Ruehl goes buh-bye.

Abercrombie finally decided to chuck their struggling 5 year old Ruehl brand of stores. Is this beginning of a much needed shakeup at Abercrombie? I hope so. Abercrombie and Fitch used to be such a great, strong brand ingrained in our American culture (do you remember this catchy lil’ tune?) But now analysts are saying that the brand is over-sexed, out-of-touch, and the merchandise is off-trend. In addition, the store experience at Ruehl is simply bananas: Dimly lit, shuttered windows, and oh, that stand-offish staff! Furthermore, CEO Michael Jeffries has been criticized for his alleged refusal to promote sales during these economic times. Really?

Speaking of over-sexed, is anyone else sick of American Apparel’s brand imagery yet? But I digress. Getting back to Abercrombie, I hope to see this once great brand get a major overhaul. Soon.

- posted by Karen Raidel

A: Subtle Butt. Q: Too many beans?

Holy frijoles!

I can’t help but let out a little snicker giggle about this product called Subtle Butt. According to the company's website, this nifty little pad “enables a life social after eating chili dogs.” Well, I suppose that’s a useful device, but what is it about this subject matter that just makes me (and pretty much MOST women I know) squeamish? It’s just one of those things us nice girls aren’t supposed to talk about.

- posted by Karen Raidel

Customer Service Cheers (and Jeers)

MSN Money released their latest survey on the 10 best companies in customer service AND the 10 worst companies in customer service. To pretty much no one’s surprise, a host of telecommunications companies and financial services make up the worst in customer service. Locally headquartered Abercrombie and Fitch made a repeat appearance on the list as well. (Uh-oh.) What confounds me is that A+F still HAS an audience despite its reliance on the same marketing strategy for the past umpteen years (or so it seems). A+F, are you paying attention?

As both a Nordstroms devotee and die hard Trader Joe’s fan, I was glad (and again, not surprised) to see both on the “best” list. Think about those two stores for a minute – what a completely different experience in each! But what you will find in common are great products that you want, and sales folks who seem genuinely interested in helping you find what you need. It’s seriously difficult not to have a smile on your face when dealing with TJ’s checkout. And when is the last time you received less-than-stellar service from a Nordies’ employee? Um, that’s right – never. There is something so genuinely nice and approachable about the people that work at these places. It’s 100% customer service throughout the whole experience.

Maybe Comcast could learn a thing or two.

- posted by Karen Raidel

[photo: freedigitalphotos.net]

The Art of Shaving

CPG powerhouse P&G recently purchased The Art of Shaving, a high-end male grooming products chain. Their seemingly uncharacteristic move caused some in the marketing and ad industry to ponder why a venerable CPG company would waltz into the world of retail - especially given the recession and the fact P&G is notoriously CPG-focused (although truth is, this actually isn't P&G's first foray into retail).

For those who are bewildered by the move, I say this -- I'm sure the purchase wasn't given the two seconds of thought that I gave my most recent checkout counter impulse buy (oh yes, I did). A company like P&G has serious coin to drop on research. I'd guess that, among other reasons, they found the move would help elevate their brand image.

The Hartman Group provided some insightful perspective on the acquisition. They go so far as to speculate P&G may foresee something shaking up the CPG sector soon. Could CPG be affected the way private label is affecting mainstream grocery? That's something a little scary, but interesting, to consider.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

beta chocolate

When it comes to computer software and online tools, having something in the "beta" stage isn't uncommon. When an online tool exists in beta, the developers are looking for user feedback on how to improve the software. However, beta and chocolate might seem like more of an unconventional combination.

TCHO, a chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco, applied the concept of beta testing to its chocolate. The company solicited feedback from customers and produced 1,026 iterations of a chocolate before they settled on their final chocolaty-good version.

A very interesting application of a tech concept to chocolate. I need to get my hands on some of that TCHO goodness.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

[photo via typetive.com]