Ugly Christmas Sweater trend expanding

This year you can get your "ugly Christmas sweater" as well as a whole suit or design your own tie! 

Macys has embraced the trend, creating outposts in the aisle offering such items. The suits retail for $100 and are packaged in a box in S,M,L,XL and the ties are a bit more budget and size friendly at $20.

Design your own tee shirt

Macys  Herald Square has just added a kiosk, where customers can design their own tee shirts, on the young men's floor. The customer can choose from thousands of images, letters and numbers through a computer screen. One they have picked their design, the associate that works the kiosk will place the tee shirt into a printer and transfer the design. The cost is $40 for just the front of the tee or $45 for front and back. It has been quite successful and there is talk of doing one on the jrs floor!

Macy's Platinum Store Initiative

   Macy's has chosen 150 of their existing doors to be apart of their new Platinum initiative.  The idea is to create a more "lifestyled" shopping experience for customers and to encourage them to make immediate purchases rather then wait for sales or markdowns.  

   The select doors will be given monetary budgets to make nessesary renovations to create better sight lines, trend setup areas and even new fixturing.  When speaking to Ala Moana's assistant store manager he said their hope to create distinctive branded sections so customers will know they are walking from one brand into another.

  Merchandising standards will change as well.  Less product will be placed on the floor to encourage the sense of buying urgency.  

  Will this new initiative work since Macy's has trained their customers so well to shop sales and markdowns?

   

Foot Flops

This new company has a patent pending for heat moldable flip flops formed to fit your feet.

You put them in the oven for a short time and them wear them and they get the exact mold of your foot.

I found this on kickstarter.com

Here is the link to the site explaining their concept more.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/753891259/foot-flops-heat-moldable-flip-flops-formed-to-fit

Billabong Buildouts Popping up in Local Surf Shops

Last month Billabong installed new buildouts in HIC Surf locations; a local surf chain.  The brand was due for a revamp for some years now.  The installs look great; very clean and relevant to the times.

Stance Padres Collection

Just last week, Stance's Padres Collection debuted in Sun Diego shops! There are three different graphics and they retail for $16 each. Appropriately, I spotted them today at the Sun Diego shop in Petco Park. Go Padres!

Updated sneakers

   

Sneakers are the hottest footwear trend this Fall and there are all different styles to choose from. One of the newest versions is a high top slip on without your usual laces. They are available at low price points as well as higher designer price points