It’s been another weird week in retail.
Apple launched a hardware device to house Siri that looks an awful lot like a roll of toilet paper, clear knee mom jeans got a celebrity endorsement, and Radioshack began auctioning off relics from the past.
This, and more, in this week’s Retail Therapy.
Siri reincarnates into a roll of toilet paper
From new innovations in virtual and augmented reality to the latest iOS11 features, Apple made a lot of intriguing announcements at its Worldwide Developers Conference this week. Most notably, it finally caught up with the likes of Google and Amazon by launching a home speaker to house voice assistant Siri — the HomePod.
While being behind the curve may be bad enough for Apple, even worse was the reaction by consumers on Twitter.
The pudgy, cylindrical white or gray device will retail for $349 when it hits stores in December — that is if it hits stores. At this point, Apple may want to consider a redesign toward something that looks less like, well, a roll of toilet paper, among other things.
I have the perfect stand for the new Apple #HomePod pic.twitter.com/bPxX8mSM4E
— Raz (@raztweets) June 5, 2017
Wow, the #HomePod comes in so many colours! #wwdc2017 pic.twitter.com/Bf4slYNlEC
— Michael Gillett (@MichaelGillett) June 5, 2017
Got my #homepod pic.twitter.com/UyAm77q6Vj
— Nick (@njones_22) June 5, 2017
Apple's new homepod is going to be just $349! #WWDC17 #homepod pic.twitter.com/XxU1L5oD4D
— Izzy Piyale-Sheard (@izzydoesizzy) June 5, 2017
Clear knee mom jeans get a celebrity endorsement
Like a perpetual preteen, denim has a way of going through a new awkward growing pain each decade — think bell bottoms in the 70s, mom jeans in the 80s, acid wash jeans in the 90s, ripped jeans in the 2000s and... clear knee mom jeans in the 2010s?
In March, Nordstrom began selling a pair of TopShop-branded high-waisted jeans with rectangular clear plastic cutouts that awkwardly flaunt the wearer’s bare knees. The look was utterly ripped apart on social media. Tom Lenk, the actor best known for starring in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the comedian known for recreating celebrity fashion looks (this was his hilarious attempt at Oscar attire), even joined in. His takeaway? Get ready for sweaty knees.
For months, we’ve been asking ourselves: Who on earth actually forks over $95 for these horrendous (and seemingly very uncomfortable) jeans? And now we know: Millie Bobby Brown.
The thirteen-year-old actress who plays Eleven in the Netflix-original hit "Stranger Things" posted a picture of herself sporting the jeans on Instagram while visiting fellow celebrity Maddie Ziegler (made famous by reality show Dance Moms).
The only thing unclear about this situation is whether Brown’s collection of odd denim also includes Nordstrom’s infamous $425 fake mud jeans or Opening Ceremony’s $425 detachable jeans.
Ivanka Trump’s Target move
Ivanka Trump is a veritable fashion icon for many millenials, and she’s got the Instagram followers to prove it (3.7 million to be exact). The wealthy eldest daughter of the president, who runs her own brand of high-end apparel and shoes (which were pulled from Nordstrom earlier this year), this week turned heads for not only wearing something off the rack – but from a major retailer — Target.
On Monday, Trump posted a picture of herself in a $35 blue dress decorated in white flowers with the caption “Monday Blues!” The move may have been a subtle rebuke of stepmother Melania Trump, who recently wore an over-the-top $51,000 Dolce & Gabbana floral jacket in Italy while traveling with President Donald Trump on his first trip abroad.
The black satin dress, part of British model Victoria Beckham’s exclusive collection with the retailer, is now on clearance for $17.50. Political celebrities — they're just like us!
Radioshack’s dated memorabilia auction
For years, Radioshack has been fading out of relevancy and soon the twice bankrupt electronics retailer will cease to exist at all in the retail landscape, and this time — everything must go — and they mean everything.
Last week, Radioshack was tweeting out deals for plastic fixtures, display hangers and metal literature racks. This week, it’s selling off prized pieces of memorabilia.
Grab your time machine, here are the three strangest items being auctioned off by RadioShack:
1. A picture of a cup of coffee with its logo floating in it
Highest bid: $7
2. A telephone answering machine
Highest bid: $3.25
3. A portable computer (perhaps the first laptop ever?)
Highest bid: $115
