STORES Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 15)

trEnDS Jettisoning Jewels EDIT Falling in and out of love yields its share of emotional baggage. And, as it turns out, it also leaves behind a surplus of bracelets, baubles and other well-intentioned gifts. In most instances, these memories of past relationships get tucked into a drawer or hidden in an armoire, never to be worn again. But it might be time to dig out that old Co-founders jewelry, exorcise some bad memoMegahn ries — and pocket a bit of cash in and Marie the process. Perry The website www.exboyfriendjewelry.com allows women to jettison the jewelry given to them by an ex by selling it to someone who won’t associate it with a bad break-up. There’s just one catch: Every item listed for sale must be accompanied by a brief story about its “past.” The founders describe the website as a mix of cash and catharsis. As of mid-May, the site had nearly 1,200 listings, with almost half (557) in the ring category. “I received this watch from the biggest jerk I ever dated,” wrote one seller. “He broke up with me on New Year’s Day telling me he only said ‘I love you’ to see how it sounded aloud.” Another seller writes, ”This is from my ‘great jewelry, wrong guy’ collection.” Prices begin at free and climb to several thousand dollars. Miles of Aisles but No One to Ring the Sales Do you ever overhear a customer complaint and think, “I wish I’d known sooner”? Well, listen up. More than 1,000 consumers were recently asked, “What bothers you most about the stores you shop?” Thirty-seven percent cited too few checkout aisles as their biggest complaint; running a fairly distant second (15 percent) was advertised items that are out of stock. The findings are part of the latest Ouch Point study from Princeton, N.J.-based Opinion Research Corp. (ORC). “There’s clearly a significant customer service issue which stores must address if they want to keep their customers happy and ensure they will STORES / JUNE 2008 15 http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com

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

STORES Magazine - June 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Tesco Tests Carbon Labels What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Boom - or Bust Green Retailing Concept2Watch Online Marketing Building Traffic Water Management Branding Digital Marketing Loyalty Programs Special Report: Taking on Teens Supply Chain - Robo Crop Human Resources Supply Chain - Directory Assistance Loeb Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - June 2008

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