BOWTIE

1. READ Y-TO -W EAR
AN ALYS IS
GROUP: BOWTIE
SOPHIA “STEVIE” OTAP AND PRINCESS SUTTON
INTRO TO FASHION BUSINESS ONLINE
DUE MARCH 7, 2012

2. S EARS H IS TO RY
• Sears was founded by Richard Warren Sears, a railroad worker
from Minnesota. One day, he received a shipment of jewelry that
ended up being unwanted by the local jeweler, so Richard
decided to sell them himself. He made a considerable profit and
began creating mail-order catalogues. He moved to Chicago, IL
and formed an alliance with Alvah C. Roebuck and founded
Sears, Roebuck and Co. The first store opened in 1925 in
Chicago; it included an optical shop and soda fountain. Within
the next 3 years, four new locations opened throughout Chicago
and Indiana. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the company began
expanding far and wide, beginning with the Chicagoland suburbs.
Until the 1980s, Sears was the largest retailer in the U.S.

3. S EARS AN ALYS IS
• Merchandise Presentation: Lying flat on table.
Visual Merchandising: N/A
Customer Service: Poor - Associates were difficult to find and acted as though they are too busy to assist customers. Not
knowledgeable about store merchandise.
Fitting Room: Overall store is three levels and spacious, but dressing room was messy and unorganized with clothes
everywhere, albeit easy to locate in the store.
Overall Experience: Very Bad - I wasn’t greeted by a sales associate and finding an available associate was difficult, and
when I did, she acted as if she was too busy and annoyed to help when I asked her if there were any bowties in
store. The merchandise didn’t excite me, it was boring and basic; no patterns, only solid colors. Sears should
hire more workers or open more aisles. I wouldn’t recommend Sears to anyone.

4. •
S EARS BO W TIE
Designer: Jacob Alexander
Fiber Content and Care: 100% Satin / Handwash Only
Country of Origin: China
Description: This particular bowtie is made of satin. The bowtie is ready made and comes with an adjustable strap in the same color which hooks behind the
bow.
Suggested Retail Price: $20.19
Size Range: 14.5 - 20
Styling: Basic
Design Elements: Solid colored, smooth satin texture.
Target Customer:
Age: 13+
Gender: Male
Family size: Any
Stages in family life cycle: All
Income: $10,000
Education: Middle school
Religion: Any
Ethnicity: Any

5. S EARS PIC TU RES

6. M AC Y’S H IS TO RY
• Macy’s is a department store that first opened on the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue in
New York City in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. In 1875, Macy partnered with his nephew
Robert M. Valentine and Abiel T. La Forge who was the husband of a cousin. Macy died just
two years later in 1877 from Bright's disease, the following year La Forge died, and
Valentine died in 1879. Ownership of the company was passed down through the Macy
family until 1895, when the company, now called "R. H. Macy & Co.", was passed to
Isidor Straus and his brother Nathan Straus, who had previously held a license to sell
china and other goods in the Macy's store. Macy’s adopted a red star as a symbol of the
stores success, which came from a tattoo that Macy got as a teenager when he worked on a
Nantucket whaling ship, the Emily Morgan. Macy’s made business history when it was the
first company to promote a woman. The chain competes with Belk, Bon-Ton, Dillard's,
Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. The company now operates over 800
stores worldwide. “Macy's embraces customers and strives to provide an experience that
transcends ordinary shopping. Our DNA includes special events that are magical - the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Fourth of July Fireworks, flower shows, fashion
extravaganzas, celebrity appearances, cooking demonstrations and holiday traditions
ranging from the arrival of Santa Claus to tree lightings and animated window displays.”

7. M AC Y’S AN ALYS IS
• Merchandise Presentation: Hanging.
Visual Merchandising: Some misplaced items throughout the store, otherwise good organization.
Customer Service: Good - Associate walked me to the merchandise.
Fitting Room: Easy to find, no wait to get one. Very clean with a rack for put-backs.
Overall Experience: Very Pleasant - I was greeted by a sales associated when I first walked in and she was very
knowledgeable about the store and her departments. She informed me that there were not any bowties in the
women’s/misses department at the time but pointed me in the men’s department. As I went upstairs to the
men’s department, another friendly sales associate made small talk as she walked me to the bowties section.
The store was clean, good service, nice advertisement/tables, mannequins dressed stylish and merchandise
tables nicely presented. I love their current merchandise. Macy’s is my favorite store and I was not disappointed
visiting the Bolingbrook location for the first time.

8. M AC Y’S BO W TIE
• Designer: Countess Mara
Fiber Content and Care: 100% Silk / Dry Clean
Country of Origin: China (handmade)
Description: This particular bowtie is made of silk. It’s navy blue with pink stripes and adjustable to several sizes.
Suggested Retail Price: $39.99
Size Range: 14.5 - 20
Styling: Trend
Design Elements: Striped, smooth silk texture, soft to the touch.
Target Customer:
Age: 18-45
Gender: Male
Family size: Any
Stages in family life cycle: All
Income: $30,000
Education: High school graduate
Religion: Any
Ethnicity: Any

9. M AC Y’S PIC TU RES

10. N O RD S TRO M
H IS TO RY
• John W. Nordstrom was a Swedish immigrant who came to
America in the 1880s. After moving from town to town, he was
attracted to the West Coast because of the gold rush. He, like few
others, struck gold. In turn, he got married and opened a shoe store
with his wife. He had three kids who all followed him into the
shopkeeping business. They opened a second store in Seattle in 1923.
When John retired, he sold his shares to his sons. In 1930, they
remodeled their Second Avenue store and changed the name to
Nordstrom. The brothers ran the business together for decades. Until
the 1960s, Nordstrom sold only shoes, but the company kept
expanding. In 1969, they changed the name to Nordstrom Best, but
changed it back to Nordstrom 4 years later. Today, Nordstrom
continues expanding and many stores even have restaurants and
cafes. The company has also remained in the same family.

11. N O RD S TRO M
AN ALYS IS
• Merchandise Presentation: In a box.
Visual Merchandising: Store was overall organized, however the bowties were a small selection and very haphazard in the
box. All regular ties were neatly set out. Some bowties were also displayed on collared shirts.
Customer Service: Very good - Immediately greeted by associate, who led me to a men’s section specialty associate, who
showed me the bowties. Before exiting the store a third associate checked in with me.
Fitting Room: A bit tucked away, but extremely clean, spacious and organized. Good reflection of the store in entirety.
Overall Experience: Very Pleasant - I don’t go to Nordstrom often, but it reminded me what a good experience it is.
Immediately upon walking in, I was greeted, and everywhere throughout the store I see customers being
serviced. The sales associates did their jobs so well. Everything was very clean and organized and sitting on
glass tables and shelving. The lighting wasn’t obnoxious. I would visit this location again, and definitely
recommend it to others.

12. N O RD S TRO M
•
BO W TIE
Designer: Brooks Brothers
Fiber Content and Care: 100% Silk / Handwash or Dry Clean
Country of Origin: U.S., but fabric hand-woven in England
Description: This particular bowtie is made of silk. It’s green with a red floral print.
Suggested Retail Price: $59.50
Size Range: 14.5 - 20
Styling: Trend
Design Elements: Floral, smooth silk texture, soft to the touch.
Target Customer:
Age: 21-50
Gender: Male
Family size: Any
Stages in family life cycle: All
Income: $100,000
Education: College+
Religion: Any
Ethnicity: Any

13. N O RD S TRO M
PIC TU RES