The importance of window displays

Window displays make or break a shop and its collection. A good one can really push sales for certain featured items. I feel a stab in the heart when shops do not take their window displays seriously - not that it should be taken TOO seriously. You catch my drift.

I'm not talking about spending a bomb on window displays or putting in too much effort all year round, a simple and meaningful one can do wonders.

Here's the inspiration for this entry....

What on earth?! How did this happen? How could this happen? Why did this happen?!

At the rate this shop is going - they might as well not display any mannequin at all. Look at the choice of clothing on the mannequin. The tousled tuft of hair is one thing, the choice of clothing is horrific!

Ugh, I am disgusted and upset. It's no laughing matter - I don't think anybody wants their kid dressed like a 30 year old man.

SB out!

Probably the worst sale ever!

It's that time of year again my darlings - time for the Great Singapore Sale (GSS).

It's shit. And I'm being lenient in saying that. Here's why:

If it's a "GREAT" sale, then it should live up to its expectations. "Great" is just one level below "Fantastic" and not synonymous with "Shitty".

This year, local shops and overseas brands alike have sale sections and nett sections - simultaneously in the store. More often than not, the nett section takes up more space than the sale section. The sale section is not more than 30% off for decent merchandise and 50% off for clothes so bad, they might as well be rags.

You can't even begin to imagine the sheer disappointment I felt when I went shopping week after week since the GSS started, only to feel that the sale is meant to get rid of clothes not worth buying, even at a low price.

Really retailers! Toss out the nonsense and bring in the good stuff at good prices. Now that's a "Great" sale!

The only sale that was worth going for, was the Mango sale. Well done. For the rest - Shame-On- You! The Mango sale was great because they had extremely decent clothing at very low prices and the entire shop was on sale! No nonsense with the nett section and sale section thing. The whole damn shop was on sale. That's just how it should be and no other way.

Other retailers had 50% off torn clothes, stretched out/worn out clothes, stained clothes etc. These shouldn't be 50% off, they should be tossed out or sold at 90% off. And horror of all horrors, I saw stuff that I had seen at a previous sale months ago.

The problem is that there's a trend going around amongst the retailers to have a sale section in the shop all year round. So when the GSS comes around, they don't have anything good to put out on sale! So they take the left overs and pass them off as GSS sale items.

Where's the incentive to pay retail if you're gonna be on sale all year round? I might as well wait a couple of weeks or two months and that thing I wanted would be in the sale corner of the shop.

Can't tell you how many times I've paid retail for something only to find the price slashed by 30% two months later. Whatever items that can't be sold during a turn over (fresh arrival of new designs), should be kept until the GSS or end of year sale.

Till my next post my darlings - The GSS couldn't be more disappointing.

Sales people that say too much

Hello my darlings,

I find it necessary to address the issue of certain sales people saying too much. If you're in sales, please, PLEEEEASE ... never do this...

So I was at the Body Shop looking at some products on sale, particularly the face masks. A plump, bespectacled young sales lady, with her hair all tied up in a pony tail, including her fringe, she had porcelain skin and rosy cheeks, came up to me and insisted that I try the mask right then and there on my hand. I declined - big mistake - she went on for a full five minutes about HER experience using the different masks. From how often she uses certain ones, to why she likes certain ones, to which ones suit her on which day. And in between, she managed to shove in a secret - "Let me tell you a secret ok?", "yea?" I asked, to which she replied "Don't tell anyone but, I use a different mask every day." Followed by a giggle.

Thank you for the heartfelt session darling...here's my secret: I WISH YOU CAME WITH A MUTE BUTTON.

After she was done yapping away, she says, "Ok lah, don wan to disterb you." (Translated into proper English: I don't want to disturb you) and walks off.

A little too late for that isn't it darling?

And boy did she not mean what she said. I wish she meant it with as much sincerity as when she was telling me about her facial mask routine, because as I was paying for a purchase at the counter, she happened to be the cashier at that point in time (I always have such impeccable timing) and she went on and on about the wonderful latex sponges sold at the Body Shop and how I MUST get one because they're so good, oh the wonderful latex sponges sold at the Body Shop, I MUST get one, they're sooo good, oh the wonderful latex sponges...YOU GET MY DRIFT!

She shouldn't be wearing a name tag, instead, she should be wearing a tag that says "BEWARE- I YAP"...B-IY for short?

Just so you know, yapping does not sell - I didn't buy any facial masks or latex sponge.

Ciao my darlings. SB out.