A former camera store manager came forward to defend retail renting as a common tactic that helps drive sales. Retail renting is when a customer buys a pricey item like a prom dress with the intention of returning it later. Our completely unscientific poll shows that 70% of you disapprove of retail renting, but our tipster insists that it is a victimless crime and a valuable sales tool. Our enlightening chat with the former manager, inside.
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Would You Take Your (Really Hot) Kid To The Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department And Trauma Center?
By 3.12.08
The once-popular—surely it isn’t still?—teenaged sexpot clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch is shelling out $10 million to build a new emergency room and trauma center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Now a group is speaking out against the idea of prominently naming the kids’ ER after the store, which the hospital has been hinting at in announcements. The reason the hospital is called “Nationwide Children’s Hospital” is because Nationwide Insurance gave it $50 million. Up next: the Budweiser End Zone Birthing Center, and then the American Apparel Teenaged Pregnancy Wing.
Is Retail Renting Ethical?
By 2.21.08
The Boston Globe has an interesting article in which they attempt to explain the phenomenon of “retail renting” or “wardrobing”–where consumers buy items with the intention of returning them when they’re done with the prom or the meeting or whatever. The article blames a mix of influences, including the economy and celebrities who obviously borrow many of their fancy gowns and jewelry.
Closing: An Employee Report From Inside The Wilson's Leather Bloodbath
By 2.19.08
Reader L is an employee of Wilson’s Leather and has the following to report from inside the liquidation. Everything and everyone must go.
Woman Threatens To Sue Salon Over Horrible Haircut
By 2.7.08
The photo at left is an actual photo of the damage done to this lady’s hair and head. Lane writes:
I’m sure you get hundreds of complaints about salons, but have any of the salon owners in question put a lien on the car of the injured party? Mine has.
Tiger Direct Sales Contest Thinks Pimps Are Funny
By 2.5.08
It’s really funny to rape women, beat them, force them to have sex with other men for money, and then take all their money. Which is why this internal sales promotion for gadget seller TigerDirect is so awesome! Start by selling a customer a notebook computer, then PIMP it up with all sorts of accessories. In turn, the more you sell, the more you get entered into a raffle to win some PIMP prizes so you can PIMP out your crib with pimpin’ a new computer and a pimp 50″ plasma TV with surround sound and a Logitech Harmony 1000 Universal Pimp Remote Control! The promotional flyer proclaims, “Now you have a controller in one hand and a cup full of Gin & Juice in the other. You got the nice gifts and the greens $$$$$$ in your pocket. Now you’re OFFICIALLY PIMPING!” Pimps are a hilarious American icon of entrepreneurship! PIMP PIMP PIMP! Full promotional flyer and contest rules, inside…
Coach CEO Says Proposed Stimulus Package Necessary So Consumers Will Buy His Purses
By 1.23.08
Whether the U.S. is technically in a recession or not, Coach’s CEO Lew Frankfort says consumers are already pretending that it’s here. That’s why he’s in favor of the President’s proposed stimulus package—it will “restore confidence in consumers that they will have some additional discretionary money that they would otherwise not expect.” That’s right: we need a nation-wide tax credit this year so that we can buy more Coach purses.
Washington Mutual's Internal Breastfeeding Policy
By 1.18.08
A source inside Washington Mutual has sent us the internal company policy on workplace lactation. They say that they found it amusing that the bank regulates employee’s breast-milk. Overall, the policy is mainly about how one needs to go to special lactation rooms to express one’s milk (for the unaware, that’s what it’s really called). Facility specialists are available if the lactation rooms aren’t up to snuff, and company consultants are on call if you have any questions about expressing your breast milk. Elsewhere, a business writer says that, “Workplace lactation programs are inexpensive way to reduce employee absenteeism, lower health insurance costs, and improve employee retention.” Overall, it’s actually a pretty good policy, but it’s interesting to see how they talk about breastfeeding in corp speak. Oh, by the way, if you express your milk at work and store it there, make sure to label it and take it home at the end of the day. Thanks.
Vegetarian Complains About Chicken Fat In Rice-A-Roni. Response? Sent Free Recipe For "Prize-Winning Meatloaf"
By 1.14.08
Jordan writes:
Recently, I discovered that many of Rice-a-roni’s products, even the one’s I assumed to be vegetarian friendly, had meat byproducts in them. Granted, I can expect “Chicken and Broccoli” to have meat byproducts, but I’ve come to discover almost all of them do. Nearly all contain Chicken Fat. I wrote Rice-A-Roni a complaint, which can be found below, with there extremely helpful response! I was very pleased with their Customer Relations department for the time being. They wrote they’d send me a few coupons and such to try out their Kosher line, which can be vegetarian friendly. I just received the coupons in the mail. I opened the enveloped, with three coupons for Quaker Oats products. Here’s the irony. They decided it’d be friendly of them to send a recipe that I could try out with their products. What recipe is sent, do you ask. A recipe for Quaker Oats “Prize-Winning Meatloaf.”
Joining Lucille Roberts Gym Is Like Joining The Mafia
By 1.14.08
My work out experience was fine, as I didn’t mind the bad smell, chipping paint, or inattentive staff. The problem came when I tried to cancel my membership. I moved to London in April 2007 (less than 2 months after joining), but they refused to cancel my membership and continued to charge my credit card each month. Under my two year contract is a section entitling me to a no fee cancellation if I move outside of the Lucille Roberts catchments area. They demanded proof of my move, which I supplied. Apparently, 3,000 miles away isn’t far enough to be considered outside the catchment area!
Great Moments In Commercial History: Hai Karate Aftershave
By 1.9.08
The ads for Axe body sprays have a cultural debt to be paid to the makers of Hai Karate aftershave, sold from the 60’s to the 80’s. Their whole marketing strategy hinged on the notion that the budget aftershave would turn women into wild maniacs who couldn’t wait to put their hands on you.
Does Urban Outfitters Have A Secret In-Store Website?
By 1.4.08
Reader Chaely C tried to return a gift to Urban Outfitters, only to find that the website in the store showed that her item was on sale for $19. Chaely knew her friends paid $58 for the item via Urban Outfitter’s website, and told the cashier this.
Remove Pen Marks From Dolls With Acne Medications
By 12.20.07
Dirty dolls? Acne medication + sunlight = awesomely removing pen marks from dolls, blogs Baby Toolkit. Acne meds are diluted benzoyl peroxide. This reacts with the UVs in sunlight to release oxidizing agents that dissolve the pen marks, without bleaching the doll or removing paint. Instead of tossing out that dirty doll, you can clean it up.
6 Major Retailers Selling Real Fur As "Faux"
By 12.20.07
Six big retailers are selling jackets advertised as having “faux” fur, but the fur is actually from real animals. It’s not only mean, it’s a violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act. An investigation by the Humane Society of The United States * found jackets sold at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Dillards, Yoox and Bloomingdales containing the faux “faux” fur. Much of the world’s fur is processed in China, a place where they skin animals alive for their fur.
Restaurants Pretend To Not Know What's In Food
By 12.17.07
Here are the funny PR responses from when Men’s Health asked the PR people for several different restaurants for the nutritional information of their foods:
Sales Of Women's Clothing Down, Bargains Are Coming
By 12.17.07
The New York Times says that sales of women’s apparel, usually a staple of the holiday season, are down 6% so far this season.
7 Of The Most Controversial Ads In Fashion History
By 12.14.07
It’s Friday—let’s look at pictures. Debonair Magazine has a rundown of some of the most controversial fashion ads in history. Well, “in history” is a bit overstated, since the oldest is a Jordache spread from 1979, and by today’s standards it looks like something from a brochure for Build-A-Bear. However, a few of the more recent ads are borderline NSFW, especially the pornoriffic Tom Ford For Men. Then again, they all appeared in a fashion mag at one point or another, so if your boss is not so good at debating, you can argue that point and maybe get away with it.
Wipe Your Butt With Designer Toilet Paper By Renova
By 12.12.07
Renova is selling the first “fashionable” toilet paper, available in four designer colors: Black, Red, Orange, and Green. Their catalog copy reads, “A voluptuous texture. Colors for an outstanding style. A warm mystery in every single olfactive moment. Soft and glamorous…A paper full of pleasure.”
