Peplum Tops Carrie Harvey
Merchandise presentation The stores that I chose to go into were Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Macys. In all of the stores the tops were presented hanging. I expected the peplum tops to be hanging because they are hanging even in the lower end stores like Target or Forever 21. Although, in Saks and Nordstrom there was space left between the hangers but in Macys it was cramped on the hanging rods. Visual Merchandising The visual merchandising in Saks was very upscale and classy. Nordstrom was very hip and trendy. Macys as usual is going for a seasonal look within the store, they keep up with the holidays and the seasons. Customer Service I wouldn’t say that I had the best customer service experience with any of these stores. Associates greeted me in Saks and Nordstrom. After that my experience was not the best they were not helpful. It doesn’t surprise me though it’s happened my whole life that associates don’t help me or I get ignored. In Macys, and I am not sure if its cause its Chicago but the associates were rude. No one greeted me no one asked if I needed any help or anything. Store Information All of these stores are huge here in Chicago. I haven’t gotten used to wandering aimlessly. I am always comparing the size of the stores in Indianapolis, which they all have three floors there. The cleanliness of the fitting rooms was great in Saks and Nordstrom. In Macys it was chaotic but it always is. The dressing rooms still have clothes in them It is kind of a free for all to go try something on. I did not try anything on. Cleanliness of the stores Saks and Nordstrom were both very clean and well
maintained. In Macys it was kind of dirty there was merchandise on the floor and such. Overall Experience My experience was all right I have already done this before. I think that it becomes discouraging every time I walk into one of those stores because I am a plus size young woman and also because I am African-‐American. I wish it were more of a pleasant experience; it is also probably why I do most of my shopping online.
For the Second Part I took the items offline because it was simply easier to see the whole selection of peplum tops than it was in store. I feel like I chose to look at the items online because I am plus size and I focused on a product that is available more in the other sizes. Designer: I chose a floral lace-trimmed peplum top by Dolce and Gabbana. It was made in Italy. It is made out rayon, cotton, and polyamide. It also features a silk lining. It features a crew-neckline and short cap-like sleeves with the peplum. It is also black, pink, and green floral detail. It is offered in sizes four to twelve for $1395.00. It is currently a trend but It is the type of trend that reemerges over time because it started in the 1930s and then it reappeared in the 1980s and now it is reappearing again. I think that the demographic of the buyer of this item is someone that has a lot of money to spend. They obviously have extra income to purchase luxury goods. This person is also a college grad in a white collar career or a celebrity or socialite.
Bridge: I chose a plane black sleeveless peplum top by Nicole Miller. It was made in the US by imported fabrics. It is made out of acetate, polyester, and spandex. It is plain black with no designs or anything. It has no sleeves and a crew-like neckline. It is available in sizes P-L. It retails for $165.00. The demographic for this buyer is someone that has extra disposable income to purchase clothing. This buyer is also middle to higher class with a college education.
Contemporary: I chose a tan colored V-neck and sleeveless peplum top. It only says that is imported. It is made from cotton and viscose. The peplum hem is ruffled. This top is available for $69.00 and it comes in size XS-XL. The demographic of this buyer is lower-middle class. The person has a small disposable income.
History of each of the three retailers (no more than 300 words for each retailer): Saks: Saks Fifth avenue opened its first store in 1924. Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel opened the first store together and started it in Manhattan. Adam Gimbel became president in 1926 and changed the retail world by innovating the idea of having stores across the country. In the 1940s it was known to have notable launches like the Estee Lauder brand. Nordstrom: In 1901 John Nordstrom opened a small shoe store in Seattle with Carl Wallin. In 1928 they opened their second store. Until the 1960s they remained a shoe store but then they bought Best Apparel in 1963. In 1971 the company went national and official was named Nordstrom.
Macys: Macys came from a merger of the companies Abrams & Strauss and Filenes. In 1929 Federated Departments stores was incorporated as a new company in retail. Macys has been apart of lots of different name changes from L.S. Ayers, Lazarus and Marshall Fields to what now have become the Macys stores. Fred Lazarus who started the Lazarus department store was part of the reason that thanksgiving has become a big day especially Black Friday.
History of apparel/accessory item: The idea of the peplum came In the 1800s as an overskirt. The Peplum became popular in the 1940s. It is basically described as circle skirt that goes around your waist but is the detail on a skirt or bottom of a top. It was used to make the waist look smaller and the hips look wider giving women the perfect figure. The peplum then made a comeback in the 1980s. It is making a second comeback now almost 30 years later. I would consider is a trend that is being recycled.