2012 100 - Networld Media Group

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BLOOMINGDALE’S
Widely regarded as an endangered
species a decade
ago, high-end department
stores, exemplified by the
venerable Bloomingdales, are staging
an impressive comeback by luring
shoppers with exclusive, trendy
items that appeal to Gen Y. Financial
results at department stores are outpacing
specialty retailers such as Gap
and American Eagle Outfitters. In
February, sales at department stores
open at least a year rose 5.7 percent,
versus a 3.2 percent gain for apparel
stores, according to the International
Council of Shopping Centers, continuing
a trend that has prevailed for three
quarters. Wall Street Strategies analyst
Brian Sozzi has declared that the oncestodgy
department stores are again a
“credible destination for fashion.” To
further dispel any lingering stodginess
in the air, this past fall, Bloomingdale’s
entered into a marketing partnership
61 HOLLISTER
62 NIKE
If the apparel industry was dominated
in 2011 by the emergence of e-commerce
and m-commerce, 2012 looks
to be the year of f-commerce — f for
Facebook, what else? Teen apparel
companies Abercrombie & Fitch and
its American lifestyle brand Hollister
are actively engaging and building
brand loyalty with their target market
on the site. Hollister and Abercrombie
& Fitch are the two most popular teen
apparel brands on Facebook, followed
by American Eagle and Aeropostale.
As Facebook emerges as a serious marketing
platform, this ranking is a significant
indicator of teen shoppers’ enthusiasm
for the retailers’ promotions
and product offerings.
with NBC. One crosspromotional
effort had
Bloomingdale’s 39 stores
taking part in a virtual reality
experience. Shoppers could stand
in a certain spot in the store and snap
photos of themselves using an iPhone
app. Through augmented reality, they
appeared to be standing on a red carpet
with NBC stars such as Hank Azaria of
“Free Agents” and Christina Applegate
of “Up All Night.” The hope was that
shoppers would then share their photos
on social networking sites.
Despite higher prices, Nike published
quarterly results that beat Wall Street
estimates, as it attracted shoppers,
especially in emerging markets. In
China, orders scheduled for delivery
from December 2011 through April
2012 rose 31 percent, with a 12 percent
rise in other emerging markets. Mob
scenes surrounding a new release of
Nike’s retro Air Jordans two days before
Christmas conjured up memories
of the frenzied scenes from the mid to
late 1980s when the release date for Air
Jordans had to be moved to weekends
to keep kids from skipping school.
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