Hermes Cafe Bon Temps~Good Times Cafe

[cremel]

Quickly jumping in here Cremel, I don't know if they are still around but I have an old Samsonite hard plastic suitcase. It is heavy, so is not great for check in weight, but it is pretty solid. I have had it over 20 years and not done a lot of travelling, but some. The only thing that is wrong with it is the sealing rubber round the two halves is peeling a bit, like silicone sealer.
I am sure you may find these second hand on eBay if you are interested.

Thank you dear!!

 

[cremel]

At the airport lounge waiting for my cdg flight as i write!!I hope to find a few scarves that look interesting on paper (or monitor), but as often happens, i end up discovering some that i thought i would not like!

Safe travel MMC!! Have fun!

 

[Keren16]

Hi Keren, I love talking business so I hope I don't bore anyone in the Cafe!

The "leased" departments in NM and Saks are a lower cost way to keep a brand presence without maintaining their own retail stores and staff. NM and Saks are two separate companies and there is always a tussle between the 5 department store brands for placement of premier merchandise as it's usually high ticket items. The brands pay to be there plus train specialists in sales but the department store captures store card purchases, points incentives etc. Its a very cooperative type of arrangement. In my opinion, Saks is struggling to find it's way with new customers though I love that store and hope they figure it out. Macy's has seen such a decline in their store appearance and merchandise pricing and they seem to be dragging Bloomingdales down with them, another shame as it was so iconic.

This is just my opinion and I have been out of fashion retail for several years but online sales will likely cause retail square footage to need to drop at least 50% in order for these companies to stay afloat and more than that for large department stores. Malls are already becoming entertainment centers and food is the focus for drawing in more customers. Some malls will have to close and the different retailers will have to focus their efforts on drawing more people to a single location rather than being everywhere for convenience since it doesn't get much more convenient than online shopping. I think we're also going to see more promotion of items that can't be bought online, every effort will have to be made to get people to the stores. My area is now home to the 2nd largest mall in the US and they spent 250 million on an expansion and they average $1K per square foot of retail space-some of the highest in the country. They courted 8 new LVMH and Kering brand boutiques which will now draw those clients from their nearest boutique 90 miles away. That mall 90 miles away is seeing other closures, spending on renovations but seemed lifeless and it's lacking in any new exciting brands or restaurants.

The big developments in the new few years will be these lifestyle hubs, food, hotels, entertainment, shopping, parking, indoor and outdoor walkways. One fashion retailer just acquired an Italian restaurant group and plonked a gourmet pizza and wine bar in between 3 of it's branded stores. That captures food, home and fashion and entertainment revenue in about 30,000 sq feet. When I started in retail 20 years ago, the company I worked for experienced meteoric growth because our stores were spectacles and destinations. They invested heavily in design, art, music and the overall vibe was very buzzy. Then they went public and slowly that started to decline but now it will have to come back to draw in people. Now it seems people do feel that there are some things you shouldn't buy online or don't want to but I think we're going to see a big focus on the overall client experience and how they feel in these spaces which will be very interesting. When you make people feel good, make the space smell good etc they buy more and they're even happy about it.

The biggest flaw in the Design District is the outdoors in Florida aspect, I was there one rainy afternoon and had the place to myself. It was slightly awkward being the only customer in most stores. And I'm pretty sure it rains a lot in Florida, right? some covered walkways would help tremendously, maybe with water misters for really hot days. They'll figure it out though, as you said there's a lot invested!

Ok, cafe sorry to clog the thread. Now that I've procrastinated long enough I must go back to work .

Thank you for sharing all of this! It has been an education for me and interesting as well. Definitely not boring. Id love to know anything else you think relevant to the business aspect of fashion however there are other things people like to discuss on this thread so I guess it's time to move on. It's been enjoyable & enlightening!

 

[Keren16]

Oh, no clog, no clog at all! I really enjoyed what you said. I study the evolution of different kinds of industries/firms in my field so I read with great interest what you had to say about the evolution of retail structure. I totally agree with you about the DD, last time we were there it was a gray mid-day afternoon, raining, and yes, it was deserted. To borrow a 60's phrase, people wanted to be where there is a happening.

I wonder about the retail appeal to the different age groups. The attempt at a Rodeo Driver experience just over the District line in MD partially failed IMO because that area does have a fair amount of retirees. On the other hand, go up a mile or so on Wisconsin Ave. to Cleveland Park in DC and there are new apt buildings and bunches of restaurants -- Burger Tap and Shake, some ethnic restaurants, etc. You could see all the young people there through the big windows. These places were crowded. It was all concentrated in a two or three blocks at most, but on both sides of the street. American Univ. is a mile or less walk away.

I think a lot of retailers are struggling to identify which market segments they should appeal to. I read that Nordstrom Rack is doing quite well but Nordies itself not so much. Everyone wants a piece of the high-end designer business but there's not enough of that to go around. Do the Millennials want Armani, Missoni, and other designer brands carried by NM, Saks, and to some extent, Nordies? Or maybe the more relevant question is the right venue for it.

I think department stores and boutiques are a tad depressing when they are empty which is most of the day. Who ultimately pays for the overhead costs of maintaining staffed structures who primarily do business on weekends or during special "events" tied to points? The customer.

Retail is outside the field I received my education & work experience in. I shop for needs or enjoyment. I find your observations educational also.
My children are millennials. Each have different priorities fashion wise. Though they will look at NM, BG, & SAKS, the store they seem to have to most interest in is Barneys NY. It is edgier. The others may carry some of the same lines. The choices seem safer. They also like shopping all ways on eBay.
As for stores being quiet, when I am in one at those times, I am less inclined to buy. I've been told the SA's are having a difficult time. There are point events, egc's, etc that arouse my interest. To be honest, even that is boring me. I'm at the point, if I want or need something, I just buy it.

 

[kathydep]

I'm glad she tried to resolve it and keep you happy.

As for the mistaken charge, that kind of stuff happens-my SA called me so worried after I ordered a pair of earrings. She accidentally rang up 5 figures instead of 4 but they fixed it immediately and all was fine. I had to laugh about it, I was more surprised that I didn't get a fraud alert which made me think I've been spending too much at H if that didn't make them blink

LOL! Your bank is used to the 5 digit charge!

What upset me about the charge was that they are supposed to shred my credit card info written on paper after the phone transaction was done. With this incident, my rodeo purchase posted and cleared on a Wednesday, then I saw another charge that posted and cleared on a Friday, so my info must be lying around at the registers for that to happen because my rodeo cleared two days before this mistaken charge. She acknowledged that sensitive personnel information should be handled carefully and advised she will do a refresher training. I even gave her tips of my trade since I handle sensitive information at work as well. My SA called me after and admitted that she wrote my credit card info on a notebook and didn't shred and on Friday, she was feeling sick and mistakenly made me pa for someone else's shoes.

Ohhhh Hermes, the heartache you put me through! LOL!

 

[Keren16]

LOL! Your bank is used to the 5 digit charge!

What upset me about the charge was that they are supposed to shred my credit card info written on paper after the phone transaction was done. With this incident, my rodeo purchase posted and cleared on a Wednesday, then I saw another charge that posted and cleared on a Friday, so my info must be lying around at the registers for that to happen because my rodeo cleared two days before this mistaken charge. She acknowledged that sensitive personnel information should be handled carefully and advised she will do a refresher training. I even gave her tips of my trade since I handle sensitive information at work as well. My SA called me after and admitted that she wrote my credit card info on a notebook and didn't shred and on Friday, she was feeling sick and mistakenly made me pa for someone else's shoes.

Ohhhh Hermes, the heartache you put me through! LOL!

I've had similar things happen to me. I do not treat them lightly. There is so much credit card fraud & identity theft.
Fortunately, your SA was sensitive to the mistake, acknowledged & the correction was made.
It still should be understood. Care in handling important information in the retail industry is necessary for both the client & the business.

 

[Kyokei]

I have never had any mistaken charges yet..... fingers crossed nobody will ever make that mistake. I did have someone try to steal my card once and charge $600 if I recall correctly at a Sonic fast food place. I have no idea what you even buy for $600 at Sonic. Thankfully my bank realized I would never buy $600 worth of fast food and put a stop to it.

 

[Kyokei]

I am glad I am not the only person who can't stand malls. People look at me like I am crazy when I mention that, especially since I do love shopping. I do love boutiques and department stores, but I prefer the less busy times. About two or three weeks ago I had to go to Bergdorfs on a Saturday for something and it was packed, I wondered what was going on! Then I remembered the day. Around the holidays gets very busy as well... I try to avoid the stores as much as possible during that time. I seem to remember Hermes not being so bad mid December, on a weekday afternoon, but by the time it became late afternoon (around 4:30 or 5pm) it was crowded as well.

I know I've mentioned this a while ago in here but I read an article about how millennials prefer spending money on experiences rather than material, luxury goods and believe it to be true in my experiences.... at least in the West. I am a millennial and see most other people my age taking vacations, going out very often, and having "experiences" rather than enjoying luxury brands. Many I know personally seem to even look down on luxury brands and the people who buy them... there is definitely a divide.

Though from my experience when I lived in Japan, many millennials loved luxury goods and shopping. I have also seen similar in South Korea.

Re: the comment about Barneys, I do like Barneys too especially for their niche perfume selection and have had a couple of great finds there even in RTW, but a lot of their items tend to be very trendy. You can find great things (one of my favorite skirts was found at Barneys!) but at those prices I'd rather buy the more classic pieces myself. I think Bergdorfs has the better selection. I've never been to NM but they are the same company so I assume the selection is similar.

 

[Keren16]

I have never had any mistaken charges yet..... fingers crossed nobody will ever make that mistake. I did have someone try to steal my card once and charge $600 if I recall correctly at a Sonic fast food place. I have no idea what you even buy for $600 at Sonic. Thankfully my bank realized I would never buy $600 worth of fast food and put a stop to it.

Banks can realize it quickly however sometimes fraud happens before they catch it. Once my credit card was apparently cloned & over $20,000. was changed. We are protected but it still shows our vulnerability

 

[MSO13]

I've had my card number used numerous times and caught it fairly quickly. I wasn't liable for anything of course. Now I would prefer they declined more and verified purchases especially if they let a 5 figure charge go through at H. I really do not rack up those kind of purchases often. Perhaps because it was immediately refunded the didn't check but I would rather deal with the hassle of getting things approved than dealing with fraudulent charges!

 

[Kyokei]

Thanks for the comprehensive list!
I also like Rhone wines. I had better experiences with northern (Syrah grape ?) and drank all at one time but Cornas. Is the Blonde et Brunette a Cote Rotie? That one was nice. I may have a bottle of it. Chateaubeuf du Pape are wonderful though my husband & I have mixed results finding ones we like
. We may not be choosing correctly. The last one we had was at a neighborhood French Restaurant & was terrific. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the vineyard or year. The restaurant since closed. My husband & I always come back to French Pinot Noirs from the Burgundy region. I have not had Bordeaux in a while.
I drank all the Italian reds you described & like them very much. Have you tried Barbaresco?
There is an Italian restaurant in my neighborhood that has good wines at reasonable prices. Tuesday is 1/2 price night. Unfortunately, the food could be better so we minimize our visits. It's best if our intention is to drink wine with food as an accompaniment. We usually don't don't at restaurants
I know little about Spanish or new world wines and hardly drink white wines. I heard wonderful things about Opus One and drank a few other American Reds but don't have enough exposure to them to comment.
I like Champagne and stay with light ones.
So these are my experiences with wines. I enjoyed reading yours. I'll look for your recommendations[emoji6]

Brune et Blonde is indeed a Cote Rotie. If you prefer the lighter styles of Burgundy Pinot Noir, I can see why some Chateauneuf du Pape might be a miss for you. I also really like Vacqueyras. Of course, it really depends on the particular vineyard and vintage, as with anything else. For Burgundy Pinot Noir, I would love to one day try Domaine de la Romanee-Conti but I can't bring myself to buy a bottle of wine that I could buy a B or K with.

I have had Barbaresco, actually it was one of the wines I tasted last night. I do usually prefer Barolo to Barbaresco but I do enjoy both and like everything.... it really depends on vineyard and vintages. I can think of wine styles that I typically dislike that I've had great wines from, and styles I usually love that I've been disappointed by.

I hope you get to enjoy some new styles of wine! If I ever have a fantastic red Burgundy, I will think of you and remember the name and vintage. I have a habit nowadays of taking pictures of the labels on bottles I either really enjoyed or really hated so I can look back on my tasting notes and remember.

 

[Kyokei]

Speaking of wine.... does anyone else live near Starbucks that are now selling wine and craft beer? I saw this a few months ago at a Starbucks I occasionally stop by when I need a quick cup of coffee. I feel like nothing good can come of wine from a Starbucks, but morbid curiosity is getting to me.

 

[Keren16]

I am glad I am not the only person who can't stand malls. People look at me like I am crazy when I mention that, especially since I do love shopping. I do love boutiques and department stores, but I prefer the less busy times. About two or three weeks ago I had to go to Bergdorfs on a Saturday for something and it was packed, I wondered what was going on! Then I remembered the day. Around the holidays gets very busy as well... I try to avoid the stores as much as possible during that time. I seem to remember Hermes not being so bad mid December, on a weekday afternoon, but by the time it became late afternoon (around 4:30 or 5pm) it was crowded as well.

I know I've mentioned this a while ago in here but I read an article about how millennials prefer spending money on experiences rather than material, luxury goods and believe it to be true in my experiences.... at least in the West. I am a millennial and see most other people my age taking vacations, going out very often, and having "experiences" rather than enjoying luxury brands. Many I know personally seem to even look down on luxury brands and the people who buy them... there is definitely a divide.

Though from my experience when I lived in Japan, many millennials loved luxury goods and shopping. I have also seen similar in South Korea.

Re: the comment about Barneys, I do like Barneys too especially for their niche perfume selection and have had a couple of great finds there even in RTW, but a lot of their items tend to be very trendy. You can find great things (one of my favorite skirts was found at Barneys!) but at those prices I'd rather buy the more classic pieces myself. I think Bergdorfs has the better selection. I've never been to NM but they are the same company so I assume the selection is similar.

I would not buy anything too far out at high prices. Its a waste of money for limited use. For my family & myself, Barneys is good for certain jeans & t shirts, shoes, fragrances, etc. Some of their clothing is classic though I prefer BG & NM better, too. I buy most of my skincare & fragrances at Neimans & Bergdorf Goodman. They are also great at finding something I want that's difficult to find.
I'm sure you know what looks good on you & reflects your style. That is most important!

 

[Keren16]

Speaking of wine.... does anyone else live near Starbucks that are now selling wine and craft beer? I saw this a few months ago at a Starbucks I occasionally stop by when I need a quick cup of coffee. I feel like nothing good can come of wine from a Starbucks, but morbid curiosity is getting to me.

As stupid as this sounds, I like Starbucks Rice Crispy treats. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I did[emoji38]. I did not know about their wines. Until I hear some feedback, I think I'll wait. In case it's not good, I don't want to experience the after effects

 

[Kyokei]

As stupid as this sounds, I like Starbucks Rice Crispy treats. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I did[emoji38]. I did not know about their wines. Until I hear some feedback, I think I'll wait. In case it's not good, I don't want to experience the after effects

I would pass on them, honestly.
I've never had the Rice Crispy treats there but I used to like that they carry some sugarfree flavors. They've recently discontinued most of them, though, which is disappointing. It was one of the reasons I would go there for coffee.
I am tempted to buy my own sugarfree flavors on the internet and take them with me when I grab coffee at places. I'm surprised more cafes haven't cashed in on having sugarfree flavors. Many people are concerned about the sugar levels in food and need to watch it nowadays.
I do have a "guilty pleasure restaurant" though, if I can even call it a restaurant.

I would not buy anything too far out at high prices. Its a waste of money for limited use. For my family & myself, Barneys is good for certain jeans & t shirts, shoes, fragrances, etc. Some of their clothing is classic though I prefer BG & NM better, too. I buy most of my skincare & fragrances at Neimans & Bergdorf Goodman. They are also great at finding something I want that's difficult to find.
I'm sure you know what looks good on you & reflects your style. That is most important!

I buy most of my shoes at Bergdorfs because I like the selection better and my SA is there. I prefer working with one SA who knows my style (and what I already have) and that I can count on for honest opinions and advice. Barneys carries Serge Lutens and Frederic Malle which is what I mainly buy there, plus the occasional dress or skirt. In general I find people at Bergdorfs to be more friendly but that is probably because I'm in the store more often so they know me better. I do head over to Barneys when I don't find what I am looking for at Bergdorfs. I haven't really had a bad experience at either store.