Go Back to
www.WebWholesalerMagazine.com
FEATURE
18 Fashion Accessories
“For the fashion industry, this is a very important sign,”
Cohen says. “As go women shoppers, so goes the total fashion market.” According to Cohen, women represent just over 50 percent of total fashion market sales, and account for almost 25 percent more in purchases they make for others. Even with the 5.1 percent decrease in 2009, Cohen says, it’s important to note that middle income consumers (those with annual incomes of $25,000—$75,000) made apparel purchases at about the same rate as they did in 2008. Upper income con- sumers’ fashion spending was down nine percent for ‘09, while teens’ spending fell by 20 percent. “Between ‘frugal fatigue’ and pent-up demand, the con-
sumer is spending,” Cohen says, “but we will likely see a lull in February and March, as they wait for their credit card bal- ances to recover from holiday and January sales. T en, come the change in weather in late March and April, consumers will likely be assessing their ward- robes and opening their wallets a lit le bit again.” In the meantime, overall retail sales increased by 3.3 percent in January 2010 over January 2009, according to a T omson Reuters survey of department stores, discounters and apparel sellers; a surprisingly positive showing for what’s usu- ally a slow month, even in the best of economic times. Among the strongest January performers were Nordstrom Inc., where sales were up by 14 percent; TJX Cos., parent to the T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s chains, which reported a 12 percent rise; and Costco Wholesale Corp., with an eight percent increase. Even teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. posted an eight percent rise in sales, its fi rst same store sales increase since April 2008. “It’s encouraging, looking at the January data, but the
caveat is January and February are very low volume months,” Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Coun- cil of Shopping Centers, toldT e Los Angeles Times. “But it does appear that the retail recovery is being sustained. It’s now multiple months of pret y solid performance.” Niemira added that the Council was predicting a two percent growth for February. None of this news comes as a particular surprise to Stephanie Beedy, owner of T e Zootique (
www.thezootique.
THE ZOOTIQUE
941 Washington Blvd., Suite 311, Roseville, CA 95678 Toll Free: 800-311-9330 • Tel.: 916-899-5025
Email:
www.thezootique.com/contact.htm Website:
www.thezootique.com
com), which as its name may suggest, specializes in animal print accessories, primarily for women and children. “Business has been very good,” Beedy enthuses, noting that Zootique, “Went from a small corner of my garage to a company with eight employees in eight months.” Nearly everything that Zootique sells comes in zebra
“As go women shoppers, so goes the total fashion market.”
Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group
and/or leopard prints. “Anything that has a zebra print does really well,” she says. “We have onesies, hats and shoes, to bags and iPhone cases.” Baby leopard or zebra cot on booties go for $4.99 per pair, while knit ed hats and beanies sell for $3.29 to $4.04, and a six pack of pink leopard/zebra daisy baby kufi hats sells for $27.99. Animal prints make wonderful accessories for otherwise plain outfi ts. Zootique’s iPhone cases, which oſt en have added sequins or crystals for extra bling value, go for $14.99 to $19.99. Animal print shoulder, cosmetic, and diaper/tote bags are priced at $7.99 to $15.99. Wholesale prices are also available.
Beedy credits Zootique’s success with her own ceaseless
research and marketing eff orts. “I really should have been in marketing,” she says. “I keep my ear to the ground, take the time to research what everybody else is doing, and make sure the website has lots of working links to other stores, and that those stores have working links back to mine.” Zootique also off ers a free coupon for customers who sign up for the store’s email marketing eff orts. T rough these endeavors, Beedy is now stocking up on ostrich feather-bedecked accessories, fi rmly believing that it will be the next big thing for her cus- tomers. “We also make many of our pat erns available as craſt or boutique supplies, and sell by the foot,” she notes. Also succeeding with animal prints is Tickled Pink Lug-
gage (
www.wholesalecentral.com/tickledpink/store.cfm), where giraff e and zebra print totes, laptop cases, duffl e bags
Continued On 22
20
April 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68