1607 FOS master 20110518.indd

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1607 FOS master 20110518.indd
EDITOR’S LETTER
May is here and the sights and sounds of spring are everywhere. The air is mild, new buds appear, sun shines
in a cloudless sky; yet tomorrow it will rain. But that’s all right, because I know there will be sunny days again
after the storm. Rainy days are natural occurrences, and they will pass—just like the things that threaten our
livelihoods and businesses on a daily basis.
Listen. As we struggle to make our businesses work, everything seems to be turning against us: escalating oil
prices, dwindling property values, and consumers who don’t spend. It would be foolish to deny these realities.
Yet, it would be just as foolish to assume that they’ll never end, that the sun will never shine again. It’s certainly
true that negative reports get the most press. But we cannot and should not let bad news rule our lives, because
it’s equally true that economic downturns can be largely self-fulfilling as people trim expenses through fear of
worsening economic conditions, unwittingly contributing to a perpetual cycle of economic scarcity.
Focusing on the negative doesn’t help, and playing it “safe” is probably your worst strategy for improving
your store’s performance. Here’s why: If, through excessive caution, you stock only predictable, uninspired
merchandise, a drop in sales is virtually assured—no, guaranteed! By featuring styles that don’t “speak” to your
customers, you only bore them, making them feel justified in forgoing discretionary purchases. Don’t fall into
this trap.
Change is coming. Trust me. Take a good look inside this issue. Be sure to check out our selection of fashion
shoes and accessories by renowned labels for upcoming Fall/Winter trends. Carefully review the Trade Show
Calendar with FFR’s star ratings, and shop the most appropriate show for your needs! Get business advice from
Donald Trump! And while perusing the pages of this issue, don’t just look! Read our practical, informative
articles prepared especially for you, and start putting their wisdom to work right now to be better prepared for the approaching season.
Don’t let the clouds of pessimism obscure your view. Instead, do your part to improve the economy by improving your store, your business, and your life.
Do you notice the buds on the trees outside? They are the signs of a brighter future! Let them inspire you to grow your business—then let Focus show you how.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to contact me at editor@focusonshoes.com with questions, comments, suggestions or topics you’d like
to see covered in future issues. Serving you better is our goal and privilege.
Sincerely,
Alex Geyman
Editor
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Editor’s letter
Fall/ Winter 2011-12 Fashion Trends
Entrepreneur Of The Month: Top 5 Lessons From Donald Trump
Business Development: 10 Tips For Selling To The Government
Trade Shows Calendar (June- July 2011)
Consumer Behavior: Shopping: Why We Love Kit And How
Retailers Can Create The Ultimate Customer Experience. Part 2/2
Retail 101: Don’t Get Cheated On Exterior Signage
Going Green: Add Sustainability To Your Collection And “Green”
Your Bottom Line
Opinion: Retail, Fashion – Time To Let Consumers Join The Brand
Community
Forecast: 12 Key Loyalty Marketing Trends
Subscription
Your Opinion Counts- Participate In Our Survey!
Classified Ads
COVER PHOTO: Paris Hilton Wearing Tony Ward Couture,
Earrings By Katerina Maxine
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June 2011
BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR SHOE, APPAREL & ACCESSORIES STORES
FASHION RETAIL
EDITOR: Alex Geyman
GENERAL MANAGER: Dmitry Nelipovich
ART DIRECTOR: Allison Moryl
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Pay Fan
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Laurie McAdams
FASHION EDITOR: Francesca Trippoli
SUBSCRIPTION: Sandra DaSilva
RESEARCH: Shawn Lancaster
SALES: Claudia Perez
All editorial pages are intellectual property of
FFR and/or featured authors. No portion of this
issue may be reproduced without the express
permission of FFR and/or featured authors.
FFR magazine disclaims responsibility for the
statements, claims made by either advertisers
or contributing authors. FFR magazine
is not responsible in whole or any part of
advertisement or typographical errors.
FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL
25924 Viana Avenue, Suite 19
Lomita, CA 90717 USA
Tel. (310) 784-0790 fax (310) 202-6027
General E-Mail: info@focusonshoes.com
Web: www.focusonshoes.com
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
FASHION
sexy, classy, and classic
• Fur boots
• Laced-up boots
• Thigh-high boots
• Buckles
Fabi
Casadei
Giuseppe Zanotti
Loriblu
Gabriel Seguí
Giovanni Fabiaini
fashion trends
Fall/Winter 2011-12
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June 2011
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
Art
7 For All Mankind
Moda di Fausto
Vittorio Virgilio
Fornarina
Neosens
Vic Matie
Die Kosmonautin Laika
Ted Baker
Alex Vidal
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail June 2011
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FASHION
Giuseppe Zanotti Design
Taccetti
Emilio Pucci
Fornarina
sexy, classy, and classic
• Stilettos
• Chunky heels
• Wedges
• High platform
7 For All Mankind
Donald J. Pliner
Pakerson
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© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
Adidas
Girard-Perregaux
Montblanc
Tod’s
ICE - Watch
Paul Frank
+ Beryll
Jee Vice
Alain Mikli
Swarovski
Annie Diamantidis
Paolo Coppolella
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail June 2011
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FASHION
sexy, classy, and classic
MsBellezza Jewelry
EV Jewelry
Florence Henderson
MsBellezza Jewelry
• Metal jewelry. Light weight,
large in size, yellow or white.
Structured, angular and/or
irregular shapes.
• Bold statements. Oversized
bracelets, long earrings,
extravagant necklaces
• Strong Motifs. Snakes,
elephants, flowers, birds, bugs,
leaves and coins.
• Fringe.
• Layered necklaces
• Square bangles
• Large Retro Inspired Rings
MsBellezza Jewelry
Sylva & Cie
Clara Kasavina
Misaki
Misaki
MsBellezza
Jewelry
Carrie Ann
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© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
Sylva & Cie
MsBellezza Jewelry
EV Jewelry
MsBellezza
Jewelry
Wendy Joan Williams
Cynthia Desser
Kathleen Dughi
Misaki
MsBellezza Jewelry
Chelsea Kane Staub
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail June 2011
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FASHION
masculine, classy, and sporty
This Fall menswear trends proceed with some last
year’s pieces and bring the world a few new ideas
as well. Bomber jackets, comfortable short coats,
sporty elegant look. Silhouettes straight and slim,
broad shoulders and narrow waists. Classic Loafers,
high sneakers, hiking shoes. Rounded toes and
comfortable thick outsoles.
Barracuda
7 For All Mankind
Georgina Vendrell
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© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
Carlo Ventura
Valentino
Nero Giardini
Gianfranco Butteri
Stonefly
Noxis
Speroni
Nicola Benson
Bait
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail June 2011
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Fossil
+ Beryll
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Girard-Perregaux
ICE - Watch
Sunglasses retro and classic shapes,
chunky and larger size than last year.
Watches also favor classic timepieces for
upscale professional look, while casual
lifestyle calls for bright colors. All metal
light weight jewelry.
+ Beryll
+ Beryll
Kenneth Cole
Paul Frank
Montblanc
DSquared2
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© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE MONTH
Top 5 Lessons
Donald Trump
FROM
he biography of Donald Trump has it all, from
lavish properties and beautiful women to lots
and lots of money. But, behind the glamour
and glitz of what the world knows as Donald
Trump, there is a story of hard work, failure,
determination and finally, triumph.
Any extensive telling of this tale would have to cover the rise, fall, and rise again of the real estate mogul.
Born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, Donald
Trump already had business in his blood. His father was
a relatively successful property developer, whom the
young Trump would go to work for following graduation from the Wharton Business School. For five years,
the father and son duo would make profitable deals and
solidify their position in the affordable housing market.
That is, until he wanted to break out on his own.
He had a vision that was larger than his father’s.
Indeed, he wanted his life story and his achievements
to be known to the world. He was broke, but he set his
sights on Manhattan as his ticket to success. Using his
charm, he was able to gain access into an exclusive club,
along with which came access to power and money. The
only condition of his membership was that he was to stay
away from the other members’ wives. Soon, he would
have found his niche market – catering to the real estate
needs of the wealthy.
However, the biography of Donald Trump is not
simply a story of success and riches. He became notorious for his flamboyant lifestyle during the 1980s, which
was part of the reason behind his near-bankruptcy in the
1990s; he was over $900 million in debt. Nevertheless,
Donald Trump would rebound using his unique strategy
– raising prices when others were lowering theirs and refusing to cut corners. He understood the upper segment
of society and what they wanted in matters of real estate.
In little time, he had created an empire for himself.
From gambling casinos to exclusive hotels, the name
brand had become synonymous with wealth and high
quality. But, “The Donald”, as he has come to be known,
was unsatisfied and he wanted more. Thus, in 2004,
he took a foray into the world of television. With the
launch of The Apprentice, a weekly show where eighteen contestants from across the United States compete
for the chance to work in the Trump Organization, he
had entered popular culture. Now in its sixth season, The
Apprentice continues to enjoy high ratings, thanks in no
small part to the outspoken and self-publicizing personality of Trump himself.
Today, the Trump name is associated not only
with real estate, but also everything from bottled water
(Trump Ice) to vodka (Trump Vodka) to disposable cameras. However, the biography of Donald Trump is not
just one of business and money. He is also a family man,
with two ex-wives, one current wife, and five children,
two of whom currently work for the Trump Organization.
LESSON 1: BE FIERCE
“Always look out for yourself,” says Trump. Never
one to back down from a challenge, Trump has made a
career out of being ruthless when it came to his business.
Trump realized early on that he would only reach the
heights of success of which he dreamed if he was willing
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5/18/11 10:50 PM
to tackle whatever or whoever stood in his way. He
took no prisoners when it came time to make a deal
and did whatever it took to get the job done.
When Trump was first getting his feet wet in
the Manhattan real estate market in the 1970s, he
immediately took a liking to the property at 56th
Street and Fifth Avenue and began designing plans
for its renewal. The eleven-story building was
owned by Genesco, which had also bought out the
adjacent Tiffany store. Trump knew that especially
in light of the depression that the market was facing at the time, it was going to be a difficult task to
acquire this property.
Repeatedly told that his grandiose plans were
unrealistic, Trump refused to give up. “I was relentless, even in the face of total lack of encouragement,
because much more often than you’d think, sheer
persistence is the difference between success and
failure,” said Trump. His persistence paid off and
his property would soon be home to the now-famous Trump Tower, a 58-story building, which with
its elaborate décor and indoor waterfall has become
a New York City landmark.
Trump understood that in order to be successful, he had to ignore his critics and remain headstrong. Unwilling to ever back down, Trump advises that, “When somebody challenges you, fight
back. Be brutal, be tough, just go get them.” He attacks all his deals with similar ferocity, refusing to
take ‘no’ for an answer.
“My style of deal-making is quite simple and
straightforward,” says Trump. “I aim very high, and
then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to
get what I’m after. Sometimes I settle for less than
I sought, but in most cases I still end up with what
I want.”
In the face of your competitors, Trump warns
that it is detrimental to show any fear. “You can’t be
scared,” he says. “You do your thing, you hold your
ground, you stand up tall, and whatever happens,
happens.” And, part of doing your thing, is getting
your goals met at any cost. Whether it is denigrating the competition or remaining firm on an original
bid, Trump refused to let anything stand in the way
of his real estate dreams. He was going to make a
name for himself in New York City no matter what.
“My experience is that if you’re fighting for
something you believe in – even if it means alienating some people along the way – things usually
work out for the best in the end,” says Trump. He
put himself on the line with every business transaction and indeed, things seemed to have worked out
for the best in the end for Trump.
Lesson 2: Love Your Work
“The most important thing in life is to love
what you’re dong,” says Trump, “because that’s the
only way you’ll ever be really good at it.”
It wasn’t Trump’s knowledge of the real estate
market or salesmanship alone that led him to become one of the wealthiest Americans and owner
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail 1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 17
of over 18 million square feet of land in Manhattan
alone. Rather, it was all the late nights he worked to
get his ideas off the blueprints and onto the streets;
it was the endless business meetings and phone
calls he placed to the powers that be; it was his tireless promotion of what seemed to others to be nothing more than outlandish fantasy. In other words, it
was his passion.
As soon as the young Trump began making
property inspections with his father, he knew he
could take a strong liking to real estate. While he
had confidence in his abilities to excel in this field,
it wasn’t the potential for money that was pushing
Trump ahead. Nor was it the fame. Instead, it was
the real estate business itself and the art of deal
making that Trump thrived on.
“Money was never a big motivation for me,
except as a way to keep score,” says Trump. “The
real excitement is playing the game.” It is Trump’s
love for the game that allowed him to keep playing
despite the critics, the lawsuits, and the bankruptcy.
It was only the dedication that came from his passion for real estate that enabled him to continue
reaching for his dreams against all odds.
“Without passion, you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing,” says Trump. “It’s
tangible, it’s solid, it’s beautiful. It’s artistic, from
my standpoint, and I just love real estate.” Trump
knew he would never be able to devote his life to
anything else, and so he threw all his energy into
real estate. And, that, says Trump, is one of the biggest keys to his success. Otherwise, he might have
crumbled when the first ten or so people laughed at
his ideas.
Making business deals was, for Trump, an art
form that he was happy to spend endless hours devoted to. “Other people paint beautifully on canvas
or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals,” says Trump. Whether it’s painting
or writing or buying and selling real estate, Trump
stresses that a passion for what you do will be the
underlying cause of whatever success you achieve.
And without it, success will never come.
Today, Trump could easily retire knowing not
only that he has amassed a fortune worth over an estimated $2 billion, but that he has also changed the
face of New York. Instead, Trump’s passion keeps
him going to work every day. He craves the adrenaline that comes from a handshake over a new deal,
a tough negotiation, or a groundbreaking for a new
building. Despite his lavish lifestyle, Trump would
not be content to sit in the penthouse at the top of
Trump Tower and be idle. He craves his work, he
loves his work and this is why he has succeeded in
his work.
Lesson 3: Think Big
“I like thinking big. I always have,” says
Trump. “If you’re going to be thinking anyway, you
might as well think big.”
Lofty goals with a lofty ego to boot, Trump is
not afraid of taking risks. His philosophy of thinking
big typifies the strategy behind every single business deal Trump has ever made. From building the
Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto,
which will be the tallest residential tower in Canada
when completed, to installing a seven-story waterfall in the lavish marble atrium of the Trump Tower,
Trump either does it big or goes home.
Recalling the criticism he got when he first unveiled his waterfall design, Trump says, “Most of
my people at first favored putting paintings on the
wall. To me that was old-fashioned, unoriginal, and
just not very exciting. As it turned out, the waterfall
proved to be an art form in itself, almost a sculptured wall. And it attracts far more attention than
we’d have gotten if we’d put up even some very
wonderful art.”
Trump considers his ability to think in larger
than life terms one of his greatest strengths and a
major reason for his significant success. “Most
people think small because most people are afraid
of success, afraid of making decisions, afraid of
winning,” he says. “And that gives people like me
a great advantage.” Trump is not afraid to go after
what he wants, nor is he afraid of the consequences
of his decisions.
Trump has gotten to the top of his game today not by following his competitors and going
with the flow, but by daring to do things differently.
“Sometimes it pays to be a little wild,” he says.
When other developers were lowering their prices
during the real estate slump, Trump was raising his.
When others were focused on building mediumincome housing, Trump was designing million
dollar condominiums. And, when others were losing faith in the market’s comeback, Trump saw
only possibilities.
Anything that Trump touches seems to take on
a mystical aura. This is because Trump sells fantasies and dreams and things that most people don’t
dare to imagine. “We took our strengths and promoted them to the skies,” Trump says of Trump Tower.
“From day one, we set out to sell Trump Tower not
just as a beautiful building in a great location but
as an event.” Indeed, Trump’s ‘events’ are beyond
what most will ever attend in their lifetime.
But, Trump cautions that thinking big does
not necessarily mean seizing every opportunity
that comes your way. Often times, rather, less is
more. “If you go for a home run on every pitch,
you’re also going to strike out a lot,” he says. “I try
never to leave myself too exposed, even if it means
sometimes settling for a triple, a double, or even,
on rare occasions, a single.” Trump has only managed to stay in the game so long by maximizing
his options and diversifying his portfolio. From hotels to casinos to books to beauty pageants, Trump
has branched out into different areas of business,
not only minimizing his risk but also making a
name for across a wider audience. By thinking big,
Trump has turned himself into one of the biggest
names in America.
June 2011
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ENTREPRENEUR OF THE MONTH
Lesson 4: Play On Perception
“If you want to sell a car and you spend five
dollars to wash and polish it and then apply a little extra elbow grease, suddenly you find you can
charge an extra four hundred dollars,” says Trump,
“and get it.”
In the fine art of deal making that Trump has
mastered, perception is often one of the most important factors that stands in the way of success. As
a good salesman, Trump found it crucial to control
the perceptions he was giving off to the other side.
Aside from his all-important self-grooming in order
to look as professional as possible, Trump became
an expert in keeping up appearances when it came
to his deals.
Trump’s success came from the fact that he
was always able to maintain the upper hand in making a deal. While he was often in an inferior position
to be making demands, Trump managed to convince
property owners that his terms were the only ones
worth meeting. “If you want to buy something, it’s
obviously in your best interest to convince the seller
that what he’s got isn’t worth very much,” he says.
By over-selling himself and resorting to tactics of
fear and guilt, Trump would always make himself
appear as if he were the only man for the job.
Trump had an ability to make people see things
the way he wanted them to and knowing this, used
it to his advantage in making his multi-million dollar business deals. “When I build something for
somebody, I always add $50 million or $60 million
onto the price,” he says. “My guys come in, they
say it’s going to cost $75 million. I say it’s going to
cost $125 million, and I build it for $100 million.
Basically, I did a lousy job. But they think I did a
great job.”
When Trump was first starting out in the business, he had little experience building the types
of projects he was envisioning and no experience
whatsoever in a prime real estate market such as
Manhattan. Thus, he encountered a lot of resistance
when proposing his plans. But, being a master
of persuasion, Trump did not let that stand in his
way. In one of his very first negotiations to get the
rail yard property along the Hudson River, Trump
recalls that when speaking to the owner, “I couldn’t
sell him on my experience or my accomplishment, so instead I sold him on my energy and
my enthusiasm.”
In a similar situation when Trump was working on transforming The Commodore into the
Grand Hotel, he instructed the architect to, “Make
it appear that we’d spent a huge sum on the drawings. A good-looking presentation goes a long way.”
Trump believed that a presentation that looked as
if it were put together by an established firm with
a large budget would be more credible than a few
sketches done in Trump’s little, dingy apartment.
By making sellers believe that Trump was the
best and only person to lead a redevelopment project, he was able to manipulate and manufacture the
terms of his own success.
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Lesson 5: Go With Your Gut
“Experience taught me a few things,” says
Trump. “One is to listen to your gut, no matter how
good something sounds on paper.”
Trusting his instincts is what has distinguished
Trump’s groundbreaking career from his competitors. With his natural ability to spot unique business opportunities, and the knowledge he gained
from his father and the Wharton School, Trump
had honed his instincts to the point where he had
more confidence listening to his gut feelings over
anything else when making an important decision.
While Trump is a self-proclaimed disbeliever
in marketing surveys and consultants, trusting his
instincts never meant making an ill-informed decision. “I’m a great believer in asking everyone for an
opinion before I make a decision,” he says. “I ask
I ask I ask, until I begin to get a gut feeling about
something. And that’s when I make a decision. I
have learned much more from conducting my own
random surveys than I could ever have learned from
the greatest of consulting firms.”
Trusting his instincts is what pushed Trump
to enter the dwindling New York real estate market
when everybody else was pulling out. And, not only
did he enter the market and purchase decrepit properties, but he actually raised prices. His instincts are
also to thank for his decision to stay on the sidelines
a little longer when prices sometimes seemed too
high. “I knew that if I was patient and kept my eyes
open, a better opportunity would eventually arise.”
When Trump first started building golf courses, it was his instincts that told him it would be a
profitable business venture. He combined his passion for golf along with his business knowledge and
his courses have turned out to be huge hits. “The
results have been spectacular because I paired both
instinct and logic,” he says. Similarly, Trump knew
to listen to his instincts when he first met Mark
Burnett, the man behind The Apprentice. “Within a
few seconds of meeting [him]…I knew he was one
hundred percent solid, both as a person and as a professional.” The success of this business partnership
has since been extremely rewarding for both, with
The Apprentice becoming one of the highest rated
reality shows on TV.
But, everybody has instincts and instinct alone
is not enough to succeed, says Trump. The ability to
recognize and listen to your instincts is equally important and is something that many people are unable to do. Recognizing your instincts requires the
courage as well as the opportunity to be able to do
so. “Somewhere out there are a few men with more
innate talent at golf than Jack Nicklaus, or women
with greater ability at tennis than Chris Evert or
Martina Navratilova, but they will never lift a club
or swing a racket and therefore will never find out
how great they could have been,” he says. Instead,
they’ll be content to sit and watch stars perform
on television.”
In any profession, instincts mean nothing if
you are too scared to acknowledge and use them.
Trump wasn’t scared and he let his instincts push
him all the way to the penthouse.
Breaking New Ground: Trump’s Success Factors
“What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of
fate,” says Trump. He has reacted to the twists and
turns in his life with optimism, becoming CEO of
the largest privately held company in New York,
with over 22,000 employees and estimated revenues in excess of $10 billion. What did he use to
get ahead?
Ferocity: “What I admire most are people who put themselves directly on the line,” says
Trump. Never one to back away from a challenge,
Trump was aggressive and unforgiving in making his
business deals. Even if it were costly and difficult
and risky, Trump would continue to fight to get
the best terms he could. And, he would settle for
nothing less.
Passion: “I don’t make deals for the money,” says Trump. “I’ve got enough, much more than
I’ll ever need. I do it to do it.” Trump’s love affair
with real estate began at an early age and never diminished. Having passion for his work is the only
thing that kept Trump going despite the personal
failure of divorce, bankruptcy and failed deals. To
those wondering how to balance both work and
pleasure, Trump says to stop wondering. Instead,
he advises to “make your work more pleasurable.”
Idealism: “I wasn’t satisfied just to earn a
good living,” says Trump. “I was looking to make
a statement.” The Trump Organization has become
synonymous with luxury, lavishness, class and extravagance. It didn’t get that way by following its
competitors. It got that way because Trump was not
afraid to think big, to do what hadn’t been done before and in a way that many couldn’t even imagine.
His ability to blur the line between fantasy and reality helped push Trump’s company into a league
above the rest.
Perception: “Watch, listen, and learn,”
advises Trump. Indeed, Trump’s success came
about largely as a result of his own ability to observe others and thereby learn how to manipulate
their actions. By convincing others they could not
do without him, Trump truly refined the deal-making process into an art. It was by mastering this art
that Trump was able to rise to the top of his game.
Instinct: “It pays to trust your instincts,”
says Trump and in his case, it paid off remarkably
well. When sellers, banks, consultants and even
friends were telling him one thing, Trump knew
he had to go with his gut. By having confidence in
himself and the courage to follow through, Trump
was able to make difficult and risky decisions when
others might have simply given way to the pressure.
Trump’s instincts are now worth over $2 billion but he has no plans of retiring, saying, “Anyone
who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly
mistaken.” The Trump Organization is still expanding, with a revenue growth of 22% between 200405 and Trump continues to demonstrate his ability
to draw a good hand, pulling out the Trump card
every time.
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
5/18/11 10:50 PM
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
10 Tips for Selling to the Government
The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars annually
buying products and services from small businesses.
Could your company be one of them?
Here are 10 steps to breaking into the lucrative world of government contracting.
1
EDUCATE YOURSELF. The federal government is vast, and every agency is different. Do your
homework to understand each agency, its goals,
and whether your business can help achieve those
goals. You can find a list of agencies at www.USA.
gov (www.usa.gov/Agencies/federal.shtml).
2
BE REALISTIC. Can your business handle the
requirements involved in fulfilling a government
contract? You’ll need to manage lots of paperwork,
maintain certifications, institute quality control
procedures and comply with regulations. Know
what’s expected--and make sure
3
BE PATIENT. The government sales cycle
can last years. You need to find and get to know
decision-makers, search for opportunities, submit
proposals and wait for results and funding. If you
need to make money now, contracting may not be
the way to go.
4
GET REGISTERED. To begin, get a DUNS (Data
Universal Number System) number from D&B. You
need this to register with the Central Contractor
Registration (CCR) system, which you must do in
order to get contracts and obtain payment.
5
GET CERTIFIED. When you register in CCR,
you can self-certify your business as small,
disadvantaged, or women-, minority- or veteranowned. These certifications can give you an edge
in competing for contracts, as most agencies “set
aside” a certain percentage of spending for these
kinds of businesses.
6
LEARN THE BASICS. The Federal Acquisition
Regulation (www.acquisition.gov/far) explains all
the rules regulating government buyers and sellers.
The General Services Administration (www.gsa.
gov) is the biggest federal purchaser of goods and
services. Being listed on the GSA Schedule opens
your business to contracting opportunities.
7
GET EXPERIENCE. Don’t even think about
8
MARKET YOUR BUSINESS. Getting listed
9
10
government contracting unless your business has
a track record of success. Past performance is key
to landing a federal contract, so you must have a
history of customers who will give you excellent
references.
on a government schedule doesn’t guarantee
sales. You still have to market to decision-makers.
Use social media tools, networking organizations,
and events like those sponsored by the SBDC to
network with government buyers in person.
THINK SMALL. The federal government isn’t
the only game in town. Contracts with local or state
governments are a good way to learn the ropes. Visit
www.Business.gov for information and resources
on doing business with state governments.
PARTNER UP. Subcontracting to a federal
government prime contractor is another good way
to break into government business even if you have
limited capital, resources or experience. You can
find prime contractors seeking subcontractors at
the GSA website.
Rieva Lesonsky is founder CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps
entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Before launching her business, she was Editorial
Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit SmallBizDaily.
com.to sign up for her free TrendCast reports. Cesar Arellanes, Director of the Long Beach Center
for International Trade Development (CITD), contributed to these tips.
20
June 2011
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 20
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
5/18/11 10:50 PM
The business of fashion
discover.
inspire.
connect.
SHOP OVER 1200 BRANDS
OF FOOTWEAR AT
the shoe show at MAGIC
August 22, 23, 24 2011
SOURCING OPENS ON THE 21st
Las Vegas & MANDALAY BAY Convention CENTERS
magiconline.com
(877) 554 4834
TRADE SHOWS CALENDAR JUNE - JULY 2011
JULY
JUNE
DATE
22
June 2011
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 22-23
FOCUS'
RATING
EVENT
LOCATION
M
W
C
2-5
DALLAS APPAREL & ACCESSORIES MARKET
DALLAS, TX
•
•
•
•
•
•
(214) 655-6100
WWW.DALLASMARKETCENTER.COM
★★
5-7
DENVER APPAREL & ACCESSORY MARKET
DENVER, CO
•
•
•
•
•
•
(303) 292-6278
WWW.DENVERMART.COM
★★
7-9
THE NEW YORK SHOE EXPO (FFANY)
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
•
•
•
(212) 751-6422
WWW.FFANY.ORG
★★★
9-12
ATLANTA APPAREL MARKET
ATLANTA, GA
•
•
•
•
•
•
(404) 220-3000
WWW.AMERICASMART.COM
★★★
13-15
SELECT- THE CONTEMPORARY TRADE SHOW
LOS ANGELES, CA
•
•
•
•
•
(213) 630-3616
WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM
N/A
13-15
FOCUS- APPAREL & ACCESSORIES SHOW
LOS ANGELES, CA
•
•
•
•
(213) 630-3616
WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM
★
13-15
TRANSIT- THE LOS ANGELES SHOE SHOW
LOS ANGELES, CA
•
•
•
(213) 630-3616
WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM
★
13-16
LA KIDS MARKET
LOS ANGELES, CA
•
(213) 630-3616
WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM
N/A
14-17
MOSSHOES
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
•
•
(495) 781-3411
WWW.MOSSHOES.COM
N/A
14-17
PITTI IMAGINE UOMO
FLORENCE, ITALY
•
•
39 05536931
WWW.PITTIMMAGINE.COM
★★★
14-17
PITTI W WOMAN
FLORENCE, ITALY
39 05536931
WWW.PITTIMMAGINE.COM
★★★
15-17
ATLANTA FASHION SHOE & ACCESSORY MARKET
ATLANTA, GA
(706) 923-0580
WWW.ATLANTASHOEMARKET.COM
★★★
18-22
MILANO MODA UOMO
MILAN, ITALY
+39.02.7771081
WWW.CAMERAMODA.IT
★★★
21-22
CHICAGO SHOE EXPO
CHICAGO, IL
(312) 943-3800
WWW.CHICAGOSHOEEXPO.COM
22-26
MODE À PARIS- MEN’S FASHION
PARIS, FRANCE
FASHION SHOW
0142 66 64 44
WWW.MODEAPARIS.COM
N/A
23-26
HONG KONG JEWELLERY & GEM
HONG KONG, CHINA
•
(852) 2516-2158
WWW.UBM.COM
N/A
23-25
PITTI IMMAGINE BIMBO
FLORENCE, ITALY
24-26
RENDEZ-VOUS HOMME
PARIS, FRANCE
•
25-27
(CAPSULE) MENS
PARIS, FRANCE
•
26-28
SHOE MARKET OF THE AMERICAS (SMOTA)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
•
2-5
MODE À PARIS- HAUTE COUTURE
PARIS, FRANCE
4-7
HONG KONG FASHION WEEK
HONG KONG, CHINA
•
5-8
PREMIUM MEN
BERLIN, GERMANY
•
6-8
BREAD & BUTTER
BERLIN, GERMANY
•
7-8
(CAPSULE) MENS/ WOMENS
BERLIN, GERMANY
•
15-19
MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK SWIM
MIAMI, FL
17-19
ENKNYC
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
•
17-19
MRKET NEW YORK
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
18-19
(CAPSULE) MENS
NEW YORK, NY
•
20-22
CHILDREN CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES EXPO
SHANGHAI, CHINA
23-26
PREMIUM DUSSELDORF
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY
•
•
27-29
ENKWSA SHOW
LAS VEGAS, NV
•
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
ACCESSORIESTHESHOW
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
FAME
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
MODA MANHATTAN
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
ACCESSORIE CIRCUIT
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
INTERMEZZO COLLECTIONS
NEW YORK, NY
•
•
•
31-2 AUGUST
CHILDREN'S CLUB
NEW YORK, NY
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
•
PHONE
THIS ISSUE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
•
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•
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•
•
•
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•
•
•
FASHION SHOW
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
★
•
•
39 05536931
WWW.PITTIMMAGINE.COM
•
•
(917) 388-3124
WWW.RENDEZ-VOUS-PARIS.COM
•
•
(212) 206-8310
WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM
N/A
•
(786) 331-9000
WWW.SMOTA.COM
★★
0142 66 64 44
WWW.MODEAPARIS.COM
N/A
•
FASHION SHOW
•
WEB SITE
★★★
★
•
•
•
(852) 2240-4323
WWW.HKTDC.COM
N/A
•
•
•
+49 (0)30-629-085-78
WWW.PREMIUMEXHIBITIONS.COM
N/A
•
•
•
•
49 (0)30 400 44 160
WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.COM
★★★★
•
•
•
•
(212) 206-8310
WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM
★★★★
(212) 489-8300
WWW.MBFASHIONWEEK.COM
•
(212) 759-8055
WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM
★★
•
•
(212) 686-4412
WWW.MRKETSHOW.COM
★★
•
•
•
(212) 206-8310
WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM
★★
•
•
•
+86-571-88393239
HTTP://WWW.CBMEXPO.COM
★★
•
•
•
+49 (0)30-629-085-78
WWW.PREMIUMEXHIBITIONS.COM
N/A
•
•
(818) 379-9400
WWW.WSASHOW.COM
★★★
•
•
(212) 686-4412
WWW.ACCESSORIESTHESHOW.COM
★★★
•
(212) 686-4412
WWW.FAMESHOWS.COM
(212) 686-4412
WWW.MODAMANHATTAN.COM
•
(212) 759-8055
WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM
★★
•
(212) 759-8055
WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM
★★
•
(212) 759-8055
WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM
★★
FASHION SHOW
•
•
•
•
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
★★★
★★
★★★
Show dates and
locations were
accurate at the time
★ Awful
of printing and subject
★ ★ OK
to change without
notice. Please contact
★ ★ ★ GOOD
venues directly for
★ ★ ★ ★ Awesome
the latest information.
FFR’s ratings are based on reports from our
correspondents, contributors, vendors and retailers
who attended these events.
Ratings reflect people’s opinion of show organization,
traffic, convenience and value for attending
/participating businesses.
LEGEND
June 2011
23
5/19/11 7:25 PM
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
SHOPPING: Why We Love It and How
Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer
Experience.
By Pamela N. Danziger. Excerpts from the book.
Part 2/2
The “Pop Equation” Means
Success for Retailers to Enhance
the Shopping Experience
Due to the experiential shift, making a retail
concept work today is far less about the tangibles
or objective aspects of the business—product,
location, price—and all about the intangibles that
color and flavor the shopper’s experience in the
store. The bar has risen in retail.
In order to be successful a retailer must offer
an enhanced, truly memorable, and distinctive
shopping experience to its customers.
The Pop Equation:
Field Guide to Shops that Pop
In the future retail will continue to transform
toward an emphasis on entirely new kinds of
shopping experiences. Shoppers are rejecting the
old concept of “hunting and gathering” shopping
in favor of a more involving, interesting, dynamic
retail experience. The profiles of shops that pop
in this book are stores on the cutting edge of the
new experiential retailing paradigm. The distinctive
features they share, called the pop equation, include:
• High levels of customer involvement and
interaction—Shoppers do not just want to browse
the aisles. Shops that pop encourage customers
to touch, feel, taste, try on, and participate in the
store in a more involving way, like Charlotteville’s
Feast! gourmet food store, Washington, DC’s Blue
Mercury beauty apothecary, and Atchinson, Kansas’
Nell Hill’s home store.
• Evocation of shopper curiosity—Shops that
pop excite consumer curiosity to explore and
24 June 2011
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
The Pop Equation
• Involvement
• Curiosity
• Contagious
• Convergence
• Authenticity
• Price/value
• Accessibility
All the stores profiled in the pages to come embody
each of these pop attributes to a greater or lesser
extent. To show how the pop equation works,
let’s look first at The Apple store, a retailer that
is so electric it exerts a magnetic pull that draws
shoppers into the store.
The Apple store—Once You Take a Bite of This
Apple, You Can Never Go Back to the Ordinary
Computer Store, or Computer, Again.
experience, from the shop windows and entrance
through the different displays. Atlanta’s Boxwoods
Gardens & Gifts lures shoppers through a maze
of wonderful displays that promise a new treasure
around every corner.
• A contagious, electric quality—A shop that pops
exudes energy and excitement. They are so kinetic
that even shoppers not all that into the category
feel there is something in the store for them, like
Magnolia Audio Video stores, Cabela’s, the chain
for outdoor enthusiasts, or Charleston, South
Carolina’s Tiger Lily award-winning flower shop.
preceding qualities, plus another essential feature—
they are immediately accessible to everyone, free
from pretensions of exclusivity or snobbishness.
The new lifestyle shopping centers, like Columbus,
Ohio’s Easton Town Center, get rave reviews from
shoppers because they are so much more accessible
than the old-fashioned enclosed mall. Saks Fifth
Avenue carefully selects the best-of-the-best luxury
and warmly welcomes both shoppers and browsers
into the store to experience the best.
You might think the Apple store is a new retailing
concept by the buzz of activity swarming around
every single store front, but the first store opened
in Tyson’s Corner Center, Virginia, a DC suburb,
in May 2001. Since then over 100 stores have
launched, including flagship stores in New
York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco,
distinguished by their larger size and Internet Café
from the regular Apple store models. They have
recently gone international with a five-story store
in the center of Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district
and a new double-decker model on London’s
Regent Street. A stunning glass staircase in the
center of each multilevel store invites shoppers up
to the next level.
• Convergence between atmosphere, store design,
and merchandise—A shop that pops presents a
comprehensive vision that captures all the tangible
and intangible elements. Colonial Williamsburg
Gift Shops and Stores are true to their colonial
18th-century roots throughout, while The Apple
stores propel us into the future.
• An authentic concept—A shop that pops is more
than just a store selling stuff. It is conceptually
driven and reflects a visionary’s values. It transcends
being just a store into a new realm of experience,
like Rapid City’s Prairie Edge where the shopper
can touch, feel, and participate in Native American
culture through art, crafts, fashion, jewelry, books,
and home furnishings.
• Right price/value proposition—A shop that pops
must offer superior value at a reasonable cost. They
aim to get the price/value proposition “right,” and
price their goods neither too high nor too low for
the value. Pricing is a powerful communicator
to consumers of value, and a price that is too
outrageously low sends a signal that maybe, after
all, the item isn’t worth it. Shoppers value both
Target and Nordstrom because they offer an
outstanding price/value proposition that pops.
• Accessibility, no exclusivity, and freedom
from pretensions—Shops that pop have all the
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail “We didn’t think about the experience in the store. We said, ‘let’s design this store around
their life experience,’” said Ron Johnson, senior vice president of retail, Apple.
June 2011
25
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Speaking at a Success for Design conference, Ron
Johnson, the former head of merchandising at Target
who was tapped to head up Apple’s fledgling retail
business in 2000, claimed the company’s grounding
in design as the springboard for their success, “I
think it is all about Apple’s grounding in design,
applied to a different business from products—to
a retail strategy.” Johnson describes the feeling
the store’s design aims to deliver as high touch
shopping that creates an ownership experience for
the customer. It’s not just about selling the customer
another computer, iPod, or other gadget; it is about
building a lifelong relationship with the customer
that transcends the time spent in the store making
the purchase. Johnson explains, “We didn’t think
about the experience in the store. We said, ‘let’s
design this store around their life experience.’”
Key to the Apple store shopping experience is
the store layout, clearly revolutionary in today’s
increasingly cluttered retailing environments.
With a minimum of product on display, a
sparkling contemporary design workspace
showcases each computer and piece of peripheral
equipment. Shoppers are welcome to get handson with the equipment (with the exception of the
hot new nano-iPods, which are in a plexiglass
display case to keep these super-minis gadgets
out of undeserving shoppers’ pockets), check
their e-mail, and give each computer model a test
drive. Johnson explains the unique layout of the
store is intended to “guide the intellectual and
emotional experience of the customer through the
store.” In design, The Apple store is more like a
public library than a typical computer store with
its distinct sections devoted to specialized tasks,
like the Apple kiddie table with iMacs displayed
on kindergarten-sized tables and chairs.
So the front of the store is devoted to products,
with a section further back for music and photos,
and accessories and software are grouped around
the checkout counter on the far back wall where
no cash registers are visible, thus reinforcing
the feeling that you are not in an ordinary retail
store anymore. However, the centerpiece of every
Apple store—and what really sets it apart from all
the rest—is its Genius Bar, where the real magic
of The Apple store experience is conjured. The
Genius Bar is where you go for help and someone
who wears a badge saying Apple Genius (so you
know you are in capable hands no matter what
the technical challenge) services you face-toface. Today with most computer technical support
delivered only by telephone, Apple lets you bring
your troublesome machine right into the bar where
you get your very own genius to tackle all the
mechanical details. The Genius Bar is the heartand-soul of the Apple store and where you can
usually find a flock of people of all ages gathered
around discussing this and that and tweaking the
innards of some machine or another.
In a recent shopping trip to our local Apple store
in King of Prussia Mall, outside of Philadelphia,
I got my first personal taste of The Apple store
experience. My teenaged son who owns an
iBook laptop model—required college freshman
equipment these days—insisted that I trade in my
old-fashioned Microsoft Windows-based machine
for a super-cool, easy-to-use, and virtually virusimmune Apple computer. Guess it’s been a while
since I went computer shopping, but Apple doesn’t
have those big bulky boxes where you plug in all
your disks and wires anymore, unless you are a
super-computer nerd and want that extra baggage.
The sleek new iMac model I looked at came with
only an 18- inch flat screen on a stand, a keyboard,
and a mouse. The brains of the machine were all
inside the screen; no box and no more digging
around under my desk when something goes wrong.
Moreover, the speed with which the computer
could open and run layers of different programs
demonstrated it didn’t lose any horsepower by its
compact size.
If I ever get into trouble, I can pick up the
lightweight screen and lug it on over to the Genius
Bar. They offer classes that I can schedule on the
store’s Web site even before I leave home so they
will be ready for my lesson when I get to the store.
Best of all, I can use some kind of backup program
to make my home Apple machine a virtual Web site
somewhere out there in cyberspace. That means
when I am in my office on my Windows machine
I can tap into any home Apple file with the Web
browser. So, I signed myself up for this new Apple
computer that I expect to revolutionize my ability
to use the computer. Even though the new computer
system, software, yearly support, and all will cost
around $2,000 or so (about double the price of the
last Windows computer I bought), I feel the value is
there and thus justifies the price premium. The key
value for me is the personalized support. Frankly
my problem isn’t knowing what a computer can
do, but figuring out how to make it do what I want.
In my backward Windows world, there isn’t a soul
around to help with the details, but I will now have
a computer genius at my beck and call to show me
how to do it, hands on, face-to-face.
It’s magic and the results for the Apple Company
prove they have a shop that pops. The company
claims they average about 85,000 store visitors each
day. Before launching their stores, Johnson reports,
the company’s only direct contact with ordinary
customers/users was the Annual MacWorld trade
shows, which at its peak drew 80,000 visitors to a
single show. Now Apple has personal contact with
that many customers each day. The viral-spread of
the Apple computing revolution is really starting to
pick up steam as it moves from the early-adopter,
nerd fringes to the mainstream and definitely nontechno freaks like me. The company has already
reached a milestone in the retailing “Guinness
book of world records”—Fastest retailer to ever
reach $1 billion in revenues. Prior to that, The Gap
held the honor.
Commenting on The Apple store’s success,
Johnson said, “fundamentally, we think what
makes our stores successful is the design decision
to put the customer at the center, but not the buying
experience—the life experience.” That is where
the real retailing magic begins, enhancing the
customer’s life experience before, during, and after
the in-store shopping experience occurs. Johnson
recognizes that The Apple store is at the forefront
of that revolution, not just for the Apple Company,
but for retailing in the 21st century, when he
explains that the right concept can change not only
a company like Apple, “but can start to influence
retailing all over.”
Pamela N. Danziger is a nationally recognized expert in undertanding the mind of the consumer. She founded Unity Marketing
in 1992 as a marketing consulting firm for marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences. A highly sought after
keynote speaker, Danziger has addressed large conference audiences, including Global Luxury Forum, Global Shop, National Retail
Federation, etc.
She has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox News and CNN and is frequently called upon by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times,
Businessweek, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and other business
and consumer publications for commentary and analysis. She holds a B.A. Degree in English Literature and a Master of Library
Science degree.
In recognition of her ground- breaking work in the luxury consumer market, Pam received the Global Luxury Award presented by
Harper’s Bazaar for top luxury industry achievers in 2007. She is also the author of three books on consumer psychology and
behavior. For more information, go to www.unitymarketingonline.com or email her at pam@unitymarketingonline.com
26
June 2011
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
Retail 101
DON’T GET CHEATED
ON EXTERIOR SIGNAGE
A veteran sign manufacturer tells retailers how to protect themselves from the
hidden safety, liability, and maintenance risk of low-bid exterior signage
By RoBeRt LaURenCeLLe
fter years of cost cutting, retailers have unwittingly created a
cheating-prone climate for buying external signage. Cheating is
more common than you’d think, as
retailers have routinely pitted exterior signage vendors against each other to win
low-bid contracts, then failed to check if they
got what they paid for.
Mexico and other locations where there is little
quality control. The result can be products with
parts that don’t match the specs, don’t meet UL
requirements, are poorly constructed, and could
even be a liability risk for fire or injury. Because
the buyer isn’t typically aware of how to spot
these shortcuts and isn’t routinely inspecting
for them, they are not often discovered until it’s
too late.
While electrically powered, external signage may look fine on the outside, subtle shortcuts can pose a fire risk, increase liability, hurt
brand image, and cost much more in maintenance and installation.
Even national retail brands are not immune
to being cheated on signage. For example, when
signage supplied to a major oil company by a national sign company on exclusive contract was
As a service to the industry, a veteran sign
manufacturer not only gives retailers the inside
scoop on how such cheating occurs but also details how they can protect themselves from the
hidden safety, liability, and maintenance risk of
low-bid exterior signage.
Spotting the Cheat
In today’s price-driven market, many sign
vendors are outsourcing part manufacture to
28 June 2011
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 28
inspected, they found numerous shortcuts including the use of thin, reclaimed sheet metal on the
sign’s back; visible gaps, some larger than 1/4”,
between sign face and cabinet; and duct tape adhering the sign face to the sign cabinet.
A common tactic of unscrupulous sign vendors is to ‘bid and switch,’ that is spec a higher
grade part in the bid, but substitute a lower grade
part later. Failing to meet spec in power supply,
electrical components or wiring carries the biggest fire, insurance, and liability risk. While it
may seem like a remote possibility, having a
retail chain’s name on signage that’s linked to a
mall or strip mall fire can carry serious liability
and hurt the brand in the eyes of consumers.
Failing to build to local weather conditions,
such as for wet, cold winters; dry, hot summers;
or excessive humidity is another problem that can
accelerate signage failure. Supplying non ULcompliant power components instead of the ULcompliant ones specified can cause problems too.
More blatant signage cheats occur as well,
such as bidding on a 122” sign, but delivering a
116” one to save on materials.
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
5/18/11 10:50 PM
A subtle but potentially costly “cheat” takes
place in the “one-year warranty” of many signage
vendors that actually covers just 90 days before
parts and labor become the responsibility of the
store owner, franchise master dealer, or retail corporate office.
Most retailers don’t realize that the cost of
servicing a relatively small sign can cost nearly
as much as the sign itself when it’s out of warranty. To safely work on an elevated sign, such as
one attached to a building or pylon, can require a
crew of 2 to 3 with a bucket truck, which can cost
up to $1,500 per visit.
Beating the Cheat
Retailers looking to beat the cheat on exterior signage, including purchasing agents feeling “nickel and dimed” by tacked on costs for
basics like painting the sign, can fight back in
a number of ways.
vendors of dubious quality out there – when you
choose wisely.”
Retailers can also protect themselves from
shortcuts in quality with the help of third-party
partners, who can help ensure that exterior signage meets all required safety standards and
specifications, including installation. They can
help with signage contract conception, specification, and inspection. By inspecting a percentage
of signage at the retail site, at the manufacturing
plant, or by having the signage shipped first to
them, for instance, such watchdogs can guard
against cheating and serve as a deterrent to dishonest low-bid signage practices.
By creating
signage cheating
contractual penalties for
or missed specifications,
retailers can quickly offset the cost of involving
a third-party partner. Multiple instances of
missed specifications, if not outright cheating, is
very common.
“Even if locked into a large multi-vendor
contract, you still need an independent third-party partner on your side to protect you from lowbid quality issues,” says Curry.
Curry’s third-party partner, in fact, has
stepped in to improve signage from other
vendors on more than one occasion. “Whether
it’s as simple as putting a gasket inside a sign to
better protect it from winter weather, or making
it more energy-efficient, dealing with our sign
vendor helps to take the risk out of low-bid
exterior signage.”
One of the easiest ways to get quality signage at a reasonable price is to choose a vendor that offers a multi-year warranty, including
parts and labor. That way, if anything goes
wrong, the signage is promptly repaired onsite,
and the retailer has no out-of-pocket cost.
Kevin Curry, co-owner of Danby
Gasoline Marketers Inc., a convenience store/
petro retailer and wholesaler based in the U.S.
Northeast, for instance, has relied on the 3-year
parts and labor warranty of their sign vendor.
“We chose a sign vender that has even
optimized our exterior signage after the 3-year
warranty,” says Curry. “The initial price needs
to be competitive, and when you consider
parts, labor, installation, maintenance, and any
extra charges, the total cost of ownership it can
be at least 50% less expensive than the low-bid
Robert Laurencelle is the President of Signage US, a third-generation, family-owned signage provider based in Meriden, Conn for over 104
years. For more info, call 203-440-9419; visit www.signageus.com; or write to Signage US at 38 Elm Street, Meriden, CT 06450.
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 29
June 2011
29
5/18/11 10:50 PM
GOING GREEN
add
Sustainability
to Your Collection and
“Green” Your Bottom Line
Submitted by BrownFlynn in Cleveland, Ohio
b y M a r g i e P. F l y n n , P r i n c i p a l & C o - O w n e r
Contributing Author: Katherine Kaminski, Associate Consultant
At BrownFlynn, we believe in going beyond green. By adding sustainability
to your collection—no matter what the season—you can add value to your
company’s bottom line.
In simple terms, “sustainability” means the capacity to endure over time.
In the business community, sustainability is often referred to as “the triple
bottom line,” which considers the wellbeing of the “3P’s,”—or people,
planet, profit—in all organizational decisions. No matter if green is a term,
trend, or just a color in your wardrobe, today’s global market is demanding
individuals and businesses to act responsibly by caring for the environment,
people and society in general. Sustainability is becoming a timeless classic
in the industry, and something that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has even
incorporated into New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
There are many sustainability issues facing the fashion industry—especially
when it comes to environmental and social concerns. Is your company
prepared to answer challenging diversity questions? In anticipation of
future water shortages, how will your company use raw materials, like
cotton, that are water-, labor- and pesticide-intensive? Will your company
consider the remanufacturing or reuse of recycled or upcycled materials?
What will your company do to promote human rights within your global
workforce and give back to local communities? Has your company
developed a sustainable supply chain policy or response to climate change
impacts or high energy prices? A smart sustainability strategy will help your
company prepare for future risk, anticipate shareholder concerns, become
environmentally, socially and financially responsible, and establish itself as
a preferred provider for consumers and industry peers.
Today’s consumers prefer putting their dollars into sustainability-focused
companies. For instance, 50% of all shoppers indicate a willingness to pay a
premium for a green product. Additionally, 70% of Americans pay attention
to what companies are doing, or not doing, regarding the environment.
Sustainability also has impacts on current and future employees. 75% of
entrants into today’s workforce evaluate firms’ environmental and social
responsibility records prior to choosing an employer of preference, and 92%
of young workers would choose to work for an environmentally-friendly
3 10 June 2011
company. Considering the top driver of a firm’s overall corporate reputation
is the public’s ratings of its products and services, and the second most
important driver is the public’s perception of the company’s citizenship
(or environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibility). Therefore,
setting a solid plan for your company’s sustainability initiatives is more
important than ever.
A well-thought-out strategy is smart business, especially since sustainability
is often regarded as a management process. In return, businesses will be
afforded with new opportunities, innovation and bottom-line success. Some
examples of the benefits derived from “greening” your business include:
• Increasing revenue and cutting costs
• Turning waste streams into revenue streams
• Anticipating and reducing risks
• Increasing employee attraction and retention rates
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and water consumption
• Creating a healthy workplace
• Enhancing relationships with stakeholders and communities
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
GOING GREEN
Many of those in the industry are already realizing the benefits of
sustainability initiatives. Some industry players recognized for their
sustainability initiatives include: Abi Ferrin, American Apparel; Eileen
Fisher, Gap, Inc.; Levi’s Strauss & Co.; Nike; Nordstrom and Timberland.
Those in the industry leading responsible initiatives often attest to the
importance and value of weaving sustainability into the fabric of the
organization, rather than keeping it as a stand-alone department. Several
industry best practices are highlighted below:
employees across the globe; specific examples include improved healthcare
services and access to microfinance in Bangladesh and improved women’s
healthcare services in China and Vietnam.
Perhaps leading the industry by example, Mayor Bloomberg is encouraging
sustainability within iconic Fashion Week through his Fashion.NYC.2020
project. Actionable items that Bloomberg hopes will encourage responsible
business practices include: leveraging technology and mobile marketing
(to embrace and promote sustainability); taking a hard look at street
vendors and quality of life issues; bolstering business in the boroughs, and
stimulating tourism. These initiatives consider sustainability as a whole,
as well as encourage human rights, innovation, financial profitability in
communities and the use of technology.
The Fashion.NYC.2020 project focuses on sustainability as a strategy that
is best implemented on both a short- and long-term basis. While you can
“green” your business overnight by printing double-sided, maximizing
design/cutting space on fabric, increasing natural or LED lighting in your
facilities, starting a fashion education outreach program in your community
or engaging in a product life cycle analysis, sustainability will help your
business realize more returns over time as goals are set and targets reached.
As a management process, sustainability aims to define a vision and mission
which encompasses the triple bottom line; engage stakeholders in dialogue
to identify important, material issues; set goals and targets; track data and
measure performance against the goals; and communicate successes and
challenges—typically in the form of a corporate responsibility report. After
all, what gets measured gets managed.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Supports diversity by encouraging a culture
of inclusion that allows them to better
understand their customers, workforce and
communities. Recruiting strategy has resulted
in their store-associate demographics to be
more racially and ethnically diverse than the
U.S. population and the Federal government.
A stylish, sophisticated sustainability strategy is quickly becoming a staple
for many companies. Business is no longer focused solely on the financial
profitability, but rather the triple bottom line. For the fashion industry,
human rights, product responsibility and environmental stewardship are
keys to keeping your collection a popular one.
Gap Inc.
Ties factory compliance to performance of
production personnel at the highest levels
(Vice President and above). Established a
Clean Water Program to monitor their denim
laundries’ wastewater discharge; required
them to clean up wastewater practices.
Levi’s Strauss & Co.
One of the first companies to take action in the
fight against AIDS/HIV. The first company
in the industry to establish a Restricted
Substance List which identifies the chemicals
that are not permitted to be used in its
products or in the production process due to
their potential impact on consumers, workers
and the environment.
Timberland
In 2007, introduced the “Green Index®”—a
self-measurement tool that focuses on
the environmental impact of its products.
Implemented its “Sustainable Living
Environment” program, which aims to provide
a fair life beyond a fair wage to all Timberland
33
2
June 2011
For 15 years, BrownFlynn has been advising companies on how to integrate
responsible practices into their business strategies and how to communicate
these practices internally and externally for bottom-line impact. Through
BrownFlynn Learning, its corporate sustainability education and training
division, BrownFlynn conducts workshops, webinars, on-site trainings,
conferences and a variety of other venues, to educate companies how to
triple their bottom line—environmentally, socially and economically.
To learn more, visit:
www.brownflynn.com or www.brownflynnlearning.com
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
OPINION
Kelly Osbourne for
Madonna’s Material Girl
collection (Macy’s)
By Kate Benson
In today’s hyper-paced, sound
bitten world, digital marketing
allows a brand to become
multidimensional. Not only
can a brand be broadened
to represent a company and
its lines, it is now capable of
becoming almost a
“living organism.” By becoming
digitally inclusive, a brand can
give its audience the chance
to gain access past the gates –
and join the exclusive
brand “community.”
34
June 2011
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 34
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
5/18/11 10:50 PM
Internet, but a matter of perfecting the formula – figuring out a way to give the world
an immediate glance of your art, and most
importantly, somehow make it feel personal.
ATTITUDE VS. EGO
Technology has immensely affected different aspects of fashion, retail, beauty and
luxury industries. The communities of these
realms have expanded, allowing anyone to
give commentary, display designs, distribute
retail goods or communicate ideas and ideals of fashion. Social media has led the way
for aspirants – dreamers and competitors,
young hopefuls looking to participate in the
discussion.
These are the ones who love, rather than
those who declare themselves professionally
obligated. The amateurs coerce freshness out
of old perspectives. Their approach is to forgo their Ego in lieu of their Id, making their
ideas novel and raw – they perform on a digital
stage, one that gives young designers and retailers a platform and instant audience.
The Internet, for those who can use it effectively, has only magnified what we already knew
about these industries. Now, however, we cannot only see things clearer and faster – but we
can participate and self-declare our own voices
a designer’s worst critic. Retail must embrace
this change, as there is no longer a wall standing
between the design and its consumer.
CAN DO VS. HAVE DONE
It’s not easy to keep secrets from the flash
of the media. Some retailers and designers
praise this accessibility, as it gives a collection
mass coverage. Tom Ford, however, made this
approach blasé, with his latest collection last
September. Under a hushed veil of secrecy, Ford
hosted a fashion show, equipped with cocktails,
at his Madison Avenue menswear store. Rather
than plucking girls from agencies, he had friends,
such as Julianne Moore, Rita Wilson, Marisa
Berenson, Daphne Guinness, Beyonce and ItGirl models Amber Valletta, Daria Werbowy and
Liya Kebede, sashay down his runway.
Ford only allowed 100 journalists present at
the showing – he spoke about each model with
a sense of knowledge, friendship and humor.
His show was full of commentary, encouraging
laughter among the audience. Cameras and camera-phone photography was strictly forbidden
to prevent immediate streaming of his designs.
DIALOGUE VS. MONOLOGUE
Ford created buzz for the show by distancing his
collection from the one force that designers use
to create buzz in and of itself – the Internet.
In modern companies, offices are opening up. While the corner office still has a
window view, perhaps the CEO is joining
the rest of the group, and maybe even sitting
next to an intern. This dynamic creates a democracy, a dialogue, which will only better
the company as a whole, as it allows young
newcomers to lend a fresh perspective to the
top heads. The monologue of a CEO is no
longer the only opinion in the room – there
needs to be a constant conversation about
the state of the industry to not only remain relevant, but with hopes of staying above the grain.
VISION VS. HISTORY
NEW VS. KNOWN
What has caused fashion shows to go viral?
In a sense, isn’t a fashion show like a movie,
book or piece of art? Would you expect a director to produce six Oscar-worthy films within a
year? Designers and editors haven’t been given
the time to digest a show, when it is demanded
that they travel the world season after season
producing or critiquing them. The virtual fashion show allows designers to stream their art in
real-time. Whether this condensed experience is
better or worse than the real thing, is too personal a question. It’s seemingly similar to asking
whether emotions can be felt through a text or an
email, rather than a handwritten letter. You may
be surprised at the range of responses, based on
the age of the individual answering.
How do well-known brands become applicable to consumers today? Look at companies
such as Estee Lauder, TAG Heuer, Chanel or
Dior – they are all established, successful and
have history. These universal brands need to remain pertinent to a younger audience, one which
prefers everything to be of the newest and latest.
Buyers no longer just go to the stores,
feel the fabrics and see the merchandise on the
floor, they are now purchasing based on number
crunching, and textures viewed through a computer screen. The collections are endless and
there is a constant demand for change. Some designers, such as Christopher Bailey of Burberry,
have the vision to take their art and make it
mass. They know how to press Refresh and have
been praised for their technological savviness.
Others such as Alber Elbaz of Lanvin are selfdeclared romantics – cherishing the traditional
beauty and history of fashion. It’s not a question of whether such experiences will go on the
Commercial endorsements tie celebrities,
musicians, or even certain models, to brands. In
this way, a brand can associate itself with any
celebrity it feels represents its’ personality. An
individual can become the face of a brand, and
contractually embody the label’s attributes, so
that a consumer will see the brand and think of
the A-lister, or vice versa. Julia Roberts is now
tied to Lancome; Leonardo Dicaprio is associated with TAG; Lady Gaga is MAC’s new It-Girl.
All of these brands are able to be compelling because they have chosen ambassadors who can be
effective on their behalf.
Brand stewardship needs to be positioned at
the forefront. People want to hear a compelling
story and the best way for your products to tell
one is through the brand.
Give the consumer a chance to be a brand
ambassador because once they become part of
your community, they will fight for you, especially if you make it as easy as a click of the
mouse.
Kate Benson A founding member of Martens & Heads!, Kate has 15+ years of executive search expertise in retail,
fashion and luxury for global iconic brands like LVMH and Prada, to start-ups. Her experience within brands and in
executive search gives her a keen understanding of client needs and unsurpassed access to industry talent. She is
active in industry associations including: the Fashion Group International, Cosmetic Executive Women, and the Society for
Human Resource Management.
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail 1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 35
June 2011
35
5/18/11 10:50 PM
FORECAST
“Engagement. Collaboration. Sustainability. ROI. Some may call
these buzzwords, but I predict these are bottom-line concepts that
will drive loyalty marketing,” says Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty
360 – The Loyalty Marketer’s Association (www.loyalty360.org).
“We’ve got our finger on the pulse of the issues our members are
struggling with and the strategies and solutions our experts are
focusing on. And all signs point to a very consumer-driven, new
school approach to loyalty.”
12 KEY
LOYALTY
MARKETING TRENDS
Johnson predicts these key trends will dominate the
Loyalty Marketing Industry:
Engagement is the goal.
From merchants and banks, to hotels and restaurants, to health
care providers and insurance agencies (all but airlines), marketers
are embracing engagement. These organizations know that
engagement is the process that creates loyal customers, clients and
employees. However, most don’t know how to define “engagement,”
how to incorporate it into their marketing strategies, and most
importantly how to measure, monitor, increase and sustain it.
There is a keen focus on
sustainability.
Customers want to be aligned with socially responsible companies
and reward brands that champion the issues they believe in with
their purchases and, ultimately, their loyalty. Given customers’
confusion over “greenwashing” and often higher prices for green
products, brands that claim to be environmentally responsible need
to be authentic and transparent in their marketing efforts in order to
achieve true commitment.
37
6
June 2011
Loyalty programs will become more
collaborative.
Merchants want to work with banks, retailers and other partners.
Each wants to work with the other’s members to create unique
communities that can provide the value, behavioral information, and
insight they cannot get in the market.
The need for metrics and quantifiable ROI
is profound.
Merchants want to work with banks, retailers and other partners.
Each wants to work with the other’s members to create unique
communities that can provide the value, behavioral information, and
insight they cannot get in the market.
There is a vast dichotomy between old
school and new school incentive programs.
The market is moving away from the old school mentality of trying to
put a watch into an incentive program with the hopes that it will
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
FORECAST
initiatives will continue to increase their
market share, profitability and brand equity.
Brands, CPGs, and
channel program
providers have been disintermediated from their
customers.
Because the data in the channel is
controlled by the merchants; brands, CPGs
and channel program providers want to
develop strategies that will give them more
insight and access and to their customers
and dialogue with them directly.
Changes in the funding
for credit card loyalty
programs are shifting
costs, which impacts how
the programs are
implemented and run.
The interest in webinars,
case studies, and best
practices is more and
more important to the market.
The market has grown tired of hyperbole
and is now focused on the companies,
processes, and procedures that can drive
the behavior, ROI and engagement needed
within their organization. The market wants
to leverage those organizations that have
completed these processes (case studies),
understand practical market based solutions
(best practices), and have presented them
in an ongoing learning process (webinars).
Banks are increasingly dissatisfied with
their traditional loyalty programs. They
are looking for more engaging loyalty/
incentive/engagement marketing programs
with different costs models that are unique
and provide measurable behavioral
change. The interest in open forums and
communities to address these opportunities
continue to grow.
drive ROI and behavior. Instead, the market
is looking to adopt the new school mindset,
which is focused on data, insight, and
sustainable behavioral change.
Customers are dissatisfied
with old school “what has
my customer done for me
lately” loyalty programs.
Loyal customers want to know what brands
have done for them recently ---- and brands
need to implement loyalty programs that
respond to this opportunity.
Focus is on “voice of the
customer” to drive bottom
line results.
Those who engage in a true “voice of the
customer” approach within their loyalty,
engagement, and customer experience
38
June 2010
Large retailers are trying
to leverage their brands.
Large retailers want to expand the control,
impact and overall direction of their customer
experience, loyalty, and engagement
marketing initiatives. They want to lead
with their brand and increase the efficacy of
these brands when developing engagement
and loyalty initiatives.
There is a large and
growing interest in social,
mobile, and emerging
media.
Yet the responses we are seeing suggest
that there is still confusion over how to
implement these programs. The “vanguard”
and the “visionary” leaders in this market at
times seem to be more interested in “chest
thumping” rather than listening to market
opportunities and solving problems.
For additional insights, Mark
Johnson can be reached directly
at markjohnson@loyalty360.org;
Tel. 513-290-5147.
Loyalty 360 – The Loyalty
Marketer’s Association (www.
loyalty360.org) is the only
organization that addresses the
full spectrum of both customer
and employee loyalty issues.
An unbiased, market driven
clearinghouse and think-tank
for loyalty and engagement
opportunities,
insights,
and
responses, Loyalty 360 is the
source business leaders trust
for industry metrics, market
driven
research,
actionable
case studies, and networking
opportunities.
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
✄
Focus on Fashion Retail is a direct mail business magazine, distributed ONLY to targeted audience. If you have received this copy of FFR with the
mail, it’s because your business’ description matched the criteria set by our advertisers. Please fill out the marketing survey below to be included in our
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I certify that I am: oA Retailer__________________(signature) / oNot a Retailer
If a retailer, please tell about your store:
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Age Group:
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Retail Price Point: oDiscount oBudget ($20-40) oModerate ($40-70) oUpper Moderate ($70-120)
oLower High End ($120-$200) oHigh-End ($200-$400) oLuxury ($400+)
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How Do You Find New Merchandise?: oAt Trade Shows oResponding To Ads oSellers Contact You
At Trade Shows You:
o Know Exactly What You Need And Who Sells It
o Know Exactly What You Need But Don’t Know Who Sells It
o Just Looking
How Frequently Do You Purchase Merchandise For Your Store?:
o Every Month oEvery 3 Months oEvery 6 Months
Your Average Purchase Is: oLess Than $1,000 o$1-5k o$5-10k o$10k+
Your Priorities Are (Please RATE, 1 is most important): oPrice oFashion oBrand o‪Quality oOther________
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1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 39
5/18/11 10:50 PM
YOUR OPINION COUNTS
As a service to our worldwide audience, Focus on Fashion Retail regularly conducts surveys to determine satisfaction with the various footwear, apparel
and accessories trade shows and to rank our readers’ favorites. Being an independent media outlet not affiliated with any trade show, we believe that
peoples’ opinion must be heard, it adds up to the value of our services as well as serves the needs of the industry.
As always, in the closing issue of the year (November) we will be announcing and reviewing the TOP 10 TRADE SHOWS of 2010. For that purpose, we will be
conducting this survey throughout the year, offering to rate performance of various shows. Events collected the maximum score will make it to the final list.
If you have attended any of the shows listed below and would like to submit your opinion, please do so according to these rules:
• Rate the shows you have attended on the scale of 1 through 10,
where 1 is awful and 10 is awesome;
• You must be an independent observer, not employed by not affiliated with any trade show;
• Please rate only those events that you have attended within last 6 months.
• You must identify yourself (see opposite side);
• Your opinion must be fair and objective;
Upon completion, please send this form to FFR.
Your personal information will not be disclosed, nor shared with anybody.
Show
Organization,
Planning,
Promotion
Attendance,
Traffic
Convenience
Services
offered at
the show
Cost of
attending/
exhibiting
Value for
your
business
(capsule) Mens/ Womens
Accessorie Circuit
AccessoriesTheShow
Atlanta Apparel Market
Atlanta Fashion Shoe & Accessory Market
Bread & Butter
Chicago Shoe Expo
Children Clothing and Accessories Expo
Children's Club
Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market
Denver Apparel & Accessory Market
ENKNYC
Fame
Focus- Apparel & Accessories Show
Hong Kong Fashion Week
Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem
Intermezzo Collections
LA KIDS MARKET
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim
Milano Moda Uomo
Moda Manhattan
Mode à Paris- Haute Couture
Mode à Paris- Men’s Fashion
Mosshoes
MRket New York
Pitti Imagine Uomo
Pitti Immagine Bimbo
Pitti W Woman
Premium Dusseldorf
Premium Men
Rendez-Vous Homme
SELECT- The Contemporary Trade Show
Shoe Market of the Americas (SMOTA)
The New York Shoe Expo (FFANY)
Transit- The Los Angeles Shoe Show
WSA show
40 June 2011
1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 40
© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail
5/18/11 10:50 PM
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© FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail 1607 FOS master 20110518.indd 41
Line Offered
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• Manage driving e-commerce traffic and demand creation efforts,
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• Responsible for managing promotional email marketing, list cleaning and customer segmentation.
• Responsible for creative direction and design, and manages
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Resume at:
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or kathleen@kreisler-associates.com
Attention Fashion
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June 2011
41
5/18/11 10:50 PM