TattleTale

Marketing, Media, Merchadising: Having worked in Marketing for many major Canadian Retailers I have stories to tell and insights to share. And I'd like to use my Powers for Good.

[tattletale2020]

The Year According to Retail: June

Father’s Day. Bring out the BBQ’s, Golf Clubs, and AfterShave. Go Dad!

Which is actually quite amusing now that I look at this, considering my Father and many others I’m sure neither BBQ’d, Golfed, or wore AfterShave. Nor was he convinced to do so by the force of retail.

Dad’s take on BBQing: Who’s cooking the dog?

Dad’s take on Golfing: Left-Handed when he was younger, but he just couldn’t take it seriously.

Dad’s take on AfterShave: Who killed the Avon Lady?

He did Shave. Always. And he liked to go for walks and drives and play catch. He watched Hockey and Basketball religiously. But his favourite pastime was just doing stuff with us and when we were older, coming to visit us and our kids. Golden.

When I first started freelancing in Menswear he taught me the sassy, yet perfect half Windsor knot that I still use today. As he was left-handed and I was right-handed I could just watch and learn. To this day, I can tie a perfect knot on anyone. And I have been known to re-do the ties of many a guy at Weddings and Christmas Parties. But I have yet to master tying one on myself. It’s backwards.

Anyhoo, from that time on I spent every end of May and Early June setting up windows for the World’s Greatest Dad. But it wasn’t until I started working in DepartmentStoreLand that I really felt the full force of the occasion.

Duh-da-da-da!

King for a Day.

OMG. Imagine: 5 ft. across neon green sparkly Crowns. Not just a flat like a banner or sign, but Huge, 3D, and Styrofoam. And more than just one. Hanging above every display of BBQ’s, Bathrobes, and Golf Clubs. Plus the Fragrance and Tie Department. Oh the Glare!

At the Bay in the early 90’s the male mannequins, usually Rootsteins or Grenekers were extremely heavy and required wigs. Molded Hair was so 3 decades ago and at least a decade to come. Men’s wigs were very hard to come by and they tended to look like either Elvis or Hockey Hair. Leaving them Bald was not yet a thing either.

Scary, Happy Dad:

Stern, Serious Dad:

Startled and Confused Dad:

Panicked, Your Mother's Going to Kill Me Dad:

So Fedoras or Baseball Hats it is.

And which would you wear with a Father's Day Bathrobe? With a roll of double sided tape you can actually make a wrapped towel turban work on their cute little cue ball heads. But then they look like Carmen Miranda. Hmmmmm. Ok back to Elvis and Hockey Hair.

And truthfully, isn’t that what every Dad aspires to be anyway. A Rockstar or a Hockey Player.

No worries, Dad. You’ll always be The King to me.

If you're one of the lucky individuals that remembers the massive Father's Day crowns of which I speak or survived hanging them at the Bay in Downtown Winnipeg, feel free to comment and take credit. Also, if you have any fond remembrances of DepartmentStoreLand or scary stories about the selection of male mannequins and their coifs, we'd love to hear from you!

Images:

http://www.hickerphoto.com/picture/elvis-lookalike-mannequin-12821.htm

https://www.courier-journal.com/picture-gallery/news/local/indiana/2014/09/17/gallery-l-elvis-impersonator-clothing-store/15769093/

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/309833649364056170/

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/544865254898317245/

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1650279083.html

https://www.facebook.com/Hetetalagepoppenhuis/posts/new-john-nissen-male-mannequinxavier-eyelight-collectionwwwhetetalagepoppenhuisn/2790553257622059/

[tattletale2020]

The Year According to Retail: May

Mother May I?

Mother’s Day. Bring on the Fragrance and Floral Prints sprinkled with Chocolate. Mmmm. Chocolate.

I always felt my Mother got short-changed as her Birthday and Mother’s Day often fell in and around the same day. We called it Mother’s Birthday.

But then, when I had my son on her 50th Birthday, I figured that was a good enough present for past and future. Or was it? Now, she had to share her Birthday as well.

Ah, it’s hard to keep the Spotlight when you’re a Maam. Mam Maaaaam. Mama. Mam!

But it’s OK. In the Land of Retail, May is totally Mom-centric. To be truthful, all this really starts in April and has to be done before May 1st, or sooner on a year like this one. But that’s just the wacky world of retail. And then once it’s done, we bring out the BBQ’s, Golf Clubs, and AfterShave. Go Dad!

I spent most of my early career in Menswear, so first my taste of the Massiveness of Mother’s Day was at the Bay in Downtown Winnipeg. I was amazed at the sheer volume of decorative potpourri bustforms, flower arrangements, cabbage rose printed fabric tablecloths and backdrops. And the Signage.

The newly renovated Main Floor with its 20+ foot ceilings, huge faux marble columns and marble floors had plenty of airspace to hang banner after cabbage rose printed banner.

And the only way to reach those 20+ foot ceilings was with a creaky old swaying scissor lift. Unless you wanted to stand on the top of a 10 foot ladder with a 10 foot wire hook and also swaying, fish upwards until hook caught the eyebolt in the ceiling. Twice. Then go back down the ladder and grab the hefty 8’ x 4’ banner and hook it on both swaying hooks. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Did I mention the swaying.

Now, I’d never been afraid of heights and was used to running up a ladder with a bustform in each hand. OK briefly, after my son was born and my mortality was suddenly more important as a mother, I got a twinge or two on ladders. But it passed as he grew.

But, one Saturday morning at the Bay changed everything. I was doing the usual, hanging signs with a 10 foot wire hook, 10 feet in the air. I couldn’t use the scissor lift because I was alone and had no one to push me from place to place. Very alone. It was 8:30 in the morning and only the cleaners were around. You do what you have to do.

Until the rung you’re standing on gives way and you fall.

Did I mention the marble floors a full storey below? The twins were a few months old and I’d (we’d? I was a walking crowd at the time) already survived being electrocuted while I was pregnant with them. Also at the top of a 10 foot ladder. All that flashed into my mind was the thought that I was nursing and therefor, their only source of food. No Dying Allowed.

But again, soooo lucky. I fell straight down to the next rung which held my weight. I was super scrawny from feeding two large babies and I hadn’t even dropped the 10 foot wire hook. Palms sweating, and breath coming in short gasps, I was able to climb down the ladder before I started shaking uncontrollably.

I'm not really sure how, but I remember carrying the ladder to the back and putting a ‘Broken. Do Not Use’ note on it. Then I went up to the Paddle Boat Restaurant and chain smoked for half an hour. I had to build up the courage to find another ladder and finish signing the rest of the main floor plus 5 more floors. And I did.

So when Mother’s Day came around, I could not bring myself to climb that swaying deathtrap scissor lift to hang the cabbage rose banners. That was the first time I ever refused to do something in the course of my career. I was fine with being fired.

After all, I was a Mother. And I had kids at home that needed me. Maaaaam. Mam. Mama. Mamamamamam. Mam!

If you're one of the Prairie Flowers that survived Mother's Day at the Bay in Downtown Winnipeg, feel free to comment and take credit. Also, if you have any fond remembrances of DepartmentStoreLand or war stories about being a Working Mom, we'd love to hear from you!

Images:

https://bonanzamarketplace.com/products/5d-diamond-painting-cabbage-rose-bouquet-kit

https://line.17qq.com/articles/whkpfsy.html

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-3822656

http://www.sovintagelinensnlace.com/item_673/LUSH-Pink-Roses-AMERICAN-BEAUTY-Paul-Longpre-Royal-Albert-English-Bone-China-Small-Serving-Dish-Romantic-Cottage-Brocante-Decor-Tea-Table-Bridal-ShowersWeddingsHostess-Gift.htm

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/sister-parishs-former-fifth-avenue-maisonette-goes-on-the-market

https://graywalkerinteriors.com/design-legend-series-part-four-sister-parish/

[tattletale2020]

The 6 Senses Part 6: the Corollary

Even More Feels

I seem to be into Corollaries these days. Maybe it’s because it’s so fun to say and sounds smarter than ‘added afterthought.’ Corollary. Oooo! Say it again. Corollary. Or maybe it’s because I loved Logic Class and used to Tutor it in University. I also like to say Argumentum ad Hominem and Obfuscation.

But we’re here to talk about Feelings. Nothing more than Feelings.

And if you’re wondering…what the heck is she on about now? Here’s link to last week’s article on What you Want Customers to Feel when they Walk in your Store.

So, last week was all about the Bionic Woman and this week we’re going to take our cue from the Queen of Soul.

Has anyone been watching Genius: Aretha on, of all places, National Geographic? It’s amazing. I must have been a gospel singer in a previous life because the story and the music give me goosebumps and bring tears to my eyes. And if you haven’t yet experienced Cynthia Erivo, do it now. Go. Saw her first in Bad Times at the El Royale and was blown away. First by her lack of feeling and then when she let loose.

Back to Aretha. I kept waiting for the big moment in the show when she conceived of and performed Respect. But it was conspicuous in its absence. They refer to it much later, but you never hear it and the timeline passes on. Perhaps they did this because it’s too Obvious, too Well-Known, and they wanted to focus on the lesser known details of her life. Or because she didn’t write it, Otis Redding did and didn’t particularly care for her version.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Take Care. TCB

And if you’re still reading this (Thank You!) and still wondering…what the heck is she on about…Ok. I’m bringing it around now.

A Shopper walks into your store….

What’s the first thing they feel?

What do you want them to feel?

Well the last thing you want them to feel is a conspicuous lack of anything.

Respect Included. But they will if Respect is not at the forefront of your Corporate Culture.

Respect seems Obvious and Well-Known (see what I did there?) but it cannot be included enough in the everyday running of every business. And not just from the top down.

Respect needs, not only to apply to everyone, but to come from everyone. If the guy in receiving is showing no respect to the salespeople on the floor or the mailman is showing no respect to the person at the front desk, it needs to be addressed. From the top down.

Rumours, Cliques, Whispering, Shunning all that great Junior High behaviour is still there in all of us, just waiting to come out. If encouraged.

Discourage it. Strongly and with….Feeling.

I’ve worked for companies for which spreading rumours or gossiping is an actionable offence. I agree. It self-perpetuates and creates a hugely negative, secretive atmosphere.

And nothing perpetuates bad feelings like an audience or a sympathetic ear. But if called on it, most adults will cease and desist when a light is shone on their behaviour. What you tolerate, you condone.

Whether you’re a Boss or an Employee Try:

‘Is that Gossip I’m hearing? State your Sources.’

‘Racism. Just Say No.’ has worked for me in many situations. Even if it’s to my ‘betters’.

‘Would you care to repeat that sexist comment/joke/slur so I can record it and play it for HR/Your Sister/Yo Mama?’

Employees who are shown no respect from management or even from their own co-workers can and will pass that on to whomever they meet. From the way they treat the merchandise to the way they answer the phone.

And Customers can feel it when they walk in the door.

I’m loving the new Inclusive Generation coming into the work force. They keep us all honest and remind us that Respect is not just earned it’s one the most Obvious and Well-Known traits of an evolved workplace.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Take Care. TCB….Take Care of Business.

And OMG, Watched the Finale of the Series this week. The last scene is amazing.

Thanks Aretha. Genius.

Were you raised in the unenlightened Trump School of management where Respect is sorely lacking? Is your team unproductive and unhappy and you can’t figure out why. I’ve been part of and built fabulously efficient retail teams all over Western Canada. Without losing or having to fire a single person.

Contact me: [email protected]

Check out an overview on The 6 Senses here.

and more in the series:

Part 1: Sight

Part 2: Sound

Part 3: Touch

Part 4: Taste

Part 5: Smell

Part 6: Feels

Images:

https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/aretha-franklin/11503

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/entertainment/genius-aretha-miniseries-aims-to-serve-the-queen/article_66dd97c6-8734-11eb-b5dc-2f78d8252f8c.html

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/21/aretha-franklin-30-greatest-songs-ranked

https://www.glamour.com/story/cynthia-erivo-aretha-franklin-will-blow-you-away-in-first-trailer-for-genius-aretha

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8471779/aretha-franklin-ultimate-diva

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/08/aretha-franklin-obituary

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/aretha-franklin-death-83933

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/arts/television/genius-aretha-franklin-cynthia-erivo.html

[tattletale2020]

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value Chapter 2 the Sequel:

As a corollary to the previous article Crowded House here’s ….Empty House:

So What creates Value:

Perception, Presentation, Maintenance

And What is Value to you:

Quality Product for a Good Price

But more often:

The Best Quality you can Afford

Because:

Best Quality or High End doesn’t come cheap.

Not only that but:

You usually get what you pay for.

Aaaand then:

There’s that whole refinement vs durability misconception.

I learned a cool thing from my most recent boss in the high-end furniture business:

Just ‘cause you paid a lot of money for something, doesn’t make it last longer.

And not only do you have to baby it, but it actually takes more work to take care of it.

Think Maserati vs GMC.

You wouldn’t take your Maserati off-roading and expect it to survive. The same goes for a Boss Suit, Prada Shoes, and Natuzzi Sofa. Ok, Maybe the new Hummer checks all the boxes.

Sooo, why do people buy these things?

Branding!!!!! Ok, not just Branding.

These are things that most of us cannot afford and therefore we aspire to own.

We tend to want what we can’t have.

The Unattainable becomes Sparkly, Seductive, and Redolent with God Light. AAAaaaaahhhhhh!

Which brings us to our current situation….

Empty House.

From Vaccines to Chevy Trucks, we know they’re out there, but they’re not available in ready supply. Even online shopping has slowed down to a chug. Especially from outside of Canada. Read the USA. Where most of our Pie in the Sky, Shiny Unicorn Wishlists come from.

We are in a situation where good things come to those who wait. And we are not used to waiting.

So, doesn’t that make us want it even more?

Increasing its Perceived Value. Unh Hunh.

Take the new GMC Hummer. So Cool. Especially the Crabwalk.

You gotta see this… https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkwJ35hfBW/

Order it now and it’ll take 2 years to get one. But it’s made especially for you and no one else will have the same one.

My Partner works at the local Chevy Dealership and right now there are almost no trucks to be had. Anywhere. So. If you get one, wouldn’t it make you feel like Top Dog.

Retailers can take a lesson from this.

And Yes! Waiting and Scarcity create Value. But hopefully not Insanity.

Cabbage Patch, Buzz Lightyear, Jingle All the Way.’ Oh My.

There’s a certain amount of Sales Savvy in making people wait:

Increased Desirability and Prestige. Don’t forget Prestige. Exclusivity is still a powerful thing. Prestige Cosmetics do this every week. Presell is a huge money maker.

The Art of the Launch

The Teaser.

The GWP! Gift with Purchase, if you’re not a Cosmetic Addict.

And Yes, Waiting and Scarcity create value. But not Ideally!

You really do want to have product to show people, even if you have to order their size.

In comes Online Shopping. You can see it here and we can order it for you online. Without those pesky Shipping Charges.

Symbiotic and Fabulous. Add a discount and you’re golden.

Will Brick & Mortar move more towards being a pick-up/showroom than a place to have a browse and take it home today?

I hope not, because I’m not the only one who enjoys a good Offline Shopping Experience.

True Story:

So, I was buying Shoes last Wednesday……

And you may ask: Why was I out doing that during a pandemic.

Well, from years of wearing heels and working on concrete floors, my knees are shot and I can’t wear any of my shoes anymore. Do you know how hard it is to find Size 11 right now in a sexy flat. Anywhere. Did you know that Amazon’s idea of a Size 11 is a 9.5? So many disappointments and gruelling returns. And I don’t leave the house unless I’m dressed. Well-dressed and Super-Cute. You can tell a lot about a person by their footwear.

Anyhoo, I also insist on shopping local so I had the most awesome community experience at Sole to Sole in Airdrie: Myself, the Store Associate, and one other delightful older customer. At a distance, briefly, fully sanitized, and masked we talked shoes and celebrated each other’s purchases. I left smiling and happy. You could even tell through my mask. Not that I didn’t get an equally professional and satisfying interaction at Walkin’ Around, they just didn’t currently have any Size 11’s.

Don’t let anyone tell you that Shopping Therapy is not a Real Thing.

But, for the time being, Empty House is becoming more and more of a reality.

Delayed Product Deliveries

Incomplete Orders

Narrowing Product Ranges

Are forcing retailers to sell in a different way.

And those that weather this change, will be not be the ones who say: No, sorry we don’t have that in stock right now. But the ones who say: Yes! I can get that for you, what colour would you like me to order?

No one has it in Purple yet. It’ll only take 3 weeks.

Or....We can’t get Purple this season, but it looks soooo good in Orange.

It's on its way. Only 10 Business Days.

And really, Doesn't the Antici..........pation make the Experience even more Pleasurable.

It’s all in how you perceeeeeive it. How you present it. And how badly you want to maintain/retain your customer base.

And Yes, Scarcity and Waiting Time create Urgency and Increase the Perceived Value of Everything. Even Toilet Paper!

Need to retrain your sales/marketing/merchandising/website staff for the current, we-can-get-that-for-you, attitude. Contact me I have enthusiasm and inspiration to spare. [email protected]

Images:

https://www.pfhub.com/canadian-retail-sales-nose-dive-2-in-december-1658/

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2021/03/gmc-hummer-ev-showing-off-crabwalk-mode-video/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-survival-of-the-unicorns-as-the-economy-skidded-so-did-startups-now/ ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIA KHRUSCHEVA

https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-empty-shop

https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/6545811-Clothing-store-Eddie-Bauer-evicted-from-Columbia-Mall

[tattletale2020]

The Year According to Retail: April

In Most of the World:

April Showers Brings May Flowers

In Western Canada:

April Snows Brings May…..Crows, Fros, Clothes, Hoes?

You fill in the blank.

April Snow Blows…in big way.

But the Retail World....

is in Full Pastel Hell. Easter may be over, but the chocolate bunnies remain. Before I had children, I used shake my head at the people who

a) actually got Easter Monday off and then

b) brought their sugar loaded kids to the mall.

I remember being in the newly renovated Pennington’s Window in Saskatoon’s Midtown Mall one year. I was dressing the size 14+ mannequins (fabulous!) in, you guessed it, Pastel, taking down the Easter Signage and arranging crazy oversized Flowers (not so fabulous). When you’re in the window you can hear everything that everybody says as they go by. If they only knew! Sound bounces off all the terrazzo, marble, formica, and glass and straight into the store.

Anyhoo, it was Easter Monday so I was working and family after family came by with their kids totally off the hook. The screaming and crying and yelling. And that was just the parents.

Their children totally intractable, heedless, and headed for self-immolation.

Another year, I was in the window at Side Effects, the upscale women’s division of Grafton Fraser, in Eaton Centre in Winnipeg, when a 6 year old boy dropped in full tantrum in our entrance. His mother did the smart thing and walked away. I peeked my head out of the window and said something like ‘goodness you look silly doing that.’ He jumped up immediately and ran for his mother.

The look on his face was priceless.

And then there were the Tween girls playing tag in the Side Effects in Garden City who ran right past me and the mannequins and out through the plate glass window. It was amazing no one was hurt. One of them landed on her knees bent over the jagged window edge. She could have been decapitated. I picked safety glass out the wigs for months.

Oh the how-not-to-parenting I learned from being retail.

My poor kids never got chocolate for Easter. They got rain coats, boot, umbrellas, and one year it was Baskets full of Pokemon Cards and Toys.

Because in April in Retail, the Children’s Department is irresistible. It’s the only pop of colour in a sea of cloudy grey dampness. I used to love dressing the little child and baby mannequins at the Great Downtown Bay, as it called itself, in Winnipeg.

OMG the little tiny shoes.

There was one baby mannequin I was particularly fond of that was posed to lie down in a crib. It was very old and very life-like so if I wrapped it in a receiving blanket and carried it around it was perfectly shaped to look over my shoulder.

And freak people out.

Made of shiny, happy fibreglass, these idyllic children didn’t eat chocolate or tantrum or cry or talk back as I ripped their limbs off and changed their clothes.

Good Times!

If you're one of the Prairie Flowers that remembers this particular Baby at the Bay in Downtown Winnipeg, (there's gotta be hundreds of us that changed this little guy over the years!), feel free to comment and take credit. Also, if you have any fond remembrances of DepartmentStoreLand in the Canadian Spring, we'd love to hear from you!

Images:

https://www.pinterest.es/pin/802696333556504159/

http://thumbpress.com/give-your-brain-the-boost-it-needs-with-these-fun-facts/#sthash.Lf3Siz4v.dpbs

https://www.buystoreshelving.com/children_mannequins/CM13/index.htm

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/display-fashion-child-movable-baby-girl_60510707466.html

https://zenmerchandiser.com/mannequins/best-child-mannequins/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Scary/comments/d8rbfz/this_mannequin_is_in_a_kids_section_of_a/

[tattletale2020]

Crowded House: A Cautionary Tale

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value Chapter 2

Remember waaaay back to the Turn of the Century when Calgary was booming so loud that you couldn’t find people to hire and stores couldn’t keep enough stock on the shelves? Traffic Jams, Line Ups, Crowds of all kinds.

Don’t Dream it’s Over

It’s coming again soon. Once the apocalypse is over, the disappointed masses, tired of the unsatisfying and alienating online shopping experience will be out in full force. Groups, Hoards, Extended Family Units finally free to see, to touch, to experience. To mess stuff up and buy buy buy.

But here’s a bit of a Cautionary Tale to Head Offices everywhere.

Waaay back in the Naughts executives out East, got this fab idea to cash in on our success. They dubbed it the Alberta Initiative. Let’s take all the Overstock we have from aaaall of our suppliers and send it out West. They’ll be happy to get it and they’ll buy anything.

But how many pairs of

Flesh coloured WonderBra granny panties

Crazy awful-patterned Nygard underpinnings

Men's Dockers Khakis in Size 42/30

does one store really need?

Well, Target learned that lesson too late also. Just ‘cause you throw your LeftOvers out here doesn’t mean we’ll buy them.

And so it begins to pile up.

Fall at Your Feet

It’s way easy to make a light store look full.

Add more Display

Space out the Fixtures

Do more Front Facing.

Enhancing Store Experience and Shopability

But when a store is over-full, there’s nowhere to go.

Remove Displays

Add Fixtures

Side Hang Everything.

Now it looks like a Warehouse.

Where’s the Appeal, the Urgency, the Exclusivity? The Glamour, the Glitz, the Shine?

What is the Perceived Value? Not as much as it could be.

Too many $ tied up in Inventory = Less $ in Sales.

The Laura Years:

as Western Regional Visual Manager

In 2000, Head Office in Montreal would budget for the numbers they wanted to make, not for reality, or the amount of merchandise a store could hold even with a reasonable turnover. It was as if they thought all the stores had 4th dimension that they could hide extra groupings in.

No Room

No Urgency

No Uniqueness

Nothing was allowed in the Back. Not even double sizes.

'You can’t sell from the Back Room.' But, you couldn’t sell from the Front Either!

And the merchandise just kept coming. But sales were not where they wanted.

Was it because the stores were impossible to shop?

Crowded fixtures are both impossible to shop and to clean.

Customers can’t see what items are,

They can’t pull them out to look at them and if they do,

They can’t possibly put them back.

Not the most ideal store experience. Overwhelming and so much work. Why would shoppers bother?

Something So Strong

The Bay Era:

as Marketing Manager

In 2008 we were still dealing with the fallout, but times had changed. The ceiling had fallen in, Literally, at the Bay Market Mall. The entire Handbag Department was awash in ceiling tile.

We had doubled the amount of Fixtures from the original and exquisite Reno Opening.

The aisles were longer wide enough for wheelchairs or strollers.

We had 7800 pairs of men’ pants with physical room for only 3625.

Sometimes we received 2-3 Trailers per day.

Every Stock Room was Double Hung along each wall with rolling racks down the middle. We even hired a carpenter to come in and build more hanging room.

Fire Escapes: We used to joke on bad days at the Bay in Downtown Winnipeg that we could have the store shut down in a second if we reported what was parked in the Fire Escapes.

And then…..Clearance. So many racks of Clearance.

Parked in Desperation in front of Windows, Mannequin Highlights, along the aisles blocking entire departments of Regular Price Merchandise.

Which soon became Clearance Merchandise because customers couldn’t…

See It

Shop It

Or find it appealing.

And Poof. The entire Department, Assortment, Store has been devalued and what has been created is a Culture of Clearance instead of a Priority of Perceived Value.

I Feel Possessed

Customers have been trained so well to follow sales that they no longer value the quality of the product. And it’s true, if you don’t get more than 25% off an item in a department store you’re over-paying. Sales mean nothing. The markup compensates.

I remember very recently at my employer at the time marking everything on the website up 40% so they could sell it at 20% off. Not Cool.

And yet True Value Pricing is what took Eaton’s down. Consumers want to be lied to.

They want to feel that they are getting a quality/designer/exclusive product for a reduced price. Not the best price. Just a reduced price.

It’s like stores want to lose money. Sounds Silly, right?

So Again,

What is the Perceived Value? Not as much as it could be.

Less $ tied up in Inventory + More $ for Presentation + Upkeep

= Higher Perceived Value

= Increased $ in Sales.

Now We’re Getting Somewhere

And How do we get there:

Create Room to Shop with less fixtures and more display.

Create Urgency with limited depth of inventory

Create Uniqueness with breadth of selection

And show it all off with a Shiny Sexy Store Experience.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?

It is for me. And I can help you. Lose Retail Weight and Keep it Off. Guaranteed. For your free 30 Day Trial contact [email protected]

Many Thanks to Crowded House for continuing to be so awesome. Loving this recording. Live at the Sydney Opera House in 2016, Neil Finn is losing his voice and the crowd sings for him. Gives me goosebumps.

Images:

http://www.online-star-news.com/pages/osn-cd-news.php?p=6739

https://frenz.com/crowdedhouse/

https://www.subjectivesounds.com/musicblog/2017/1/8/crowded-house-2016-re-issue-thoughts

https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/crowded-house-the-very-very-best-of

https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/general/venue-hire/outdoor-events.html

httptossfad.com201612crowded-house-encore-sydney-opera-house-2016ch16a

httpswww.sydneyoperahouse.comvisit-usperformance-spaceforecourt.html

[tattletale2020]

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value #4: It just keeps happening!

How do you make it stop?

It all starts with people.

People to Shop, People to Help, People to Tidy

Customers, Sales People, Merchandisers.

In perfect balance.

True Story: As I mentioned in My Pet Theory of Perceived Value #2, when I got there, The Bay Market Mall was a scary place, especially after having just come from the Pristine Harry Rosen. I spent my first day as Assistant Marketing Manager picking things up off the floor in the Women’s Sportswear Department. If my boss hadn’t been so awesome I would have walked. This was not what I’d signed up for. I’d built my career by making stores look organized and beautiful. This was pretty..….. far from that. But she treated it all like a normal Monday Morning. So we just got to it.

And this wasn’t even the scariest part of the store. The Women’s Designer Department had no less than 17 overly full rolling racks of TryOns. I was so gobsmacked, I even took pictures. As a team of Merchandisers and Visual Presentation, we could work on it for a solid day and not make headway. I even enlisted my son that summer and after a day said, ‘Mother, never make me do that again’.

As Marketing Manager, I eventually developed a system of X racks, with size rings labelling each Designer so the Fitting Room People could sort as they went, and it would be faster to put things away, but still, when we had head office visit, the Store Manager found it more cost effective to rent a trailer to store the full rolling racks, than to hire enough people to simply put it away. Wow.

The Spirit is Willing

Now this was not happening for lack of trying, or lack of pride in the store. It had been beautifully reno’d just couple of years before and the staff were very proud of the work they had put into it. None so proud as my new boss who had poured years of her life into making it a Jewel in the Chain. The volume of merchandise and customers was just so great, and the payroll budget so small, that in the 3 years I was there, those racks were never fully emptied. And every Monday we spent the day picking merchandise up off the floor, and removing Yogen Fruz and Coffee Cups.

Again $10,000’s of top name designer merchandise made to look totally worthless. Just think how much more money the store would have made if they didn’t have all those dollars/ sizes/ styles tied up in ugliness.

So what’s the solution?

But the Budget is Weak

My Boss and Store Manager were both extremely smart and experienced, and even though they were both a decade younger than me, I learned so much from them. If they couldn’t figure it out, who could? Not the head office we had to hide things from, for sure.

Occam’s razor, the only thing left to address would be the budget. You have a bunch of super smart people, with a vested interest in making the store look good, but there aren’t enough of them to make a difference. And when the economy takes a downturn, what do big companies do first? Cut Payroll.

So, the bottom line is, pun intended, hire more merchandisers and sales support to maintain the Perceived Value of your product. Or just don’t cut their hours.

You’ll get top dollar for your product before the Season ends and the Markdowns begin… Before it ends up in a stockroom, or several in the case of the Bay Market Mall, and on to the Dreaded Clearance Rack. The money you make Regular White Ticket will more than pay for the extra hands.

Stay Tuned for more Horror Stories and Happy Endings in the next chapter of My Pet Theory of Perceived Value: Crowded House.

And Check Out the previous articles in this Series:

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value

Perceived Value #2: How does this Happen?

Perceived Value #3: Make it Stop!

And if this horror just keeps happening to you, I can help you find the money from your Mark Down Dollars to Fill Out your Marketing/Merchandising Budget and Increase your Sales Figures. Not Scary at all! [email protected]

Images:

httpswww.nasdaq.comarticles3-best-apparel-stocks-to-buy-now-2020-06-20

https://www.businessinsider.com/hm-zara-compared-photos-details-2018-5

https://www.businessinsider.com/target-kohls-sears-jcpenney-have-messy-stores-photos-2019-9

[tattletale2020]

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value #3: Make it Stop!!!

How do you fix this?

It all starts with people:

People to Shop, People to Help, People to Tidy

Customers, Sales People, Merchandisers.

In perfect balance.

True Story: When we were kids, we were threatened with physical harm if we touched anything when were out shopping with Mother. You learned that if you touched or misbehaved, you didn’t get to come along next time. Also, ‘You Break it; You Bought’ it was a real thing. And we’d rather have money for new clothes that for something we broke. Simple cause and effect.

Those days a Sale Person, or Clerk as we called them, had real power. You didn’t piss them off. It was a relationship of mutual respect. They were watching you. They could call Security and they could ask you to leave. But also, it was a respect that was just given to other people.

It wasn’t that it was scary to shop, it was just that you were expected to behave in an evolved manner.

When we were older, we were taught to put things back exactly as we found them. So after years in retail, folding sweaters, stacking shirts, cleaning fixtures I taught my kids how to fold and stack and clean. If they picked up a piece of clothing they were required to fold it exactly as it had been. Out of respect for the people working there. And if they didn’t, well that was not really an option, but for sure they couldn’t come along next time. Simple Cause and Effect.

People to Help: Sales People.

So back to the Bay vs. Harry Rosen Scenario we explored in the previous post.

What was the actual difference between The Bay and Harry Rosen?

Yup. Perceived Value.

Some items at the Harry Rosen even cost less than at The Bay.

But they have trained, charming, well-dressed Sales People there to offer their help. And to keep you honest as you browse. Again, not scary, just mutually respectful. The more Salespeople, the more respect.

But in DepartmentStoreLand, can you find a SalesPerson?

Sure, Self-Serve Retailing is an awesome thing, it keeps costs down and allows the consumer to shop unbothered. SalesPeople are at their places behind the Cash Desk and there to take your money. So who’s minding the store?

A pristinely merchandised store shows pride of ownership and increases the Perceived Value of its product to the customer. If the store values it, so will its shoppers.

Close to Open

Another cool thing they did, and probs still do, at Rosen’s is that the Sales Team didn’t leave the store at night until it was pristine for the morning. Now that’s Discipline.

I’ve seen this Close to Open Strategy work swimmingly in Department Stores and other Mall Retailers, large and small. It also encourages your sales team to clean as they go.

Zone it Out

Each person is assigned a zone and is responsible for keeping it perfect. SalesPeople are also required to clean up after their own customers. It builds a stronger team when an over-shopped store isn’t just left for elves to clean up, and avoids the overwhelming resentment of the morning shift. It builds respect between co-workers when they know exactly whose section is whose and know who has to clean it. The team even tends to keep each other accountable.

Ownership, Clear Responsibilities, Accountability, in a word, Territorialism play a big role in keeping a store from spinning into…..Merchandising Chaos.

But if a store is still upside down on a Tuesday Morning, like the Old Navy we mentioned in our previous post, it’s time to bring out the Big Guns!

That sounds ominous. I don’t mean for the customers.

Stay Tuned for the next Instalment on the People who maintain the Perceived Value of your Merchandise.

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value

Perceived Value #2: How does this Happen?

Do these pics bring on a sense of calm and well being? I can get you there. I have enough OCD to share. [email protected]

Images:

https://fundacionmaradentro.cl/en/proyectos/exposiciones-de-arte/almas-christian-boltanski-en-chile-museo-nacional-de-bellas-artes/

https://www.laundra.co.uk/

https://thelaundrydoctor.com/product/folded-and-boxed-shirt/

https://www.veribestcleaners.com/2020/02/05/the-starch-shirt-relationship/

https://denimhunters.com/podcast-episode-15/

[tattletale2020]

OrangeWomen

St. Patrick’s Day: Green vs Orange.

Don’t go there.

Here I go.

I always resented having to wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day for fear of being pinched.

Cue: Bullying, Coercion, Institutionalized Conformity.

I’m sure they don’t do that anymore.

In Grade 3, in 1972, I didn’t realize this was what I was fighting. I just wanted to wear what I wanted to wear. I’ll decide.

After all I’m the girl who one day refused to go to Kindergarten because I didn’t like what my mother put out for me to wear. Poor Dad, working the night shift and responsible for getting me ready, had to run down 3 floors to Mrs. T and the waiting school bus and explain the situation. Would you wear stirrup pants and matching mock turtle? In earth tones!?

My sister could always say she had green eyes, thus the earth tone hand-me-downs, but my eyes were blue blue.

And, I didn’t own anything Green. I was a Pink girl.

My Mother always wore Orange on St. Patrick’s Day. I never asked why. I just thought she looked cute in her box pleat mini and matching sleeveless turtleneck. I also longed to be grown up so I could choose my own attire.

I’m sure in those days women got pinched and resented it on more days than just St. Paddy’s.

You go Mom, You Rebel.

Even after learning about the IRA and the fighting in Ireland I didn’t clue in. It wasn’t until I was in University and studying the Orangemen that I finally realized what it meant to wear Orange on St. Patrick’s Day.

Ooooooh.

One side of Mother’s family came straight from England and the other had fled to Canada during the American Revolution as United Empire Loyalists. So I guess she was just supporting the Old Country. And neither side came out looking good in the Irish Conflict. But we were not a particularly religious or political family so I applaud Dear Old Ma for daring to be different.

If we’d lived on the East Coast of Canada we would have had a totally different Parade. But Thank God we live in a country that allows us to have our opinions either way. Being Inclusive Rocks! Go Inclusivity!

[tattletale2020]

Does this Frighten you?

When I showed this image to my children and oft collaborators one of them actually screamed. I guess they were too young when I enlisted them to do part time merchandising recovery at the Bay in Market Mall. Apparently, they’re still scarred. 

Which brings us to....

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value #2:

How Does This Happen?

True Story:

Ok so. Old Navy. I’ve always loved its presentation.

Open, Colour Coded. Perfectly folded and huge selection.

Kinda like a mini department store.

I used to buy similar, but non matchy outfits for the twins when they were tweens. They hated it. Old Navy, I mean. I’m sure it was only because I liked it. Tweens. Then a few years later when they were in University it was, hey Mother, let’s go to Old Navy. We could spend hours there with me bringing them new items and new sizes. Super Fun.

Flash forward to Christmas 2019 at CrossIron Mills.

Old Navy had just stolen our Revolve Furnishings location, not that I’m bitter.

It was a beautiful store. The Old Navy not so much.

It was so upside down, that you couldn’t tell what was supposed to have been merchandised on each table. What a waste of square footage. I couldn’t begin to make sense of it to do my Christmas Shopping. I even took pics I was so dumbfounded. And this was on a Tuesday morning. Not even the weekend. Hundreds of Thousands of dollars of inventory made to look totally worthless.

How does this happen?  

Not Inertia, not Apathy, but aha! Entropy!!

Ok maybe all 3

Unless tended too, anything and everything will fall apart.

Sink to the lowest common denominator.

End up in its basest form.

My child, the Astrophysicist would correct me on that definition but really, it fits.

And this is how it happens:

It all starts with people.

People to Shop, People to Help, People to Tidy

Customers, Sales People, Merchandisers.

In perfect balance. Too much of one and too little of another creates this...

It starts Innocently enough but quickly becomes Insidious.

One person comes along looks at something

They throw it back in a heap on the table or rack.

The next person cleans up after the previous person and themselves.

But the next few people do not.

The pile grows.

Soon it starts to slip to the floor.

At this point even the politest of customers starts to feel that no one in the store respects the merchandise either.

Like a virus, it spreads from fixture to fixture.

And voila, you have the Coat Department at the Bay in Market Mall.

I’d never seen so much $500+ cashmere on the floor.

Having just come from the Pristine Harry Rosen I was appalled.

I made my job to tidy it up every Monday Morning.

Stay Tuned to see what to do about it. 

Does this Frighten you?

I'm the Retail Whisperer and Merchandising Medium.

I can make sure this doesn't happen to you.

Contact [email protected] for your personalised session

Images:

I seem to have misplaced the ones I took of Old Navy, but these are pretty close:

https://xologic.com/content/ecommerce/ecommerce-ux/

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cyber-monday-deals-better-than-black-friday/2-dealing-with-people

https://faze.ca/retail-rant-the-dos-and-donts-of-shopping/

https://adrianarajak.wordpress.com/

[tattletale2020]

The Year According to Retail: March March March March!

March Hare

Fredric March

Ides of March

The King of Marches, John Philip Sousa

In like a Lamb, Out like a Lion.

Sooo Unpredictable.

Is it Spring yet? Is there Easter? Why is my beer green?

But Retail marches on to its own drummer. 

Not quite in step with the rest of the world.

 In DepartmentStoreLand it’s time to set up oooodles of flowers, sleeveless dresses, and patio furniture.

We can pretend that Spring has Sprung. Until we step outside.

It’s a surreal sensation when you arrange fake tulips all day and then drive home in a blizzard.

Ok not so surreal, as I’ve seen my real tulips get snowed on also. But months later. Hmmm. Who’s surreal now?

In Retail, we’re are kinda lucky in a way.

Besides working long hours for minimal pay, I mean. At least we get a colourful break from the dull, dull desperately dull and tedious and boring Canadian Winter/Almost Spring No-man’s-land. 

I’ve heard rumours that in other parts of the world and even other parts of Canada that Spring actually arrives on time. Grass Grows and Flowers Bloom. But on the Prairies, don’t even hope for Spring until well into April. Unless masochism and self-delusion is your thang. And then, go for it.

 March in Retail, Spring’s in Full Swing.

And then there’s St. Patrick’s Day. That oft passed over Celebration and Retail Opportunity. I can’t honestly say I’ve ever done a St. Patrick’s Day set up. But only because Easter, Spring Fashion Launch, and Outdoor Living usually suck up all our space and time. But in this weird year, any reason to Celebrate is a good one. Paint the town green. Ok only in your mind. And sprinkle holographic shamrocks all over the house like Pixie Dust. As long you release your Inner Leprechaun responsibly and don’t spread any ‘magic’ to anyone outside your bubble! 

May the Road Rise to Meet You! And not in that, I drank too much Irish Whiskey and fell on my face, kind of way. Sláinte!

If you're one of the leprechauns responsible for the displays above, (and I know who you are, but didn't want to out you.), feel free to comment and take credit. Also, if you have any fond remembrances of DepartmentStoreLand or the Canadian March, we'd love to hear from you!

Here's more from this Series:

The Year According to Retail  and The Year According to Retail: February

Title Image: John Lamparski / Getty Images  https://www.tripsavvy.com/fun-st-patricks-day-in-nyc-3959802

[tattletale2020]

My Pet Theory of Perceived Value

How much value does any particular thing have?

It has whatever value we put on it.

However much we’re prepared to pay for it.

How badly we wannit.

How much would you pay for a Michael Kors Cashmere Coat?

How much would you pay for it if it was lying on the floor of the Coat Department of the Bay in Market Mall?

How much would you pay for a 3 piece Canali Suit?

How much would you pay for it if it were crisply displayed on a handsome mannequin at Harry Rosen, complete with shirt, tie, shiny shoes and 3 point lighting? 

Ok so most of us can’t afford a Canali Suit whether it’s beautifully presented or not, but you get the idea. 

How much would you pay for your everyday ordinary pair of MacGregor socks?

If you found them at the bottom of a Bargain Bin?

If you found them with a torn label on a jumbled up peg fixture in a department store?

If you found them tossed in a dollar store basket at the Laura counter?

If you found them artfully rolled up in an elegant loafer as part of multi-media cross-merchandising display?

Well, I’d buy them and the loafers. 

Here is my long-awaited (and maybe only by me) treatise on my Pet Theory of Perceived Value.

I’ve spent my entire career trying to convince various merchants, managers, salespeople, executives that an item only has the value that a customer perceives it has. Devalue your product at your peril. The shinier and more desirable it looks the more people will pay for it. 

And as was pointed out by my youngest child and oft collaborator, ‘Isn’t that just the basics of Marketing?’

Yes, dear. Thanks for ruining the punchline. 

As I began to write this post I realized it was going to take waaay more than just one. After all, I’ve been in Visual Merchandising for over 40 years so I’m really old. And Sage. And have worked with a lot of merchants. And learned a lot of do’s and don’ts. It’s time to share. 

Stay Tuned. It’s a great theory.

And if you need sage advice on how to up the ante of your product. Contact Me. I know what it's worth. [email protected]

[tattletale2020]

I’m a whore for packaging.

I’m a whore for packaging.

I judge books by their covers, wines by their labels, and fragrances by their bottles.

I am totally shallow. But only on the surface.

Seriously, who can resist anything with well-designed graphics? Especially anything Mid-Century. They lure you in with shiny colourfulness and precise hypnotic designs. The sparkle of stylized diamonds, the promise of something wonderful/magical inside. I own so many things that I bought simply for the packaging. I’ve even thrown away the product and kept the boxes, bottles, jars, wrapping. Not to mention the bag they came in. Mmmm, as my youngest child says. We love 'Things to put Things in.'

More powerful than a candy wrapper, is a make-up palette. I still have all the little boxes and empty containers from my Disney Villains Collection from MAC form 2010. How can you simply discard Cruella Deville Blush or Evil Queen Lipstick? In Sheer Dark Purpley Splender and named Sinister? ‘Check them out ‘cause they’re marvelous.’ But discontinued. Very Sad. I still pet the empty husks and mourn. I should see someone.

 I was later seduced by Urban Decay, not just by the cool Apocalyptic name, and promise of rebellion, but by the Graffiti eyeshadow containers. I chose a particularly gruesome green because it had the best tag. The Liquid Eyeliners used to come in a genie-like bottle and were magical to apply. I bought them all. Black Purple Green Blue Brown with names like Perversion, Demolition, Revolver, my fave, and Snakebite. Dare to be Dark and Dangerous they whispered. 

There’s a reason that at the front of every department store prestige cosmetic lines present a Diabolical Gauntlet of Temptation: tantalizing and artfully compiled displayers of irresistibly touchable colour collections. Complete with testers. Lipgloss and Shadow and Blush, Oh My. The possibilities and combinations are endless, the World is your Oyster Shimmer Highlighter.

And then there’s the Perfume Counter. So many pretty bottles, but I can only smell three per visit even with coffee beans, before my nose explodes. Nice image. Thus the whole judging by the bottle thing.

   Anyone been online to ColourPop lately? I get there, I can’t pull my eyes away. I own 2 of the Disney Princess Collections, Belle and Cinderella, which I can’t even bring myself to use, they’re so beautiful. And now that the Twins are 27 why do I still covet the Frozen II Collection? Anna and Elsa together in one scintillating set. Side by Side on the Diagonal. The warm beside the cold, the icy blues beside the cozy purples. Like The Good Twin with the Evil Twin. I know a little about that. My Anna is Anne and my Elsa is Elizabeth. Ok they’re both good. In their own way.

 And don’t get me started on anything, I mean anything, with skulls on it. Not the prissy decorated Day of the Dead Skulls, but the true stark black and white Tattoo, Warning, Jolly Roger Skulls. Or Andy Everson Haida Skulls. Badass Beautiful. 

In fact, I’m a whore for anything that is well presented. The same youngest child mentioned above and I cannot shop in an environment that is not, in their words, ‘presented in a way that we can consume it.’ A phrase uttered while we were checking out the first Marshall’s in Calgary. It was like shopping at Value Village but the items dropped on the floor were all over $100.

Which brings me to my pet theory of Perceived Value. Stay tuned. It’s a great theory. 

And if you're a local small business owner with an array of sexy make-up palettes or products in ingenious or eye-catching packages to show off, I'd love to hear from you!

[tattletale2020]

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

The Year According to Retail: Feburary

Actually Started in January. As soon as we got the Valentine’s Flyer we were running. At the Iconic Eaton’s store in Downtown Winnipeg it was a rescue from the boringness of Clearance.We could release our inner cherubs and start planning how we could get in trouble for The Season of Love.

Lingerie, Fragrance, Chocolate, Oh My. 

Tiered 7 foot round tables: One at the Up and Down of each elevator. 

Two Banks of Escalators, 6 Floors. You do the Math.

Valentine’s Shops on each floor plus the Candy Department.

Acres of Bengaline Table Cloths and Heart Overlays.

In Racy Red and Flirtatious Fuchsia

From the very first, the goal was always:

White, Light and Angelic,

not Black, Red and Pornographic

But in 1999 we received the What’s Love Got To Do With It flyer. It was a game changer. We took the bit in our teeth. No need for whips or leather harness, we ran with it.

My right hand guy, who had a reach of exactly 7 feet, took a paint roller in each hand and drew huge hearts on our custom folding window backdrops.

Then scrawled the tagline across the glass of the 7 Centre Fashion Windows on Portage Avenue.

The team kept the mannequins virginal in white with towel turbans and pink gerberas. The windows were a long open 70 plus foot space with 0 insulation. So at -37 degrees outside, the norm in Winnipeg in January, it was majorly frigid. I had forgotten that, but wrote it down with the pics.

But they turned up the heat for our Showpiece Diversity Windows. God, we loved those windows. Diversity was the new Young & Groovy Department and we had free reign to level up. Stay tuned for more on the Performance Art we created there.

Diversity Girls:

Sadly, as part of the gradual decline of the Grand Old Store, the Elizabeth Arden Salon on 4 had just closed. So, having no budget and the need to scavenge for props, the team stole the Salon Chairs complete with Retro Hairdryers and painted them Bright Pink. It was so cold, that the paint never actually dried. They sat the girls in the chairs under the dryers creating a Beauty Parlour as if they were getting dolled up for a date with the boys in the window next door.

Diversity Boys:

Oh Boys. Brilliant. Far from the boys-next-door. Their streetwear hung in Pink Lockers, they were stripped down to Angels Wings, Bows and Arrows….And Marabou Thongs. I still get an evil sense of pleasure just thinking of the outrage they caused. Remember it was only 1999. On the Main Drag (pun intended). In Winnipeg.

The Phone Calls:

I was used to getting phone calls. Especially around Valentine’s Day. Number 9 Number 9 was my Page Number.  

I remember my first Valentine's Day, a lovely Older Woman called me, very worried about the influence our nearly naked lingerie mannequins were having on today’s young women. We had a delightfully philosophical discussion and I was able to assure her that young women these days were way too smart to be influenced by a mere shop window.

The next year I had the sleazy Threatening Guy call me:

“I know important people and I can make it very hard for you if you don’t take down those lingerie windows.” Fat Chance. I rather get fired. See: No Budget. No Fear. No Problem.

“You do what you have to do. I’m doing what I do.” Made you look.

Then there was 1999 and the Trip to Manager’s Office:

"What were you thinking putting woman’s underwear on the male mannequins?!?"

“They didn’t have any marabou thongs in menswear.” I stood my ground.

But he called me back in a couple of days later.

“Could you please just put white boxers on them. I’m fielding so many phone calls I can’t get any work done.”

Mission Accomplished. It was a decent compromise. So we graciously acquiesced.

Little did we know at the time that this would be our last Valentine’s Day in the iconic downtown store. At least we made it a year to remember! If you're one of the cheeky people responsible for these windows, (and I know who you are, but didn't want to out you.), feel free to comment and take credit. Also, if you remember these windows, we'd love to hear from you!

[tattletale2020]

The Year According to Retail:

Marketing in DepartmentStoreLand 

The Marketing Schedule has a comforting rhythm, dependability, inevitability.

Something to look forward to. Or Dread.

Come Pandemic or Pestilence. Life goes on. The seasons change. And people buy stuff.

January:

Clearance Boring Christmas Hangover

Wedding Shows

February:

Yay! We can do something fun again and get in trouble with lingerie windows!

March:

Oft passed over for a longer Easter selling period, St. Paddy’s Day let’s us release our inner leprechaun.

Why do I keep seeing holographic sparkly shamrocks in my sleep.

Easter, Pastel Hell.

Aaaand Outdoor Set-Up!

Punctuated by New Spring Season’s Offerings

April:

Some Years the Pastel Hell Continues.

Focus on full launch of Spring Season. Fresh. Exciting.

May:

Mother’s Day. Bring on the Fragrance and Floral Prints sprinkled with Chocolate.

June:

Father’s Day. Bring on the BBQ Accessories and After Shave

July:

Canada Day! Yay! Oh, the things we can do with Red, White, and Maple Leaf.  And Mountie Souvenirs.

And then, Clearance again. Sooo Boring.

August:

Back to School. Super fun. Lockers. Back Packs. And Bright Kids Clothes.

Time to go wild and funky in the Junior and Denim Departments.

How we can we get in trouble here?

September:

The Big Fall Launch. In Every Department.

Most Important Fashion Season with all the warm and cozy big ticket Items.

October:

Thanksgiving. Halloween. Omg the Orange.

Christmas Street Décor Launch. What!

November:

Remembrance Day Salute

And Christmas. And Christmas. And Christmas.

And Trees and Garland and Lights and Gift Boxes and Ribbon and Snow.

December:

Coast and Upkeep

And closer to the big day, Change One Day Sales every morning.

Signage, Product, and Focal Points.

 And then there’s the Real Timeline:

January:

Set up Valentines

And Probs a Wedding Show or two.

February:

Set Up Easter and Spring Launch and Prep for Outdoor all at the same time.

March:

Throw up some Green

Full Tilt Spring Launch

April:

Layer Mother’s Day into Spring Deck

May:

Set Up Father’s Day and Hope Outdoor doesn’t sell out before it happens.

June:

Set Up Canada Day and Prep Clearance

July:

Plan how to do Back to School, Fall Launch, and Prep Christmas all at the same time.

Maybe get Holidays. Maybe Not.

August:

Full Tilt BTS and Fall Set Up.

September:

Thanksgiving Halloween Prep

Christmas Street Prep. Trees and Decor

October:

Christmas Prep in Earnest aaall behind the scenes.

November:

Elf Time. The Season Explodes.

December:

Take a deep Breath and Plan for Take Down and How to do it Better Next Year!

Now, the above is just a Skeleton List:

Factor in all the Fragrance and Cosmetic Launches, GWP’s, and Galas

Lingerie Events are almost as frequent.

Layer in Chocolates for every big event

Each Department has their own Huge Event: White Sale and Housewares, Suit Sale, the Furniture, Electronics and Appliance Events,

And then there’s the Big Sale of each Season, One Day Sales, Surprise Sales, Seniors Day and various Weekend Events

True Story: 

At Eaton’s every event even had its own Balloons! Fabulous!

Needless to say, we disliked have to spend time blowing up hundreds of themed balloons. So one day, just for fun, on the Store Manager’s birthday we filled his office with the leftovers. Surprise! But to our surprise, he wasn’t nearly as annoyed as we wanted him to be.

And then there’s the Window Schedule for 40 Windows.

So start your engines, the year has just begun….

Need Help Planning your Marketing, Media, and Merchandising Strategy for this Weird Year. Call me I do weird well. But not Balloons. I've totally blown it on that front. [email protected]

Stay Tuned for a month by month look at life in DepartmentStoreLand. Up Next: Focus on February!

Loving the Wallpaper Calendar: Get yours here:

https://www.gearfuse.com/calendar-wallpaper-because-its-less-messy-than-painting/

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The Entre Holiday

Don’t you just love the limbo week between Christmas and New Year’s? One party down, one to go. Something accomplished and something to look forward to.

Kinda like Scrooge’s Ghosts: Christmas Past, Christmas Future and all the Presents in between.

Or like the Entre Guerre between the 2 World Wars, a sweet spot full of celebrating and excess. OK, maybe only until 1929 and definitely not for the Germans.

And even if you have to work between the 2 Holidays, like most of us do, it seems a lighter, gentler kind of work. Big projects are finished, new ones to plan for. You really can’t get anything done and there are no big decisions to make because everyone else is off for the season.

It can be like a holiday, but you’re getting paid to, well, not slack off exactly, but to maintain the fort:

To put out the fires of the day, but not have to worry about whether the building’s on fire.

To enjoy the people coming in and not have to worry about protocol and follow up and all the rules of the game.

To have conversations with coworkers and enjoy their company.

In DeparmentStoreLand, we elves could not usually afford to take time off, even time-owing, but we enjoyed the life of maintaining the decorations, removing clothes off mannequins for customers, taking sold out items out the windows. I remember bringing a customer into the front fashion windows to remove a coat she wanted. Totally against the rules, but she loved it. And I loved showing it off. A rare peek at the magic behind the scenes.

 This was before the days when Boxing Day/Week/Month went up before Christmas was even over. And Clearance Banners covered the windows. Being a small team in a huge store we tried to extend the season until Ukrainian Christmas. We are a multi-cultural country after all. More time to enjoy and more time to do take-down. No one seemed to mind. No one was watching. Everyone in Head Office had the time off!

Click here for more Enlightening Elf pics

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Christmas at Eaton’s: Remembrances of an Elf

Christmas in Retail can be magical time. Especially if you’re one of the elves. But planning starts in July. Checking and ordering lights. Relighting trees, garland, and wreaths. Making sure you have enough boxes, ribbon, wrapping paper. Dusting off poinsettias and velvet bows. By the time the season actually arrives you may be less than jolly.

There were years where after decorating up to 36 trees, installing acres of underlit fake snow and wrapping hundreds of presents I just didn’t have the will to decorate at home. That was before kids of course. After that, wussing out is not an option. But at least you have minions.

Then once it’s all done, the magic comes back. Especially as you watch customers enjoy the fruits of your labour. It’s a calling really. Where would Christmas be without all us inventive imps behind the scenes.

Back in the day, and maybe still inside any iconic stores that are left, once Halloween comes down, Christmas goes up. Sometimes in the same night. All night. No trick or treating for the trimmers. Down comes the orange and black and out go the hundreds of trees and boxes you’ve been lighting and wrapping for the last month. 10’ Ladders come out, Over-Aisle Garland goes up and then you have 15 days, sometimes straight, to add the details and make it perfect. No pressure. 

When I first started at Eaton’s as the Visual Supervisor to a team of 6, Christmas season was almost upon us and I needed to come up with a plan, quick. 30 odd windows, 7 floors, 20+ departments and very little corporate support didn’t daunt me. I was major excited to be responsible for decking out the 90 year old Flagship Store in Downtown Winnipeg. But if it wasn’t all up by November 15th, there was no point. Super Fail.

I spent my 33rd Birthday, a Saturday in early October, combing the football sized display storage area for props to put in the seven centre Christmas Windows on Portage Avenue. They were the Fashion Windows and needed to be spectacular.  It’s not easy to find matching props big enough for seven 10’ x 10’ windows in a row. But I stole the all the faux marble arches from the womenswear floor, had the team (I was the new outsider boss lady and they thought I was insane) repaint them and festoon them with garland. Dress the coupled male and female mannequins in evening wear aaaand Mission Accomplished. We won the Downtown BIZ Window Contest for the first time that year and every year after.

So it’s only the 20th of October. 8:00 pm, we do a quick Dance on the Boulevard admiring our work. By the next year it had become somewhat of a tradition. A celebration of the first hurdle of the frenetic season. Over 20 more Windows and a square city block to go. But now we had a Plan. And Momentum. So we ran with it. 

Then one snowy Monday morning it all stopped. It had been storming all weekend and as I got off the Portage Avenue Bus in front of the 7 Centre Fashion Windows I saw water streaming and freezing down the glass. From the inside. Knee deep drifts were blown against the brass doors to the store and as I rounded the corner to the employee entrance, I was blinded by the glare of firetruck lights. I guess an alarm or an alarmed bus-goer had called them. I went to open the door with my pass card, and a firewoman came up and asked if I could let them in. Being new, I naively responded that I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to. She said, “We’re the fire department, you are required to let us in.” Alrighty then.

I led her and her cohort of firepeople through the darkened main floor to the back entrance of the centre windows and as we opened the huge 10’ double doors, water poured out over our boots. She pushed me back and said they needed to check the electrical before anyone went in there. The electrical panels were where the bulk of the water was pouring down. Fun! And Exciting! Said No One. It was soon discovered that all was safe, but there was a foot of water sitting in my first set of Christmas Windows.

Inside, the long bank of marble-lined windows having no insulation from the way cold Winnipeg Winter, had become a Sugar Plum Fairy Wonderland. The mannequins, dressed in their holiday finery were dusted with frost and very pretty. The freshly painted arches and garland were splashed sparkly. The water frozen in rivulets down the glass cheerily reflected the lights from Portage Avenue. It felt, and not for the last time, almost Titanic-like.  And then, reality. As fans were brought in and everything started to thaw, the mannequins, which in those those days were hung with mannequin wire from their necks, eeeeww, were starting to crackle like porcelain. Beheading was a real possibility, but the damage was amazingly minimal. The finery had to be changed and written off and the wigs restyled, but the props survived and the windows remained intact until the end of the season. And the best news….we got to order 16 brand spanking new mannequins! With Stands. And Wigs. How fun is that! Said Everyone. We got to pick the poses, the make-up, the skin colour. It was like….Christmas.

 If you recognize yourself in this story, I’d love to hear from you, and/or be corrected in my recollection. I've purposely left names out to protect the guilty and just in case any of you have become Famous. Which if you're not, you definitely should be! And Rich.