Comp Shop Overview- Westfield Shepherd’s Bush 24th August 2015
Introduction With the transition from summer to autumn having begun, we are beginning to see the introduction, or reintroduction of products, and thus the clearances have also begun of the less successful products. The most noticeable trends that we found upon our trip to Shepherds Bush Westfield would likely have been in the kid’s departments/shops, homeware and also the simple yet quirky products that no one needs but we still feel compelled to buy. In the children’s areas, we were able to find a constant trend of Minion related products, be it lunch boxes, key rings, backpacks or children’s toys. These products were found in shops such as Claire’s, Accessorize, Debenhams and M&S. Given the nature of Debenhams and M&S, it was somewhat surprising to see these Minion products infiltrating the homeware departments of these more ‘up market’ stores. However, despite the fact the Minion films have been aimed at a younger audience, it would be fair to say they are loved and appreciated by people of all ages, which is likely why the product range in some stores is so vast. The simple, quirky items that we saw were found in shops such as Suck and Menkind, both providing that continued trend of items we feel compelled to buy but may not always have a use for. With technological advances being ever present, more and more items filled the shelves of these stores such as virtual reality headsets which are all over the news with different brands such as Oculus, Microsoft and Sony pitted against each. Yet in Menkind we were able to find a much cheaper version so as to meet the demand for what could be considered a more viable option for the everyday consumer. Similarly, one product which has been in high demand recently are funky phone cases, whether or not they’re 3D, or simply light up and sparkle, this product is everywhere in different varieties, even in shops such as Debenhams which do not have the most extensive mobile phone accessory range.
Additionally, one product in particular has been cropping up is the smartphone projector, which can be found on common online shops, and also in the previously mentioned Suck or Menkind. Realistically, there is no need for a product such as this, yet, due to the fact that movie downloads, illegal or legal, have been becoming increasingly common, one could easily see the appeal, as it essentially gives you the large screen which can’t be provided by a phone or laptop, without having to pay the costly cinema prices. With regards to homeware, stores such Next, M&S and also Debenhams fell into sight. The jazzy summer handbags, purses and simple photo frames are being cleared off the shelf and quickly replaced by more modern and trendy products. These products include plush animal door stops, bright, hip cooking utensils and very eccentric bed linen. It is clear that such products are necessary as people wish to diversify and differentiate themselves from the norm as much as possible, with the same being sai d for the children’s products and of course the already quirky products.
Stylised Panda Despite reducing numbers in the wild, pandas could be seen all over the high street often wearing a little pink bow! Everything from makeup bags to phone cases, sponges, eye masks, children's towels and even boys tracksuit bottoms, featured a stylised version of the endangered bear.
Dinosaur Evolution Dinosaurs roamed the earth over 65 million years ago, however they have returned and are prowling the high street stores. This trend is piggybacking off the Jurassic World film that came out earlier this year. There is a new Disney film coming soon called The Good Dinosaur so it looks as though these prehistoric creatures are here to stay‌until the next ice age!
Club Tropicana Despite the fact that we are moving into AW, it seems that we just can’t let go of our summer fave the Pineapple! This funky fruit was featured in adults, kids and home products. It seemed to come in two variations; a young fun stylised version which was more dominant on children's products namely stationary and a more grown up realistic style with dominant leaves.
Fools Gold During the 1920’s, rose gold popularity picked up pace with Cartier’s introduction of its “Trinity” ring. However, it has been translated onto accessories, stationary home wear, make-up brushes and even cosmetic packaging.
Preppy Pencils Pencils have been given a make over! These are a far cry from the black and yellow ones we had at school! They were in stores such as White Company and Cath Kidston and Urban Outfitters. They are smart and sophisticated many of them had been printed with positive messages . The packaging was simple but really nice- they make perfect gift for a teacher or a stationary addict!
Misc These are some cool things that we found that don’t fit into a particular tend but could be developed for Matrix clients.
Minion Mania Following the hit films Despicable Me 1&2 and the Minion Movie, we can now find these crazy yellow 000 everywhere, from the homeware departments to the kids sections of stores such as M&S, Debenhams, Claire’s and Accessorize. They can be found in a range of products from suitcase tags to backpacks and onesies.
Quirky The shops in which the quirky products were found were ones such as Suck and Menkind, and a couple of noticeable phone cases from P&B This trend however is more of a continuation, despite the fact that such products are not nearly as necessary as homeware products or items for children, yet we still feel compelled to buy them.
Homeware Homeware has been renovated, out with the old and in with the new. Clearance sales have been implemented to create space for a wide variety of trendy new products which feature around this time each year such as funkier photo frames, cooking utensils and also decorative doorstops.