Week 3 EOC: MY Demographics

Generation Y: Milennials
I was born in the year of 1982.  My parents are the baby boomers.  My parents are all about saving, having money set aside for later, and they don't own a computer.  Although my mother has a facebook page and a smartphone, my dad wont go near any of it.  It is said that Generation Y is the generation of technology.  I remember the first time using the internet and my mother gave me this huge speech on how she had to research everything at the library, how there was no internet and that I should be appreciative of the resources that are accessible to me.  I am appreciative, but I'm not sure if its the type of appreciation she wants me to have. You see, I'm used to computers, I usually google any or everything I need information for.  Although i do have a library card, I don't have to go to the library and do research without the use of a computer.  My parents brought a computer for my brothers and I when I was in the 6th grade.  I was born into the information age, when everything was starting to transition into the huge phenomnnon we now know as technology.  My generation also loves to persnalize EVERYTHING.  We want ours to be different from  and stand out.  Although we are into fahsion, I think it's safe to say that we are also rebels of fashion.  We creat our own looks.  We realize that in fashion trends come and go, but most of the time we just want something  different and unique.  We innovate and recreate old things from the past, we spend money to have the latest gadgets and high end fashions.  At the same time, we will go to the goodwill to seek out old vintage fashions.  I believe that we know the value of the old, while at the same time, we are adapting to the new.

Week 3 EOC: Making money for good

If you have extra, why not use it to help others???  Companies and businesses becoming "socially responsible" is the way to gain respect of the community and get recognition for a job well done.  People appreciate companies who give back.  One of these companies is Macy's.  As of now, they have a program going called "Be book smart" that simply asks to give a donation of $3.00 to provide a book for a child while getting $10.00 off  of a future purchase.  This helps the world or community to realize that Macy's cares while at the same time customers receive incentives for a small donation and a child somewhere in the world will recieve books in order to become educated. (www.macys.com) 
Another company that does a good job giving back is Starbucks.  Starbucks incorporate community programs in the communities in which there is a brick-and-mortar operation.  They invest in the youth by giving grants to help develope their leadership skills.  They also assist in aiding youth programs that tutor students in the communities as well. (www.starbucks.com) 
Nordstrom has a program called "Ten for you".  This program awards $10,000 to 80 high school students every year across the country to assist in funding a college career.  The scholarship is awarded to high school juniors who participate in community service projects and extraciricular activities as well as keep their grades to at least a 2.7 g.p.a.  This is a GREAT incentive as most college students end up in debt from loans.  This is an excellent way to give back.
I give a huge KUDOS to each of these companies or any other company who gives back and realizes their social responsibility.(www.norstrom.com)

EOC Week 2: BCG- Video Games

I remember playing video games with my brothers and cousins as a kid. I remember one Christmas; my brother got his very own Nintendo Gaming system.  Since my childhood days, video games have evolved to a worldwide network of gamers. The main three gaming consoles are the Nintendo Wii, which was the first gaming console that has a wireless controller that captures body movements, the Sony PS3 and the Xbox. You can create a profile, become part of a team, and challenge people all over the world in games. This was a huge hit in the earlier 2000’s, but recently the video gaming industry has declined tremendously. "If people don't really have a reason to go out to the store, they're not," said John Taylor, a financial analyst for Arcadia Investment Corp. in Portland, Oregon (www.wsj.com)

This decline can be blamed on people choosing to download games to their mobile devices (cell phones, ipad, kindle etc.).  "Nintendo said that it plans to focus more on digital downloads to improve sales of the 3DS. Nintendo also plans to release a larger 3DS XL handheld at the end of July." (www.venturebeat.com). This is a smart move for Nintendo if they want to remain relevant in the gaming world. According to the Boston Consulting Group, I'm sure it’s safe to say that the Nintendo Wii is in the cash cow stage in its career.  

As for the Xbox, its cash cow days are over. I believe that the Xbox is in its dog days. There is little to no growth, and no one is buying. "The next generation of gaming consoles will fail to reach the same audience current machines have according to two very smart and reputable market analysts!" (www.baddigit.com) The generation of NOW wants everything portable and downloadable. This is why I feel that Ipads, Kindles, and other tablets, they are in the (?) category of the BGC strategy. This is a growing market, but at this point it is difficult to see where its headed.  “Indeed, many educators have been discussing the potential of handheld technology to leverage learning, while watching for signs that the manufacturers of e-book readers may cut prices.” (www.scholastic.com) Iphones are in the star category as far as gaming goes. You can download just about any game and have it at your fingertips at any time.  Where is gaming headed?   To a cell phone or tablet near you…

My VOICE, My REASON

Week 1 EOC: MY VOICE

When you LOVE to do something, you don’t need the recognition.  The looks of awe and excitement on the faces of people who watch the final result is acknowledgement enough for me.  I love to put things together.  I love to create a plan.  I love the stressful process of making that plan come to life.  I love the feeling I get when all of that hard work from that plan pays off.  I love to create.  I LOVE FASHION.  In the past I have made things for friends and family that they loved.  I made things for myself that I loved.  Fashion is happiness to me and I love using fashion to make others happy.  As a visual merchandiser, I want to be the person who picks what people love and show them ways to wear it.  I want to eventually create an emotional attachment to those things; to a brand.  I want to do something that will impact others, as well as something that I am passionate about.  Happy people make me happy, and beautiful things make people happy.  I want to make beautiful things for people.           

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

On July 4, 2012, I went into a Ross store for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.  I was in a rush because my husband and I were late to a friend’s barbeque which was about 45 minutes away from our present location.  I went in, got the shorts and shirt, and headed straight to the fitting room.  On my way to the register, I stopped in the hat aisle and picked up a cool hat.  When I got to the register, the cashier was very friendly.  He asked me how my day was, how my holiday was going and if I was satisfied with my choices.  I told him about my day, answering truthfully.  At this point, a woman was on her way out of the store with a shopping cart.  Anyone who has ever been inside of a Ross store knows that the carts are not allowed out of the store.  At this time, the cashier proceeded to tell the woman that he apologizes, but the shopping carts are not allowed out of the store.  The lady immediately got irritated, removed her things from the cart, and left it in the doorway.  At this point the young man was the only person in this area of the store.  He looked a little confused and I could tell that he wanted to remove the shopping cart, but he didn’t want to step away from the register and stop the transaction.  So, I decided that I would remove the cart from the doorway and place it in the appropriate area for him.  When I got back to the register, he proceeded to give me 25% off of my purchase.  He said it was because I responded back to his positivity, and also that I was nice enough to remove that cart for him.  He said that that made his day, so he made MY day!  “Customer relationships and value are especially important in today’s tough economic times, when more frugal consumers are cutting back and spending more carefully.”  (pg. 2)