From 2003 to 2008, women's apparel sales tended to peak in September, Mr. Berry notes. "When the economy is sailing high...people buy new fashions as soon as they're on the shelf, rather than buying a sweater to stay warm," Mr. Berry says.
But this fall, that habit changed. In September, when new fall fashions hit stores, sales of women's apparel fell 0.2% compared with the year before, while footwear was up just 0.7% according to MasterCard. By October, when cooler weather hit, apparel and footwear sales rose 5.3% and 5.9%, respectively. Markdowns didn't play a role in the uptick, Mr. Berry says.
To better accommodate women who want to buy now, wear now, Net-a-Porter has changed tack: It stopped heavily discounting seasonal items like boots and coats a few months after they shipped—as many other retailers do—to make sure it has goods in stock to match the weather. "There's the challenge that other retailers are marking those items down, but it's a risk we're willing to take," says Holli Rogers, Net-a-Porter's buying director.
To maintain a steady supply of new fashions throughout each season, Net-a-Porter has been inking deals with designers for exclusive collections with later delivery dates. This summer, British label Issa will offer a line of bright, summery lace dresses on Net-a-Porter in April or May, instead of the typical delivery in February. "You want to make these purchases when you need it, not way in advance," Ms. Rogers says.
source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704865704575610452319977706.html?KEYWORDS=luxury
Ralph Lauren is perhaps most famous for creating and communicating an entire world through the power of storytelling, an approach that has brought the brand tremendous success. All the more surprising, then, that what this sequence of giant-sized models, polo horses and products lacked most was a compelling narrative. While the overall undertaking was impressive, and Ralph Lauren deserves credit for pioneering the use of projection mapping in the fashion industry, new technology alone does not make a powerful consumer experience. Subtract the technology from the equation and you have spinning products and giant perfume bottles, but no lasting emotion or feeling.
While the London event was meant to mark the launch of Ralph Lauren’s “digital flagship” in the UK, the brand could also have made more effort to build pre-event buzz amongst end consumers and failed to directly link the 4-D experience to the new e-commerce site. Neither the physical experience, nor the quiet announcement on the brand’s Facebook page, drove enough real consumers to these amazing events, which were mostly attended by industry insiders.
In sum, we think the brand missed an opportunity to capture value by embedding natural opportunities for commerce and consumer engagement within the digital extravaganza. One wonders what might have been possible had a larger consumer audience, armed with iPhones, been assembled and enabled to actually influence and interact with the digital spectacle — and perhaps even buy products.
source: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/11/digital-scorecard-ralph-lauren-4d-projection-mapping.html (Ralph Lauren's blending of merchandising and entertainment)
http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/06/3d-projection-mapping-taking-the-advertising-world-by-storm/ (3D Projection mapping, nicee!)
http://vimeo.com/11160666 (COOL!!)
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=590 (a dying media)
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