Ready-‐To-‐Wear Analysis By: Marija Pejkovic
Apparel/Accessory Item, Type of store, Price Classifications
For my Ready-‐To-‐Wear Analysis I chose to analyze pumps. The
type of store that I wanted to find pumps at was a specialty store where there is only one type of consumer. As well, the price classification of shoes that I wanted to look at was designer, bridge and contemporary. I chose to go to Barneys for designer, Neiman Marcus for bridge and Nordstrom for contemporary. While at Barneys I decided to analyze Christian Louboutin pumps. Then at Neiman Marcus I analyzed Stewart Weitzman pumps. Finally, at Nordstrom I analyzed L.A.M.B. pumps. Merchandise Presentation, Visual Merchandising
While at Barneys I noticed that all of their Christian Louboutin shoes were on
shelves grouped together by their brand. They were also grouped by the type of shoe that they were. For example, all of the pumps were next to one another, all of the sandals were all together and all of the boots were right beside one another on the lowest shelf. As for the visual merchandising, there was only a small rectangular plaque that said the designer’s name. There wasn’t any other visual merchandising of the brand within the store itself.
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At Neiman Marcus, the Stewart Weitzman shoes were on a built in shelf on the wall. They were hidden in the back of the shoe section and there weren’t many styles to choose from. All of the shoes, including the pumps were diagonally displayed on the shelf. There wasn’t any type of visual merchandising of the shoe or brand itself, but the brand
had a plaque with the designers name right next to their shoes.
Nordstrom had only two pairs of L.A.M.B. shoes within their whole store. These two
shoes were hard to find because there wasn’t even a plaque with the name of the brand next to their shoes. The pump was displayed on a high silver metal glass shelf. The pump itself was on a metal stand, on an angle, pointing downward. As for visual merchandising there was no example within the store. Customer Service-‐ Sales Associate Assistance
When I stepped foot into Barneys I was looked at funny as if I did not belong there. I
headed up to the second floor where all of their salon shoes were located. Reaching my destination I went straight over to the Christian Louboutin shoes. I was not greeted at first, but as I picked up a couple of shoes, an associate was headed my way. She greeted me with a snarl and asked if I needed any help. I politely said no because I saw another associate that looked a bit friendlier. As I found the pump that I wanted to try on, I went over
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to the other associate. She was with another customer and politely directed me back to the first associate I encountered. She asked me what size I wanted and came back with the shoes a couple minutes later. As I tried them on she just stared at me, wondering if I was going to purchase them. I felt a bit uncomfortable so I told her that I was doing an analysis for a project. She had a snotty look on her face and promptly walked away. As I finished trying on the shoe, I politely put them back into their box and said thank you. I did not receive a comment back, so I walked away.
As soon as I stepped into Neiman Marcus I knew that I would have a better
experience than I did at Barneys. The associates on the accessory floor were friendly and smiled as I walked in. I headed upstairs to the second floor where their salon shoes were. I looked around for a bit and was promptly greeted by a sales associate. She was very friendly and found the pumps I wanted right away. She gave me the shoes to try on and informed me that if I wanted the shoe in another color, she could order them for me without a problem. As I tried them on, she asked me how they fit. After she saw that I wasn’t going to buy them, she changed her attitude 360 degrees. I had told her that I did not need any ordered because I was actually evaluating them for a project. She said “oh” in a very snotty attitude and left me alone. I put the shoes back into their box and walked out of the store without anyone saying thank you.
While at Nordstrom looking for the L.A.M.B. shoes, I was promptly greeted by a sales
associate that asked me if I was looking for anything in particular. I told them that I wanted to see their L.A.M.B. shoes. She politely told me that they haven’t received their new shipment in yet, so they did not have a wide variety of selections but she did show me
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where they had the last two pairs left. I asked for my size and she brought them to me, she was very helpful in bringing their catalog as well, of all of the L.A.M.B. shoes in case I was looking for a specific pair. After I tried on the pumps, I put them back into their box and said that I would pass on them for now. She was very polite and said thank you as I left. Size, Layout, Restriction of the Fitting Room
When trying on the Christian Louboutin pumps at Barneys, there was a wide open
space and many couches on which I could choose to sit on. There was also a table in the middle of some of the seating area sections where the shoes could be placed. The overall fitting area was roomy and very open. The furniture was very clean, modern and chic.
While at Neiman Marcus trying on Stuart Weitzman pumps, I felt that the shoe area
was very outdated but clean and simple. There weren’t many chairs where you could try on your shoe, but it works for the store because they don’t have that many people in there anyways. The seating was not so comfy, as I sat down I imagined that there would be a soft cushion waiting to catch me, but I had a rude awakening when I sat down and it felt as if I sat on a wooden board.
When I was ready to try on my L.A.M.B. pumps at Nordstrom, I had a chair
conveniently right next to the shoe display so I did not have to go search for a chair. The overall feeling of the chair was soft and comfortable. I was able to try on my shoe without feeling as if I was trapped in a little space. There was enough room but it wasn’t a wide open area.
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Overall Experience
My overall experience at Barneys was not so pleasant. I felt as if I wasn’t accepted
there because I might not have looked as if I could afford the shoes that I was trying on, even though I thought I was dressed in quite good taste. I felt that I was judged and looked down upon. I also felt as if I was being watched by the associates, like I was doing something wrong. I felt very uncomfortable and could not wait to leave.
My experience at Neiman Marcus was a bit better than Barneys because I was
greeted and treated with respect in the beginning of my visit. What made my visit bad was the fact that the sales associate did not want to have anything to do with me after she knew I was just trying on the shoes for a school project.
Overall I had a great experience at Nordstrom. Even though I did not buy anything, I
was treated as if I did. The associate was very helpful and kind. She made sure I was directed to what I was looking for and she wanted to help me in any way possible. Garment designer/Manufacture Label, Country of Origin
For the Christian Louboutin pump that I analyzed,
the label of the designer was imprinted on the sole, inside of the shoe. The country of origin where the shoe was made was Italy.
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Stuart Weitzman’s label is also imprinted on the
sole, inside of the shoe. The country of origin of the specific pump I analyzed was made in Spain.
As for L.A.M.B. the label
as well is imprinted on the sole, inside of the shoe. The bottom of the shoe has the L.A.M.B. logo imprinted all over into a pattern, and there is a turquoise little plaque with the brands name on the bottom as well. The country of origin of this pump is Brazil. Garment Description
The Christian Louboutin pump that I analyzed was called “Patent New Simple Pump”. It is a patent leather round toe platform pump. It comes in coral, black and yellow. The shoe was quite comfortable except for the fact that the patent leather dug into the sides of my feet.
The Stuart Weitzman pump I tried on was called
“Avignon”. It is a patent leather pump with a wooden platform, ultra suede lining and it has subtle hardware at the back of the heel. This pump comes in Black and Red Quasar Patent. This pump was very comfy, light weight, soft and easy to walk in.
The L.A.M.B. pump that I examined was called “Valeria”. It is made out of leather on
the upper half, with a vamp of patent leather on the front of the shoe; as well it has lace up detail. It comes in Nude/Grey or Black/Black. Overall the shoe was not as comfy as I expected, the platform made the shoe very stiff and they were very hard to walk in. 7
Suggested Retail Price, Sizes Offered
The suggested retail price for the Christian Louboutin “Patent New Simple Pump” is
$695. This shoe comes in sizes 6-‐11.
The suggested retail price for the Stuart Weitzman “Avignon” pump is $325. This
pump comes in sizes 5-‐11.5 (narrow and wide).
The suggested retail price for the L.A.M.B. “Valeria” pump is
$235. This pump comes in sizes 5.5-‐10. Style-‐ Trend/Classic, Signature Design Element
The Christian Louboutin “Patent New Simple Pump” is
classic pump. The signature design element of the shoe itself and the designers other shoes is the red leather sole.
The Stuart Weitzman “Avignon” pump is a trend because of its wooden platform and
open toe. The signature design element of the designer is the unique materials used to make the shoe and the attention to detail.
The L.A.M.B. “Valeria” pump is a trend because of its
open toe and lace up detail. The signature design element is the L.A.M.B. decorated bottom. 8
Image of Product to Retailer, Target Customer
Since Barneys logo is “Taste,
Luxury, Humor” these Christian Louboutin pumps fit into the store perfectly. The shoes are fun and luxurious and so is the store. As well, the store appeals to fashion leaders and celebrities, ages 25-‐35, which are the target customer of the brand itself.
Neiman Marcus is known for premier luxury therefore the Stuart Weitzman
“Avignon” pumps fit right in. Stuart Weitzman shoes are very luxurious, comfy and made out of unique materials that are not easy to find. The target customers for these pumps are celebrities, upper class women that are classy and ages 30 and up.
Nordstrom is one of the nation’s leading fashion specialty stores. Therefore, I
believe that the L.A.M.B. “Valeria” pump matches the image of the store. L.A.M.B. shoes are very trendy and modern and so is Nordstrom. The target customers for these pumps are fashion followers, ages 20-‐30 years old. Preferred store, Preferred Product
If I had to choose one store out of Barneys, Neiman Marcus
and Nordstrom I would have to say I prefer Nordstrom the best. I wouldn’t say that I prefer this store because I am most comfortable with this store because I go there a lot and I know what to expect, but because of the way that I was treated while analyzing the L.A.M.B. pump. I was treated with upmost respect and the associate was very helpful to find exactly what I wanted, even if she knew in the end that I wasn’t going to purchase anything. 9
As I said above, I believe that all of their employees treat you as if you did buy something, they are thankful that you even made the effort to come in and take a look at a specific product.
Out of the three different pumps I analyzed by Christian Louboutin, Stuart
Weitzman and L.A.M.B; I preferred Stuart Weitzman’s “Avignon” pump. I liked this pump the best because the overall weight of the pump was so light weight and it felt as if I wasn’t wearing any shoes. The inside sole of the shoe was very comfy and soft and there was a very soft, plush cushion upholding my foot. The heel wasn’t too high or hard to walk in. As well, the patent leather that was in contact with my foot did not scratch, dig in my skin or make me feel uncomfortable. This was a great shoe that I would eventually consider buying.
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