The Demise of Retail Shopping

Have you heard? Retail is dying. People still shop but not in retail stores like we once did. I’ve been reading and hearing lately that the way we shop is changing. Malls around the country are standing empty just like downtowns did when the malls were built. Even the big box stores are closing being forced out like they once forced out many mom and pop businesses. Here’s a report about it. 

If you haven’t ordered something from Amazon you are in the majority. Many people have Amazon Prime. We pay monthly for the privilege of getting free shipping as well as digital movies, books and music literally at our fingertips. Online shopping is replacing store fronts. 

There are many advantages and some disadvantages to online shopping. Many times you have a huge selection and you can comparison price. You can search for exactly the item you want from the comfort of your home. Recently I was shopping for drawer pulls for a dresser I was painting. I went to several stores including a big craft store that I prefer not shopping because of their support of organizations that I do not support.  But when I’m desperate I go there. They had the pulls I liked but they were $5 each. Often this retail craft store will have the pulls at half price. But not that day. $40 was too much for me to use on a dresser to resale. While waiting my hubby to foo oath shopping in a sports store I searched online using my phone and found 10 beautiful pulls  for $15 from Amazon and they arrived 2 days later. That’s what is killing retail. Online you have multiple selections, fast delivery, easy payment and you can buy from home, your car, vacation or anywhere you have cell service any time. 

Of course there are disadvantages with online shopping. If you like to actually touch and feel the article you are buying you are  not going to do that online. This is especially true if you are buying clothing. And if have trouble finding the right fit in clothing, online clothing shopping will be difficult for you. I recently decided to try Switch Fix and luckily everything fit perfectly. Switch Fix is an group that will choose an outfit for you based on a survey of your likes, activities and preferences. Again ending the need to go from retail store to retail store putting an outfit together. Here is my first Switch Fix and thanks to losing 100 lbs over the last year and a half everything fit. 

Another disadvantage is the delay in arriving. With Amazon Prime most packages arrive in 2 days. Anything shipped USPS Priority Mail will usually arrive in days. Shipping costs is also an added disadvantage when you not using a service like Amazon Prime. 

Damage in shipping is another disadvantage. I’ve had good luck with shopping for the most part. A set of foam tiles in a plastic box was delivered from Amazon but the box was cracked. After contacting Amazon I was given three choices of which I chose a 30% refund which I thought was very fair. I was delighted to receive an email that since I was such a “good” customer  they were refunding all the expense and my grand daughter’s teacher ended up with a free box of foam tiles. Let's not discuss how "good" a customer I am. 

For elderly folks or those that do use computers the demise of retail shopping makes it harder and harder for them to find the things they need and want. I order things for my 91 year old mom all the time. Most recently a carpet sweeper. But many people in this situation don’t have someone to order things for them. 

What does this mean for small business owners like me? It means I should be prepared for change. Boutiques and specialized stores are still surviving. Many in those small downtowns that were displaced years ago by big malls. With the addition of great restaurants, craft beer businesses and other unique stores places like the antique store where I have two booths are surviving.  There is a trend to buy handmade and artisan products. And thanks to Joanna Gaines, from HGTV’s Fixer Upper, antiques and vintage items are all the rage now. 

But a business like my antique and collectible business cannot rely solely on a storefront for all their income. We have to have addition revenue sources. I sell on eBay, I have an Etsy shop (GoodsonVintage) , I sell on Facebook Marketplace and occasionally to friends and family as well as the store where my booths are located. Many vendors like us sell at Vintage Market Days which are much like the craft shows of years past. Some even have their own "Barn Sells". 

So we live in a rapidly changing world. Being prepared for changes will enable to deal with these changes in a smooth and seamless way.

Remember to buy what you love. 

Trends for 2018

Do you think about trends? My friend, Sherry Bourbeau, and I have both been watching for new trends for 2018.  We both have booths at Just Around the Corner in Lincolnton, NC. Sherry is quite the seamstress. Her booth is full of wonderful items she has created from brightly colored fabrics. She makes bibs, key fobs, bags, t-shirts, lanyards, pillows and more. Here is her beautiful booth, JumpinJacks Gifts. 

Hubby and I have two booths, Goodson Vintage Treasures,  as you know if you follow my blog, which are full of antiques and collectibles. We also up-cycle old things into new. In addition, I make signs. Here are our two booths. 

So even though we have very different booths we are both always reading, researching and studying the latest trends. It may be more obvious why Sherry watches trends as she deals wtih colors and patterns that tend change in popularity. But you may wonder why I care since I sell antiques and collectibles. Both are affected by trends. 

Take the work of Joanna Gaines famous from the HGTV show Fixer Upper. She has influenced color and style trends in crazy ways since that show came on air. People not only want to use the colors and farmhouse style she uses, but they want to wear her clothing and jewelry styles. All that affects our sales.

Joanna really has brought the use of signs as well as wording on textiles into the forefront, and don't forget lots of white, shiplap and the farmhouse look. She uses a mix of new and old in her designs. So one place we look for trends is her show. I wonder if you have noted her use of more colors this year. She is using greens and blues and darker shades of browns. 

Other places we look for trends is of course magazines, online articles and that favorite of everyone, Pinterest. 

So what's new?

Color for one thing. We are going away from the whites and pale colors of recent times. Many sources say a big color this year will be lavender. Here is a beautiful jewelry box that  Lina Docken posted on the Facebook page Chalk Paint, Distress, And Decoupage. Notice the blues and lavenders. Over 2,000 people liked, commented or reacted to her post. Folks that's a trend if I have ever seen one (photo reprinted with permission). It really is a gorgeous piece. 

This is an idea that both Sherry and I can incorporate into our booths.  I have also read that fish scale prints, octopus patterns, fishnet bags and other ocean themes will be hot this year.  Along with lavender we will see more warmer colors that impart a feeling of coziness. Colors like olive green, dark grey with pops of red and yellows as accents. As far as materials I have seen glitter and sequins mentioned as well as that old stand bye, velvet. 

In addition, another influence in home and clothing will be the BoHo or bohemian style. It was present in this year's trends but really has not reached our area. 

Think that's way wrong? Look at these jeans I saw while shopping recently. They brought the 60's right back to me. And yes I bought the ones with the dark pink and green flowers.   So look for embroidery as a trend in home and clothing fashion. Here is a pillow Sherry has recently made using BoHo design. 

Some other ideas I have seen on trends for 2018 include lots of circle and geometric patterns, furniture the same color as the walls (more of that cozy look), coffee and/or hot chocolate bars in people's homes, wicker in accents such as baskets and lighting but not main pieces of furniture. Baskets like this vintage tobacco basket are still great sellers if you can find them. 

Other trending ideas are old timey floral prints for dresses and curtains. In personal style you will see bigger earrings and jewelry as well as buckles on shoes and fringe on everything. Many people with cutting machines are making leather and faux leather earrings.

All of this will effect the kinds of signs I design as well as the colors I paint furniture. For Sherry she will be looking at BoHo designs, colors and styles for her pillows, t-shirts and other items. 

I think vintage Christmas, which was all the rage 2017 Christmas, will be even more popular next year. Along with that will be vintage looking Christmas items like the old truck with a Christmas tree you saw everywhere in 2017. In 2017 buffalo plaid was also extremely popular. We saw it everywhere. Plaids will be strong again in 2018.

So if that is what's in can you guess what is going out? White kitchens will be going out. Guess they aren't as cozy. With that, open shelving in kitchens is out as well as plain tiles in bathroom and kitchens. Barn doors are another popular trend that will be changing. 

I think this means real barn doors in the home as decor or useable doors are out. But we will still be using the sliding type doors but now they will be dressed up like a regular wood paneled door. In fact, I saw this last night on....where else but Fixit Upper.  

What is else is going out. Well this one doesn't make me happy as I just bought a new Silhouette Cameo cutting machine. Word art.

Word art has reached it high point many trend experts say. Sherry, on the other disagrees with this one. 

i have observed that chalk boards, once the rage, are trending out. Many trend watchers say white, painted furniture is going out. But that look has been popular for more than fifteen years beginning with Rachel Ashwell and her Shabby Chic design although the term first appeared in the magazine, The World of Interiors, in the 1980's. So I'm not sure that prediction is right. Dark finished antique wood furniture is not a good seller for me. 

What trends have you seen? Please add the trends you have seen coming in the comments. 

At the end of the year we will look and see how accurate I was in my predictions. My next blog will be about that new Silhouette machine. 

As always buy what you love!