Monday, March 02, 2009

Thought Provoking Conversation

Department: Consumer Behavior

The other day I had an interesting conversation with a woman who owns a maternity boutique in our town. She said that she no longer carries the SkipHop diaper bags because they aren't "special" enough, since they are also carried at Target.

What do you think Target lovers? Do certain brands not seem special now that Target has private labeled them? Orla Kiley, Skip Hop, Liz Lange, Issac Mizrahi? Or would you buy them anyway? Are you just happy that they have less expensive versions at Target that allow you to say you wore Liz Lange during your pregnancy or that you own a Hayden Harnett bag when otherwise you wouldn't have been able to afford to?

Leave your thoughts at the beep. BEEP.

posted by RedCartRomance at 5:10 PM




9 Comments:


  • That's interesting. I guess I look at it not so much that I think it's cool I can afford such and such brand, but rather that I can afford something that cute or of that high quality or design innovation. I would never pay "real" prices for those brands, so I can't speak from that perspective, but I guess it makes sense. If I could get Calvin Klein jeans at KMart when I was a kid, would I have been as excited about them? Probably not. I guess it's a trade off for those companies. A little less brand caches in exchange for a whole new market for their product!


    By Blogger Jill, on Monday, March 02, 2009  



  • I think the people that care can tell the difference between the Target version and the real versions. If people are bothered that there are Target versions of things then that's their problem.


    By Blogger  , on Monday, March 02, 2009  



  • I think this may be a different issue for a shopper than it would be for a boutique owner. As a shopper, I would never regard a quality item as not "special enough" because it is available to purchase at Target. Thanks to Target, I have a beautiful closet of clothing with designer labels such as Luella and Jovovich-Hawk. If I were a boutique owner, I would want to offer unique products that may not be available elsewhere... even our beloved Target!


    By Blogger Lizzie Brandt, on Monday, March 02, 2009  



  • I think the boutique owner simply couldn't offer the bags for the low prices Target could...why pay boutique prices when you can head to Target for a way better deal?


    By Blogger Lindy, on Tuesday, March 03, 2009  



  • It's seems a bit ridiculous to me as it's a different line by each designer. It's not like it is the exact same bags.


    By Blogger Erika, on Tuesday, March 03, 2009  



  • i don't really care about labels or brands, but i can tell that these products are made better, are of a better quality, and/or just look better than the other stuff carried in target stores. so, i'm glad that they do carry these brands. it allows me to buy clothing and other products that look good without having to spend too much money on them. having a family puts fashion on the back burner, at least for me, so i can afford to look decent without looking outdated and frumpy.


    By Blogger ana lilia, on Tuesday, March 03, 2009  



  • I don't follow brands/designers as closely as most people. I usually shop by store and not by designer, so when these lines came in at target, they were brand new to me and I was exposed to the designers "from the bottom up". If it weren't for Target, I would never know most of these designers existed. And I don't care what anyone says, it is ridiculous to spend the kind of money that some people spend on high fashion items. It is so nice that they are affordable now!


    By Blogger FashMacGyver, on Wednesday, March 04, 2009  



  • I love Target!

    If they sell it, I want it.


    By Blogger *Tanyetta*, on Wednesday, March 04, 2009  



  • I guess it doesn't matter much to me, esp. if I can get it for cheaper at Target. And don't forget that Target has also "saved" some brands, like Nick & Nora sleepwear (which went bankrupt but Target bought out rights to the name) and more recently Shabby Chic (which is closing their retail stores but will still continue to exist at Target with "Simply Shabby Chic").


    By Blogger Target Addict, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009  


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