STORES Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 90)

POSTSCRIPT thelastlaugh No Monkeying Around FINDING good help these days can be tough, but if you’re willing to think outside your own species, you may be able to steal an idea and save a little on payroll, too. The owners of a Japanese sake tavern called Kayabukiya employ a pair of Japanese monkeys called Yat-chan and Fuku-chan to serve their customers. Fuku-chan, the younger of the two, usually begins the first shift. He hands out hot towels to customers to help them clean their hands before they order their first drinks. Twelve-year-old Yat-chan is the monkey with more experience; he moves quickly through the tavern delivering drinks to customers. Yat-chan and Fuku-chan are both certified by the local authorities to work in the tavern; they can only work two hours a day according to animalrights laws. The two are well liked by patrons, who tip the waiters with boiled soya beans. One of the tavern owners originally kept the monkeys as household pets, but when the older one started aping him he realized they were capable of working in the restaurant. He’s currently training three baby monkeys to follow in Yatchan and Fuku-chan’s footsteps. catching on, especially among wilderness enthusiasts who love the outdoors but yearn for the comforts of cutlery and hot showers. All this glamour comes at a price, however. So, while camping may be for the budget-minded adventurer, glamping is better-suited to the less adventurous, deep-pocketed traveler. Shower Suit SHOWERING in your birthday suit is yesterday’s news. Busy executives don’t have time to be running to the dry cleaner week after week with their suits. And what if they spill something while they’re on the road? Rarely is there a quick, inexpensive solution to the problem . . . until now. Australian Wool Innovation has invented a suit that can be worn in the shower. There’s no need for soaking, dry cleaning – or even soap. Just step in the shower wearing the suit or drape it on a clothes hanger and let the showerhead go to work. Described by AWI as being “revolutionary,” the “shower suit” dries overnight. A Japanese researcher working for the company developed the suit by combining three technologies. The “secret,” according to AWI executives, is the minimal lining which allows the suit to dry quickly. No word on how the suit holds up to wrinkles. Let’s Go Glamping GLAMPING is a new term being used for upscale or glamorous camping. What could be glamorous about camping, you ask? How about amenities like a big, plush bed set inside a billowy white tent pitched by someone else? Gourmet food and Wi-Fi access in a rustic lodge qualifies as glamping, too. The idea of roughing it without really roughing it is 90 STORES / NOVEMBER 2008 Prada’s Pratfall IT WAS time to show off Prada’s spring line, so models hit the runway in September – literally. Several models tottered and fell on the catwalk. In most instances, they chose to slip out of their ultra-high platform sandals and finish their turns with footwear in hand. The runway may not have been the only slip up; fashion critics were surprised to see looks that bared plenty of flesh. The latest collection was divided into categories from bra tops to dresses in python and fish prints. Alongside those offerings were variations on the old-fashioned nightgown and gilded evening wear. WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

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

STORES Magazine - November 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Every Cup Counts What Shoppers Think Less Park Time, More Shop Time 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Retail Held Captive First Look Concept2Watch Marketing Technology Custom Software PCI Compliance Data Security Arts Update Newsbeat LP Issues: Q&A Cover Story Surveillance Systems Online Fraud Industry Perspective LOEB Retail Letter Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - November 2008

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