Waste not. Wear yes!
An inconceivable amount of fabric never even makes it into apparel production. Fabrics are frequently produced by mistake, in excess, or didn’t make the cut for final production. Textile manufacturers have no buyer for this fabric and often resort to incinerating it or sending it straight to the landfill. Looptworks, a new apparel company in Portland, Oregon, upcycles fabric like this into a full line of apparel, saving the fabric from being discarded. Not only is producing fabric a waste of energy, the production also requires a lot of water. According to Looptworks, an average organic cotton T-shirt takes 400 gallons of water to make, which is equal to taking a shower for 2.5 hrs! Can you imagine? Check out their video:

Charmed and Bejeweled
Twitch and Whiskers out of Danbury, CT makes jewelry out upcycled materials, giving them a one-of-a-kind cache. Pieces merge retro, like game pieces from days gone by, with modern materials, creating a can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it fascination.

Thimble Jewelry by Twitch and Whiskers

Waste and Repeat
Your trash can become another man’s treasure and yours. TerraCycle, a Trenton, New Jersey company, collects and transforms waste from 20 million people in over 20 countries into a line of products, such as a pull-tab handbag, cookie wrapper kites and dozens of other clever products. Creating products out of trash eliminates raw materials processing and generates a much smaller carbon footprint.

Upcycled products are anything but a waste. When they can no longer be used, they can be returned to the upcycle assembly line and transformed into yet another purpose. As for your store, upcycled products are a promising lot for customers looking to reduce their impact on the environment. But you may have materials ripe for upcycling right in your store. Either way, it’s a trend that could uptick your sales.

It’s the time of year when retailers are climbing over each other to sell, sell, sell. So why is Patagonia, a manufacturer of outdoor sports apparel, taking a stand against buying one of their own products? On Cyber Monday, the Black Friday of internet shopping, Patagonia sent an email out to customers urging them to think twice before buying anything, especially a Patagonia jacket. What the?

The anti-sell commands attention, for sure. You could call it a brilliant marketing strategy. But it’s so much more than that. Patagonia is imploring people to live healthier financially and environmentally. Plenty of companies fly the environmental awareness flag. But Patagonia’s not messing around with this mission: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” To prove it, they’re telling you to join them in their mission, to the detriment of their own sales. To illustrate their point, they strip down the jacket pictured in the email, thread by thread, to illustrate their point: “This jacket comes with an environmental cost higher than its price.”

The comments are flying on the internet about “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” It boils down to authenticity. Patagonia wants you to join them in their mission and take the “Common Threads Initiative Pledge,” even if it means not buying that jacket.

Jacki

A smile just might be worth a million bucks after all. At Pret a Manger (which means “ready to eat” in French), a fresh take on delivering cheery customer service converts to cash for the $534M chain of British-owned sandwich shops. When so many businesses struggle to keep customers coming back and staff motivated, how is it that Pret a Manger blows the lid off what is expected? An article in the New York Times titled “Would You Like a Smile With That?” investigated.

According to the New York Times, Pret a Manger puts the money where the mouth is – the face of its employees. When employees are cheerful to customers, and to each other, they earn cash rewards. When one employee is rewarded for reaching a milestone or earning a promotion, the company requires him to give the money to fellow coworkers who have helped him succeed. So it’s in everyone’s best interest to help each other. Pret stores as a whole are rewarded for earning high mystery shopper scores. Pret managers award “Wow” cards with tantalizing scratch-off prizes like iPods to deserving employees. The rewards are hard earned.

 Pret employees go through a rigorous training program that includes written quizzes. They’re also empowered to hand free drinks to customers and get busy tackling any job that needs doing – whether it’s their job or not. But the true test comes when new hires are sent to work at a store for a day. Employees vote whether the person stays or goes home – hopefully still smiling with no hard feelings.

Jacki Sturkie

Photo credit Michael Mitarnowski

Granted smoke bombs and choreographed displays with 3,500 rabid fans is a little overkill for showing your excitement for a retail store; but the self-made soccer fan club, the Timbers Army, is onto something. Since 1975, Portland, Oregon longed for the return of their professional soccer team, the Portland Timbers. Pent-up demand exploded onto the field in the form of the Timbers Army, a hyper-devoted, super-organized fan club run by a non-profit organization called The 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust.

How does a soccer fan club apply to your store?
There are the standard social networking ways to build a fan base for your store. But building a passion is a whole other story. What about your store are people passionate about? Identifying the passion is half the battle. Once you’ve figured out the passion, feed it! Timbers Army members bleed passion for soccer. In the case of Switch Shoes in Multnomah Village, the passion starts with shoes and extends to style that is unique to Switch. The storeowners sponsored a photo contest for their Facebook fans and gave away a grand prize gift certificate. 

Elizabeth & Austin Moore

Fans wanted
The Timbers Army welcomes all. If you’re proud of Portland and love the Timbers, you’re in. There are no member fees, but the identifier of a Timbers Army member is a scarf. To date, they’ve sold over 9,000 “No Pity” Timbers Army scarves. Who wants to be a fan of your store? Finding your people is crucial. To build a fan base, two Timbers enthusiasts went to pubs during national soccer team games, handed out business cards and gathered emails. An article in The Oregonian followed, resulting in Timber Army fans overflowing the North End of the Timbers stadium.

“What started out as a few dozen people making up chants on the spot and banging on pickle buckets grew to a few hundred in just a few seasons,” said Garrett Dittfurth, communications chair for the 107 Independent Supporters Trust. Where can you go – online or in person – to find your people?

Fans are honored. Fans are special. Fans are appreciated.
Embracing your fans goes a long way. Team owner Merritt Paulson literally bowed to the Timbers Army at the Portland’s home opener in Major League Soccer. Additionally, Paulson brought the Timbers Army in to give input on the stadium layout and rewarded them with commission on season tickets sold in their section.

Customers who feel welcome and feel the passion return again and again. At the Mousetrap, a tavern in North Portland, patrons love to play pool. So they open the bar to tournaments and sponsor a billiards coach to hold workshops. Trophies line the walls and celebrate the sport. Their billiards-playing customers find a home away from home.

Photo credit Michael Mitarnowski

Keep fans interested
When it comes to the Timbers Army, the game and culture is interesting enough. If you’re unsure what your customers will react to, just ask. Why not get their input first before you spend money? Just be aware that there’s always the “What’s in it for me” factor. For example, fans on the Helium Comedy Club mailing in Portland, Oregon, get special discounts and free stuff. If anything, it keeps them from opting out of the mailing list. Giving them preferential treatment also makes them feel appreciated.

Get fans involved
Dittfurth says the Timbers Army tries to “foster a sense of inclusiveness.” So every t-shirt, banner and hat is designed by Timbers Army members. “Creating that sense of ownership and investment in the team and the atmosphere we create on game days is key to maintaining interest,” he said.

No Limit! No Pity!
Dittfurth’s final advice to anyone trying to build an army: “Don’t put limits on how many fans you think you can get at first. In the beginning we never thought we could fill just section 107 with fans and a decade later we will at the very least 16 sections.”

The return
The Timbers sold out their home opener section in hours. Plus, their choreographed antics, such as hoisting a cardboard Timber player chopping the Space Needle in half with a chainsaw before a game against Seattle, blow the fan appreciation bar out of the water. The return for your store could mean anything from friends spreading the word about their experience to loyal, repeat business from diehard fans.

Jacki Sturkie, Guest Blogger

Photo credit Michael Mitarnowski

The space itself is built to inspire. With a floor made from a recycled gymnasium and light fixtures from an old Portland warehouse, you can’t help but let your mind go to play. A large work-height surface supplies a platform to explore different palettes of everything from wood and laminates to exquisite hand-etched patterns on metal. Design books are also within reach, along with our design team who meet clients in the library to collaborate.

Getting inspired?

Greb's before and after shot.

What a difference freshening up a storefront makes – attracting new business and restoring pride in neighborhoods on the verge of decay. Many cities’ revitalization efforts start with businesses. In Oregon, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) administers a Storefront Improvement Program that supplies cash grants and technical assistance to eligible businesses. Grants of up to $20,000 are available to apply toward everything from repainting to replacing windows, signage, lighting features and awnings. Store owners can also qualify for up to 30 hours of free design assistance from an architect. Check with your city government to see if a similar program exists in your area. In Portland, you’ll find more information at www.pdc.us/storefront.

Pho Thien before and after

Jacki Sturkie, Guest Blogger

With an audio conference system, hidden projector and recessed screen, the technology is like conference room meets James Bond. So are the finishes. A custom 12-foot conference table made with Afromosia wood and topped with Glacier White Corian takes center stage. Afromosia wood was selected for its density and durability. Plus, it resembles teak and is often referred to as African Teak.

Now for James Bond meets culinary technology and meeting room savvy. A nine-foot buffet contains a concealed Fisher Paykel Cooling Drawer that stores client beverages. The conference table is flanked by black woven chairs from Italy just perfect for super-power clients. A custom Dhurrie rug and bamboo wood floors and nature light spilling in from a new skylight finish the room. On the back wall, a selection of fine art rented from the Portland Art Museum jumpstart ideas.

Thanks to the collaborative effort of Henry Brown Interiors, design work of our in-house industrial design guru Brian Dibblee, craftsmanship of HBB Fine Furniture Studio and overall direction of President John Phillips, the new G&B Conference Room is something we’re all proud to share.

Banquet Table
Multi-tasking as a display space and checkout counter, the Banquet Table gives you flexibility. Throw a tablecloth over it, and voila! Instant charm.

Gridwall
If open-air markets won awards, Gridwall would be voted Most Popular. With a full spectrum of accessories from arms and hooks to waterfalls and hat displays, nearly any type of product can be displayed on gridwall. Additionally, gridwall gives your booth instant structure, whether it’s used as a backdrop or a four-way display.

Lightweights
Chances are, you are going to have to push, carry or pull everything you need to your booth. Cut down on weight where you can – use plastic hangers and acrylic sign holders instead of metal. Bringing lighter-weight grid wall instead of slatgrid may save your back. And, any display that assembles easily make a big difference, such as a collapsible salesman rack that folds flat and sets up in two seconds without tools. If you bring rolling displays, even better.

Unforgettable Supplies
It seems inevitable that something will be forgotten. So here are some things to remember to bring: signage, sign holders, pens, pricing tools and mirrors. Marking merchandise is a must, especially if you get busy helping a customer and other meandering customers want to know how much an item costs. If you’re selling hats, jewelry, sunglasses or other apparel, mirrors are essential. How else will your customers know how fabulous they look wearing your merchandise?

Protecting Your Booth
Keep merchandise safe until purchased with portable, lockable showcases. That way, customers can still see the merchandise, not steal it. And if there’s a 60 percent chance of rain, keep a garment rack cover on hand to toss over your merchandise.

Happy Customers
Sending customers away with biodegradable or recycled t-shirt bags to tote their new purchase makes them happy.

Best of luck taking your wares to market. To shop Open-Air market supplies, check out: http://www.grandbenedicts.com/estylezCS/products.aspx?Category=FLEAMARKET&SqlWhere=[i_ClassType]=4

I learned shoppers are not the only ones hurting from this dilemma. The sizing variations are a big contributor to $194 billion in clothing purchases returned in 2010, or more than 8 percent of all clothing purchases, according to the National Retail Federation. Why not implement standardized sizing like we have for shoes? Well, with apparel retailers’ diverse demographics it’s not that easy, but finally a company decided to do something to stop this guesswork.

According to a NY Times article earlier this week, a company called MyBestFit is now offering free 20-second full-body scans at shopping malls, telling a shopper what sizes she should try among the various brands. The customer steps into a circular booth, fully dressed. A wand rotates around her, emitting low-power radio waves that record about 200,000 body measurements. Next, the system matches the customer’s measurements to clothes in its database. MyBestFit currently measures clothes from about 50 stores, including Old Navy, Eddie Bauer and Talbots.

What’s the next step? An iPhone app where you plug in your dimensions… walk into a retail store and the smart phone spits out your size? Maybe it’s already one out there?

Camilla Chalmers