What’s with the mania at Target this week?
Good grief, Target shoppers
You may have noticed video news clips and articles about people lining up outside Target stores this week acting like it’s Black Friday. Why? Missoni, an Italian designer, rolled out a special “Target only” line of merchandise from clothing to hand towels, and as soon as it went on sale Tuesday, shoppers invaded the stores buying everything in site and crashed Target’s website thanks to the huge volume of online shoppers. Missoni is a luxury brand, but the merchandise made available for Target was specially discounted both in price and likely quality. On top of that – the labels all say “Missoni for Target,” so there is no mistaking where that dress came from, nor is it any different from the ones worn by the three other moms out to the same restaurant that night.
Wondering what’s so unique about Missoni? Based on most of the samples, just about everything involves a zig-zag pattern, giving each item specific brand recognition. Personally, I think the photo to the right shows the true father of this style.
Here’s where it gets weird and Dinner Topic-friendly. There are now THOUSANDS of “Missoni for Target” items available on eBay, with many selling and/or listing for multiple times their original values, including a $399 bike for $1,000. That means some people are willing to spend almost as much for the discounted merchandise as they would for the original brand. Interesting.
Another topic worth discussing: when so-called “iconic brands” like Missoni begin making discounted and lower quality merchandise for the masses to afford, is the brand still iconic? Think of it this way: if you owned a Porsche and Porsche decided to put its name on a 4-cylinder, 2-seat plastic box for about $10,000, would you feel any different about your car? Having not owned a Porsche or any Missoni merchandise, I can’t say, but I would suggest making purchases based on your own likes rather than the popularity or scarcity of a label – it will eliminate any buyer’s remorse.
Read on:
USAToday.com – Missoni frenzy at Target shows shoppers still crave luxury
Target.com – Missoni for Home (notice everything is Out of Stock)
CNBC.com – Missoni Launch: Success or Missed Opportunity for Target?
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