at Target's Atlantic Terminal store in Brooklyn and two or three other urban sites may help the retailer prepare for smaller formats, Steinhafel said. At those locations, Target pruned the number of items available by as much as 25 percent by cutting certain sizes and colors of products to ensure the stores are well-stocked, he said. Target’s general merchandise stores average 128,000 square feet.
The recession has really thrown retailers for a loop, even the the big discount chains such as Wal-Mart and Target. They are both experimenting with different formats and store types to see what works in this daunting retail environment.
A crowd had been expected for the launch of the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection on November 14th and that's exactly what happened. Eager shoppers waited outside an H&M store in London in the rain for the debut of the collection. Take a look:
Jimmy Choo co-founder and president Tamara Mellon offers a tour of the new Jimmy Choo for H&M collection here.
DJ AM's impressive sneaker collection is being auctioned on eBay to raise money for the DJ AM Memorial Fund. The Fund maintains the legacy of Adam Goldstein and his commitment to helping others struggling with addiction. Contributions will help organizations and projects committed to addressing issues of addiction and recovery. 100% of the proceeds of the sales from the auctions will go to the fund.
The auction begins today at 4:30 pm PST on Sunday, November 15th. You can find the auction listings on Ebay here. You can watch a video about DJ AM's sneaker collection below.
The New York Times reports that shoe sales are brisk. In the last three months women are buying more shoes. But experts are conflicted over why women who are cutting back on purchases across the board are still buying shoes.
Retailing executives and analysts offer varying, occasionally wacky, explanations. The one favored by many of them is that consumers consider shoes more of a necessity than, say, dresses, cuff links or handbags, so people feel less guilt about buying them.
"I would argue you wear out shoes more than you wear out handbags," said Marie Driscoll, an analyst with Standard & Poor's Equity Research who is adept at rationalizing her own shoe purchases. Living in New York, she walks everywhere. "I use the argument, 'If I spend $150 to $300 on shoes, this is my car.'"
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Among the more curious explanations proffered for the relative strength of shoe sales is that women -- who make up the lion's share of the American shoe market -- get an emotional lift from shoe shopping in a way they do not when trying on jeans and cocktail dresses.
"Shoes democratize fashion," said Kathryn Finney, who writes the Budget Fashionista blog. "You probably can't buy a Zac Posen dress if you wear a size 14, but you can buy a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes."
Or, as Jennifer Black, president of research company Jennifer Black and Associates, put it: "It's just fun to shop for shoes. Maybe part of the fun is you don't feel fat. And you don't get hot. It's exhausting trying clothes on, especially the skinny jeans."
We think Jennifer Black has nailed it. It is no fun to shop for swimsuits or skinny jeans, no matter how thin you are. It's an annoying, lengthy, hot process. But shoe shopping is different. You sit in a chair while the salesperson brings you ice water (or champagne if you're at a really nice store). They bring you piles and piles of shoes to try one and don't rush you. You don't even have to leave your chair to sign your credit card receipt.
Which reminds us, Nordstrom's is having a huge shoe sale right now and we really must dash.
Vans is introducing a new style of shoe for girls called the Sophie. This Early look at Sohie options includes black and white styles and a light blue shoe. Van's Sophies will hit stores early next year.
Crocs reported in a routine SEC filing that it had received
a nasty letter from Porsche's attorneys demanding that Crocs stop selling its Cayman brand of plastic clogs. Porsche says that it violates its trademark which seems highly unlikely.
[I]n the 10-Q that footnoted frequent flyer Crocs (CROX) filed last week, there was an interesting new disclosure about Porsche, the German car-maker, suing Crocs, the Colorado-based shoe manufacturer over the use of the name Cayman. Here's the snip from the filing:
On May 11, 2009, Crocs Europe B.V. received a letter from Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG ("Porsche") claiming that the Company's use of the "Cayman" shoe model designator infringes upon their Community Trademark Registration of the mark "CAYMAN" in class 25. Porsche is requesting that Crocs Europe B.V. immediately cease and desist use of the Cayman mark and pay Porsche's attorney's fees in conjunction with the issuance of the notice letter. On July 30, 2009 the Company was served with notice of an injunction against Crocs Europe BV's use of the Cayman mark in Germany.
It's interesting that Porsche hasn't filed a similar claim in the U.S. It seems highly unlikely that Porsche trademarked the word Cayman in connection with shoes. It is also most unlikely that customers would be confused between a $50,000 Porsche and some $30 plastic clogs, so there goes that trade dress claim.
Nike's Jordan Brand has unveiled the 25th anniversary Air Jordan 2010 shoe. Jordan Brand created the Air Jordan 2010 to pay respect to the Michael Jordan's legacy of in basketball while also passing on the tourch to the talented Team Jordan athletes, such as Dwyane Wade, who will be the first to debut the Air Jordan 2010 shoes.
"The celebration of the Air Jordan 2010and our 25th anniversary are the pinnacle of a year full of milestones for me," said Michael Jordan. "With each shoe, consumers have pushed me to take the next AIR JORDAN beyond their wildest imagination. The Air Jordan 2010 marks the future of Jordan Brand and proves there are no limits to what this Brand is capable of creating."
The AIR JORDAN 2010 goes on sale on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at a suggested retail price of $170. More information can be found on the Jumpman23.com website.
Christian Louboutin's Glitters Pumps have arrived in stores, just in time for holiday parties. The sky high 4 7/10" heels are among several new Louboutin arrivals at Neiman Marcus. The shoes are available in fuchsia or nude with allover tonal glitter and feature Louboutin's signature red sole. Christian recently admitted in an interview that comfort is not a priority for him. It's all about the style.
The pumps can be purchased here from Neiman Marcus for $595.00.
Gianvito Rossi has a new line of shoes coming out in Spring 2010. Gianvito told Vogue that he wanted to make a shoe with few ornamental effects. He says, "My idea has been to make shoes with as few ornamental effects as possible. It's also about bringing the shoe back as an accessory—and not as an object that takes all the attention."
You can see more pictures of the collection here on Style.com.
Beatrix Ong has designed a pair of customized Nike Blazer shoes. The shoes contain a Phoenix that appeas to rise from the shoes. Ellesays actor Jude Law has been wearing the customized Nikes. Elle also says Beatrix Ong is launching an e-commerce site that will sell the customized Nikes as well as Beatrix Ong's other products.
Marie Claire UK reports that Victoria Beckham plans to expand into handbags and shoes after finding success with her dresses.
Posh is though to be fed up of being a 'walking advert' for other designers, who benefit from increased sales whenever she is pictured with one of their pieces.
A close friend of the stylista told the sun: 'Victoria is fed up of promoting other brands. If she wears Hermes or Christian Louboutin, people go and buy it.
'She thought, 'why can't I do this with my own line?'' the insider continued. 'Her current collection has gone down a storm across the celebrity world. If this is repeated with her line of shoes, the range would be worth an absolute fortune.'
It is true that the fashion and gossip blogs and tabloids report on what kind of handbag Posh is carrying and what designer brand of shoes she is wearing. This does generate publicity for the designers. No time frame has been reported for the planned launch of Posh's handbags or shoes.
Remember the wild hoof shoes that the models wore in the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010 show? Well, the editors at Vogue UK got a pair and were shocked at a) how tall they really were and b) how impossible they were to walk in. The editors whipped out their digital cameras and documented the experience of trying to even stand up in the Armadillo shoes, as they dubbed them.
First off, the shoes are actually 12" high. The editor who tried them on only made it as far as the Vogue fashion closet before giving up, totally defeated. We're thinking that they must have auditioned all the models for that show and quite a few probably couldn't walk in the heels. And, amazingly, no one broke an ankle.
If you still haven't seen the absolutely amazing show, you can see the whole thing
here.
Adidas Originals is releasing these special edition metallic gold and purple shoes to commemorate the Lakers championship win. The number 15 on the shoes indicates the Lakers 15th NBA championship. The shoes will be available on November 1st at shopadidas.com, NBA Store and other adidas and Lakers stores. You can see more photos of the Lakers sneakers here and here.
Christian Louboutin created a Cinderalla-like glass slipper for champagne maker Piper-Heidsieck. The Wall Street Journal says one of the glass slippers is packaged in a new $500 Le Rituel gift set with a bottle of champagne. The gift set is being sold at le-rituel.com and in select Neiman Marcus stores.
Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA superstar Micheal Jordan, is a freshman at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He is on the school's basketball team. He wants to wear the Jordan line of Nike shoes like his father and said he was promised when he was recruited that this wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, it is a huge problem. The Orlando Sentinelreports that UCF has a $3 million exclusive shoe deal with Adidas and they don't want Marcus Jordan wearing Nike sneakers.
The problem? UCF has an exclusive $3 million, six-year contract with adidas that requires all coaches and athletes to use the company's shoes, apparel and game equipment.
And now UCF and adidas are at an impasse, leaving an 18-year-old freshman with a famous father caught in the middle.
"When I was being recruited, we talked about it," Marcus Jordan said. "They said they had talked to the adidas people, and it wasn't going to be a problem. I think everybody understands how big of a deal it is for my family."
The deal has strained the relationship between UCF and one of its most important business partners, complicating current contract-renewal negotiations. The university's agreement with the company expires in 2010.
It is interesting that there are multimillion dollar deals going on at colleges around the country that have athletes wearing specific clothing brands. A lot of people may not be aware of this. It's hard to say the young Jordan is not right but if he doesn't have a contract that guarantees he can wear Air Jordan shoes then he is probably out of luck. The school shouldn't let its recruiters promise things they can't deliver.
Crocs reported in a routine SEC filing that it had 
Remember the wild hoof shoes that the models wore in the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010 show? Well, the editors at Vogue UK got a pair and were shocked at a) how tall they really were and b) how impossible they were to walk in. The editors whipped out their digital cameras and 
Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA superstar Micheal Jordan, is a freshman at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He is on the school's basketball team. He wants to wear the Jordan line of Nike shoes like his father and said he was promised when he was recruited that this wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, it is a huge problem. The Orlando Sentinel 
