The Shophound

Commenters Respond: A Sour Banana

Thanks to the folks at Jezebel and RACKED a lot more people than usual read our account of visiting the smothering, newly renovated SoHo Banana Republic, and naturally, a few of them had something to say in response.
From Emma:

I worked at Banana for a soul-crushing two weeks some time ago, and I promise you, most of those sales staff would like nothing better than to leave you alone. But the managers (of which, like you said, there are ALWAYS too many of) stand around doing absolutely nothing, just watching the sales staff and how they interact with customers.

From VA:

HA HA, i've worked in Banana Republic for years and know exactly what being pressured into modeling a behavior that you know will actually turn customer off rather than "welcome them in" feels like.

Of course, there is always the contrarian, who sounds suspiciously defensive of Banana Republic, like Christophershawn:

The store is beautiful and I found it refreshing that the staff was excited about it's opening. YES it's rude, lacks class and any sort of maturity to enter a store with headphones on. Stay home. shop online. Going shopping is about engaging with people and enjoying the EXPERIENCE. Retail is lacking true excitement, passion and inspiration a store. Apathy is so common.
I thank the team at this store for the amazing energy they brought into this gorgeous store, I look forward to making this a must visit when in SOHO.

Seriously, Christohershawn, it's kind of up to the customer to decide what shopping is all about. Perhaps you have read too many books about retail management. And by the way, do you think that we can't smell a plant or a shill from miles away? We wish you the best of luck with your career at Banana Republic.
Previously:
Renovations Unveiled: Banana Republic Will Welcome You To Death

Renovations Unveiled: Banana Republic Will Welcome You To Death

So, we found ourselves walking past the newly reconfigured Banana Republic in SoHo at what must have been only moments after its soft opening began (the store officially opens on Thursday).
Honestly, we almost didn't go in —not because we are so very jaded that we don't care. The Shophound is always curious, but we know what it's like on the first day. Everyone is raring to go and they are so glad to see you! It can be a bit off- putting to say the least, but the folks at the new Banana have taken customer smothering to new, disturbing heights.
Let us note that the store was filled with more than overeager sales staff. It was also crawling, predictably, with Banana Republic executives who were standing around in typical fashion, either congratulating themselves on their beautiful new store or poking around the place making sure that every piece of merchandise was placed just so —the cuffs and collars on all the hanging shirts turned up at the correct angle, and every faced out coat paired with a suitably coordinated sweater and scarf. It's a salesperson's nightmare —like having 20 managers at once. It puts staff on their best selling behavior, which, paradoxically, is often, at the same time, their worst.
Was it rude for us to enter the store wearing earphones? Probably, but we weren't going to power down our iPod just to wander around a Banana Republic. You would think an observant salesperson would know how to approach someone with earphones who is clearly keeping to himself. It's not like they are a rarity in the iPod age, but we were stunned by how many people eagerly wanted to engage us in conversation even though our ears were obviously otherwise occupied. One determined woman launched into a whole story about how it was a soft opening and the store really was opening on Thursday and something about a charity shopping event and just wouldn't stop even after we looked at her funny,  pulled one earphone out and said, "Okay, thanks". She mostly succeeded in interrupting a perfectly enjoyable edition of the "This American Life" podcast. Of course, she was nothing compared to the effusive gentleman greeting everyone coming and going at the door with wide swinging arms. "Thank you for choosing Banana Republic," he chimed as we exited while yet another person thanked us for visiting their new store at the same time.

Pop-Up Extension: The Limited Hangs Around Awhile

Anyone who missed The Limited's four day return to Manhattan last month (like us, for example) can rest easy because the pop-up store on Spring Street where Hogan used to live (whatever happened to Hogan, anyway?) has been extended through December as a result of overwhelming response. Since its opening, the temporary store has been one of the best performing units in the chain.
The Limited!
Go figure.
Perhaps absence has made the hearts of Manhattanites grow fonder, but, frankly, we barely noticed it had been missing for 10 years, which is why its parent company, Limited Brands, practically gave away sold a majority stake in its namesake division to Sun Capital Partners a couple of years ago. Sun now has the task of turning around a once powerful chain that had become irrelevant enough to put into retail foster care.
So what does The Limited look like today?
Not half bad.
Proving the chain's relevance will be an uphill battle in a crowded market with a penny pinching customer base. The chain now has to compete with the Zaras and H&Ms of the world, and a Topshop ready to further invade its home turf, but a revitalized design team seems to be working hard to make the store appealing again. If what's in the pop-up is any indication, they're doing an admirable job with the revamped Limited looking fresh, on-trend and well priced, putting it way ahead of most mall chains. Apparently, the challenge of being the underdog has revitalized it. Along with the chain's private labels Forenza and Outback Red, The Limited has even revived one of the staples of its '80s heyday, the brightly colored shaker knit sweater. We're a little on the fence about this idea. Anyone who was around then can easily recall the late '80s glut of shaker knit sweaters as the popular item replicated itself throughout the mall, though that might give the item just enough nostalgic camp appeal to stage a comeback.
There's talk that if things go well, The Limited might stay on Spring Street permanently. We think they are better suited to a Broadway location a few blocks away, to be honest, but so far the chain has done an unexpectedly good job earning its comeback.
The Limited NYC Pop-Up through December 28^th (for now) 134 Spring St., between Wooster and Greene Streets, SoHo
Previously:
Limited Unloads The Limited...For Less Than Nothing.

Upcoming Imports:Fast Shirts From Italy Coming To Madison Avenue

Get used to pronouncing Camicissima.
This Italian chain is taking over The Body Shop's former corner at 509 Madison at 53^rd in midtown for its North American début. The no-nonsense store sells only shirts and ties at affordable prices. Calling itself the Zara of the men’s shirt business, the shop is aiming to bring fast fashion to New York businessmen selling four cotton shirts for $99.90, and three silk ties for $39.90. It almost sounds too good to be true, but we will only have to wait a few weeks to see just what kind of quality we get for those rock bottom prices. The store is set to open on November 27^th, the day after Thanksgiving. At the very least, it should be a godsend to young, entry-level executives who need to build up a wardrobe for work.

Included in WWD's story on Madison Avenue's newest entry to is a hint that retail rents are easing up considerably. Liberio Romano, managing director of Camicissima’s U.S. operations tells the paper, “We thought it would be two years before we came to the U.S., but the rents are down and we saw the opportunity to come into an expensive market.” The chain's goal is to become bigger in the U.S. than they are at home in Italy, and at those prices, it's looking entirely possible to achieve.
Italian Shirtmaker to Open First U.S. Store (WWD)
Camicissima (Official Site)

Cintra Wilson Goes Shopping: Shocking Careerwear Revelations Edition

In this week's Thursday Styles, Critical Shopper Cintra Wilson discovers the joys of the popular national chain store, Ann Taylor.
Really?
Ann Taylor?
What has happened to our Cintra? Is this the same woman who swooned at the threshold of Dolce & Gabbana? What has brought on this sudden turn towards efficiency and practicality? She begins her story wearing Balmain motorcycle pants, a comforting sign, and her acid tongue remains in effect if her own personal prejudices against the chain are any indication:

My shorthand for the look was always “capitalist burqa” or “corporate office submissive”: cubicle-wear of so-so quality for the single girl in her late 20s whose self-esteem has been almost beaten to death by the beauty industrial complex and whose decent education has been punished with a thanklessly demanding office job. She’s a can-do Cinderella who has always had to change the oil in her own pumpkin and is too overworked to have a healthy social life outside the workplace. Her outfits must therefore be corporate-respectable, yet body-conscious enough to attract a nice tax attorney husband.

That all sounds about right, but a positive change in creative direction at the chain has lured her into a world of practical separates. Apparently, Ann Taylor has been quietly undergoing an upgrade and is now ready to clobber the more fashion conscious J.Crews and Banana Republics of the world. Well, that's all well and good. We're all for upgrades, but still, Wilson is even delighted by a "bargain blitzkrieg" on the third floor of the Madison Avenue flagship.
This is like hearing that the friends you look forward to running into at nightclubs at 2 AM have suddenly moved to the country to take up needlepoint and organic farming. We know it's been a rocky few months for La Cintra,  but for Heaven's sake, that Isabel Marant boutique can't open soon enough. Someone put this woman in a cab and send her to PHI.
We need an intervention.
Critical Shopper | Ann Taylor: At the Office, a Job Well Done By Cintra Wilson (NYTimes)
Ann Taylor 645 Madison Avenue at 60th Street, Midtown

Today in Scrapbooking: Welcome To Tchotchkeland Michael's Arrives In Manhattan

Considering that they have like a zillion locations in New York State alone, we're actually pretty surprised that it took this long for Michael's, the big box crafts category killer, to make it to Manhattan. The wait is over now. Although the Grand Opening is this Sunday, the doors are already open, and the store, which is basically like a Bed Bath & Beyond for all kinds of arts and crafts, is offering pre-opening specials. Flyers are currently circulating around the Upper West Side offering 40% off a single item through this Saturday the 24^th.
We have to admit that we aren't particularly familiar with Michael's. Like most respectable Manhattanites, The Shophound fulfills most of our crafty needs at places like Pearl Paint, Utrecht or Dick Blick, but since Michael's is in the new Columbus Square complex only a stone's throw from Shophound HQ, we gave it a look-see.
The first thing we noticed as we descended the escalator to the entirely subterranean store was the spicy aroma if holiday candles.
We decided to proceed anyway.
There are certainly useful things to be found here, like a huge selection of custom and ready-made picture frames. It's not by accident that Martha Stewart is a featured brand there, but then there's a sizable section devoted to scrapbooking, a pastime we still don't entirely understand. Apparently it involves lots of little things that get glued or fastened into books like pictures and felt. It also involves many of the same sorts of tools one might find at Home Depot, but are sold here in pink versions. Nearby, we find sections devoted to flower arranging (real and fake) knitting (mostly acrylic yarn), and rows and rows of all sorts of ribbon. Given the time of year, it was not surprising to find a large portion of the store given over to tinsel-y Christmas notions, hence the spicy candle smell. Essentially, the store is a compendium of any and all sorts of doodads and thingamajigs which, though hopelessly suburban-feeling, will probably prove indispensable at some point.
We never know when the desire will strike to do some embroidery, macramé or weave a lanyard. When we get the uncontrollable urge to découpage, we'll know where to go.
Michael's 808 Columbus Avenue at 100^th Street, Upper West Side

Fifth Avenue Switches:Little abercrombie Gets Switched To A Hollister

Here's another excuse to run this very popular photo again.
Expect to see these guys hanging out on Fifth Avenue sometime next year. Instead of turning the former Hickey Freeman shop at 668 Fifth between 52^nd and 53^rd Streets into an abercrombie kids store, another Hollister for the uptown tourists will be opened in its place. Considering the strong response to the SoHo "Epic" flagship, this isn't too much of a surprise. We will be curious to see how the steel and glass building will be transformed into the kind of dark stage set they so love at Hollister. Will they recreate another California pier in the two-level 15,500 square foot space, or will it become a more humble surf shack like most of the other Hollister mall stores? We'll find out soon enough, but the folks on Fifth should brace themselves for a steady chorus of "Hey, What'sup?" and clouds of stinky perfume pumped onto the sidewalk.
Hollister To Open On Fifth Avenue (WWD)
Previously:
Hey, What'sup? It's Hollister, Dude!

NoHo News: Superdry To Finally TakeTower Records Space?

Last week, RACKED told us that British sportswear label Superdry was heading to NoHo at West 4th and Broadway, so we went all the way to Hollywood to see what this brand is all about.
Aren't we dedicated?
It turns out that the only Superdry store in America is at the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex right next to Graumann's Chinese Theater. Yes, that's basically in L.A.'s version of Times Square, but since everyone should go there at least once (if only to see how tiny Olivia de Havilland's feet were) we stopped in to check out the store, which is in a temporary spot until a better location in the mall opens up.
What we found was a sort of Abercrombie-ish sort of line with a touch of Japanese by way of Great Britain. Frankly everything we saw would have been greatly improved by removing the huge labels and logos, but perhaps this brand is simply not that adventurous
In other words, nothing terribly groundbreaking, but plenty that should sell easily to the tourists and NYU kids in the neighborhood. The staff was charming and pleasant, so points to them for that, but if you are coming all the way from England, we would like you to bring something more than plaid shirts, cargo shorts and rugby tops. We got plenty of that already. On the other hand, it will be nice to see that Tower Records space filled, since that whole Steve & Barry's thing obviously didn't work out.
Superdry 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Storecasting: Superdry Brings a British Take on Japanese Style to NYC (RACKED)

Collaboration Update: Sonia Rykiel To Spend Holidays With H&M

WWD tells us that the ultimate Parisienne, Sonia Rykiel, will provide H&M's next designer collaboration collection, appearing in stores only weeks after the chain's upcoming Jimmy Choo collaboration launch. The retailer's first co-branded lingerie line with the renowned French designer will hit the floors at 1,500 of the Swedish chain's stores on December 5^th for Holiday selling, to be followed by an accessories and knitwear line, described as "iconic", for women and girls for Spring 2010. The Spring collection will début in a much more restricted 250 doors worldwide on February 20^th.
In a first for H&M, the lingerie line will also be made available outside of the chain. Rykiel's devoted cult of customers will not have to brave the masses at the chain's branches, as the collection will also be sold through Rykiel's own boutiques around the world.
H&M Taps Rykiel As Its Next Guest Designer (WWD)

Today In Midnight Shopping: Best Buy Will Never Sleep

This week feels practically like everyone's on vacation in New York, so posting will be a little light until the double whammy of Fashion Week and Fashion's Night Out descend upon us after Labor Day.
Having said that, it would be remiss of us not to note our friends at RACKED's discovery that when Best Buy opens up on Union Square later this year it will never close!
That's right, this will be a 24-hour Best Buy. Not satisfied with having clobbered Circuit City out of existence, the mass retailer it taking its old house and keeping it open at all hours. We will be interested to see how they keep up that customer service they are so proud of at 4:30 in the morning.
Well, not firsthand, anyway.
We'll leave that to the NYU student who needs an emergency printer ink refill.
Storecasting: Union Square Best Buy Will Be 24 Hours (RACKED)