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Extreme stress in the American jewelry business is worsening by the day. Consumers, already low on both credit and cash and jittery about the future, are thinking twice about making discretionary purchases. Indeed, the latest sales reports indicate that shoppers are more likely to be hunting for bargains at Costco or BJ’s Wholesale Club than, say, ogling diamonds at Zales or Kay Jewelers.Gramicci Urban Biking Line Starts Fast |
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STRATEGY ONE |
Americans are giving bicycling a new look. Borrowing from Europeans, more Americans are leaving the cars in the garage and biking more not only for pleasure, but even to work. Sensing that trend, Buxbaum Group affiliate Gramicci successfully introduced its innovative line of Urban Biking apparel at the Outdoor Retail Summer show in August in Salt Lake City. |
Gramicci’s timing couldn’t be better for biking apparel. “It isn’t just a trend, but a cultural lifestyle shift that will enhance lives,” says Marty Weening, president of Gramicci. He believes that once people start biking more, they won’t return to their cars. Weening noticed the trend gaining speed in his office, where employees were biking more. The company turned on its creative juices and designed a ‘built for sport |
Not only was the line one of the smashes of the show, the Gramicci booth – a bamboo frame tented with mosquito netting – earned the fast-growing outdoor lifestyle apparel brand its second Best of Booth Award from SNEWS this year. The ‘Meet Us Under the Net’ booth was Gramicci’s answer to escalating costs of exhibits in a day when companies are looking to save and slash waste.