Tag: Target

Future of E-Commerce

So, years ago I said I wanted my own brick and mortar store to sell some of my designs and art merchandise. Well, I am not upset that I never opened a store (not to say it might not be in my future) but for now, e-commerce is great.

Did you know that by 2026, 24% of retail purchases will be done online?  The global e-commerce market is expected to total over $8.1 trillion dollars by 2026. No one can argue that online shopping isn’t easy even though folks abandon their shopping carts over shipping fees or slow delivery times. Amazon has the highest market share of all e-commerce accounting for about 38% of all online sales. Next come Walmart, eBay and Target.1

I’m almost positive that 2020’s Covid epidemic also boosted online sales as many people tried to avoid interacting with others. And, of course, Cyber Monday and Black Friday seriously grows every year. Last year, Adobe Analytics reported a record $9.8 billion in Black Friday sales and $12.4 billion for Cyber Monday.2 Anyone selling anything these days would be foolish not to also sell online.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the in-store experience will always be there. Trying things on, having a sales associate fetch a different size or help style you will always have its appeal. But as we go about this thing called life, I would have to say, getting a package in the mail excites me just as much or even more than going into stores. What do you prefer?

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Frances Knowles

  1. Baluch, A. 2023, Feb. 8. 38 E-Commerce Statistics Of 2023. Forbes. 
  2. Masters, K. 2023, Nov 29. 6 Trends That Shaped 2023’s Black Friday- Cyber Monday Results. Forbes.

Five Gift Ideas for Mom

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So Mother’s Day is about a week away! What are you going to do for Mom? Check out these five gift ideas, order today and get it in time for next weekend. ModaOperandi is doing express shipping through May 4th with the offer code MOTHERSDAY. And, Target also has some great practical gifts for the gardening and kitchen Mom. Peep them here.

croc embossed leather toteclover straw visorkate spade bagcaftan

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

Cute New Shoes at The FFANY Shoe Show 2013

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This week I attended the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) Shoe Show 2013 in midtown and was in shoe heaven! There were plenty of shoes from over a hundred brands and the suggested retail price for many of them were well within reason. New York showrooms were open this week for market as well.  Shoe lovers, get in here!

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I whirled through three floors of shoes and my favorite and the funkiest shoe was from J.C. Dossier. But as these shoes are not on the market yet and knock-off brands are rampant, I won’t be able to share them with you. I can tell you, however, that they were some of the most creative, kooky and colorful wedge heels I’ve ever seen! They will be in stores soon. Apart from those, I adored a pair of Kiss & Tell blue ruffled booties (pictured below), a pair of NYLA orange spiked sandals (above), and several from Six London (may have photos soon).

I also ran into Ivy Reyes of Luichi NY, a fellow FITer, who showed me some new dark blue python shoes (below) with a high-backing, apparently a big trend for the upcoming season.  London Trash also had several shoes with a high-back (pictured below).

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Wedge sneakers, spikes, high-rising heels (like London Trash above) and sequins seemed to be dominant trends at the Show.

The most innovative pair of shoes were from Cassandra Droogan of Protect Your Shoes In Style (PYSIS). She created a pair of boots that will go over your expensive pair of heels if you happen to be out in unfavorable weather conditions. Seems like a solution to me, instead of trying to change shoes all the time. I did not try them on but Cassandra modeled them below.

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I also ran into Melissa Tierney, FFANY Social Media Chair and Creator of Look 4 Less, a page about putting a look together on a budget. I was struck by Melissa’s necklace and pretty blouse who told me she got them from Target and H & M for about five dollars. I was wearing a white leather and linen Vince jacket, blue Kelly Wearstler skirt, my Giuseppe Zanotti pumps and a white blouse from H &M.

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Sincerely Yours,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

Neiman Marcus and Target Line Flop

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So, everyone and their mother these days since the economy crashed in 2008-2009 has seemingly jumped on the ‘I’m a high-end designer for low-budget stores’ bandwagon. Well, it takes a lot to successfully run a high-end fashion business and one must do what one can to survive and thrive. But, the consensus seems to be that a high-end designer or department store like Neiman Marcus should just stay that way and not try to parlay with your say, Target customers just to make some sales.

Evidently, its wiser to have a Marc by Marc Jacobs line under your umbrella like the Marc Jacobs fashion house as opposed to looking for a permanent collaboration with a lower price point store/brand as it is just not your customer base. Designers jumped on the Neiman Marcus Target collabo and Target customers complained that the prices were much higher than what they were used to paying but not much better quality than all the other products. Prices were slashed almost right away and according to Time Magazine, the entire collection was marked down 70% starting January 1st.

I’m definitely keeping this in mind for my future projects. If you’re a high-end designer, it may pay to just have your own lower price point line under your own brand than to do a collaboration like Neiman Marcus for Target.

Yours Truly,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles