Fashion Industry discussion, review, analysis, news, and information

Perhaps I'm getting older and the appeal of the mall is dwindling.  Perhaps my patience of crowded stores and not-so-helpful service reps has decreased.  Either way, I would say that I've probably shopped at the mall maybe four times this year - opting for freestanding stores like Urban Outfitters or little fashion boutiques here in downtown San Diego.

According to Rich Ottum of MarketingBlurb, it seems that in some parts of the country mall traffic is down.  Maybe it's the increase in gas prices or the fact that people are shopping online now.

Mall owners are going to have to step up their game to lure people to the mall.  An example that Rich gives us is Taubman malls giving away ice-cream and t-shirts over the Memorial Day weekend.  I don't know about you, but they're going to have to come up with something more than ice cream to get me to come to the mall!  How about free music concerts?  People came by the thousands when William Hung sang at a mall here in San Diego...

This weekend I thought I'd stroll around Fashion Valley mall to check out what's new and exciting.  Apparently quite a bit has been going on since I last visited!  I remember working at Fashion Valley when it was a humble little one story mall, but now it has grown into a two-story fashion metropolis with high fashion and luxury retailers.  The most recent additions: Stuart Weitzman, a huge Louis Vuitton store, a cute Burberry shop, Kiehl's, Lilly Pulitzer, and more.  It's supposed to be hush-hush, but Bloomingdale's is also making an appearance in the near future.

Because of the booming economy and rising real estate here in San Diego, companies are setting up shop and hoping to cash in on the wealth that's spreading around.  Yes, exciting things are indeed happening....