First Post

This blog will analyze retailing strategies throughout the world. Much of it will include a special emphasis on department stores and similar such larger fashion retailers, especially given their recently regained popularity. 

Upscale larger format stores have made a comeback throughout various world cities. Think Selfridge's in London. Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marche in Paris. Ka De We in Berlin. Brown Thomas in Dublin. Bloomingdale's in New York City. De Bijenkorf in Amsterdam. David Jones in Sydney. I could go on and on. Point being, big stores are becoming popular again, with a combination of beautiful interiors, excellent products, customer service, and innovative marketing strategies. 

Printemps Paris

Selfridge's London

Creating a distinctive 'sense of place' within larger retailers has become paramount in a world where larger-store retailing is becoming more competitive, especially given the increased propensity for international travel among higher-end shoppers around the world. This 'sense of place' coincides with an increased desire for consumers to purchase more, and more often, in retailers successfully executing retail strategies. Some retailers have been excellent in providing this 'experiential' shopping goal, while others appear to be floundering.

Challenged retailers, lately, include Saks Fifth Avenue and its continued store closures.  I'll examine other current retailers that might benefit from better and more unique strategies to create financially successful stores. Various proposed strategies will be examined and suggested, given the different markets of these particularly challenged retailers.

I'll also be presenting some memorials to great former large retailers like Marshall Field's in the United States, Dickens and Jones in London, Meier and Frank in Seattle, and I'm sure many others that Macy's has obliterated in its ongoing orgy of department-store-destruction-mono-branding.

Former Marshall Field's store, State Street, Chicago. Now just another Macy's location, albeit with a maintained '28 Shop' of women's luxury fashion

Although I'm providing a relatively international perspective with my posts, I should let you all know that I'm located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. So some of my posts may appear to be somewhat location-specific, though I expect I'll likely be initially concentrating on some American retailers.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada