The Shophound

Today In Renovations: Ralph Lauren Gets A New Look At Bloomingdale's

The revamped Men's Department at Bloomingdale's is almost finished, and a major component was revealed last week as a new shop-in-shop for Ralph Lauren made its début. The cluttery, sprawling Polo shop that lived in the store's basement had been one of the designer's largest in-store boutiques anywhere, and sported a combination of his "country store" look and the more elegant ornate dark wood décor that was originally inspired by his Rhinelander Mansion flagship at Madison Avenue and 72^nd Street that opened more than 20 years ago.
These styles have been dutifully duplicated in department stores and Polo Shops countless times in the ensuing years, so when it was time to redo the space at Bloomingdale's, a refreshing left turn was taken that could signal a sweeping new look for Lauren at retail. The space has been moved south the the 59^th street side of the floor, and an exclusive, exterior entrance is being built. Gone are the elaborate carvings and oriental carpets. There is still lots of wood, but now it's present in sleek, modern panels accented with brushed steel and stone floors. The product, meticulously placed as always by Polo's roving team of merchandisers, once carefully tucked and squeezed into every available crevice and garnished with all manner of vintage gear is now allowed room to breathe on shelves and tables where customers can actually examine and handle it without disturbing an artfully composed display. Reportedly, the new look is based on a recently opened Ralph Lauren store in Moscow, though it ironically recalls the second, more contemporary Madison Avenue flagship (once known as Polo Sport) across from the Mansion that was demolished last year to make room for a larger, more typical Edwardian style building being constructed to serve as a Women's store. Regardless of the inspiration, it's a welcome update from what had become a clichéd visual style. Also gone is the word "Polo" from the signage, which now reads simply "Ralph Lauren". While the word naturally remains on labels, the space now includes the designer's more contemporary and expensive Black Label men's line, a new addition since the renovation. Clearly, the more modern upper brand is now setting the pace.
In other Bloomingdale's news, The street level renovations have been completely finished only to reveal that much of what was once the Men's Store has been given over to Women's jewelry and accessories! Presumably, the lost space will be recovered downstairs when Ralph's former digs (now behind plywood) are reconfigured to flow with the rest of the department. For now, underwear and pajamas exist uneasily next to designer sportswear lines.
Also new is a main floor boutique for fabled British shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser which the store is touting as the label's first in-store shop at an American department store.
Uh, yeah, if you conveniently forget about the one that Bergdorf Goodman operated for decades before the company opened its own shop on 57^th street.
Oops.
Or is Bergdorf's not a department store anymore?
Ralph Lauren Men's at Bloomingdale's, 1000 Third Avenue at 59^th Street, East Side

The Mayor & Vogue Team Up To Save Retail With Shopping Parties

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg, Anna Wintour and a host of designers and retail executives appeared en masse to announce "Fashion's Night Out" in conjunction with the CFDA and NYC & Co. this fall to boost retail traffic in stores across the country without promoting markdowns. The program will include stores in 12 major cities on the evening of Thursday, September 10, just as Fashion Week begins. Stores will be challenged to create special events to draw customers into stores that evening. The event is to be extended internationally to all major cities where an edition of "Vogue" is based, and Wintour told WWD that the concept will be interpreted in each city to best represent the local cultures.
So far, few specific events that will be staged in New York have been announced, although Phillip Lim promises a live band in his Soho store, and Barneys seems to be arranging something to do with knitting classes. eventually, a website, Fashionsnighout.com, will be set up to detail specific events.
Knitting's always a big draw, right.
We certainly hope this works. It sounds like a lot of work, and we are pretty sure that most designers are kind of super-extra busy already on the eve of Fashion Week. In fact several runway shows and presentations are usually scheduled for that evening.
Here's what we know for sure: There are really only a few things that can be counted on to get customers into stores besides sales, and they are celebrities, free food and booze.
Get those bars set up early.
Calling All Shoppers: 12 Cities Plan Major Retail Initiative (WWD)
To Stimulate Retail, A Fashion Night Out (NYTimes/City Room)
Mayor Bloomberg Teams Up With Vogue for Fashion’s Night Out (The Cut)

Nordstrom Likely To Hit Manhattan ...But Not The Way You Expect

WWD is reporting today that Nordstrom is thisclose to taking a substantial portion of the soon-to-be vacated Virgin Megastore space on Union Square It won't be for a full line store however. The lower level is said to be under consideration for a Nordstrom Rack, the chain's growing outlet division.
Most big chains like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue are looking to their discount clearance outlet divisions (Last Call and Off 5^th, respectively) to bolster business as their regular stores struggle. Nordstrom's outlet is no stranger to the area. There are Rack stores circling the city in Paramus, New Jersey, White Plains and Westbury, New York. Nordstrom also quietly owns Jeffrey in the Meatpacking District and operated the Façonnable boutique on Fifth Avenue until it sold the brand a few years ago.
While this move is something of a surprise, since the Seattle based department store chain has long been rumored to be searching for a suitable site for a Manhattan flagship, it is understandable given the current climate.
It looks like Manhattan will have to wait a bit longer for its own proper Nordstrom store, but, in fairness, there isn't exactly a burning demand for one at this very moment.
Nordstrom Eyes Manhattan Rack Unit (WWD)

Exclusives report: Macy's Lands Exclusive Rachel Roy Collection

Macy's has announced that they will be launching an exclusive contemporary collection called Rachel-Rachel Roy with the New York designer. That's Rachel ROY, not Rachael Ray, the grating TV show host and donut pitchwoman.
The line, retailing between between $59 and $299 will début in 85 Macy's locations this August in specially designed environments, and will be a full lifestyle collection including apparel, accessories, shoes and jewelry. The designer tells WWD: “This line is the younger sister to the Rachel Roy collection. It has the same designer sensibility but with a younger feeling. This is the customer that I used to be — and maybe I still am every once in a while.” It also marks a return to the contemporary category, where Roy (not Ray) originally launched her namesake label before upgrading it to a full designer collection.
And how does Ray's soon to be former husband, the reportedly bankrupt erstwhile hip-hop mogul Damon Dash fit into this mix? Just barely. He still retains an ownership stake in Roy's label, though the brand is now controlled by Jones Apparel Group which bought a 50% share of the brand last July, and owns perpetual licenses for nearly all Rachel Roy product categories and will produce the line.
Despite softness in the contemporary department business recently, Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren is optimistic about Roy's prospects at Macy's. “There is a great deal of opportunity for this affordable, young, but still with designer details kind of line,” Lundgren tells WWD. “When I met with Rachel some time ago about the idea of launching a brand like this, she was very clear about who this target customer is, and I have been very encouraged by what I see in the product.”
Going Steady: Rachel Roy Designs Line for Macy's (WWD)

Today In Grooming: The Art Of Shaving Now In Residence At Bloomingdale's

Once again we find ourselves at Bloomingdale's as their men's department renovations continue to unfold. This morning we were invited to see The Art of Shaving's new Barber Spa, a 400 square foot mini barber shop on the newly refreshed section of the main floor.
This is the first in-store shop of its kind for both Bloomingdale's and The Art of Shaving, and it's a natural evolution of the rising interest in men's grooming that has happened over the past decade. Tucked behind the frosted glass partitions are two chrome and leather barber chairs ready for customers who have either never had a proper professional shave, or are now hopelessly addicted to them. Master barbers are now on staff, offering a range of services from a moustache trim to a 30-minute royal shave, an elaborate grooming event which we are told is like no other.
In addition to the pampering, the new shop offers the brand's extensive range of grooming products including all the "4 Elements of the Perfect Shave", the company's signature grooming regimen including exclusive pre-shave oil, creams, luxury razors and a dizzying selection of after shaves. It's all housed in an a sleek alcove combining the brand's retro signatures with Bloomingdale's new gleaming black lacquered décor. As the store's makeover is revealed in stages, it's nice to see it return to a high glamour look reminiscent of its 1970s and '80s heyday.
We left with a starter kit of the shaving regimen, as well as a supply of the new 3-Minute After Shave Mask, so we should be feeling shiny and new by this time tomorrow.
The Art of Shaving Barber Spa at Bloomingdale's Third Avenue at 60^th Street, East Side.

Today In Renovations:Bloomingdale's Slowly RevealsMore New Men's Department

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This week, Bloomingdale's has taken the plywood down to reveal yet another renovated men's floor at the 59th Street Flagship. What used to be a gloomy, mazelike suit department on a mid-level basement mezzanine has been opened up and whitewashed to create a stark new environment for designer collections like John Varvatos, Michael Kors, Helmut Lang and Theory as well as a new home (possibly temporary?) for socks and underwear. While the exposed pipes and ductwork would seem to be a minimalist style choice, it seems clear that covering them with a more refined ceiling might leave taller customers with bumped heads. Bloomingdale's is making the most of every available square foot. Off to the side, there appears to be space for a new restaurant that has yet to materialize.
We are happy to see that Bloomie's hasn't let the economy slow down this long overdue revamp (take a note, Saks!), as a walk through the store indicates that other men's areas are being closed off in preparaion for their transformations as soon as others are opened up. So far, the department looks to be about 70% completed with this update. It appears that the northern half of the men's main floor is close to being unveiled as well, which will be followed by the renovation of the southern half which is already being packed up.
So far, we are giving Bloomingdale's high marks for the upgrade not only in the atmosphere but also in the vendor mix downstairs in what used to be a disjointed dungeon of a men's department. Presumably, when its customers are finally ready for serious shopping again, the store will be ready for them.
Bloomingdale's Men's Store Lexington Avenue at 59th Street, Upper East Side
UPDATE: The New York Times reports that FLIP, a burger restaurant with a bar and a children's menu, will open on February 23rd in the newly renovated Men's Store.
Burgers. In the basement.
We certainly hope they have a good ventilation system.

Paring Down:Fortunoff Back On The Block

Don't look for a Fortunoff jewelry department to appear in a Lord & Taylor near you anytime soon.
Parent company NRDC had originally planned to combine the synergies of its two assets in just such a manner, but today, WWD reports that the Long Island based chain is up for sale. NRDC, like many diversified companies, is paring away extraneous investment to focus on core brands, a category that Fortunoff, unfortunately, did not quite qualify for.
Reportedly, Lord & Taylor is negotiating with the current opertor of its leased jewelry departments to extend the agreement, leaving Fortunoff with diminished opportunity for expansion.
NRDC in Talks to Sell Fortunoff (WWD)

Post-Christmas ReportShopping FrenzyAt Lukewarm Levels

Just checking in with a quick update on the inevitable After-Christmas sales.
The bad news is that if you waited until after Christmas for the After-Christmas sales you will discover that for the most part, they started before Christmas, in many cases sometime last week.
You can hardly be blamed for waiting until the normal time for things to start, but this season, all rule books have been discarded. It's every retailer for itself out there, and in the case of Saks, who jumped the gun and marked down deeply way ahead of schedule (and forcing competitors to follow suit), there's not much left to be sold at what is now an extra 60% off already reduced prices. This sale brings some merchandise to something like 85% off the original price, which is essentially unheard of without an employee discount. That would be fabulous... if the store weren't so well picked over by now. Compare today's crowd, pictured above, with the throngs seen from the same view from last year and the year before, pictured below :

(click all images for a larger view in a new window)
There's no comparison.
Either customers know that the best stuff is gone, or they simply aren't shopping at all right now, or, more likely, a little bit of both.
Ditto the scene at Bergdorf Goodman (pictured at right) which was also relatively relaxed.
Most of the women's apparel there was marked down to 75% off in the price tags. Bergdorf's generally eschews "take an extra percentage off" promotion, and instead goes for the hard, permanent price change. 75% is a bit higher than they usually go for a final markdown, and it usually doesn't happen there until sometime in January. There is a little more left there than at Saks, but by and large the store is full of fresh Resort and Early Spring collections. The piles of sale handbags covering the counters there a few weeks ago are now gone gone gone.
Over at Bergdorf Men's, the markdowns are hovering around 60% for sale goods, which is actually a little less than their usual second price change. Perhaps they are seeing how much they can sell before an unusual third markdown next month, or maybe stores didn't actually need to slash prices as drastically as they did.
More of the same is found at Barneys, most sale merchandise is down to around 75% off.
Is it worth going out? That's up to you, dear shoppers. This is New York, so there is always going to be something left for you to buy. The advantage is that crowds are down, so you will likely be spared the traditional pushing & shoving.
As for us, we are about to retuen to our normal Holiday schedule of Important TV Watching.

Pardon Their Appearance:New York's Flagships Set ForOngoing Upgrades

Today's WWD has a rundown of all the coming renovations in our hometown department stores. You had better be prepared for shopping amongst the din and dust of construction, because nearly every store is reconfiguring a floor or two to keep impressing the still strong tourist business. While some of their branch stores may continue to suffer, the big retailers are putting their funds where they can find the greatest return on their investments. Here's the renovation slate:
Bloomingdale's is getting ready to totally overhaul their main floor including cosmetics, accessories and men's departments. Having recently debuted a new men's sportswear level this Spring, they will also continue the redesign of their entire men's department.
After an overwhelmingly positive response to their 10022-SHOE mega-department concept, Saks Fifth Avenue will next be rebuilding their third floor designer collection space, which has barely been touched since a major redesign in the late 1970's. Five other floors will be getting various touch-ups as well including a reassessment of the Main floor accessory and cosmetic areas whose reconfiguration was halted midway through a redesign in 2003.
Lord & Taylor continues to plan a long overdue top-to-bottom renovation which may include a downsizing or turning over entire floors to Fortunoff Home departments and new restaurants from NYC favorite Sarabeth's.
Bergdorf Goodman, which has just opened a huge, new Tom Ford shop in their men's store, is working on 4,000 square feet of reconceived space for accessories on the main floor as well as adding floor space for jewelry by closing the atrium opened when cosmetics moved down to the lower level.
Macy's is focusing their efforts in Herald Square on improving their unimpressive housekeeping as well as adding smaller renovations throughout the store. Its real efforts will be in upgrading the regional flagships they acquired through the conversion of the former May Co. stores like Marshall Field's former State Street store in Chicago and Hecht's in Washington DC.
Even Ralph Lauren is tearing down his former Polo Sport store at 888 Madison to build a bigger counterpart to the famous Mansion flagship across the street.
The only major store left out of the article is Barneys, whose open, more minimalistic interior has seen only a small amount of reconfiguration since its early '90s opening.
Perhaps it will be the one store where the luxury-minded will be able to shop in peace this Summer.
Fortifying the Flagships: Growth Engines Getting Big Bucks in Tough Times (WWD)

Sears' Softer Side Gets Tougher:Squeaky Clean L.L.Cool J Signs For Clothing Lines

Who would have thought that we would have been looking for signs of life at Sears of all places?
Surprise, the venerable mass retailer has the news story of the day with its announcement that it has signed veteran Hip-Hop star LL Cool J to do clothing lines for their juniors, young men's, girls and boys departments. While this might not be earthshattering news in this day of rampant celebrity licensing agreements, it is big news for Sears, who have been among the last holdouts in the current celebrity endorsement game. It also signals a commitment to attracting urban customers. It's not an accident that their return to celebrity marketing is a Hip-Hop star. Why LL Cool J? Aside from his generally charismatic image, diverse career including TV and film as well recording, and relative youth - after a 25 year career, he is still only 40 - what really distinguishes LL (born James Todd Smith III) from an increasing majority of his Hip-Hop brethren is what he lacks: A prominent police record.
There really are not that many Hip-Hop stars who are clean enough to represent a relatively conservative company like Sears, which is part of LL Cool J's unique appeal to the retailer and its customer base. He began his career at a time when a youth full of street crime was hardly a prerequisite for Hip-Hop credibility. In fact, rapping was then lauded as a safer, creative alternative to violent gang life. Smith's previous occupations as a teenager reportedly included Boy Scouts, singing in the church choir and delivering newspapers. As Hip-Hop evolved, LL Cool J thrived but managed to keep his image clean while the genre around him became preoccupied with gangster fantasies
Could you really see Sears joining forces with someone like 50 Cent or Flavor Flav? How about Foxy Brown for Sears?
We couldn't either.
This all makes LL a sterling candidate for such a collaboration, as the likelihood of a surprise arrest on weapons charges seems fairly remote in his case.
As for the clothes, they look fairly updated, although it is Sears after all, so don't expect any real fashion revelations. To his credit, the rapper seems to have a handle on how to sell clothes as he tells WWD:

"My main concern with juniors is to make sure the fit is right. The fabrics have to feel nice on a woman's body, but sizing and fit are very important. I know that if she comes in, puts it on and it doesn't fit, she won't come back. Clothes have to make a woman feel good, relaxed and sexy. We are going to be constantly looking at fine-tuning the fit and we'll get it right."

Is this enough to turn around Sears' current woes? Probably not singlehandedly, but it's an encouraging sig of life from one of America's historic retailers.
Sears' Hip-Hop Hope: Store Signs LL Cool J To Do Apparel Brand WWD