|
Current Issue Bitz
Click here for previous issue Bitz
Riding the air waves for a good cause
Rosedale Center recently demonstrated the power of the media when it
hosted KDWB’s Variety Family Center Radiothon on June 20 and 21. For 26
hours straight, KDWB disc jockeys held a live radio broadcast during which
shoppers could meet their favorite on-air personalities before participating
in a charity silent auction. Rosedale Center merchants also did their part,
offering food and beverages to broadcasters and volunteers, as well as
donating merchandise, movie passes and gift certificates as giveaways for
the event in return for free air time. In the end, the silent auction, along
with the phone drive that KDWB held during the radiothon, raised over
$150,000 for the Variety Family Center, which helps children living with
complicated and rare or chronic diseases.
Urban Fare
Yorkdale shopping center in Toronto, Ontario is expanding the concept of
specialty retail with its weekend food fare. Yorkdale’s Urban Market, or YUM
for short, is the center’s new specialty food court and it’s open every
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Under the tagline “Not all ingredients are
created equal,” Yorkdale promotes YUM both in the mall and online.
Going to the market
Dover Mall is going big for its back-to-school campaign this year. From
September 3 to 15, the center will operate a Supermarket of Savings, which
is really a collection of four promotional displays erected in different
areas. Each display will feature envelopes filled with discount coupons and
other saving offers, and they’ll be available for free to all parents
visiting the mall during regular hours.
Student Marketing 101
Next to academic achievement, living on a tight budget is the primary
concern for many students. This year, though, Tanger has devised a way to
alleviate the burden: the Tanger Student Advantage Card.
Until September 21, young shoppers can pick up a free card and enjoy a 10
percent discount at all participating stores, and if they use the card that
same day, they’ll receive a Blockbuster Movie Card for a free movie rental.
Passport, please
Coupon users aren’t always the most loyal of shoppers. They dash into a
mall, use up their discounts and then leave as fast as they came. The
marketers at The Commons at Calabasas, however, are giving these thrifty
consumers a reason to come back: the Commons & Courtyard Passport.
Every month, The Commons at Calabasas and The Courtyard at The Commons issue
a new passport, which shoppers can pick up when they visit participating
merchants and make a purchase. The passport entitles the holder thereof to
such savings as $10 off take-out and delivery orders of $35 and more at the
Cosmos Grill.
Besides a variety of discounts, passport-holders will also receive a free
gift and special attention.
Yeah Baby!
It’s a “shagadelic” kind of summer this year, as the Austin Powers
promotional machine marches across the U.S., bringing its Shagadelic Lounge
and Mojo Prize Wheel to Simon Property Group malls.
The touring lounge is being sold as the place to be to sample Pepsi Twist
beverages, view clips from the “Austin Powers Goldmember” flick, win prizes,
enter Austin Powers look-alike contests and take a spin on the Mojo Prize
Wheel.
The lounge began its tour at Roosevelt Field Mall in New York on July 13 and
will wrap up at Miami’s Shops at Sunset Place on September 7.
NRF confident about retail prospects
Retailers battling recessionary economic conditions in the U.S. may come
out on top by the end of the year, according to the National Retail
Federation (NRF). Despite speculations among investors and analysts of
another possible downturn in activity, the NRF stands behind its prediction
for a six-percent growth in retail sales for this year, citing consumer and
government spending, as well as a jump-start of the business capital
investment machine, as contributors to the expected sales hike.
During the first half of the year, general merchandise retail sales
increased significantly. However, a poor performance this past May has given
many analysts the jitters, prompting many to fear that America’s already
tenuous recovery will be weakened further. For Rosalind Wells, the NRF’s
chief economist, these fears are unfounded.
“We are quite confident that the softer sales pattern in May is not a
harbinger of things to come,” she noted.
“We do not believe that these indicators are signaling a stalled recovery.
Rarely do economic measures increase in a perfectly straight line without
interruption.”
The upcoming back-to-school shopping season may just produce the extra sales
that retailers have been so desperately seeking, particularly for those who
are fortunate enough to be in a tax-free state.
Lands’ End faces plagiarism suit
College students aren’t the only ones being caught plagiarizing other
people’s works. Sherry Maysonave and her image consulting firm Empowerment
Enterprises are suing retailer Lands’ End for alleged violation of
intellectual property law and copyright infringement.
The suit, originally launched in September 2001 and amended earlier this
year, alleges that Lands’ End contacted Maysonave right after the 1999
release of her book, Casual Power, to offer her to join its advisory board
as a paid member and also develop business casual content for its website.
But after having asked her to provide advice and detailed recommendations
“relative to the development, marketing and sale of Lands’ End’s casual
business clothing,” the suit further alleges, the retailer backed out,
telling her that it would use its own content. Next thing Maysonave
allegedly saw was her own recommendations and content from her book on the
Lands’ End website.
When Maysonave first filed her lawsuit, Lands’ End contacted her lawyers to
say that it would remove the material from its website, but as of July 8 of
this year, nothing had been done.
“Plagiarism on this scale would be grounds for expulsion at practically
every university in the land,” said Tommy Jacks, attorney with the firm
handling the case.
“We take this violation of intellectual property law and business ethics
very seriously and believe that a jury will, too.”
Now Maysonave wants retribution and she’s likely seeing plenty of dollar
signs, especially in the wake of Sears, Roebuck and Co.’s acquisition of
Lands’ End for nearly $2 billion.
But Goliath may still win this battle, because Lands’ End has since revised
its online content.
She
said, they said…
One
passage from Maysonave’s book reads:
“If the freedom to dress casually has allowed you to indulge a slob
tendency, then you are on the road to becoming more and more slovenly with
yourself, with your work ethic, with your career—with your life.”
The
Lands’ End website originally read:
“If the freedom to dress casually has allowed you to indulge in a slob
tendency, it might suggest you are on the road to becoming more slovenly
with yourself, your work ethic, your career and your life.”
Lands’ End in its own words now sounds like this:
“Casual apparel has found its place in today’s work environment. Done well,
it’s an opportunity to make your day at the office more comfortable—without
looking any less professional.”
For the sake of art and education
When shoppers look for back-to-school footwear from Elefanten Children’s
Shoes, they’ll have a chance to support arts education throughout the United
States.
Elefanten is asking its customers to spend an extra $13.50 and purchase a
copy of the Bumblebees & Googleheads: Fun Songs by Laurie Berkner CD.
Proceeds from the sales will go towards funding grants for preschool arts
education programs—the CD’s are available at Nordstrom’s and other retailers
that sell Elefanten footwear.
The grants will be awarded to qualified organizations in October, which has
been designated as National Arts and Humanities Month.
Elefanten’s back-to-school initiative is one of several programs supported
by the Americans for the Arts organization (AFTA). For more information on
AFTA, log on to
www.americansforthearts.org.
A guide to savings
North Carolina’s first tax-free shopping weekend came as a blessing to
parents looking to outfit their children for school, but for whom keeping
track of which items were exempt could have been a bit of a chore. So
Concord Mills in Concord, North Carolina decided to help its shoppers make
sense of it all with a complimentary Tax-free Shopping Guide.
The guide, which was available August 2 to 4 at the center’s customer
service desk, explained how the state’s tax-free shopping worked and also
listed exempt goods—from lunch boxes and calculators costing $100 or less to
computers, peripherals and software at $3,500 or less per item.
With the excitement that the prospect of additional savings generated,
Concord Mills figured the tax-free weekend would be the perfect time to run
the “Apple for Students” campaign. Together with two local radio partners
and the Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network, the center invited shoppers to
stop by the customer service desk, pick an apple with an underprivileged
child’s name on it from a special apple tree and then buy the clothing or
other supplies listed on the apple. Shoppers could then place the items they
bought in a giant backpack by the tree. All donated goods will go to
children in need throughout the Cabarrus and Mecklenburg school districts.
Welcome to Middle-Earth
The launch of a new DVD isn’t exactly a Hollywood premiere, but it
didn’t stop Future Shop from pulling all the stops to celebrate the Canadian
release of the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring DVD.
On August 5, which was a civic holiday in Ontario, Alberta and British
Columbia, the electronics retailer hosted special screenings of the popular
film in all three provinces.
At 8 p.m., Middle-Earth fans, dressed up as their favorite Lord of the Rings
character, could congregate under a giant big-top tent at a designated
Future Shop store and enjoy the movie, along with the usual theater food and
beverage staples—those who attended the screening in costume had a chance to
win a $500 gift certificate in a look-alike contest.
The evening’s festivities also included games and prizes, courtesy of
Microsoft X-Box, as well as a photo session with Lord of the Rings
characters.
“It’s an amazing event designed to thrill fans of Lord of the Rings and
anyone looking for a great, exciting way to wrap-up the long weekend,” said
marketing VP Rick Lotman when the special screenings were announced.
Future Shop hoped to also wrap-up its weekend nicely, with extra sales. The
Bridgeport, British Columbia location, for example, offered screening
attendees a $4 discount on the new DVD, while those who pre-ordered the
movie received a free 16-page photo collection on the making of Lord of the
Rings.
Shopping in Cape Cod aBreeze
Getting to Cape Cod Mall and around town just got easier for teens and
tweens living in Hyannis, Massachusetts. During these hot months, young
shoppers, ages 12 to 17, can stop by the mall’s Simon Marketplace to
purchase a Summer Fun Pass, which gets them on The Breeze shuttle buses and
on their way to the beach, the movies or anywhere else their little hearts
desire to go. The passes cost $5 per week or $15 for 30 days. Of course,
some parents might take exception to their kids shopping on their own, so
Cape Cod Mall is giving them an incentive to visit as well. Until the end of
July, shoppers who purchase $150 in Simon gift certificates will get a free
Cape Cod Golf Passport with $1,500 in savings at 27 area golf courses.
Celebrating diversity
President Bush called it “one of the most compassionate and successful
civil rights laws in American history” and on July 26, Huntington Mall in
Huntington Beach, California celebrated the 12th anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., shoppers
congregated in the mall gazebo to look back at all of the achievements that
the Act has made possible since 1990—from improved access to training and
employment to the countless barriers that individuals with disabilities have
broken down.
This fall, Huntington Mall and other shopping centers in the U.S. will get
another chance to pay tribute to champions of access to all by observing
National Disability Mentoring Day, on October 16. It will be welcome support
for the country’s 54 million citizens living with disabilities.
Gateway to the world
Station Square is not only one of Pittsburgh’s most popular tourism
spots, it’s also an entryway to a world of entertainment. This summer, the
historic destination gave its visitors an opportunity to discover and
experience other cultures through special events that included the One World
Music Festival. The event featured music from the Caribbean, Africa and
Brazil, not to mention an Island Market Place selling clothing, jewelry and
crafts—the mall food court even got into the groove, serving a menu of
island food and beverages.
Station Square has plenty more in store for shoppers this fall, starting
with the 15th annual Italian Summerfest, August 30 to September 2. That
Labor Day weekend celebration will see Italian food, wine and music converge
at the mall. Then, September 6 to 8, the station will really get hopping for
the 12th annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival. Those who visit will find Irish
entertainment with Celtic Storm and the Ennis Sisters, food, children’s
activities, an Irish marketplace and even Irish dog displays. There will be
enough going on to keep everyone busy right up until midnight on Friday and
Saturday. On Sunday morning, the celebration will take on a more solemn air,
when Station Square holds a Gaelic Mass.
All of the events take place at the Amphitheatre at Station Square.
Mail-order care
It’s an open prescription drug market out there and Broadway Square Mall
in Tyler, Texas is giving its shoppers an opportunity to take full advantage
of it. Until October 31, the mall will host the Rx Connection group of
registered pharmacists which provides a link to Total Care Pharmacy, a
Canadian outfit that sells low-priced medications. Rx representatives will
be at the mall to give consumers information on its mail-order prescription
plans and to take-down orders. The RX Connection visit is Broadway Square’s
way of going beyond its tenant roster to provide customers with one-stop
shopping.
Talk of the town
If deep discounts won’t bring shoppers to Belz Factory Outlet in
Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, then perhaps celebrities will. August 26 to 31, the
enclosed outlet mall will invite all of its customers to stop by its radio
station booth and enjoy interviews with local personalities and tenants. It
will be another opportunity for shoppers to come back to the outlet after a
weekend of back-to-school sales and find the last remaining items they need
to get ready for the first day of classes.
Dream Dorm
Party central or jail cell, your average college dorm room can be
either. It all depends on who’s sharing your floor and what goodies you have
in there. Shopping centers can’t do much about the former, but Indian River
Mall has the latter under control. The Vero Beach, Florida center recently
offered its young shoppers a Dorm Package Sweepstakes that gave college
students a chance to win a five-CD stereo system, bedding, accessories, gift
cards from mall stores and other tantalizing gifts. All customers had to do
was visit the mall’s marketplace, read up on the sweepstakes and register to
win. The dorm package was valued at $1,000.
Can’t Wait ‘Till Christmas
When they were asked to support the families of the victims of the
September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, Americans
responded in droves. In fact, the response was so overwhelming that there
was little help left for other charitable causes. Now, as New Yorkers and
their fellow countrymen continue to piece their lives and cities back
together, some non-profit organizations are devising clever ways of finding
the support they need. The Salvation Army, for example, was able to get
Holyoke Mall on board to host a drive this past July, well before the
holiday season, which is when most charities actively canvas neighborhoods
across the nation.
Every Thursday to Saturday during that month, Holyoke sponsored the
Salvation Army’s “Can’t Wait ‘Till Christmas” campaign, asking shoppers to
make a contribution to benefit the non-profit’s many community programs. A
Salvation Army representative was posted at every mall and department store
entrance to greet shoppers and take donations.
ICSC announces new committee on open-air centers
Enclosed retail and entertainment destinations may have a way of
grabbing media headlines, but the truth of the matter is that open-air
centers are the norm when it comes to shopping center concepts. From strip
malls and power centers to neighborhood centers, these properties are the
bread and butter of the industry. That is why the International Council of
Shopping Centers (ICSC) is now giving these centers the attention they
deserve by forming a new special advisory committee whose mandate will be to
promote open-air center development through publications, conferences and
educational sessions at networking events.
“When you consider that 95 percent of the shopping centers in the United
States are open-air centers, you realize that this segment of the industry
accounts for the vast majority of retail sales and deserves the same respect
as the enclosed mall segment of the industry,” said Michael McCarty, a Simon
Property Group executive who was chosen to co-chair the new Open-Air Centers
committee, along with Brad Hutensky of The Hutensky Group.
The committee will begin peddling its cause at the ICSC’s Open-Air Centers
conference, to be held November 5 and 6 in Chicago, Illinois.There, the
committee will head education sessions that will tackle such pressing issues
as supermarket dominance, tenant bankruptcies and the challenges of finding
new sites to accommodate retailers’ expansion needs in a market with
dwindling development opportunities.
On Duty
Members of the ICSC’s new advisory committee on open-air centers are:
Drew Alexander, Weingarten Realty Investors
Stephen Bittel, Terranova Corp.
Norris Eber, Joseph Freed & Associates
Aaron Fleishaker, Kimco Realty Corp.
Stephen Hopkins, Hopkins Real Estate Group
Terry Kittleson, Trammel Crow Company
Norman Kranzdorf, Kramont Realty Trust
Edward Paster, Paster Enterprises
Gary Rappaport, The Rappaport Companies
Bernard Rosenshein, Rosenshein Associates
Jeff Ross, RioCan REIT
Scott Schroeder, Developers Diversified Realty
Joseph Shafran, Paran Management Company
Alan Smith, Konover & Associates Inc.
Richard Tucker, Tucker Development Corp.
Larry Wheeler, Edens & Avant
Previous Bitz:
July 02
June 02
May 02
April 02
March 02
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
September/October 2001
August 2001
July 2001
June 2001
May
2001
|
|
