Looks as though shopping at home via TV has quickly gone beyond the experimental or novelty stage. Witness: NBC will present a one-hour shopping show directly from this country’s largest shopping mall in Bloomington, Minn., on June 11. And, following Saks Fifth Avenue’s first shopping stint on QVC recently, Saks’ VP Anne Keenes said, “We sold out of everything we showed-clothes and accessories alike,” which amounted to $570,000. Then she added, “I think we could have sold a million dollars worth of merchandise.” In an hour.
Direct from Minnesota
Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s-along with B. Dalton, Williams-Sonoma and even Northwest Airlines-will be among the numerous businesses that will participate in NBC’s “experiment” with TV shopping when “Mall of America” is presented a week from Friday by NBC Direct, a unit of NBC Productions.
In the pre-taped shows (which will pre-empt Scrabble and Scattergories), two co-hosts and three shopping experts (not identified at press time), will tour the massive shopping and entertainment complex called Mall of America and, well, go shopping.
Stores have selected items that will appeal to a broad-based audience. Nordstrom, for example, will show some of its most popular women’s ready-to-wear items as well as some accessories, according to Nordstrom’s Carol Gasper. Included will be its exclusive KGR rayon/linen blazer ($88); a silk tank top ($40); stirrup pants ($36); wallet on a string ($48) and a hat ($26). NBC projects 1,000 to 2,000 units of each item will be sold as a result of the show, according to Gasper.
Nordstrom, incidentally, plans to go into “interactive” TV selling (yes, try to imagine talking to your TV, not kicking it-but interacting with it) in two or three years “when the right technology partners” come together, according to Gasper, but, in the meantime, wanted to explore NBC’s venture.
A spokeswoman for NBC said that the shopping program would be shown at different times in different markets; the time for the Chicago area was not available at the time Style went to press.
Saks does it again
Meanwhile, Saks is obviously pleased with its first “experiment” on QVC and is now planning its next three sellathons. Anne Keenes, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s apparel at Saks, said by phone that the upcoming show on June 19 will feature silk ready-to-wear from its Real Clothes collection (as did the first show) “but with a different feeling.” Meaning, there’ll be new items, other colors, maybe in another mood, but they will be wearable, timeless pieces.
In planning their first show, Keenes said the major criteria for clothes were “easy fit and understandable items.” Knowing the popularity of mix-and-match separates, they chose 11 interchangeable items that would make 45 different outfits. “We were innovative in choosing sand and navy as our color scheme,” she said, noting that neutrals are considered sophisticated, especially for TV, where most clothes sold tend to be in brights. Another innovation was not just complete accessorization, but all the accessories shown were also for sale.
Additionally, the price range (about $60 to $130) for separates was somewhat higher than clothes generally sold on TV; obviously, viewers didn’t balk.
Saks found that “women wanted entire outfits, including all the accessories, and, had we not had such fast sellouts, more (viewers) would have bought in multiples. Women also want to be educated,” emphasized Keenes. “They want to know everything about the clothes, what outfits are appropriate for certain occasions, how to accessorize. They don’t get this kind of service from the magazines.”
Even for someone not intent on shopping, Saks’ hour on QVC was informative, even somewhat entertaining and quite surprising.
Biggest surprises: The amazingly fast sellouts. Sometimes, pieces were sold out before they had completed their turn in front of the camera. Big sizes went exceptionally fast. Also, sales of things like shoes and pants, generally hard-to-fit fashions, seemed to move out just as swiftly as a simple silk T-shirt or boxy shirtjacket.
Four stars: Explanations about sizes (which ranged from 2 to the equivalent of a 22; on air, they were called P, S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X). Kathy, the host, was excellent at explaining the sizing of each item (for example, noting when something was the equivalent of a 10 or a 14 or whatever) and telling viewers when to “move up a size,” when to stick with their true size. Kudos also for supplying information on care (which pieces to wash, which to dry-clean); discussing the different types of silk by their weights; closeups of patterns (even to explaining the inspiration behind one of the prints) and detailing.
Drawbacks? Well, the sellouts. Also, you can’t feel the fabrics and you can’t try on (same for catalogs, though).
But, Kathy was very friendly, almost folksy and, seemingly, well-known to viewers because she certainly related to the audience and was very open in talking about how things fit her, even mentioning her “waist problem.” Keenes, also on for the entire program, is very knowledgeable; she looked terrific in the clothes, talked about how they fit into her own business/travel life and, though she is obviously a sophisticated woman, also came through as pretty down-to-earth, with an understanding of women’s clothing needs.
Just one recommendation: Kathy’s very favorite words are cute, adorable, wonderful, beautiful and comfortable. That’s it. Perhaps more “innovation” in the adjective department?
Anyone who’s interested in seeing the Sonia Rykiel fall collection just the way she showed it in Paris-clothes plus all the accessories, including hats, bags and those chic little ankle-boots trimmed with fluffy Mongolian lamb-can catch it when Joan Weinstein stages a show Thursday on the sidewalk outside the Rykiel shop at 106 E. Oak St.
Those with invites-among them, Rykiel customers, of course-will have brunch under umbrellas at 11 a.m. When they’ve finished their coffee and crepes, around 11:30, models will step lively to the same taped music Rykiel used when she showed the collection in Paris in March. There’s nothing to stop Oak Street shoppers and strollers from watching the fashion parade as well.
Weinstein, who owns the Rykiel boutique (as well as the neighboring Ultimo and Giorgio Armani boutiques), says she was inspired to do the show because “the collection is one of the best she’s done and I want everybody to see it put together just the way she did it.”
She also added, “Pray that it doesn’t rain!”
