You can lead a horse to water but I still can't afford your clothes



Patrice hamming it up at Saks for FNO...we still haven't gotten our offical pics from that.

 Last month the fashion industry rubbed elbows with the unwashed masses in a desperate attempt to turn party goers into shoppers at the second annual Fashion’s Night Out. Although revelers from Brooklyn to Bombay crowded shops to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrities, designers, and fashion folks, by and large they kept their cash to themselves. (Now that I think about it, I’ve been to a ton of in store events in the past year and have never seen people doing anything but talking smack, eating, and getting a buzz off of the free drinks.) This shouldn’t come as a shock to retailers who have been suffering from the very recession that brought into existence the need for a worldwide event like Fashion’s Night Out. They know that no matter how much champagne they pour and how many celebs are in store to pass it out, Louboutin’s are still out of most shoppers’ budgets right now. However, this does not stop retailers form bringing the dog and pony show to town every so often in an attempt to raise spirits and profits.


There are several reasons why luring potential shoppers into your store with the promise of free stuff and a good time doesn’t always translate into increased sales, increased traffic sure but traffic does not always mean money. The first issue is while it is true everyone loves free stuff, using the word free to gather a crowd almost always ensures the majority of the crowd is looking for FREE stuff not stuff they have to pay for. (Also people aren’t so dumb as to fall for "spend xyz dollars and get this free", especially if they don’t have xyz dollars and the free thing is worth less than the amount they have to pay. Also if I have to buy something to get something free, is it really free?) While I do understand that by drawing a crowd into your less than crowded store you are not only attempting to increase sales that night but to also generate future sales, which may or may not happen because in the freebie/sale seeking crowd you just lured in may or may not be interested in or able to afford your full priced merchandise, bringing me to point deux.

No matter what dog and pony show you put on for customers, at the end of the day they just don’t have the same disposable incomes that they once did, especially when dealing with Middle America. The end. Shoppers aren’t in search of a place to drink wine dangerously close to clothes they can’t afford, they are looking for more value for money, whether that means being able to buy more for less or spending the bulk of their money on investment pieces instead of wasting cash on trendy items.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think in store events are total wastes of time for retailers, I just think throwing a “customer appreciation” party once a month is not the best use of time and money for already struggling stores. Also its is super cheesy to go into a store and hear a DJ playing the same muzak that the stores usually play while a clumsy associate passes you J. Roget or Andre.