On The Hunt

I get a lot of questions from folks on how to find a certain shoe.  It's great to be thought of as a resource and I do remember a lot of different brands and the shoes that belong to them, but I think there is a belief that I have a possibly secret resource for finding shoes.

Sadly, this is not the case.

If you are asking to find a shoe the answer I give you is going to vary by how "old" the style is.  If it's a current or just passed season, I'm going to go straight to Google and/or ShopStyle. When I'm in Google I'll look at the results for Shopping, Web and Images.  Sometimes the links vary so I try a few different paths.  ShopStyle is a good resource for all the online vendors which are aggregated in once place.

If the shoe is recent, I may check the brand/designer's site, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms, Amazon and Zappos. This is because each store gets different stock, color and sizes.

If the shoe is more than a year out I'll still give a quick search on Google - mostly because some may be in a sale stock or because Australia runs behind us on releases.  Shipping may be more costly or difficult but if you really want that shoe, you do what you have to do!

At the end of the day though, I go to eBay - US and UK.  When in doubt, that's the place to go and where I'm going to direct you.  There are tons of resellers who don't need to clear out their stock like stores do so the styles can "live" and are available to find for far longer. Or you may just be lucky enough to find a one-off of the very shoe you are looking for.  I've had that magically happen a few times.  Shoe kismet!

So there you go.  No secret resource or access.  Just patience, time and a bit of investigative work.  Now get shoe hunting!

Tips from the Luxury Business Newsletter

For my work, I read a lot of information speaking to retailers, especially those targeting the Luxury market. But in this time of economic troubles, even the luxury research group can help provide some tips for "cash-strapped shoppers"

Expert Pam Danziger offers shopping tips for consumers this holiday season. Her credentials as a shopping authority include her latest book, entitled Shopping: Why We Love It and Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience from Kaplan Publishing.

My business is advising retailers and marketers how to get shoppers to spend more money when they shop, but this year with shoppers feeling the economic squeeze, it is only right that I turn the research around to help the cash-strapped shopper," Danziger explains.

Danziger offers five tips that will make shoppers more effective this holiday season.

1) Don't buy it just because it is on sale: Finding things on sale is great and bargains give the shopper a thrill, but one of the best ways that shoppers can save money is not to get trapped into buying things they don't really need or want just because it is on sale. You can easily spend too much money if you focus on what you are saving, rather than what you are spending in order to save.

My rule of thumb about approaching items on sale is it is only worth buying IF it is something that you would pay full price for. My advice: Be watchful and careful when responding to sales. Keep your wits about you and only buy if it is really something that you would want at full price. If you wouldn't pay full price for it, than it probably isn't worth buying it on sale.

2) Don't be afraid to spend for quality: This is another trap for shoppers, especially those prone to shop only for sale items. It is often better to spend more, sometimes a lot more, for quality that will give you a lifetime of wear or use than to buy lots and lots of cheaper stuff. You definitely should spend more for an item that is a classic, that will always be in style and appropriate for all occasions. Sometimes you want to go for the cheap, but other times the smart shopper splurges for the best.

I have met shoppers in research who say they only buy something if it is on sale. That is simply a losing proposition because often times what is on sale is the stuff nobody wants anyway. Shoppers should never be afraid to pay full price or spend more if the quality and value is there. And this brings me to my next piece of advice…

3) Educate yourself about what quality is: Shoppers often limit their shopping trips to just the stores they usually shop in and never cross the threshold of a luxury boutique or department store because they feel priced out. Forget it! The only way to learn about quality is to experience it and that means taking time in upscale stores like Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman or Nordstrom to see, feel, touch and try on the better brands.

To be a smart shopper, you have got to educate yourself about what quality is. Then you can take what you learn and apply it to shopping in the mass-market stores, as well as in the manufacturer's outlets and discount shops.

4) Mass-market has never been better: This is the really big opportunity for shoppers today. The retail environment has never been better for shoppers with excellent quality products available at all price points. You can find outstanding quality goods that can rival the luxury brands in stores like H&M, Target, Gap, Banana Republic, J Crew, Ann Taylor, Macy's, the list goes on and on, if the shopper knows what to look for. Armed with education and understanding about the quality features of the top-notch brands, you can shop much smarter and more effectively in any store. You don't have to buy the well-known brand name anymore to get quality, but you do need to be smart when you shop.

5) Think strategically before you go to the store: One of the most profound changes my research has found among shoppers, especially younger shoppers, is how strategically and business-like they approach shopping. They plan in advance by researching over the Internet the products and brands they want and the stores that are their destination before they head out to shop. Impulse shopping takes a back seat, while shoppers become more careful, more strategic and let their left-brain lead when shopping.

The simple fact is retailers play to emotion and pepper their store with powerful emotionally-laden cues and clues that encourage the shopper to indulge, buy and spend. The best strategy for shoppers to block these efforts is to keep their left brain in control and use discipline when entering the retail environment.

Danziger concludes, "Armed with these strategies, shoppers this season can take advantage of the wonderful shopping opportunities available in this recessionary environment without digging themselves deeper and deeper into debt buying more stuff that ultimately may not be worth it. Today's shopper needs to keep focused on value – getting the most value for the least amount of money. Often times that may mean turning away from poor-quality stuff marked down to fire sale prices and trading up to a more premium, higher quality brand that will offer years of use and enjoyment."

About Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing -

Pamela N. Danziger is an internationally recognized expert specializing in consumer insights, especially for marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences to the masses as well as the 'classes.' She is president of Unity Marketing, a marketing consulting firm she founded in 1992.

Advising such clients as PPR, Diageo, Waterford-Wedgwood, Google, Lenox, Swarovski, GM, Orient-Express Hotels, Italian Trade Commission, Marie Claire magazine, The World Gold Council, and The Conference Board, Pam taps consumer psychology to help clients navigate the changing consumer marketplace.

Her latest book is Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience (Kaplan, $27) is in the bookstores now.

Her other books include Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses-as well as the Classes, (Dearborn Trade Publishing, $27, hardcover) and Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior (Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004).

She has appeared on CNN's In the Money, NBC's Today Show, CNBC, CNN International, CNNfn, CBS News Sunday Morning, Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, ABC News Now, NPR's Marketplace and is frequently called upon by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, American Demographics, Women's Wear Daily, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune for commentary and insight.

From the Luxury Institute

Limitied Edition Louboutins from 20ltd.com

Wealthy U.S. Consumers Rate Most Prestigious Women’s Luxury Shoe Brands:
Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Hermes

High net-worth female consumers rated Christian Louboutin the most prestigious women’s luxury shoe brand in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent New York City-based Luxury Institute.

Respondents who would recommend Christian Louboutin say, “They have shoes that catch the eye and the red soles are something everyone recognizes,” and “they have great styles that make you feel feminine and sexy.”

Manolo Blahnik and Hermes ranked second and third, respectively.

“The women’s luxury footwear is crowded, and it is very difficult to differentiate a brand,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “Louboutin and a few others have managed to break through the sameness with unique
styling and signature features that wealthy women are willing to pay a premium for and to recommend. Our impartial surveys provide a detailed map of wealthy consumer perceptions of this critical fashion category with details as to why consumers are, or are not, willing to recommend each and every brand. Hundreds of luxury firms that buy our ratings surveys tell us this data has had a dramatic impact on their strategies and tactics in recent years.

Following are the 29 luxury women’s shoe brands that were rated (alphabetical order):

1. Bottega Veneta
2. Burberry
3. Chanel
4. Chloe
5. Christian Louboutin
6. Cole Haan
7. Dior
8. Dolce & Gabbana
9. Fendi
10. Ferragamo
11. Giorgio Armani
12. Gucci
13. Hermes
14. Hugo Boss
15. Jimmy Choo
16. Louis Vuitton
17. Manolo Blahnik
18. Marc Jacobs
19. Michael Kors
20. Miu Miu
21. Prada
22. Ralph Lauren
23. Stella McCartney
24. Stuart Weitzman
25. Tod’s
26. Tory Burch
27. Valentino
28. Versace
29. Yves Saint Laurent

To me it sounds as if "status" drove the ranking more than quality or style. I hope that was not the case. Yes, status is an element to the purchase but I don't think that should be all of it. Frankly, given the group surveyed and the trend of "stealth wealth", I would think that the flashiness and obvious id of the shoe would be a negative to some degree. That because every celebrity is wearing them that this may be a turn off.

But, what do I know?