Every fashion conscious person will tell you the same thing - your outfit is a story. It tells the outside world a little bit about you (or who you want to be today). Ever since I was old enough to dress myself, I have looked at this task from two angles 1. What mood am I in today? and 2. What story do I feel like telling? So imagine my excitement when I found out there was a whole world of professionals out there who actually made a living creating these fashion stories for retail stores! Truth be told, this was the reason I initiated my fashion education. An industry led by the likes of Tiffany & Co.'s Gene Moore. To be able to paint pictures with clothing and accessories? I was sold! These professionals are SO good, that the average shopper isn't even aware of what's happening. All of the sudden they become extremely envious of that giant hunk of fibre glass wearing the green dress and now they MUST have the green dress!
This past weekend, The Globe and Mail published an interesting article in their Saturday Globe Style section called "The Art of Retail", discussing the impact that online sales are having on brick and mortar stores. Retailers are upping their game in terms of merchandising because so much of their traffic is decreasing as people continuously opt for online shopping. Maybe it's cheaper, maybe it's more convenient but, to me at least, it is so much less aesthetically stimulating! What about wandering through the mall and window shopping? Looking and comparing what each retailer is telling you THE look of season will be?? According to the article, this is why retailers have been expending so many resources as of late - trying the attract customers to visit the store rather than ordering products online. They are even attempting to turn themselves into something more than just a retailer, adding culture and cultivating ambiance. As our world increasingly becomes smaller through technological advancements, our human interaction seems to diminish too, making it more difficult to draw people out of their homes and into the shops. It's about more than just purchasing, e-commerce is altering the whole shopping experience!
Sure, maybe even I have fallen victim to the drastic price cuts found online. But in the end I'm still a mall-shopping girl at heart. So, in mirroring the words of Billie Shakespeare: to shop online or not to shop online, that is the question. Which do you prefer?? Feel free to share your thoughts on this one in the comments below!
xo devon.
Sure, maybe even I have fallen victim to the drastic price cuts found online. But in the end I'm still a mall-shopping girl at heart. So, in mirroring the words of Billie Shakespeare: to shop online or not to shop online, that is the question. Which do you prefer?? Feel free to share your thoughts on this one in the comments below!
xo devon.