I went to Oxford Street before class to walk around a little bit. I brought Stacy to Primark since she had never been before. I went into a couple more stores and then made my way to Libertys to meet the rest of the class.
Libertys was established in 1875 by Arthur Liberty. The store started on a loan and with only 3 staff members. The current building is an example of Tudor architecture. It was built from the wood of 2 ships. This location was built so trading could still go on while other locations were undergoing renovations. This was a time of art and crafts. This building showed Arthur's love for luxury.
Libertys was so beautiful. The architecture was amazing and very unique. However, I think the store sticks out like a sore thumb. It looks so historical compared to all of the modern buildings surrounding it. Inside, it definitely does not have a department store feel. It is 5 floors but is very very much smaller than the other typical department stores we have already visited. I thought it was interesting how they display only scarves and a few hats in the central room right inside the main entrance. Libertys is known for prints and particularly floral patterns. The scarves did an excellent job of exemplifying this.
As we walked around the store, I noticed the merchandise is a lot more crowded and cluttered compared to other stores. If you take into account the fact that the store has far less space than the other stores, this is understandable. I did think the women's apparel section was organized nicely, though. The store also has bright, neon orange sale signs posted up around the entire store. I was not a fan of these. I didn't think they were up to the level of sophistication the rest of the store put off.
The store balances their rich past and the popularity of their prints and a more modern customer very well. The displays are similar to their architecture. There is a lot of wood but they are all very simple. Most of the light fixtures are very modern and extravagant. They look a little out of place but balance the idea of the past and present. Their assortment of contemporary and traditional merchandise also balances.
The antique section on the top floor was fun to look at. It was much more crowded as furniture takes up a lot of room. I like how they still staged rooms even with the little space they have. The carpet room was amazing. They had piles and piles of so many different carpets. Jose told us that the salesman would do everything he could to get a customer to buy a carpet. He would instantly move the piles and show you every single carpet in there if he had to.
After Libertys, we went to Carnaby Street. This street played a major role in fashion in the 1960s. It was iconic of Swinging London, a fashion/cultural scene. During that time, it began to see many independent boutiques. Many bands, such as The Who and Rolling Stones, would hang around the area for work and would shop on this street. It exemplified the hippie style. On a Time Magazine cover on April 15, 1966, it was said, "Perhaps nothing illustrates the new swinging London better than narrow, three-block-long Carnaby Street, which is crammed with a cluster of the 'gear' boutiques where the girls and boys buy each other clothing."
I saw this history alive today because the street still has the quaint, boutique shopping feel. There is even a Miss Sixty store at the beginning of the street and I haven't seen this store anywhere else in London. There is also a sparkly union jack hanging above the street, giving off the vibe of the 60s.
I think the target market is a younger person that is modern but with a hippie twist. The street might also be targeting men a little more than women because they had many stores like Lee, Diesel, Vans, Hilfiger, Levi, Puma, and Northface. Although these stores cater to women also, a man might shop there more.
We concluded the day by going to Bond Street. I had no idea it was right off of Oxford Street. Although Oxford Street has nice shops, I thought it was interesting that all of the designer boutiques are located on Bond Street and off of the major road. The target market for Bond Street is a designer-loving, high end shopper and particularly women.
I picked the Louis Vuitton window displays to analyze.
I loved how there were so many windows and they all had the theme of a magic trick. The bunny figurines were used in repetition in all of the windows. I love how they showcase merchandise in every window by using it as part of the magic trick. I think these windows were extremely effective because they are so unique and still do an excellent job of selling the merchandise.
These windows are both balancing acts.
This window is hands doing a magic trick with LV watches.
These mannequins are twirling hoola hoops with only their wrist.
This is a mannequin being cut into pieces and the center of his body is being turned in circles.
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