STORES Magazine - May 2008 - (Page 116)

POSTSCRIPT thelastlaugh Presidential in Pink WITH HIS precisely tailored suits and his power ties, most folks would probably consider President George W. Bush to be a traditional – dare we say conservative – dresser. As it turns out, Bush might just have an eye for fashion. And, it seems, he’s pretty hip. During a recent visit to the White House, Joe Jonas (he of the newly minted pop idols The Jonas Brothers) was complimented by the commander in chief for the pink Superga sneakers he was wearing. “Gotta get a pair,” the president said to the singer. Fast on his sneaker-clad feet, Jonas quickly placed an order for pink size 10.5 Superga sneakers, which he plans to present to the president as a gift. The Superga brand is an iconic Italian footwear favorite, distributed in the United States by R.G. Barry. “Though we are a bit surprised by the president’s interest in our pink shoes, we are glad they’ve caught his attention,” says Juliana Prather, president of Superga-USA. “This is what we love about the Superga; they can be worn from the beach house to the White House.” Jonas’ pink (Dusty Rose, actually) Supergas retail for about $80. For something a little more understated, the president will be pleased to learn the shoes also come in red, white and navy. peanut butter is fortified with calcium for healthy bones; parsley flavor has added zinc to promote healthy skin; spearmint freshens the breath (for those chance encounters at the dog park); and lemongrass has amino acids and minerals for healthy joints. Makers of vitamin water for dogs are trying to grab a share of the estimated $43.4 billion-a-year pet industry; sounds like an interesting niche business. Still, skeptics raise an interesting point: “Why in the world would I buy this stuff for an animal that chases its own tail?” Fashion Savvy ’til the End A RECENT obituary in the Ventura County Star suggests that one woman’s family has a sense of humor when it comes to remembering Betty Ducharme. Ducharme, 79, was a native Californian who devoted her career to fashion merchandising. That prompted her family to include the following in her obit: “During her darkest days, style was never sacrificed – Betty, you were right; platforms came back and the bomber jacket never went out of style; as for double-knit polyester – well, no one bats a thousand.” Arf or Barf? SOMETHING was definitely out of sync. How could people carry bottled water with them everywhere they go, yet expect Max, Fido or Rocky to drink from some germ-infested public spigot? All is right with the world now, thanks to a handful of entrepreneurs selling flavored vitamin-infused water for dogs. The products go by brand names like K9 Water, VitaPaw Vitamin Water, Doggie Springs and the newest entry – Fortifido. These pumped-up beverages are not all that different from the endless offerings of bottled water now available to humans, but the flavors really seem to put on the dog. The Original K9 Water, for example, is available in Puddles, Gutters, Hoses, and Toilet Water (that, apparently, is dog Latin for beef, liver, chicken and lamb, respectively). The Fortifido brand is being marketed in several flavors: 116 WWW.STORES.ORG © The New Yorker Collection 2008 Julia Suits from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved. http://cartoonbank.com http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - May 2008

Stores - May 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Contrasting C-Level Compensation Across Segments What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Concepts That Clicked Concept2Watch Kiosks Artificial Intelligence Tech Support Online LPinformation Data Synchronization Human Resources Site Selection POS Selection Communications Biometrics Networking Systems Credit Loeb Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - May 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.