Be Naughty (kids) this Christmas ?

Cotton On, Broadway.  Fairly predictable that this retailer would be pushing the envelope on 'kids with attitude' - 'be naughty this Christmas' (bottom right).  I wonder how they are travelling in terms of sales ?  I guess it could have been worse - based on  past performance they might have had a Christmas t-shirt that said 'Be my Christmas Bitch' or something ....

Whoa Santa!

Broadway mall.  A bit more than the usual Santa display, although I thought the gold tinsel looked a bit tacky and lacked imagination.

Christmas 2009: Frugality vs Abundance

L'Occitane, Broadway.  Bold execution - but is the concept right ?  In my view, for many consumers there is a conflict between the concept of abundance (cornucopia) and  the frugality of  Christmas in 2009.  What do YOU think ?

The Coral Queen

Forever New, Broadway.  An outstanding depiction of the season's current coral trend.  Very cool, very stylish.

Nandos has the Sauce

Nandos, Broadway.  an innovative use of sauce bottles (presumably used and cleaned) - adds a touch of attitude, as we've come to expect of this brand.

How Green is Your Shopping Bag ?

Broadway mall, top floor, Sunday afternoon.  I was interested to see how many shoppers were (not) carrying eco-friendly shopping bags.  The micro survey was a 3- minute video clip at a quietly busy part of the mall.  Here's the answer: 16 shopping bags were observed being carried, of these only 2 were eco-friendly bags (12%).  The site was chosen at random, influenced only by the proximity of good coffee nearby :).  The result was surprisingly low, given the Glebe market profile. Having said that, most carried bags from well known fashion retailers (Sportsgirl, Just Jeans, Forever New - the latter just in picture)

Target's Down at Heel Christmas

Target, Broadway.  You have to be impressed with Target's attention to detail, with this decal on the floor of their store.  Not everyone will notice it (as per any medium), but given the low cost it doesn't take many to be reminded for this to pay off.  As it was, I was coming from the opposite direction.  

 

Kids on a Harley ?

Gumboots, Broadway.  New upscale kidswear store with attitude.

All in the OxFam

Oxfam, Broadway.  On Sunday, this store was by far the busiest, as measured by shoppers per square metre.   Could well have been due to the type of customers attracted to the Glebe Street Fair.  Good to see.

T - for Tired

Telstra T-Shop, Broadway.  Looking very tired and corporate - retail should be fun !

Who Blew Up Santa ?

Broadway.  That time of the year I guess :)  Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere...

Trying, very trying

Target, Broadway.  This sends mixed messages - in the end it becomes too hard for the customer when there are no testers available. You can't sell fragrance without testing.  Very trying.

Faceless

Harrisons Pharmacy, Broadway.  This either suggests out of stocks (OOS) - or the display unit is too large. Probably a vendor replenishment issue.  Either way,  not ideal.  (The product is face masks by the way).  Previously featured, this is what it should look like: link here

Tree of Life loses a branch

Tree of Life, Broadway.  Not a good look on a Sunday - one of the busiest shopping days.

Is Charity for Sale ?

Oxfam, Broadway.  Oxfam have been running a sale with 'over 1500 lines to clear'.  Now for the typical size of their store, 1500 lines is a lot. For a 'for-profit' retailer this is just the pain you take for having  mis-read demand - either in terms of volumes, or preferences.  It is a truism of retail that you need to move slow-moving stock (SLOBS - slow obsolescent lines)  to free up cashflow to replace it with stuff that shoppers DO want.  

However, this raises some interesting questions about how a Not For Profit (NFP) entity operates in the retail space.  Let me say that I have no idea how Oxfam have structured their retail operation, and that I applaud the way in which they been able to distribute product from suppliers who would normally not have had access to the retail channel.

Ok, so caveats aside, here are some of the questions:

1. Is the retail entity expected to do more than simply break-even ? Who pays the cost of capital ?

2. Who carries the pain for markdowns ?  presumably suppliers have been paid a fixed price ?

3. Does the scale of these markdowns suggest a broader problem with this type of business model ? In other words are shoppers only prepared to do so much 'ethical' purchasing ?

4. How aggressive should they be with the markdowns before it impacts on the perceived quality of their offering ? Do they then negotiate tougher trading terms with their suppliers (as most retailers would) ?

5. As a donor to Oxfam, would you be comfortable with the idea that your dollars might (I say this advisedly) be cross-subsidising their retail activity ? I would guess most donors would not. So, if not, what is the situation ?

6. As a donor to Oxfam, would you buy some of the 'distressed' merchandise ? Or would that make you feel slightly guilty ?

7. As a shopper, you can probably find similar 'ethnic' merchandise in other stores ? Does this influence your perception of price and value ?

I would be most interested to hear some perspectives, including from Oxfam.

Shoes come in Threes

Nine West, Broadway.  Here's an odd fact.  Have you ever noticed how many shoe styles are displayed in threes ?  It seems counter-intuitive, but the human eye seeks out symmetry.  Three styles look better than two styles and better than four styles.   If you observe carefully, you will see the leading footwear retailers, especially in ladies footwear merchandise like this for key lines, although not for every line - that would be too monotonous for the eye.  Interesting isn't it, and there we thought shoes always came in pairs :)

A Flock of Tutus

Cotton On Kids, Broadway.  This retailer normally appears on this site because of ambiguous and potentially misleading pricing.  So it is good to find something positive to say.  I thought the presentation of these tutus and shoes, was simple but eyecatching.  Mums and Dads with little girls on their way to the Target store down the way would not be able to walk past without a look.  Great product placement - and not a Sale sign in sight.

When shoe retailers stumble

Wittners, Broadway.  This retailer generally runs a very tidy operation with high visual merchandising standards.  So, it was a bit surprising to see this promotional rack display.  My issue is not that there is a promotional display - that is fine, but that it is not in keeping with the rest of the store. It looks like an afterthought, whereas a promotional unit is used so often in retail and occupies such a strategic spot at the front of the store, it should be carefully considered and designed. It should be smaller and carrying less stock.   Sometimes even the best retailers chase sales at all costs.

The Humble Pricetag

Tarocash, Broadway. It is amazing how  seldom you see retailers presenting their pricing so that it is clear and unambiguous.  Top marks to Tarocash for doing the simple things right.  By the way I thought the shirt was over-priced and not so humble :P.

Boyz Toyz

AllPhones, Broadway.  Here's something you don't see often - a telecomms retailer dressing up a window.  In this case it was to profile a new Sony Ericsson phone.  I thought it was quite ...eh .. evocative :)