The Vibrant, The Fading & The Reborn

Last week I flew to Los Angeles (The Grove) for a much needed retail tour!

THE VIBRANT

Alo Yoga’s store looked fresh and was a magnet for the Cali girls. The go-to-market featured product capsules organized by color, shape, and material, making it user-friendly for newcomers. The "goop wall" added a modern health and wellness touch, reminiscent of Gap's '90s fragrances (remember choosing between Dream, Heaven or Grass.... such hard choices). From a commercial standpoint, this approach could boost unit per transaction and productivity for the four-walls, but the main opportunity lies in unifying the store's full offering and positioning under a cohesive lifestyle message like "Be Well. Here are all the right products for it." (I am not a copywriter, but hopefully you get my point.) In contrast, Lulu Lemon seemed confusing (are they leading with men’s now?) but is showing a clear investment in their footwear. Alo Yoga does have footwear (one style to be exact) and in theory could boost the customer experience by integrating all of these elements better at point of sale.

THE FADING

Oh Nordstrom. The Anniversary Sale has lost its former glory. It had no zhuzh. In the 1990’s, it was THE shopping event with well-synced stores, ample inventory, and a great catalog. Now, the store lacks coordination and variety, inventory is low, and the catalog is not fully represented. The assortment is stuck between luxury and moderate, missing a bridging segment. Additionally, the multi generational appeal for teens, moms, and grandmas is lost. Wall Street's numbers reflect these issues. Note that i saw/felt the same sense of lost direction in the Nike store as well. Dillards could fill the void that Nordstrom has created with their strategic shifts, but only serving the Southeast keeps their old-school experience from filling the national niche.

THE REBORN

Yay Gap, You made my younger self and my retail soul happy. The store feels mobilized and energized with classic Gap visual merchandising, product assortment, and enthusiastic staff. The '90s are back with great basics, clear fit & fabric communication, and core colors with pops. Gap is even bringing back their old scents. I'll let you know if 49-year-old me still loves Heaven as much as 19-year-old me did. Note that Banana Republic had the same revival feel, so the change at the top is having a nice trickle down to the customer.