VALS: Target Audiences

How'd They Know?

Before taking the VALS survey I thought to myself "why are we having to do this dumb survey thats only going to steroetype me into a few random categories," but after taking it a reviewing my results I realized that there is much truth involved in this survey. VALS is suprisingly accurate and extremely realistic.

VALS categorized me first as an "experiencer" who are said to "seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities. Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff." This is not only an accurate description of me, but of many young people. Generation X is consumed with entertainment, and through entertainment we socialize and decide what is "fashionable."

VALS categorized me secondarily as an "innovator" who are said to "Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life." This is correct in that this is not my primary focus in life, but I do like being first, being the best, and looking good doing it. I dont feel complete with out the newest, highest quality products.

Favorite Retailer: History

Nordstrom & it's Beginning.

Nordstrom was founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl Wallin. Wallin and Nordstrom shoe store first opened in downtown Seattle in 1901. The pair opened their second store in 1923, and in 1928 Nordstrom sold his share in the company to his two sons. A year later Wallin sold his share to the Nordstrom sons, and in 1933 the third Nordstrom son joined his brothers.

"From the beginning, John's business philosophy was based on exceptional service, selection, quality and value." (Nordstrom.com)  Nordstrom was strictly a shoe store until 1963 when they expanded into clothing . Mens and children's clothing were added in 1966, and in 1968 the three brothers retired and passed the business along to five family members.

Nordstrom is a public company, with stores all over the country. Nordstrom carries selections of the finest apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family. Nordstrom's philosophy on customer service and product quality remains unchanged since 1901, attributes which helped them earne 8.27 billion dollars in 2008.

My Favorite Retailer

Why Nordstrom?

There are many places that I enjoy shopping and that most certainly enjoy taking my money, but if I had to choose my favorite retailer it would be Nordstrom. My mother used to talk about Nordtrom and rave about all the beautiful things they had, but because we live in rural North Carolina the closest Nordstrom was two hours away. I think I was thirteen the first time I went inside a Nordstrom, South Point mall in Durham had just been built and my mom took my sisters and I to go shopping.

I like Nordstrom because they have a vast assortment of awesome jeans. I wear Seven jeans because I like the way my butt looks. I wear True Religion jeans because they are very durable, they do not fade, and they fit me quite nicely. I wear James jeans because they are just amazing. James jeans are my favorite jeans because they fit me absolutely perfectly.

Another reason I like Nordstrom is because of the make-up lines they carry. I love MAC make-up, and appreciate the talent of the women and men who do make-up at the MAC booths. MAC's foundation covers the best, they have the boldest eyeshadow and the employees at MAC do a great job applying bold make-up. I like the bold look and utter glamour of MAC.

I shop at Nordstrom because of the beautiful shoes they carry. Nordstrom carries the classiest, most fabulous brands and styles of shoes. If I ever need a great pair of shoes and Im not quite sure what the shoe needs to look like, I can always go to Nordstrom and find something.

Although there are things at Nordstrom that are very expensive, I like Nordstrom because they do carry cheaper brands. Even though the not so well-known brands are cheaper, they are just as chic, and make wonderful pieces that are easily combined with various outfits.

The ultimate reason that Nordstrom is my favorite retailer is the fact that I can go to Nordstrom and find everything I need. Nordstrom is a one stop shop in that when I shop there I can find great clothes, shoes, make-up, and jewelry. 

How has the housing crisis affected home fashion retail?

Quality vs. Quanity

The two main things that have been affected by the diminishing housing market are quality and quantity. Not only has home quality gone down, because every contractor is trying to build the cheapest home and still make money, but they quantity of homes being built and the contractors building them has gone down significantly. If homes are not selling and homes are not being built then people are losing money and they are losing jobs.

In regards to home furnishings it's the battle of the Q's. Again quality vs. quantity comes into play again when people are buying furnishings for their newly purchased homes.

The first group of people are buying quality homes and either buying cheaper furniture to compromise with their expensive home, or just not buying as much furniture as the usually might. These people have adopted a mentality along the lines of not caring so much about the quality of the inside of their home, so long as the outside looks nice. Some people might do a combination of the two. 

The second group of people are buying less expensive homes in hopes to lavishly furnish them. Whether the home is smaller or just of lesser quality I do not know, but their are people spending less on homes in hopes of decorating them the way they wish on the inside.

My personal thoughts would be to have a combination of quality and quantity. No one wants an ugly house on the outside, or a tacky house on the inside. So, to solve this problem with the modern economy in mind, one must opt for the smaller home in hopes to furnish it elegantly. 

Challenges of Apparel Retailing

A Hard Concept

Apparel retailing is a difficult process because of the work required to make any line successful. Design is hard because on one hand you want to be innovative and unique, but on the other hand you want your merchandise to sell. It’s hard to be original, but be on the same wave of originality as designers coming out with lines at the same time. As a designer you don’t want to miss the trends for each year because it could be detrimental to your business.

(dreamstime.com)

Another hard aspect of retailing is the marketing of a line and its presentation. In the modern world a manager needs to have their products in malls, online, and in catalogs to be successful. Managers also need to hire the correct people to accurately market their line. The line needs to be presented to the target market in an approachable way. Consumers need to be attracted to displays and showrooms, and advertisements need to catch their eye.

(bagsnob.com)

Color forecasting and color story are challenges for apparel retailing. The right color is an important issue in regards to retailing. When the economy is bad some designers want to use bright fun colors in hopes that they will lighten consumers mood and make them happy, hopefully if their happy they might ignore their economic troubles and by something for the heck of it. Other designers choose dark colors when the economy is bad to symbolize the "darkness" the country might be experiencing.

Sweatshops

Exploitation & Greed

Sweatshops are defined as having: difficult and dangerous working conditions, along with limited rights for their workers and few ways for their voices to be heard. Sweatshops can expose an employee to harmful or hazardous materials while already working at excruciating temperatures. In my opinion the employers inflict this type of abuse.

I understand that most people working in these third world sweatshops are doing it because they have chosen to. This doesn’t mean it is right. Employers are exploiting these citizens because they know that the employees will continue to work under the current conditions because the money is there. This brings me to an even worse situation, one regarding wages. It is sick how meager the employees wages are. It doesn’t matter to me that these people are making “enough” to survive. It is inhumane to exploit them in this way when we can afford to pay them more for their efforts.

Child labor in completely inhumane and the laws prohibiting this act should be intensified. Their is absolutely no excuse for child labor and the people continuing it should be jailed. Regardless of whether the child's parents allow it for their own selfishness or employers are forcing them it should all be the same in the eyes of the law.

(www.coopamerica.org)

Through the continuation of sweatshops these countries will continue to live in poverty because they allow companies to make their wages so low. Companies pay the bare minimum because they are greed driven, and provide only enough so their employees can survive. The only way to stop sweatshop labor is to boycott the buying of the products they produce. This is much easier said than done, especially considering the United States imports a significant amount more than it exports.

Fashion: Art or Usability?

A Wearable Art form

I see fashion as an art form first and meant for usability second. Clothing design as well as the art of dressing are such great ways to express oneself, J.Lo said "Fashion is art that you wear everyday, it makes you feel a certain way, and you can tell how someone feels about themselves by how they dress." Her words sum up my thoughts of fashion as an art form so perfectly.

I consider fashion an art form because the amount of time that goes into making these clothes. The prints of chosen fabrics combined with the detailed embellishments and structure of each and every garment. The best example of this caliber of clothing is Marc Jacobs' latest line for Louis Vuitton. It is absolutely incredible. After viewing something as amazing as this line no one can argue that fashion is not an art. Jacobs detail and emphasis on every part of the outfit is absolutely heavenly. The layering of pieces, the vibrant jewelry, the handbags being apart of the outfit rather than just an accessory, and most of all the detail regarding SHOES! Shoes seem to make an outfit these days, something I am in love with.

(content.coutorture.com)

(content.coutorture.com)

(content.coutorture.com)

There are those who believe than dressing yourself is purely based on modesty and modern theories of appropriate dress, but i believe it is to express oneself. The clothes wear you, and can stand alone as an art form by themselves.