Comparison Report

COMPARISON SHOPPING REPORTJamie and Zoe

Group G

Retail Locations:

Holt Renfrew737 Dunsmuir Street.

Forever 211033 Robson Street.

Blim115 East Pender Street.

Item Classification:

BIKER JACKET

Jamie lookin’ fly in F21

Position of item

Fashion Lifecycle Chart:

Holt Renfrew specializes in designer fashions and timeless classics of optimal quality and value.

Forever 21 carries trend conscious designs. Their styles are heavy on fads, also known as ‘disposable fashion’.

Blim specializes in trend conscious designs, but also carries a classic vintage collection.

Private Labels:

(% of entire stock)

Holt Renfrew

private label other brands

98%

2%

Forever 21

Blim

private label

100%

private label other brands

35%

65%

BIKER JACKET(brand % of item stock)

Holt Renfrew

Donna Karan The Row Balenciaga BurberryGucci Prada Acne

42%

5% 14%

19%

10%5%5%

Forever 21

Blim

private label

100%

Blim reworked Ranch de Cuirass Adrianna Attic

25%

25% 25%

25%

Depth and Breadth of stock:

BIKER JACKET

BIKER JACKET

BIKER JACKET

a. Overall store image?

b. Product knowledge of sales staff?

c. Visual impact of displays of item?

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Price points of each retailer:

BIKER JACKET

Holt Renfrew: COUTURE/DESIGNER BIKER JACKET= $1,165.00 - $3,695.00Forever 21: BUDGET BIKER JACKET= $30.00 - $52.00Blim: MODERATE BIKER JACKET= $70.00 - $90.00

BUDGET

DESIGNER

MODERATE

Quality of Merchandise

(BIKER JACKET selection)

Holt Renfrew

Zoe lookin’ fly in Balenciaga

Balenciaga

The Row

Holt Renfrew specializes in reputable Designer Labels of the finest quality. Although these designs are fashion forward, because of their impeccable craftsmanship and elitist price point, Holt Renfrew’s garments are dependable ‘investment pieces’. Executed from the finest fabrics and dyes, Designer brands are impeccably tailored for long term wear.

Balenciaga: Revived 80’s biker style, available in genuine leather or genuine linen and cotton. The jacket has a classic motorcycle silhouette with wide lapels. Available in olive or black & olive. First class tailoring, embellished with cushioned shoulders and bold zippers.

The Row: Classic and simple biker silhouette. Made with 100% genuine leather, available in black. Asymmetrical front zipper with short neckline.

Burberry

Gucci

Gucci

Burberry: Sexy women’s biker style jacket. Made with 100% genuine leather and available in metallic evergreen. Dark plastic zip front, with high collar and tight wrist.

Gucci: Classic and simple biker silhouette. Logo imprinted genuine leather. Available in aged black. Asymmetrical front zipper in gold, with a short neckline and shoulder pads.

Gucci: Classic and simple biker silhouette. Light grey snake print leather. Fine stitching with asymmetrical front zipper in gold. Short neckline with gold snap.

Acne

Phillip Lim

Acne: Classic 80’s biker silhouette. 100% genuine leather available in green, red or tan. Waist-belt, centered front zipper with wide lapels.

Phillip Lim: Classic 80’s biker silhouette. White leather center and black leather sleeves. Waist-belt, side pocket. Asymmetrical front zipper with medium width lapels.

(BIKER JACKET selection) Forever 21

F21: Basic biker jacket silhouette. Made from Polyester (synthetic). Available in black. Subpar stitching. Diagonal front zipper with medium size lapels.

F21: Short biker silhouette. Made from synthetic PU leather. Subpar stitching. Asymmetrical front zipper with two horizontal zipper pockets. Medium width lapel.

F21: Classic biker style silhouette. Made from synthetic PU leather. Asymmetrical silver front zipper, two subtle pockets. Heavily studded lapels.

F21

F21

Forever 21 specializes in fads and trend conscious fashion. They receive new merchandise weekly. Their garments are predominantly made from synthetic fabrics at MASS quantities in Asia. This level of production is also known as ‘fast fashion’ or ‘disposable clothing’.

F21

F21

F21

F21

F21: Short biker silhouette. Available in ‘gold’ PU leather. Black, double front zip with wide lapels.

F21: Short biker silhouette. Center made from polyester, sleeves made from PU leather. Available in black. Asymmetrical front zipper without collar. Puffed shoulders.

F21: ‘Michael Jackson’ style biker silhouette. Made from PU leather. Available in chartreuse. Asymmetrical front sipper with short collars. Ribbed stitching over shoulders and sleeves.

(BIKER JACKET selection)Blim

Blim specializes in trendy house-made garments, carefully fabricated in Vancouver. They also offer reworked vintage pieces. Because their private label is individually manufactured, and their vintage pieces are hand selected- Blim only sells clothing that is durable and long lasting.

All the biker jackets at Blim are refurbished vintage pieces, meaning they have been selectively chosen to improve and resell. Any imperfections on the garments were mended and brought back to their original mint condition.

They had four biker jackets in total, all of which were classic 80’s biker silhouettes. All made from genuine leather. Two in solid black and one in solid red with asymmetrical front zippers, medium lapels and waist-belts. One in tan with a center front zipper, wide pockets and back and arm fringe.

Conclusion:Comparing the visual elements, tactics for accommodating target market, merchandising policies and customer service, it is obvious that the three retail locations we selected differ from each other in many ways. Fortunately, because of differing price points and choice of products sold, these locations are not extreme competitors.

Holt Renfrew is all about status symbols. Furs, leathers and jewel embellishments are just a few fashion statements that scream “money”. Walking through Holt’s, it is apparent how pristine everything must be kept to please the expectations of their target market. The designers featured at Holt Renfrew vary from young trendsetters, to the elderly ladies who sit on centuries of wealth. However, whoever you are, you must have the funds to buy. With such a wide range of merchandise throughout the store Holt’s maintains an extreme level of organization by separating Labels and genres. The garments at Holts are of great quality, made from the most durable to the most delicate fabrics available. The minimal size runs offer their clients with exclusivity. It is proven that whatever is bought at Holt’s is built to last, and if it doesn’t, the company will certainly go the extra mile to provide a replacement. The sales staff at Holt Renfrew is extremely knowledgable about the brands and products they carry, and it is obvious that there is a high level expectation from the company. To meet these expectations, the staff is required to complete thorough training programs. Therefore, staff at Holt Renfrew are there because they have made a career choice.

On the contrary, Forever 21 targets young, hip, developing markets. Their target market is extremely trend oriented and is constantly replacing last seasons fashions with the next. This market ranges from less sophisticated teens to young women in their late 20’s. This group is not overly concerned with quality or choice in fabric, rather they are happy to buy something that looks good and is affordable. Forever 21 always features the season’s hottest trends, for example this seasons biker jackets included metallics or studs. Because of it’s mass production, when buying clothing at Forever 21, one is not in it for the long haul, but rather for the short term gratification of being stylish. Typically, floor staff at Forever 21 are youth, perhaps working one of their first jobs and are there part time as they are mostly all students. Some higher management positions are more knowledgable about the brand and its history and products. Because Forever 21 is a huge corporation, staff is also required to complete thorough training. However, in comparison to Holt Renfrew (where staff is there as a career choice), it seems that sales staff at Forever 21 are there with the attitude that it is just a job.

Finding some middle ground however, Blim accommodates a market which is trendy, artsy and intellectual. They are not exclusive to one group, class or age, rather they offer a selection that is unpredictable. Blim is not only a store front, they also manufacture their private label on location and offer classes in screen printing, so that their clients can mimic some of the company’s designs on their own. Blim’s private label makes graphic sweaters, leggings and dresses of optimal tailoring and care. Like Holt Renfrew, their floor merchandise is limited, offering exclusivity. However, they will happily do custom designs for clients right in the store. Blim is well connected in the arts community of Vancouver, so it creates an appeal for people to visit even if they are not necessarily in the market for clothing. This tactic creates unintentional purchases from the public. Both their private label and their limited reworked vintage selection is at the contemporary price point. The biker jackets available at Blim were all in the second hand section. The appeal to buying a fashionable classic design (like a biker jacket) is that no matter how many people are ‘rocking‘ it, second hand items are way less common- giving the buyer a feeling individuality. There were two sales staff at Blim who provided extremely friendly and in depth information about not only the company, but also about the events and classes being held at the store in the near future. It was apparent that the staff at Blim are working there as a lifestyle choice, where they have the freedom to be a part of the community, while having the opportunity to do their own craft of fabricating original and custom designs.