Your Refinery29 Shop Crawl Cheat Sheet For Thursday Night

Check out this awesome shopping infographic. For all you San Francisco readers, hope to see you out on Thursday!

Thrift Store Sales Rise Above Economy

Thrift stores are thriving in this economy and beating out the competition of big name retail stores. As people go green and hoard their cash, thrift stores are seeing a boom in business!

The mndaily.com reports, “While other businesses are reporting decreasing sales, Goodwill stores have seen at least 10 percent increases in same-store retail sales compared with October 2007, Goodwill Industries International spokeswoman Lauren Lawson said.”

“the economy has not hurt donations, Lawson said. For the first nine months of the year, the number of donation drop-offs in North America increased by 9.6 percent over the same time period last year.”

The green movement has also sparked the rise of thrift store spending. MSNBC explains, “A growing ‘green’ ethos among American consumers has also propelled the industry. ‘People are really savvy now,’ said Angie Heidenreich, owner of LuLu’s Consignment Boutique in Fletcher, N.C. ‘With consignment you make money, you save money and you recycle. It’s a no-brainer.'”

You’d be surprised to find diamonds in the rough while searching through previously owned goods. Just a few days ago, my mother found a Dolce & Gabbana belt for a few bucks! One fashionista’s trash is another fashionista’s treasure!

Share your thoughts on thrift store shopping! Have you had big success? Any tips and tricks?

Fashion Industry Looks To Customer Service For Bailout

Customer service is the springboard for successful public relations and marketing strategies. Anyone can act as the “customer.” Whether someone is a fashionista shopping for the newest pair of Manolos or a journalist shopping for a captivating story. Building and maintaining good relationships is key to public relations.

Nordstrom is probably the best example of placing customer service at the forefront of their business model. They even have their own urban legend about someone returning a set of tires!

During the current economy, department stores are slashing prices and high-end labels are creating lower priced lines. Now, luxury boutique stores are even throwing away their snooty image and starting to place importance on customer service.

Ray A. Smith at the Wall Street Journal explains, “as the luxury goods industry suffers a massive slump in sales – many sales clerks at designer stores who were famously haughty and patronizing suddenly have changed their styles.”

Smith also reports that “some [stores] do acknowledge that they’ve instructed their sales clerks to be less abrupt, spend more time with customers and refrain from being pushy. At Neiman Marcus, sales associates are being encouraged to be “more patient” with customers. “We have seen that customers are more anxious and there is some concern out there,” says Ginger Reeder, a spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus. “So it behooves all of us to remember to be a little more patient.”

If you care about your customer, the customer will care about you and keep your brand secure. As I have said before, in a time of recession, consumers are looking for brands they trust. They want to know that the companies are looking out for them and have their best interest at heart. Fashion brands will gain and retain business while setting themselves apart once they place more importance on customer service.