That orange bag is ubiquitous. The most downloaded app in 2024 was the low priced Chinese shopping platform TEMU. The low priced products have proven a success with buyers in uncertain times. This past October the Shanghai giant recorded 52 million downloads in the US. Offering everything from fast fashion bags to cutlery, Temu has lured customers away from rivals Shein and Amazon with its cut throat pricing and marketing to young customers.
Everything disposable is the “New Black. ” Hyper consumption lives to fight another day.
Global headlines have spooked consumers. Shoppers are holding back on purchases, electing to save money instead of splurging on fun buys. Fashion brands and retailers struggle to lure buyers. Stores could are overstocked with unsold pieces. Now, as the holiday season approaches, companies are in early markdown stages trying to move merchandise.
A big discount on Margiela Shoes ThomBrowne mark downed online
Relax and wait to get that special item you always wanted and a good price. After all, “He/she that can have patience can have what he/she will.”
Fronting: Acting like you are more, or you have more, than what really exists.
Fake: is a word to describe people who aren’t themselves in order to gain friends and end up being more popular. They seem very nice to everyone, yet trash-talks them behind their back in order to get attention from people and make “friends” just to improve their social-status.
Shameless display of wealth entered a new dimension with the advent of social media, especially with Instagram. A post is not just a post, a picture is a digital brand. Fronting the fabulous life gives cred to the IG generation, living the Kardashian life. The economic reality behind the filtered smile, a lack of cash to sustain the image. Shopping, shopping, shopping for a designer bag, the latest sneaker, that brilliant fuchsia piece takes money. Bill Gates is now divorced, available, but the tech mogul does not want a clothes horse on his arm.
A TikTok post from a luxury retailer sales person revealed the hard truth. Fronting is mainstream and has reached the top. According to the sales person, people buy items, post them, then return the clothes to the store. Is this behavior new? NO! The past few years, there have been stories about “Instagram Returns”. Customers buy, wear, post, take back to the store. A generation go wearing something then brazenly returning was considered low to no class. In the 21st century, embarrassment is an outdated concept. Attention seeking knows no bounds.
One Saks Fifth Avenue shopper complained the high-end clothing mecca feels more like a thrift store, with many pieces on the store shelf looking worn.
An excerpt from Before Tacky Podcast the team spoke about Instagram’s affect on fast fashion. Trying to live the large life while caring about sustainable fashion is a contradiction for the social media set.
Gap and Ye are counting on this quote. The much hyped fashion collaboration is more like a circus freak show. Now, buyers must dig through garbage bags for overpriced pieces from the rapper turned designer. According to news channels the designs have sold out. One has to winder if pushing the boundary of stupidity has limits. Maybe,Mr. Barnum was right.
I like shopping in Hamburg. The stores clustered around the center range from mainstream ready to wear mixed with luxury brands to fine vintage boutiques and camera shops.
Frank Rudolf Alsterhaus PhotohausOtten Von Emmerich Rudolf Beaufays
The usual KaDeWe Christmas visit happened recently. Was this visit the same as previous years? NO. Covid pass to enter, fewer buyers and a feeling of melancholy for the what has passed. But it is nice to visit Berlin’s famed store.
AGAIN! Another reopening, in time for the summer. We have been through this before. A part of me thinks these lockdowns are a trail run for a societal behaviormodification program. But, a least the city opened again. Life is sort of normal. Whatever that means in 2021.
I decided to meet a good friend at the KaDeWe department store for lunch. How middle class! I got to the front entrance. If only it could have been so simple. NOPE! I woke up early to get a Covid test valid for 24 hours.
A new app has taken the stores by storm, or holding it prisoner, LUCA. All shoppers have to scan the Google bar code before entering establishments. I did not get the memo. A tall handsome blonde security person told me I could not enter without the new tracking tool.
After a twenty minute ordeal of trying to download this tracking app, the door person told us we can show the negative notice and register inside. Really Pamela Anderson! Telling us this information AFTER all the trouble. OK!
Line one for the entrance registration took 3 minutes.
Up to the food floor. All the culinary sections were roped off, one way in or out. Getting to an area was the same as a mouse in a maze searching for the cheese in the center. We decided on the Kartoffelacker, known for potato plates. But first, we had to show our Covid Status, AGAIN! Then filled out another form. Thankfully, the restaurant service was exceptionally attentive.
Another Form
After 90 minutes of food, wine and chatting we decided to do some shopping in the 7 floor cathedral of consumption. Down we went to the menswear area. Sadly, nothing was on sale. On the ground floor, heaven and fun. “Dream as if you’ll live forever”, James Dean said. Talking to the sales people at Fendi and Tiffany sales people. My shopping partner loves the Blue Box jeweler.
Suddenly, I remembered an event that required a gift. Back upstairs for coffee. Guess what! AGAIN! Another form and we had to show the staff our status.
Chanel and Coffee
Thankfully, there is a stationary department on the 5thfloor with cards and pens. My life was saved.
Walking down the Berlin’s most commercial Boulevard on Saturday during the midday. After three months in lockdowns, this is the surreal result. In the old times the side walks would be bustling with shoppers, people hanging out, restaurants teeming. This year, no! As the New Normal grips the world, this once prominent location feels abandoned. Lost in a bygone time, stores are closed, shop locales permanently shuddered. I hope this is not a glimpse of physical retail’s future. Dystopian, a scene from the television show Black Mirror.
Imagine,,, walking on a cold, lonely street with no people, no place to sit. All because you have a shopping appointment at an exact time. Pretty Bleak.
Today I got a message from the KaDeWe regarding my Click and Meet experience. How do I out it? Horrible. If I ever wanted to feel what it was like to live in the U.S.S.R circa 1972. I had a taste of it on Saturday at 1:00, standing outside in the cold wet weather waiting in a long line to go shopping in Berlin’s luxury department store.
After three months of closure, German retailers reopened on the March 8th. Finally, a place to go other than a discount supermarket. But, there is a catch. Spontaneous shopping is no more. A relic not fitting in today’s world. As we can read, Merkel and crew are grasping by finger nails to the Covid situation, but had to bow to economic pressure.
Click and Collect means making an online shopping appointment online for one hour. I made three wanting to see what was on sale. As my friend said, “ they will have to pay us to take their unsold merchandise”. Stores have 3 seasons of unsold merchandise. Snazzing myself up a bit for a shopping day. Be careful what you wish for. I had to wear a Ffp2 mask for the 35 minute metro journey to City West.
Appointments
I arrived at my first appointment, the flagship Peek and Cloppenberg store. Normally, the six door grand entrance buzzes with customers rushing in and out. This time you have to check in through one door with security staff all asking if you have an appointment. I did, but the awkward sensation of being asking to shop, strange. Not a lot of people shopping in the store at 11:00. The end result, I bought nothing.
An eerily silent KuDamm at 12:30 on a Saturday.
Having a bit of time, I went next door to KaDeWe for my next appointment one hour early. Not a long line, perhaps I could get in early. Not happening! Security enforced the appointment times, 1:00 meant 1:00, no early entrances.
Standing in a long line
Inside the KaDeWe
Wet and Cold in front of the KaDeWe
Wondering around a dead Kudamm, no cafes, no random shopping cause I made no appointments. Rain, cold, wet with no where to go for for seventy-two minute wait.
Finally, 13:00. Walking up to the KaDeWe, a long, long, line. I asked two guys, “All of you have an Appointment?” “Yes!” I walked to the back of the line after asking security how long of a wait. The five minute reply was met with scepticism.
I met a woman waiting to enter. Asking her opinion of the situation, the response, “CASTROPHE!”
Finally, people moved towards the door. Heading up the escalators, mens area first floor. Busy, busy, shoes on sale at half price. Tempting. In the end, I left the menswear floor empty handed.
Wondering up the famed food area, really crowded. My standard buys are the cakes and bread from Lenotre. Then, a wonder around to the Champagne area. Nothing on sale in the sparkling wines section.
On To The Next One
After thirty five minutes, enough. The feeling was lost. A cordoned off luxury store, a timetable to shop, not for me, exit, left door.
My Appointment Number
Not in the mood
Front Entrance
My last Click and Meet appoint, the most French spot in Berlin, Galeries Lafayette. Arriving early, I managed to get in however I had to take a number. The sales were ok, but the far from crowded store had a sort of Twilight Zone feel. I kept asking myself, “Why Do I need to buy this?”
The food section, my favourite, I bought baguettes, cheese and a brioche, leaving the store through the side door.
An honest opinion of the Click and Meet plan, another knife in brick and mortar retail. The government wants us to shop online.
