Description
Prompt You and a friend are having coffee at a large coffeehouse chain near where you both live. Your friend complains that he feels guilty drinking coffee from this chain—he believes large corporations are becoming too powerful and are making it hard for small businesses to survive. Although you see his point, you also believe that businesses—both large and small—positively impact a society’s quality of life. In one or more fully formed paragraphs, describe four ways in which business positively impacts the quality of life in society. Provide one example to support each type of impact.
Running Head: RETAIL CLOTHING LINE 1
Hsi-En Lai
FM224 OL3
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th(Saks Fifth Avenue)
RETAIL CLOTHING LINE 2
1. Retailer’s Background Information
Saks Fifth Avenue which was formerly A. Saks &Co is a private American owned label
clothing retailer launched by Saks Fifth Avenue in 1990. Its founder was Andrew Saks who
started it in 1867 with its first store in Washington DC. The name Fifth Avenue is derived from
its New York City store which was its flagship store in 1924. The company is now owned by
Hudson’s Bay Company who bought in 2013.
Their mission statement is “delivers an enhanced, personalized shopping experience, and is
committed to providing the same legendary service and style found in all Saks Fifth Avenue
stores. And their vision statement is “To inspire customer confidence and style with every Saks
shopping experience.” (Zippia, 2020) And their core company values are vital to maintaining
employee alignment. (Comparably, 2021). The retailer’s core values are integrity, commitment to
customers, honesty, efficiency, and reliability in the provision of high-quality products to its
customers. The increase can be attributed to an increase in the online sales of most products. In
the past year, the company opened a new store in Boston which comprises the main store and a
men’s store market (O’Connell & Dodes, 2009). None of its stores has been closed in the past
three years.
Saks has a total of 45 stores around in the U.S and Canada. Some of the locations of the
stores include Toronto, Houston, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles among others. The company
made a revenue of $ 1.44 billion in the financial year 2020 which is a 1.04% increase in profit
compared to $1.39 billion in 2019. The increase can be attributed to an increase in the online
sales of most products. In the past year, the company opened a new store in Boston which
comprises the main store and a men’s store.
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2. Retailer’s Customer Profile
The three selected tops have a steep price for each product. The price range for the basic knit
sells at $210. The fashion and print of the design which is composed by designers to provide a
classy outlook of the tops make them appear better and unique. The knitted designs of the
products are made in a way that they can be appealing to the mass market (O’Connell & Dodes,
2009). Customers in all generations and different professionals can wear the tops for a classy and
fashionable look. For the customers who prefer an edgy, sporty, and provocative look the printed
pattern top provides these qualities.
Customers who are the major targets for the product prefer to purchase their product from Prada
and Burberry which are the benchmark brands that provide products similar to the current top.
Dovetail Workwear and Zara brands are the aspirational brands for the current products are they
are preferred mostly by women aged about thirty to forty years who have much more money to
spend on clothes that are tailored for the working class and which are fast fashion and
conservative. Audrey Hepburn may influence the customers to purchase the product as her style
of clothing usually inspires many women globally with her sleek and diverse dressing styles.
3. Shopping the retailer’s current line
A. Basic Knit Key Item Top
The top is a knitted long sleeve woven top with a turtle neckline. It is available in
seven colors which are brown, black, white, beige, dark green, red, and pink. The top is
made from a soft knitted fabric with a comfy feel. It is composed of polyamide the
product is made in Italy. A rib-knit stitch is used in crafting the design and giving it a
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sleek outlook. Product dimensions of the top are: Bust
99cm 38.7″ 104cm 40.7″ 110cm 42.8″ 117cm 45.8″ Sleeve length 60cm 23.4″
60cm 23.5″ 62cm 24.2″ 63cm 24.6″ Back length 66.8cm 26.3″ 67.8cm 26.8″ 68cm 27.2″
70cm 27.6″ The retail price of this top varies between $300-360 depending on the size.
B. Fashion Knit Top
The product is a baggy long sleeveless knitted top with a broad neck with a
striped pattern on the chest and with a zig-zag design on the arms. The top can stretch and
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thus appropriate for a baggy look for slim customers or a fitting look for customers with a
wider body posture. It comes with options of four colors namely; black, light grey marl,
cerise, and light blue. The product is made in Germany. The material composition is 40%
acrylic, 40% viscose, and 20% polyamide. Product dimensions are: Shoulder 40cm 15.5″
42cm 15.8″ 40cm 16.3″ 43cm 16.4″, Bust 92cm 35.6″ 93cm 37.3” 99cm 38.7” 101cm
40.3”, Sleeve length 61cm 23.7” 62cm 24.1” 63cm 24.3” 62cm 24.9”, Clothes length
54cm 21.8″ 55cm 22.2″ 58cm 22.3″ 59cm 22.7”. the product retails at $260-320
depending on the size.
C. Pattern Top
It comes only in one color combination of Navy and Red. The fabric knit is made of a
jersey knit. The top is manufactured in China. Materials that make up the top are polyester 94%,
elastane 6%. The product comes in one size with its dimensions being shoulder: 32cm / 13.3in,
bust: 61-89cm / 24.3-35.6cm, sleeve length: 57cm / 22.9+in, clothing Length: 61cm / 23.5in. The
price of this product is $ 350.
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References
O’Connell, V., & Dodes, R. (2009). Saks upends luxury market with strategy to slash prices. Wall Street
Journal, 1, A16.
Saks Fifth Avenue Mission, Vision & Values. (2021). Retrieved 15 February 2021, from https://
www.comparably.com/companies/saks-fifth-avenue/mission
Saks Fifth Avenue Mission, Vision & Values. (2021). Retrieved 15 February 2021, from https://
www.comparably.com/companies/saks-fifth-avenue/mission
Anthropologie 3
Silhouette Selection:
1- The Basic Knit Top
The changes that we made to the Basic Knit top allowed us to create a wearable basic that
fit in well with the direction we wanted to go for Anthropologie ‘21. The knit top is a crewneck,
slightly cropped sweater with rib knit cuffs and neckline. Not only does this keep in line with the
“Regenerated Heirloom” theme, but keeps the sweater comfortable and casual for the wearer.
The sweater has top stitching along the shoulders and the bottom cuff/hem of the sweater, adding
a polished element. We went with a larger gauge knit in order to create a sweater that would
maintain the ideal boxy silhouette, as well as to allow for the sweater to be layered. We also
decided on a 100% wool knit to stay true to our theme which supports natural fibers.
Trend Services :
We assessed multiple trend services and
numerous different reports to research what
styling updates to make on our new basic knit top
for Spring ‘21. On WGSN, there were multiple
reports that supported the idea of a looser, boxier
silhouette with an easy throw-on feel for basic
knits. This is based on a report that goes right
along with our theme, as well as another report
from WGSN that talks about relaxed minimalism,
and elevated basics. Which is what we went along
with for this sweater. We also wanted to go with a
heavier gauge knit for the spring season that can
work as a layering style; this type of pull-over
sweater will also work from season to season and
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as a transitional piece from home to office. This is also very in-line with what we are seeing as
upcoming trends and fits in with our theme. On Fashion Snoops trend reports, we can see that
ribbed details on sweaters as a key item are emerging in the market, as well as cropped styles.
We translated both of these key sweater trends onto our basic sweater style to work for the
Anthro woman. We also noticed that there is a huge trend in sustainable materials which is why
we would update our basic sweater to be a 100% wool knit to stay in line with our theme as well
as the upcoming trends in the market.
Shopping the Market :
We also found a lot of evidence in higher end stores to support our trend research. This
boxy, crewneck style basic sweater with a heavier gauge knit and big rib knits along the neck,
hem and sleeve cuffs. A popular knit brand called Rus the Brand has some great basic spring
sweaters that we took some inspiration from with boxy silhouettes and wide ribbing details.
Another higher end knitwear brand called BaBaa has some basic sweater styles that fit great with
our theme which we can see in line
with the upcoming trends. This brand
is also very sustainable and uses
natural fibers to create their boxy wool
sweaters. They also feature large
gauged knits in the body of their
sweaters. We also found some other
examples to support our trend research
on Harvy Nichlos and Shopbop from
brands such as Max Mara and Malene
Birger which we can translate into
working for our customer. This boxy
pullover basic knit sweater is popping
up everywhere and will be a great
update and staple for our Spring ‘21
customer.
Editorials :
We also found supporting research from editorials and fashion blogs to support our
updated basic sweater styling. An article from Harper’s Bazaar talks about the 9 fresh outfit ideas
to wear to work this spring. Within this article there are few sweater styles that are in line with
our trend research. The first style is a boxy menswear layering sweater made out of a cashmere
and wool blend. They recommend a slouchy sweater that could work alone or as a layer, which is
exactly what our update does. There is also a boxy mock neck sweater that can be worn with
jeans or trousers that is a crew neck style. On Cosmos biggest spring trends there is a cute basic
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boxy sweater featured as a must have. As well as on Who What Wears biggest spring trends
there is a big ribbed crew sweater featured that we see aligning with the rest of our research.
2- The Fashion Knit Top
For the Fashion Knit Top for Anthropologie Spring ‘21, we swapped the striped sweater
for a classic cardigan. The cardigan will be a loose fit, full-length sweater made of crochet knit
material. This cardigan will have a V-Neck and button down closure, making this a piece that is
easy to layer.
Trend Services :
For our fashion knit top we combined two of the huge trends that we are seeing for
Spring ‘21 to get the material and the silhouette. On WGSN, we found multiple knitwear trend
reports that featured crochet as a prominent styling detail on sweaters, made into bra tops and as
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detailing on tops. This fits perfectly with
our heritage trend and features an artisan
technique. We also see crochet as an
emerging trend on Fashion Snoops with it
popping up in runway shows everywhere.
We also see the crochet technique featured
on Doneger within the “Craftroots” report
which was used as inspiration to create our
theme. For the silhouette of our sweater, we
went with a cardigan style because that is
also a major emerging trend. Cardigans
show up on Fashion Snoops emerging
spring knitwear trends, as well as in WGSN
as an important item in knitwear. This
silhouette is a revived one that fits perfectly
with our heritage theme.
Shopping the Market :
There are a lot of high end designers that are embracing these crochet and cardigan styles
that we can interpret for the Anthropologie woman. Johnathan Simkhai features a great crochet
jacket with a button up front and a crochet sleeved button up cardigan. Joie has a great full body
crochet sweater in cream that is in a boxy
silhouette. Scotch and Soda has a more classic
retro version of the crochet sweater with short
sleeves and pop colors. Cupcakes and
Cashmere also features some great cardigans
with crochet detailing. Both of the trends are
evident on major websites like Shopbop and
Harvey Nicholas, fashion leaders. We also see
Chloe, an aspirational brand for
Anthropologie, featuring some crochet knit
sweaters.
Editorial :
There is also a lot of evidence on fashion editorials and blogs that crochet and cardigans
are going to be prominent trends in the spring season. On Instyle we can see that crochet
stitching is spotted as a big trend for spring, listed in their best fashion trends. There is also an
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article on Who What Wear which features “not your grandma’s doily” as an emerging fashion
trend being seen on the runways. Instyle features cardigans as a big emerging trend for the spring
season, inline with the heritage trend of bringing old styles back for a revamp. Harper’s Bazaar
features crochet as a huge trend in a few different articles talking about accessible spring fashion.
These trends together will work perfectly for our Anthro customer and give her a new fun
fashion top that we can embrace her personal style with.
3- The Print Knit Top
For the Print Knit Top, we decided that this was a time to allow the Anthropologie
woman to emphasize her creative side. We started with a beautiful wavy textile pattern and kept
the silhouette of the garment simple. The knit top has a boxy, cropped silhouette with wide
sleeves. There is a rib knit neckline in order to maintain comfort and to stay with the theme
chosen. The top is made of an Interlock Knit fabric, which will allow the garment to maintain its
boxy yet flowy shape.
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Trend Services :
For our print knit top we utilized trend services to research which print and patterns
would be the best for our update in Spring ‘21. There
were consistent trends across all the trend services which
were also consistent with our regenerated theme. WGSN
showed us that retro prints are going to be a big trend
which fits perfect with our theme of bringing back the
old and reviving it into a new styling. These prints are
perfect for the Anthro customer because they bring out
her unique individual style. These include funky stripes,
floral prints and polka dots. Fashion snoops also had 70s
prints and patterns within their trend updates for spring
21’. They showed it popping up in runway shows all
over fashion weeks and being translated into many
different styles. We can also see on Fashion Snoops that
the oversized sweater will be an upcoming key
silhouette, which is what we are choosing to use on our
patterned top. This will work alongside our basic top as
well as give life to the new print we are providing. Our
revamp of this retro stripe print is perfect with our theme
and will be a great addition to the Anthro woman’s
closet.
Shopping the Market :
We searched the high end market for these
emerging retro prints and were able to find a lot of
great examples. These brands are more high
fashion than the Anthropologie customer is, so we
took inspiration from these prints and translated
them to work for our customer. We are loving these
prints because our woman is bold and independent
with her style and she will love a new fashion top
that is a rendition of her past wardrobe. Dries Van
Noten has a great orange and pink polka dot retro
spring sweater. Ninety Percent has a great
oversized retro printed sweater with a zig zag
herringbone print. Alice and Olivia also has a great
striped sweater which is an ode to retro patterns
and would translate perfectly for our anthro
customer. We also see Chloe, an aspiration brand
for Anthropologie, using these retro prints in their
spring runway collection, incorporating polka dots
and retro stripe patterns.
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Editorial :
We were also able to find a lot of evidence from fashion editorials and blogs to support
this retro print and pattern trend as well. On Vogue we can see runway shows, such as Prada, that
are clearly using the retro prints within their collections, especially on knitwear. Harper’s Bazaar
covered the biggest trends on the runway for spring and within those trends was ‘60s wallpaper
print. This is in-line with the retro print and fits perfectly within our theme of reviving old styles
and paying tribute to fashion that came before. On Who What Wear, we can see that fair isle
sweaters are a big trend for spring knitwear which resembles a retro print. There is another
broader fashion trend article in spring 2020 on Who What Wear which highlights “That ‘70s
Show” as a prominent trend, featuring retro prints of stripes and florals.
Part III: Color, Print and Pattern
Our three different sweater styles from Anthropologie came in different colorways than
we will offer this season. This spring season of 2020 the basic knit top was being offered in
black, a green color called Moss, a solid light grey labeled Grey, a Mauve pink color, and a light
brown color labeled Honey. Our fashion knit top came in two different color blocked colorways
which were: mint, which featured a combination of black, white and mint and lilac which
featured a pastel purple with black and white. To create our new color palette we utilized a lot of
research from trend forecasting services to guide us. WGSN, Fashion Snoops and Donegar all
led us to our theme of Regenerated Heirlooms which pays tribute to natural textiles, retro styles,
artisan techniques and a more natural feeling. To keep our color palette in-line with this we kept
it with very earthy tones mixed with some pops of color to bring in the spring feeling. The
palette developed with the Craftroots forecast from Doneger shows rich colors like deep blues
and pink alongside some lighter shades of pink and some orangey yellows. Fashion Snoops also
shows these pinks and teals being important alongside the same pops of colors including a lighter
blue and a greenish yellow. WGSN also gives the forecast of keeping your color palettes
transitional from season to season, which is in-line with our styles that we developed and our
theme of sustainability. Consumers are no longer going to be buying an entire new wardrobe for
each season so it is important that we incorporate a lot of neutral, transitional colors into our
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Works Cited
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from https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/83212/page/1
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Trends This Spring, Who What Wear
https://www.whowhatwear.com/spring-knitwear-trends-2020/slide14
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