The Online Shopping Experience

The Online Shopping Experience for Retail Consumers

Fashion specialty retailers such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barney’s New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue have built their business on providing quality products and an exceptional customer shopping experience. For example, Nordstrom is famous for their liberal return policy – allowing even an old lady to return automobile tires to one of their stores. This customer experience is a key strategic experience and industry driver.

Yet the competitive landscape is changing. With the proliferation of online shopping the customer shopping experience is moving away from the brick-and-mortar stores to a web based experience. As a result, these specialty retailers are looking to find ways to provide the same high-level online shopping experience as they do in their stores.  So the question arises, what are they doing exactly?

First, to provide an positive online shopping experience retailers are providing lots of product online. In fact, the online platform allows some retailers to provide more product online than they can have in their actually stores. In addition, retailers are also trying to make it easier to see what the product looks like and how it fits. With several different camera angles retailers shoot their product on models so customers can see how the product fits. Also, some retailers are providing video of the product so customers can see how the garment moves on the model. In addition to a variety of camera angles and video, retailers are also providing the models measurements and size of the garments online so customers can get a reference to what size will fit them.

Finally, in order to increase the online shopping experience, researchers are experimenting with technology that scans a customer’s body and home and then places the garment digitally on their image in the computer. 

The future of the online customer shopping experience is very bright and many retailers have just scratched the surface. In additon, As retailers continue to find ways to increase this customer experience they will further differentiate themselves from their competitors

Additional articles by this blogger include :

• Harley Davidson Goes Dark Custom - to read click here

Final Season of Gossip Girl Begins

Gossip Girl: Season 6

Young, fashion-conscious girls all around the globe go crazy each season as Serena and Blair appear on yet another episode of the hit show Gossip Girl. The latest season, which started this past week, is different in that it will be the final season of the show. So, what is this show about and why is it such a big hit among young women? Let's take a look. 

Gossip Girl is about young, wealthy, college-age New York students and the drama they face living in the city. It acts as an escape for viewers to experience a world where money isn't an issue. The show follows the lives of these students, but the series has become known for its wardrobe, influencing trends around the world. Each episode, viewers are treated to a fashion show as characters don everything from lavishing gowns to Chanel accessories. Serena Vanderwoodsen, one of the main characters, is played by Blake Lively, one of the most noted fashionistas today. Her role in Gossip Girl only helped her become the modern fashion icon she is now. The other style star on the show is Blair Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester. Young viewers usually take sides with one of these characters, being highly influenced by the clothes each wears. 

With the last season in full swing, viewers can only guess what kind of events are to unfold. Each episode leaves young women not knowing what to expect, but wanting more. The big question though is what are those that aspire to be an upper east sider supposed to do when their idols go off screen? What is going to be the next show these viewers turn to for fashion and entertainment? 

Check out the preview of the final season of Gossip Girl below. 

Click here to keep up to date with the latest on Gossip Girl. 

Sweet spots visited by the cast

Three cars I want to drive in the future

    

 1. Benz S65 AMG

When I first saw this car, I was super excited because its design was very unique, fascinating and has a luxury Benz logo in the front hood. Later, I found out that the car was one of the Benz cars that belong to the AMG model lines. AMG stands for Aufrecht (Founder), Melcher(Founder), and Grobaspach (Location of the Headquater). The history of AMG started with designing and testing racing engines in 1967. Then, it became one of the affiliates in the Mercedes -Benz in 2005. Generally, AMG models have more aggressive exterior shapes as they seem to represent the racing history. In addition, the powerful  6.0 liter V12 engine in the S65 AMG model proved the highest-performance among all the Mercedes models. Because AMG models have evolved every year since its first launch, Benz will release more attracting version of its AMG model by the time I actually get the best AMG.      

2. BMW 750 i

I‘ve been loving BMW cars since I watched the movie ‘Transporter’. In the movie, Jason Statham crazily drives cars, especially for one of his own BMW cars even though what he drove was very old version of BMW. BMW has its own unique front grill design by which I can instantly notice that it’s BMW from the long distance. The front design always reminds me of the face of the shark. It may be because of its similar shape to the shark and the powerful performance that BMW cars present.  BMW seems to focus more on adapting the hybrid engines to their all series. In addition, when looking 2012 BMW series, they put emphasis on changing little details, such as conversion from analogue gauge to electronic gauge, and things that generally relate to dash board.   

        

        

3.  Lexus LS Series

Lexus LS series are the most expensive and luxurious models. As many people know, Lexus has been successful in improving their brand name under the support of its parent company, Toyota. In general, Japanese cars have been known for strong durability, which gives benefits in terms of reselling the cars. I have several friends who have driven the Lexus, BMW, Audis, and other German cars. After they experienced all the luxury cars, their driving feeling were like ‘those good cars are pretty much the same’. It is probably they are not the experts or racing drivers so that they cannot differentiate the unique driving performance that each brand really presents. But, these indirect experiences were helpful to me in deciding which car to buy in the future. In addition, one time I saw the report saying that Lexus has the least customer claims in the U.S. market. Lexus is also less expensive than other high-graded cars, such as Benz, Audi, and BMW. Thus, Lexus is one of my options when I become successful and buy a nice car.

Dark Custom and Harley Davidson

To capture the spending power of the millennial generation Harley-Davidson has released the dark custom line of motorcycles. These motorcycles are defined by their stripped down, fast, raw styling. Without audio and saddle bags, they are built solely for the experience and image of riding a Harley-Davidson.

The dark custom line of motorcycles includes the Iron 883, Forty-Eight, Seventy-Two, Street Bob, Blackline, and the Fat Bob. 

In addition to their line of Dark custom motorcycles, Harley-Davidson offers clothing for the millennial generation called Black Label. With trendier styling a millennial can feel more acquainted with the Black Label clothing than the traditional Harley apparel. With the ability to ride a Dark Custom motorcycle and wear Black Label clothing Harley-Davidson is offering the millennial generation what they do best, a lifestyle.

photos courtesy of http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/dark-custom/dark-custom.html

Additional articles by this blogger include :

• The Online Shopping Experience - to read click here

Bringing Sustainability to Ethiopia

Sustainability and Poverty Reduction

Sustainability is a major problem in many parts of the world. One in two people worldwide lives in poverty and the human cost of poverty is 30,000 children who die each day. Microfinance lending provides small loans to the poor to help them engage in productive activities and work their way out of poverty. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” This concept describes the basic goal of sustainability that microfinance focuses on. Worldwide, the need for microfinance is great because it acts as an effective tool for reducing poverty and establishes small businesses. 

Microfinance can be an effective and powerful tool for poverty reduction. With most poverty-stricken individuals living in rural areas, food insecurity is one of the main challenges to economic development in poor countries, particularly Ethiopia. 

With an estimated population of 60 million, approximately 85% of Ethiopians live in rural areas. Because of harsh circumstances that make agricultural production tough, a large number of people cannot support their families with food. Through microfinance, ideas and programs are implemented to increase food production; therefore, the overall level of poverty is reduced. By promoting entrepreneurship and free markets, the small loans not only benefit the borrower, but also create jobs and financial stability for many others. As new businesses emerge, overall dependency is reduced

The outcomes of microfinance have shown to be positive including increased sustainability and improved education. Microfinance should be supported because it helps bring sustainability to rural areas instead of temporary relief assistance. One of the pronounced features of microfinance is that credit programs can be designed and adapted to fit specific villages and groups.

Ethiopia’s poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, but with droughts and poor farming practices production is hard to maintain. Hope Arising has begun to establish unique practices in villages to create sustainable food and agricultural production through gardening and sheep fattening. From there, businesses slowly grow and are maintained, creating a steady source of income for families. 

Microfinance looks to educate individuals about business before giving out loans. More and more women in poverty are being educated because they comprise the majority of borrowers and are more likely to support their children. By learning the basics of business, individuals will know how to run and keep a business going and they will be able to share that knowledge with families and acquaintances, establishing an effective market in villages. 

Along with business education, the effects of microfinance on livelihood can be multidimensional.  Some of these positive effects include that women become more empowered, health education spreads, and households function more efficiently. An overall healthier way of life is created through microfinance. Jump-starting small businesses by providing small loans to the impoverished is a concept that should be supported by those in developed countries.

SOURCES:

http://www.worldvisionmicro.org/pages/statistic 

Berhane, G., Gardebroek, C. (2011). Does

     Microfinance Reduce Rural Poverty?

     Evidence Based on Household Panel Data     

     from Northern Ethiopia. American Journal of

     Agricultural Economics, 93(1), 43-55.

Amha, W. (2000). Review of Microfinance

     Industry in Ethiopia: Regulatory Frameworks

     and Performance. Association of Ethiopian 

     Microfinance Institutions, 2, 1-48.

     

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Places to visit in Seoul, Korea

I have lived in Seoul city, South Korea, more than 25 years. There are approximately 10 million people living in Seoul, which makes you imagine a heavy traffic jam, noise pollution, etc. Yes, they are all true, and it may take some time for foreigners to get accustomed with all that. But, there is also a good side of Seoul in which I had good times with my best friends. So, before I introduce to you some of the good places to visit around Seoul, check out this video first.

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square was expanded by reducing 16 lanes of traffic to 10, in 2008. The first thing you will notice is the statue of the great admiral, Lee Sun Shin. He has been well known for the great Myeongryang Victory of clearing 133 foreign invading ships by 12 korean ships. Besides that, there is a gigantic SeJong cultural center, in which famous musicians, plays, or operas are presented. I recommend taking a walk at night around the Square because all the colorful lights beaming out from the building or streets is so beautiful that lovers or lots of families come and enjoy the romantic night.

National Museum and the Kyungbok Palace

National Museum is the largest museum in Korea with about 220,000 objects in its collection. They have well preserved the traditional objects that the old ancient kings used about 1000 years ago. The size of the whole museum and its surrounding parks is enormous. I remember visiting the museum and parks several times in my elementary and high school, participating in the competition of drawing the sceneries, and playing all around with classmates. Kyungbok Palace is the place where the kings of the last Korean dynasty lived, and it is part of the museum. Some couples are marrying there in the old traditional ways, wearing complicated traditional costumes.

Lotte World

I have never been to Disney Land, but I have been to the Korean version of Disney Land, the Lotte World.  I strongly recommend visiting there early in the week days because in the weekends so many crowds create the longest time queue in all rides. But, you can enjoy the different kinds of events, such as Musical Parade and K-Pop shows. My most favorite part of Lotte world is skating. They made a big ice rink in the center of the big dorm stadium. I used to go there often in the summer, and had good times. 

Korean Sports

Traditional Korean Sports: Taekwondo & Ssireum

Taekwondo is martial-sports originated in Korea. It uses the entire body, especially the hands and feet. Taekwondo not only strengthens one’s physical wellbeing, but it also cultivates character via physical and mental training. Taekwondo is now firmly established as international sports in Korea, and the Taekwondo Association has a membership of 3.8 million, which consists of about ten percent of total Korean population.

Ssireum is a Korean traditional form of wrestling. It is a type of folk competition in which two players, holding on to a satba (a cloth tied around the waist and thigh), use their strength and various techniques to wrestle each other to the ground. The ultimate winner of a ssireum tournament was traditionally awarded a bull, which was a symbol of strength 

Choi Hong-man was a former ssireum champion in South korea. In Asia, he was called “Korean Monster”. His height is 2.8 m (7 ft 2 in) and weighs 160 kg (350 lb). Although he had unsuccessful career in mixed martial arts, he recently began a singing career with supermodel Kang Soo Hee under the name of Beauty & the Beast. 

Serendipity & Sweets in NYC

New York City is a melting pot of culture, entertainment, and a seemingly endless variety of food, from restaurants to food carts and bakeries. The city is on top of its game when it comes to sweets, as well. The temptation of devouring delicious desserts and sugary confections before a meal is constantly on one's mind when surrounded by eye-pleasing treats on nearly every corner of the city. With everything from ice cream, cupcakes, pies and cakes, to candy, here are three sweet eats (including the infamous Serendipity) one cannot miss out on when in NYC. 

SERENDIPITY

One might as well skip dinner and head straight for dessert when visiting Serendipity. Known for its famous frozen hot chocolate (pictured above), the cozy restaurant has been opened almost 60 years. After an appetizer of frozen hot chocolate, one can't pass up a signature drugstore sundae overflowing with three heaping scoops of ice cream and any toppings you want. Be sure to share because these things are huge! Don't worry if hot chocolate isn't your thing, there are a number of frozen drinks that taste just as good!

CRUMBS

As one of the first bakeries to hit the market with the cupcake fad, Crumbs hasn't fallen short when it comes to making the perfect cupcake. Pleasing cupcake lovers from around the world, the bakery is unique, offering oversized cupcakes with fillings in dozens of flavors. Once you try one you will be coming back to try them all. Grab one to go or sit down and enjoy each bite right at the shop. 

DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

One can't help but feel like a kid again when visiting Dylan's Candy Bar. Offering over 7,000 types of candy, there is sure to be something to please everyone's sweet tooth. A section of the store even organizes candy by color for those who love certain flavors. The store not only offers candy, but has its own fudge counter and cafe, with everything from ice cream to cupcakes and candy cocktails. Don't forget that special someone and pick up some signature Dylan's Candy Bar candy as a gift!

NYC tennis fashion

Russell Wilson: Will this Short Guy Finish Last?

Is Russell Wilson Too Short?

As students are begrudgingly going back to school - there is one bright spot - Football.  Football is back. Friday through Sunday nights for the next four months will now be dominated by this beautiful hard hitting drama .

This season the NFL has a star studded lineup of new rookie QBs and second  year players, including Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III (RG3).Luck is everything you want in a quarterback, he is athletic, has a strong arm, a high football acumen, and is tall. And RG3 is no slouch, the Heisman trophy winner has a big time arm with Michael Vick speed and agility.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russell-Wilson/155564499897?sk=photos 

But these two quarterbacks are not the Cinderella's of this years quarterback club. That title belongs to Russell Wilson, starting rookie quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Drafted in the third round of this years draft, Russell Wilson, who has a cannon of an arm and big play ability was passed over by other teams because he is 5' 10''. The consensus around the league is that short quarterbacks are not successful in the NFL.

Yet Russell Wilson has the athletic ability and intellectual intangibles that make scouts drool.  This ability impressed Seattle's head coach Pete Carroll enough to make him the starting quarterback over Matt Flynn, who Seattle signed to a large contract in the off season. 

So the question remains, will Wilson break the mold and be a successful quarterback in the NFL even though he is under six feet or will he be the short guy on the play ground that finishes last? We shall see. 

Additional articles by this blogger include :

• 2012 Fashion Trends: Camo & Coated - to read click here

Wanna try Bulgogi?

Whether you are now hungry or not, I'd like to introduce to you one of the most favorite food Asians enjoy eating, "Bulgogi". Typically, Bulgogi is an Asian Style steak that's served with various vegetables, such as lettuce leaves, onions, garlic, fermented beans, and so on. If you do not like fermented beans, you can substitute it to any spicy sauce or whatever dipping sauce you want.

The basic technique to prepare meats is to marinate them in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar for a few hours. There are two ways to prepare the meat for Bulgogi. The simpler method is to marinate the whole piece of steak for up to three hours. Grill it, slice and serve. The other method, which is more traditional, is to slice the uncooked meat into 1/4 inch thick pieces, marinate for an hour or two and then grill. While the first method is easier, the second method exposes more of the meats' surface to the marinade, giving it a better flavor.

In addition, there are various kinds of Bool Gogi, such as Gochoojang Bulgogi (Spicy Bulgogi) or Octopus Bulgogi, which is a mixture of Octopus and meat. It just depends on how you like to eat. Suppose you enjoy eating meat balls, then you can make "Meal Ball Bulgogi" creating your own recipe. Also, Bulgogi is well served with rice. But, if you prefer french bread or noodles, you can just add them to your list, simply decorating your dinner table with everything you want.

Nike Fashion at the U.S. Open

Nike sponsors some of the best athletes in the world. With innovative technology to enhance performance, Nike gives athletes the added benefit of style. Passionate sports enthusiasts are constantly on the lookout for the next trend or technology to hit Nike stores worldwide. A globally known and loved brand, Nike goes beyond the norm to make athletes and teams, such as Oregon Ducks Football, look and feel good. The brand doesn’t fall short when it comes to tennis, especially at this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. As players step out on the court, spectators can’t help but notice the statement women are making with their outfit choices. From Maria Sharapova's deathly screech to Serena Williams' beastly presence, unique players such as these have specifically designed apparel and shoes to fit their distinct styles of play at the U.S. Open. Nike sums it up well (below) with descriptions of ensembles two of the top pros are wearing now. 

Over the years, Maria has epitomized style on the courts of the Big Apple. During her daytime matches, you will find her in the Maria Sharapova Back Court Day Dress. Its open-hole mesh fabric is bonded to the chest and back insets for breathable comfort.

As darkness sets upon the New York stadium, Maria will debut the Maria Sharapova Back Court Night Dress. The dress’ bright, contrast color design highlights the power mesh racer back panel designed to enhance ventilation.

During the daytime matches in New York City, Serena Williams will wear the Statement Pleated Knit Dress in fireberry: designed for ultimate range of motion.

In the city’s nighttime lights, Serena will wear the Statement Pleated Knit Dress in obsidian. The dress’ kick pleat skirt gives Serena the mobility she needs to unleash her unnerving power.

Look good and gear up with Nike here. 

photos and captions from www.facebook.com/niketennis

Read about Sweets in NYC

2012 Fashion Trends: Camo & Coated

nordstrom.com

2012 Fashion Trends: Camouflage & Coated Denim

Some of the staples of the 2012 fashion trends are camouflage and coated denim.  Surprised? Well, you shouldn't be. The progression of fashion has been hinting at these two staples for quite a while.

nordstrom.com

The overall downturn of the economy has brought a cultural obsession with all things old - inspiring many of the 2012 fashion trends. People are looking for stability and familiarity in life. This has lead the consumer to connect with their past - what the industry is calling a 'heritage' movement. Raw denim and the explosion of all things boots are great examples of societies attempts to connect with the past through dress.  One of the greatest staples of American heritage is the United States military - recognized by its plethora of camouflage uniforms. As a result, coming this fall you will be welcomed to the world of camouflage. From tiger camo pants to digital camo headphones, camo will become a major staple of your wardrobe.

In addition to camouflage pants denim will have a coating this fall. Characterized by its waxed feel to the hand coated denim is the next stop on the progression of denim. Over the last few years we have seen the importance of pocket design exemplified by the Ricky Super T from True Religion move to the focus on dark rises and now move to a focus on waxed coating. Throw on a pair of waxed coated Levi's,  a graphic tee, with some sweet kicks and you will be generating intriguing looks by your favorite ladies all day.

Waxed & Camo. 2012 Fashion Trends. Buy it. Wear it. Rock it.

Additional articles by this blogger include :

• Russell Wilson: Will this Short Guy Finish Last? - to read click here