Another week, another denim crisis.
This week, designer brand 6397 unveiled a jean frock to rival Detachable Jeans, Clear Panel Mom Jeans and even Mud Jeans. Meanwhile, bankrupt Radioshack has been giving Twitter followers a play-by-play of its sad giveaway sales, and two Indiana University students lived in a Wal-Mart for 48 hours.
This, and more, in this week’s Retail Therapy.
Are they jeans? Is it a dress? It’s a 2 jean dress
There is perhaps no bigger fashion faux pas than denim on denim. While the Canadian tuxedo once thrived in the '70s, trends have come and gone — and luxury brand 6397 is apparently trapped in a time warp.
This week, 6397, the brainchild of The News Inc. owner Stella Ishii launched a “2 Jeans Dress” on e-commerce website Shopbop. The $445 frock is exactly what it sounds like — two pairs of jeans patched together. The two-toned look is created by flipping the jeans upside down, slicing them up and using the extra fabric to fill in the gaps.
Unlike Nordstrom’s fake Mud Jeans, these pants are authentic: “The original waistbands are left intact, with the closures forming adjustable slits at the front and back,” reads the product description. For DIY crafters, this seems like an easily replicated look — and one that could be made at home for much less than the steep price tag.
You may be wondering what on earth you could possibly pair with this Frankenstein dress. According to the product page, a complementary ensemble would include long black tube socks, high-top Converse, a child-size backpack and — of course — adhesive nipple covers.
Denim on denim is shameful enough, and yet 6397 took it one step further by also creating a pair of mosaic jean pants, otherwise known as “Patchwork Shorty Jeans.” The $476 (on sale from $595) mismatched denim pants crop awkwardly at the lower calf, but are somehow nearly sold out. The market for absurd jeans is clearly booming (clear jeans are apparently also in), although who is actually buying these pricey looks remains a mystery.
Radioshack tweets its slow death
It’s been a long, slow death for Radioshack, the brick-and-mortar electronics retailer that once thrived on sales of radios, walkie talkies and batteries but failed to survive the speed of technology development and the encroachment of Amazon.
Despite the glimmer of hope that some may have retained after its first Chapter 11 filing, the company landed back in bankruptcy just 24 months later — and now it’s having the saddest yard sale we’ve ever seen.
This week, Radioshack has been tweeting up a storm to broadcast that its “$5 deals won’t last forever!” While that may sound like a good deal for headphones or phone chargers, that inventory is long gone. Left are the remainders of a crumbled brick-and-mortar dream. Oh, and lots of store fixtures.
The company has been tweeting pictures of everything from clipboards and display hangers to metal literature racks and plastic buckets.
Everything is for #sale at #radioshack! Talk to your store manager about offers and pricing on retail fixtures. https://t.co/WEnRMIH3Ix pic.twitter.com/a56VnGV3hn
— RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 25, 2017
These metal literature racks for pegboards are a great way to organize reading material. Everything is on sale at your local #radioshack! pic.twitter.com/pBZR9Rwtki
— RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 23, 2017
Check out these neat little display organizers! Buy a few or make a bulk offer! Offers vary by location. https://t.co/WEnRMIYF77 pic.twitter.com/EEyPYUfO87
— RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 23, 2017
#radioshack has retail fixtures for #sale at select locations. Ask the store manager for pricing and bulk deals. https://t.co/WEnRMIYF77 pic.twitter.com/Tife3ehZQl
— RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 22, 2017
Radioshack, like many other traditional retailers, struggled to adapt to increased competition and the rise of online buying. But customers had other thoughts on the retailer’s demise.
Went to #RadioShack today to buy a radio and the man wearing the Dockers said they didn't sell any. This is why their stores are closing.
— Mass Movie Mavens (@mavensupdate) May 7, 2017
I took my sons to #RadioShack because it's closing. I thought they should experience it. Prices at 90% off finally competed with @amazon
— Scott Clarke (@calrek) May 25, 2017
48 hours in a Wal-Mart
This week, a pair of Indian University students did the unimaginable — they lived in Wal-Mart for 48 straight hours.
For many, spending just an hour in the supercenter, known for its elusive store workers and disorganized displays, is more than enough. But the big-box retailer has made leaps to soften its image by investing in its workers, stores and e-commerce business — and Christian Perry and Noah Maxwell decided to give it a two-day test run, which they claim broke the world record.
On day one, Perry and Maxwell narrated their stay on camera, showing themselves riding Ripsticks down the toy aisle, looking at fish in the pet section and sleeping buried deep within a display of boxed furniture. The next morning, the two head to the arcade, get haircuts at the salon and take a nap atop an enormous paper towel storage area.
“I almost lost my mind, but it was worth it. It taught me a lot of valuable lessons,” Maxwell said of the experience, which was filmed for a segment of their YouTube channel “The Christian and Noah Show.”
Moral of the story? When you’re hunting for misplaced products and waiting in absurdly long lines, just remember that at least you won’t have to be there for two days straight.
Florida woman trapped in a CVS
Unlike Perry and Maxwell, Lillian Rimmel didn’t plan to spend the night in a retail store. All she wanted was a birthday card from CVS.
Apparently unaware that the store was about to close, Rimmel walked toward the checkout at 10 p.m. only to find the door barricaded, and no store associates to be found. "I started screaming, 'Is anyone here? Can anyone help me?'" she told Florida Today.
Eventually, Rimmel resorted to calling the police — on herself. But she didn’t spend the rest of the evening in jail. A store manager arrived at the location with the police to escort Rimmel out. CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis later apologized for the incident, saying, "We are reinforcing the correct store closing procedures with all of our stores to prevent this from occurring again."
As CVS embarks on an ambitious plan to revamp its store design, let’s hope they figure out a way to keep from trapping their customers. Unfortunately, that’s not the best way to build customer loyalty.
