Divertive Competition

Most people go to a particular store because they want to purchase certain items, and many have to go all over town in order to get all of their shopping done. This can be extremely inconvienient for most busy people, so they often go to department stores or super centers where they can do most of their shopping all at once. Some reatilers have began capitalizing on this trend and constantly come up with strategies or create a wider selection of goods in order to keep the customer coming back to their store. Divertive Retailers constantly think of new ways to take business from other stores and add it to their own. Some retailers add on gas stations, or grocery sections, pharmacy's, or even doctor's offices, and hair salons just so cunsumers will opt to shop at their store instead of going elsewhere. It is a pretty smart move actually, but can make it difficult for other retailers to get a head or even compete with these super chains or divertive retailers. Wal-mart is among one of the top divertive retailers and takes a lot of business away from other stores because they have almost everything imaginable in their stores, making it convenient to the customer, and they are able to keep their prices lower than most competitors. It is kind of ironic that stores are going back to this trend of having everything all in one place because most stores started out this way a hundred years ago when they began as general stores and selling dry goods. I think this is a trend we will continue to see develope because even typical pharmicies like CVS have make-up sections, photo sections, and sell DVD's and Cd's. Most stores sell a wide assortment of items besides what they are typically known for, which in turn has greatly benefitted them (Dunne, P., Griffith, D., Lusch, R., Retailing, Ed. 4, 2002, Pg. 118).

Customer Profile

Customer Profile: Who is Ann Taylor's Target Customer?

Ann Taylor's target customer is clearly a woman in her early 30's to mid 40's judging by the merchandise in the store. The store is tailored for conservative dressing women who like to look nice and classy but still be in style and fashionable at the same time. The clothing in the store is fairly basic and traditional so it is not extremely fashion forward, but it is very much elegant and in style. Women who shop a lot in this store most likely care about their appearance and want to buy nice things, and are willing to pay higher prices for their clothing. A lot of the clothing in Ann Taylor stores are good quality and professional. Many working women would shop here because they could buy nice looking professional garments that were in style, but still appropriate for the office or at a meeting. A lot of mothers shop at this store because the clothing selection is modest without looking too old or distasteful. This store appeals to middle aged women because it doesn't make them look older or even their age because it is well tailored and cute. Some of the clothing even appeals to younger adults as well because I absolutley love this store, and it is my favorite place to buy dresses and shirts because you can find a lot of cute things that paired with the right accessories are even young looking and fun.

Usually when I think of Ann Taylor I think of an establiched woman or mom who is in her thirties, has money to go shopping, is conservative, classy, cares about fashion, is educated, and probably is a member of the Ccountry Club. The average run of the mill woman will most likely not shop here because the clothes are very classy and professional, and can be fairly exspensive. The store itself represents a sense of elegance because it is not a place you'd go to buy jeans and a t-shirt, even the sales associates dress nice and professional. A lot of professional women would shop here, or even housewives who have a lot of money to spend and wnat to look nice. This store is geared for a traditional woman and many of the women I see shopping at Ann Taylor or who wear their clothes are fairly well off, usually higher middle class and up. Probably people who are doctors, lawyers, accountants, or their wives shop here because that is the kind of target market they are trying to attract. Ann Taylor is aimed at women who are successful or want to appear that way and want to be respected. These women know this is a nice brand and are fashion contious enough that they know what to wear and how much they need to spend to achieve this look. Ann Taylor has a lot of formal and cocktail dresses along with things you could wear to work or church or somewhere you need to dress up. This store is geared for women who have places to go, who want to portray an image of being important, but care about their appearance and perception and like looking sophisticated. A lot of the clothing in this store reminds me of a modern version of what Jackie Kennedy or Audrey Hepburn would wear, and that's what I love about it.



Social Trends That Reatilers are not Targeting:

As far as having a variety of stores to shop at and having different places to shop I'd say retailers are doing a fairly good job, but sometimes it is hard for them to expand their inventory or change how they do things. Our society is essentially based on vanity and unless you are young, slim, and beautiful it is often hard to find the essential things that you need. Many designers make apparel geared for young, thin people because that is what our society tells us is acceptable so if you do not fit perfectly into the Victoria's Secret or GQ ideal then you may not always find clothing that is fashionable and affordable. A lot of men and women do not know what types of garments look good for their body type and do not have a wide selection of choices, so thye often tend to settle for thnings thta are either too little or too big. So if you do want to look nice and care about fashion then it can be hard for some people to find the right sizes in things they want to buy. Apparel is not like accessories where there is a one size fits all persona. Reatilers need to realize that not everyone is the same size or the same body type. I personally do not have trouble finding things that are my size and are cute, but I know a lot of people do and it can be very hard for them if they are not the perfect size 2.

They also need to make clothing that will fit shorter men because they have a petitie section for women but not a short section for men. I know this is a problem because my dad is short and always has problem finding pants that fit in the waist and are not too long, even then he usually has to get them himmed too. Designers need to work on making comfortable shoes for women that are cute and fashionable because half the shoes I own hurt my feet and I end up wearing the same 3 pair all the time. They should also make cute sports wear for girls because all they really have now are traditional sweat shirts and pants and unless they are in cute colors or have a fun saying they are pretty dull and drabe. The reatil industry should expand on women's swimwear because they do not have many choices so unless you are young and have a cute figure most things don't look good on you. A lot of adult and older women don't want to wear traditonal old lady bathing suits but don't look good in sting bikini's either so there needs to be more fashion forward choices that are both age appropriate and fun. I also don't think they haven't totally capitalized on fashion forward clothing for pregnant women because there's only like 3 stores that sell half way decent stuff and it is exspensive and most women don't want to invest a lot of money in clothes they won't wear very long.

Mission Statement/ SWOT Analysis

1-23-08

My mission statement would have to be something that describes who I am and what I stand for, and would probably be something like this: "I am reliable, true, and always work to the best of my abilities because I believe in hard work and dedication. I think that a strong moral character is important because without it a person has no real integrity or credibility. It is always important to get ahead in the world, but only if you do not hurt others in the process."

My goals are to graduate from college with a degree in fashion merchandising because I love the fashion industry and believe that I could successfully run a business or gain a highly important job in the fashion industry. I would love to be the editor for a fashion magazine or have a top position where I could do something really important and not typical. I would hope to be able to have my own business or work some place that shares the same values and morals that I do and has the same work ethic and reliability as me. I have a lot of goals, but mainly I just want to be a successful person that people can look up to because I am honest, fair, and a hard worker.

How I plan to make these goals a reality is first by getting an education and making the most of my career here at UNCG because I believe it will help me learn the skills I need to be successful, as well as helping me get my foot in the door of the fashion industry. I do not think these things will happen overnight and it will take a lot of work and dedication in order to achieve these things. I think that if I work hard and gain a lot of experience in retail and dealing with customers then I will have a better understanding of the consumer market as well as how to be successful in the retail world. it is always important to be nice to everyone you work with and for because it can essentially make or break your career and you never know who might become the next top notch designer, store owner, or help you launch your career.



1-26-08

SWOT Analysis for Polo

Strengths:
-Classic style clothing
-Apparel for men and women
-Well respected designer label
-Reasonably priced at outlet stores
-Appeals to a variety of age groups
-Preppy clothing
-Fun color choices
-Competes well in the high middle class range and up
-For traditionally conservative consumers
-Considered a nice name brand label that looks chic
-Has good advertisements
-Has a wide range of garments and home accessories

Weaknesses:
-Could use more styles of polo shirts and sweaters
-Could have more cute dresses and polo accessories
-Competitors are more fashion forward
-Can be slightly pricey sometimes
-Doesn't have a wide range of clothing options
-Doesn't have enough outlet stores
-Could have a jewelry line

Opportunities:
-Polo could be an extremely hot commodity globally
-They could benefit from making certain items more exclusive so they would only be accessible to certain people or in certain locations so everyone wouldn't wear the same things but could still have the Polo label
-Try to appeal to a slightly larger audience

Threats:
-Changing the style too much could push loyal shoppers away
-Reducing the prices too much may the product less desirable
-Putting too many store locations may make the store less appealing or not make enough profit

Online shopping

January 20, 2008

Online shopping is somehting that has become very popular in the last few years because it is quick and easy and is more convenient for modern shoppers because it allows them to purchase items from stores through the internet instead of actually going into the store. While this can be very convenient it can also take away from the instore experience. Buying things online instead of from a store makes the buying experience less personal and does not allow shoppers the chance to browse through each individual store or try items on before they buy them. Some people may prefer this easy click of the mouse shopping, but some traditional shoppers still prefer to browse their favorite stores from time to time.

Many online shopping places have had to compete with other e-tailers and keep their prices low because it is much easier to find stores with similar merchandise when surfing the internet then it is actually having to look around for competetors. In the past the reatiler controlled the prices over the customer, but now that consumers have gained more knowledge they know where to look inorder to get the best deals. E-tailing makes up about 20% of the annual reatil sales which in turn decreases the amount of revenue that each individual store makes. This hurts stores because they are losing money which can sometimes result in laying off emplyees or closing store branches. So while the initial company is still making money, the stores may not be, and the economy may suffer because if this. Online shopping appears to be getting more and more popular so it will be interesting to see how this trend progresses over time (Roche, pg. 8, Retailing, Ed. 4, 2002).

Over all online shopping can be a good thing if your favorite store is out of a certain item, or you need to find one particular thing. It allows you the options to look at different stores that are not in your area or but certain products that may not be available at a store near you. E-tailing is good because it is so convenient and if you need one thing it can be a very good way to buy things. I personally like going to stores because you have a lot more items infornt of you and you have the power to decide if you like them before you buy them with out having to deal with returning it online. You have to be careful when buying stuff off the internet because you need to make sure the source you are buying from is legitimate and safe, where as, if you go in a reputable store you know what types of products you are buying. I like shopping in general and would hate to buy all of my clothes off the internet because it would take the fun out of the shopping experience and would feel so impersonal. Usually when you go in a store you see several things you like, and typically when people shop online they are not as tempted to get other items because they already have an idea of what they are looking for. I think online shopping can be a very effective thing, as long as it does not take away from the traditional shopping experience.