PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

After reading a news article about the Jil Sander clothing store and its elegant design, I visited the store on the edge of Soho in New York City the summer of 2008, shortly after the store had opened. It was a work of art, with the bottom floor devoted to a series of manikins, perhaps five in total, on pedestals. That was it, except for the security guard. There was a small selection of clothing on the second floor, which was reached either by the marble stairs or by elevator.

At the other extreme, I can recount my first trip to IKEA, in Canton, Michigan, 2 years ago to help my sister purchase a desk for her daughter who was starting a job in Chicago. To say that I felt overwhelmed by the spaces and the amount of merchandise is a gross understatement. That IKEA experience was similar to my first trip to Toys ‘R’ Us in 1984 before my daughter was born. The giant toy retailer is said to be the first example of category killer, or a store that dominates its rivals in the marketplace through its vast offering of products in one domain, in this case, toys. Ironically, Toys ‘R’ Us is now said to be floundering because of the inroads made by Wal-Mart, the behemoth general merchandise discounter, the ultimate in category killers.