|
Each shop-within-a-store will have its own distinct look and will range in size from 300 to about 800 square feet. Among the new shops within the stores will be Bodum, a Denmark-based kitchenware company. Jonathan Adler, known for his whimsical designs in home decor, also will have a shop. And Michael Graves, the architect turned home designer, will showcase his minimalist style in kitchen and home accessories in mini boutiques. "There's something for everyone at any stage of their lives," says Paul Rutenis, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Penney's home business. Designer Jonathan Adler says the shops will appeal to a broader audience beyond the high-end collection that's sold at his own stores and in upscale retailers. Adler says the offerings for Penney will focus on brighter colors and is "more playful" than his upscale collection. Adler's exclusive "Happy Chic" shops will feature bright blue comforters with geometrically-patterned pillows that sell for as much as half of Adler's higher-end line. For example, "Happy Chic" sofas are $1,850 at Penney, compared with $4,000 for the signature collection. For designer Michael Graves, the relationship with Johnson has come full circle. In 1999, Johnson, then a Target executive, brought Graves' affordable housewares to Target
-- the first time that an upscale designer's products were sold at a discount store. But Graves, who has sold about 2,000 different products over his 13-year run at Target, says his products were never housed in their own shop. The Michael Graves shops for Penney will have about 150 different items ranging from $8 wooden spatulas to $190 standing lamps. Graves says the quality of his items in Penney's stores is higher than the items he once sold at Target: A teakettle at Target, for instance, sold for $39 and was plastic, but Graves says the $60 Penney version is stainless steel.
As for Penney's future, Graves says he's focusing on what Penney will become. "I'm not at all worried," he says. "The change is going on. People will have to be patient."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor