Loobalee.com

Children’s Apparel Market: News & Views

Loobalee as News & Trends

Aug|31|2008

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Sales At A Glance: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Loobalee as Sales At A Glance

Aug|28|2008

What’s On Sale

It’s Labor Day Weekend, which is always a big punctuation mark on the end of Summer. Labor Day weekend is typically significantly leveraged by merchants to clear out final summer inventory and to offer one final push on Back-to-School merchandise.

Most stores will have sales this weekend. You’ll find promotions like “additional 20-40% off”, and Back-to-School clearance (40-50% off). If you there are any must-haves you kids need for school, you should be able to find a good deal this weekend. Look for items that are, at a minimum, 40% off — ideally more.

We at Loobalee wish you a Happy Labor Day Weekend! Thanks for visiting us. As always, if you have any suggestions for this bi-weekly post, let us know!

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Current Sales

  • American Girl
  • Abercrombie Kids
    • Markdowns on website are 40-65% off.
  • BabyGap & GapKids
    • Find Labor Day sales at the Gap Outlet: 30 - 40 - 50% off on select styles
    • An Email coupon is circulating from the Gap Outlet - save 20% on your any purchase over $100 (good Sept. 7)
    • For a limited time, add any Piperlime item to your on-line order and receive free shipping on entire order. Tip: Buy your back-to-school shoes at Piperlime and get your Gap Order shipped for Free.
    • Jeans Rule for school on GapKids and Baby Gap, too. Buy one pair, get another pair 50% off.
    • Save 25% on all kids Backpacks and Lunchboxes.
    • Save on Back to School basics at GapKids with “2 for” deals.
    • Register to win a $3,000 collection from BabyGap Home plus $1,000 GapMaternity gift card. This looks like a fun collection, and valued higher than most other concurrently running sweepstakes from BabyGap competitors.
  • Crazy 8
    • Labor Day Sale: $5 Tees, $9.99 Ativewear and Denim, and Back-to-School collections 30-50% off.
    • Summer markdowns continue - many items marked at $2.99, $3.99, and $4.99.
    • TIP: If you aren’t getting Crazy 8 coupons in the mail, subscribe here. As a new subscriber you will receive a coupon for $10 off your first purchase of $30 or more.
  • CrewCuts
    • The Final sale summer sale -Save up to 75% off on-line. New items are continue to be added and/or marked down. TIP: Shop carefully, all sales are now final - no exchanges or refunds.
    • Side Note: The extravagant $328 Posy Pouf Skirt I’ve been watching is now on sale for $199 (40% off)! Pair it with the Shimmer Sequin Cardigan, regularly $168 on sale for $99 (also ~ 60% off). I love watching this Collection! But, would you buy it? I welcome your comments at the bottom of this blog post.
    • Enter the Set-For-School sweepstakes and win a $2,000 wardrobe that comes with the help of a personal shopper to pull it all together! Daily prizes are also being given away — each day you can play a match-making game to win. Today’s prize is the popular Amagansett Tote (small, with embroidered critter — you pick the critter)
    • Automatically receive a one year subscription to Cookie Magazine with any purchase over $100.
    • TIP: Crewcuts receives their store markdowns each Tuesday after closing. So, Wednesdays are typically the best days to shop.

Read the rest of this entry »

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A Savvy Baby Spot

Loobalee as Around the Web

Aug|26|2008

A Savvy Baby

We recommend you visit featured blog, “A Savvy Baby“, a sweet spot for your great finds, giveaways, and must-have information for Moms. A Savvy Baby has just started promoting Green sites, and a favorite fun promotion is the “Savvy Baby of the Month” — which you can enter by emailing a picture of your savvy little one through contact information on the website.

Here’s what Sister-founders of A Savvy Baby have to say about their services:

A Savvy Baby is a new blog dedicated to moms and, of course, babies and children. ….We have a lot in store for this new site. Some of the things we will feature will be our favorite products, parenting tips, recipes, baby shower ideas and planning, interviews with other moms, and of course a ton of giveaways.

Givewaways? Sounds like a lot of fun! There are several each week. It’s worth checking back at least weekly to see the featured giveaways. We reviewed past giveaways and featured products, and concluded these sisters have a terrific way of finding fun and interesting new things for Moms and kids alike. We hope you stop by A Savvy Baby and enjoy this delightful and beautifully designed blog.

 

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Sales At A Glance: Monday, August 25, 2008

Loobalee as Around the Web

Aug|25|2008

What’s On Sale

We’d like to Welcome Justice - Just for Girls to our Sales At A Glance bi-weekly posting. We’ll include Justice each Monday and Thursday as we research the major retail stores and on-line shopping sites for current sales and promotions. And, you can be sure we’ll be watching how Limited Too phases into Justice — may be there will be some great deals!

TIP: If you like to “Shop Justice”, you might want to bookmark the site or add the URL to your favorites — it’s not an easy one to type!

JUST FOR FUN: Check out J. Crew’s newly upgraded website (Yes, they are at it again). It’s a feast for the eyes, I must say, though I haven’t noticed any new shopping features. One add is “Meet Melanie” — you can actually email or call Melanie (they provide her phone number) for crewcuts shopping assistance.

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Current Sales

  • American Girl
  • Abercrombie Kids
    • Markdowns on website are 40-60% off.
  • BabyGap & GapKids
    • An Email coupon is circulating from the Gap Outlet - save 20% on your any purchase over $100 (good Sept. 7)
    • For a limited time, add any Piperlime item to your on-line order and receive free shipping on entire order. Tip: Buy your back-to-school shoes at Piperlime and get your Gap Order shipped for Free.
    • Jeans Rule for school on GapKids and Baby Gap, too. Buy one pair, get another pair 50% off.
    • Save 25% on all kids Backpacks and Lunchboxes.
    • Save on Back to School basics at GapKids with “2 for” deals.
    • Register to win a $3,000 collection from BabyGap Home plus $1,000 GapMaternity gift card. This looks like a fun collection, and valued higher than most other concurrently running sweepstakes from BabyGap competitors.
  • Crazy 8
    • Back to School: $5.99 graphic tees, $7.99 polos, and $9.99 denim.
    • Summer markdowns continue - many items marked at $2.99, $3.99, and $4.99.
    • TIP: If you aren’t getting Crazy 8 coupons in the mail, subscribe here. As a new subscriber you will receive a coupon for $10 off your first purchase of $30 or more.
  • CrewCuts
    • The Final sale summer sale -Save up to 75% off on-line. New items are continue to be added and/or marked down. TIP: Shop carefully, all sales are now final - no exchanges or refunds.
    • Enter the Set-For-School sweepstakes and win a $2,000 wardrobe that comes with the help of a personal shopper to pull it all together! Daily prizes are also being given away — each day you can play a match-making game to win. Today’s prize is the popular Amagansett Tote (small, with embroidered critter — you pick the critter)
    • Automatically receive a one year subscription to Cookie Magazine with any purchase over $100.
    • TIP: Crewcuts receives their store markdowns each Tuesday after closing. So, Wednesdays are typically the best days to shop.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Sales At A Glance: Monday, August 25, 2008

Loobalee as Sales At A Glance

Aug|25|2008

What’s On Sale

Welcome to Sales At A Glance! There’s some big news in the market this week.

First, all U.S. Limited Too stores will be converted to Justice: Just for Girls in the near future. So, we’ll soon be featuring Justice in our Sales At A Glance and will be watching for any great deals or closeout pricing at both stores. I would anticipate Limited Too will have a lot of “got to go” inventory.

Secondly, the awaited end of the Talbots Kids brand can now be seen on-line and in stores. Take an additional 30% off all kids purchases. Since they came out with a Back-to-School line, you likely won’t find better deals on back-to-school merchandise anywhere else at this time. Expect to receive at least 50% off.

****************************************************************************

Current Sales

  • American Girl
  • Abercrombie Kids
    • Markdowns on website are 40-60% off.
  • BabyGap & GapKids
    • ENDS TODAY: Cardholders Get 20% through August 21st. Enter “STUFFSAVE” at checkout.
    • An Email coupon is circulating from the Gap Outlet - save 15 - 20% on your entire purchase (good Aug. 26)
    • For a limited time, add any Piperlime item to your on-line order and receive free shipping on entire order.
    • Jeans Rule for school on GapKids and Baby Gap, too. Buy one pair, get another pair 50% off.
    • Save 25% on all kids Backpacks and Lunchboxes.
    • Save on Back to School basics at GapKids with “2 for” deals.
    • Stock up on playwear at BabyGap for Girls and Boys - includes both Playtime Favorites and Brannan’s Favorites.
    • Register to win a $3,000 collection from BabyGap Home plus $1,000 GapMaternity gift card. This looks like a fun collection, and valued higher than most other concurrently running sweepstakes from BabyGap competitors.
  • Crazy 8
    • Back to School: $5.99 graphic tees, $7.99 polos, and $9.99 denim.
    • The “Summer into School” collection marked down to 30% off. Pair with coupon for some nice school transition deals.
    • Coupons are available promoting Back to School clothes. Save 20% through August 24th.
    • TIP: If you aren’t getting Crazy 8 coupons in the mail, subscribe here. As a new subscriber you will receive a coupon for $10 off your first purchase of $30 or more.
  • CrewCuts
    • “EXTRA30″ is over, but you can still pick up some great deals on summer merchandise - up to 75% off on-line.
    • Enter the Set-For-School sweepstakes and win a $2,000 wardrobe that comes with the help of a personal shopper to pull it all together! Daily prizes are also being given away — each day you can play a match-making game to win. Today’s prize is the popular Amagansett Tote (small, with embroidered critter — you pick the critter)
    • Automatically receive a one year subscription to Cookie Magazine with any purchase over $100.
    • TIP: Crewcuts receives their store markdowns each Tuesday after closing. So, Wednesdays are typically the best days to shop.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Loobalee - Home of the 33 Cent Listing Fee

Loobalee as Growing Loobalee

Aug|24|2008

When we first envisioned Loobalee over 2 years ago, we set out to define a simple, flat-rate process for selling children’s clothing and merchandise on-line.

At the time, we could take our items to a brick and mortar consignment shop and experience flat rates, but we couldn’t do it on-line with enough effectiveness to expect our items to sell. We had to expend the time, effort, and money to attract buyers by designing unique listings. While many Moms were successful with this, many were not and many more didn’t have the time, knowledge or interest in playing this (potentially expensive) trial and error game.

On the other hand, the flat rates we can get at our local consignment shops are high, but the risk is low and the process is relatively simple. Usually we pay 40-60% commissions to the stores — either on the back-end, or by selling “low” on the front-end. If our item isn’t wanted or doesn’t sell, the only risk to us is the hassle of dropping off and picking up (which can actually be enough to avoid the whole process for many busy Moms).

While bins and bins of clothing continued to accumulate in basements, attics, garages, and spare closets, it seemed Moms were looking for a happy medium, wanting to sell on-line but with minimal up front risk and minimal hassle.

So at Loobalee, we based on our business model on low up front risk, competitive on-line commissions, and a process that is tailored specifically to the niche market of children’s clothing and merchandise.

Our listing fee is $0.33 cents. While we always had a low listing fee in mind, “33″ cents was obvious to us once we finalized on our name, “Loobalee”. In fact you will see many aspects of our model and process designed around the number “3″.

And, our listing fee is 100% flat-rate. There are no surprises, no add-on options, no extras. The features needed for an effective on-line listing in our market are inherent to our process and have been taken into account in the fee. This includes Read the rest of this entry »

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Children’s Apparel Market: News & Views

Loobalee as News & Trends

Aug|22|2008

Welcome to the first installment of Loobalee’s Market News. We review many news feeds on an ongoing basis and do a significant amount of children’s clothing market and brand research each week. As we collect press releases and news we think our readers will find interesting, we will be posting them here in our News and Trends category. Enjoy!

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Sales At A Glance: Thursday, August 21, 2008

Loobalee as Sales At A Glance

Aug|21|2008

What’s On Sale

Welcome to Sales At A Glance! There’s some big news in the market this week.

First, all U.S. Limited Too stores will be converted to Justice: Just for Girls in the near future. So, we’ll soon be featuring Justice in our Sales At A Glance and will be watching for any great deals or closeout pricing at both stores. I would anticipate Limited Too will have a lot of “got to go” inventory.

Secondly, the awaited end of the Talbots Kids brand can now be seen on-line and in stores. Take an additional 30% off all kids purchases. Since they came out with a Back-to-School line, you likely won’t find better deals on back-to-school merchandise anywhere else at this time. Expect to receive at least 50% off.

****************************************************************************

Current Sales

  • American Girl
  • Abercrombie Kids
    • Markdowns on website are 40-60% off.
  • BabyGap & GapKids
    • ENDS TODAY: Cardholders Get 20% through August 21st. Enter “STUFFSAVE” at checkout.
    • An Email coupon is circulating from the Gap Outlet - save 15 - 20% on your entire purchase (good Aug. 26)
    • For a limited time, add any Piperlime item to your on-line order and receive free shipping on entire order.
    • Jeans Rule for school on GapKids and Baby Gap, too. Buy one pair, get another pair 50% off.
    • Save 25% on all kids Backpacks and Lunchboxes.
    • Save on Back to School basics at GapKids with “2 for” deals.
    • Stock up on playwear at BabyGap for Girls and Boys - includes both Playtime Favorites and Brannan’s Favorites.
    • Register to win a $3,000 collection from BabyGap Home plus $1,000 GapMaternity gift card. This looks like a fun collection, and valued higher than most other concurrently running sweepstakes from BabyGap competitors.
  • Crazy 8
    • Back to School: $5.99 graphic tees, $7.99 polos, and $9.99 denim.
    • The “Summer into School” collection marked down to 30% off. Pair with coupon for some nice school transition deals.
    • Coupons are available promoting Back to School clothes. Save 20% through August 24th.
    • TIP: If you aren’t getting Crazy 8 coupons in the mail, subscribe here. As a new subscriber you will receive a coupon for $10 off your first purchase of $30 or more.
  • CrewCuts
    • “EXTRA30″ is over, but you can still pick up some great deals on summer merchandise - up to 75% off on-line.
    • Enter the Set-For-School sweepstakes and win a $2,000 wardrobe that comes with the help of a personal shopper to pull it all together! Daily prizes are also being given away — each day you can play a match-making game to win. Today’s prize is the popular Amagansett Tote (small, with embroidered critter — you pick the critter)
    • Automatically receive a one year subscription to Cookie Magazine with any purchase over $100.
    • TIP: Crewcuts receives their store markdowns each Tuesday after closing. So, Wednesdays are typically the best days to shop.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Limited Too is Out, Justice is In. Is it the Right Switch?

Loobalee as News & Trends

Aug|20|2008

Justice Just for Girls

Can you believe it? After 20 years of building up significant brand recognition, Tween Brands is (literally) all-out ditching its Limited Too brand in favor of switching over all of its stores to its more profitable Justice - Just for Girls. Read the official news on the Tween Brands investor’s website in their 8/12/08 press release.Limited Too

What does this mean? By first quarter, 2009, we’ll see approximately 600 Limited Too stores convert to Justice Stores. There are over 300 Justice stores today. Of the total 900+ stores, about 10% will either close or be put on a watch list for possible closure in the future.

At a high level, it seems quite obvious that Tween Brands would run into an issue competing with themselves in virtually the same market, so the fact that a change is occurring is not surprising.

What is surprising, however, is their choice of direction. Giving this a cursory glance and using my basic math skills, I’ve got to believe this is an expensive, high risk move. Wouldn’t it be less risky and less expensive to convert all stores to Limited Too? This would only be 300 store conversions and would leverage Limited Too’s long-standing brand recognition.

We live in a market that recently opened a Justice store about 15 miles away, but where we’ve had a Limited Too store in existence for years. The girls in our Tween Brands’ target market have hardly heard of Justice, let alone developed the brand ‘loyalty’ they express with Limited Too.

Even my 6 year old daughter brought up an excellent point, “Mommy, will they have to change the Limited Too outfits at Build-A-Bear to Justice outfits?”. I wonder if Tween Brands has considered the extensive reach of the Limited Too brand in their decision.

With either direction, there would be some transformation and tuning of their merchandise offerings to meet expectations and retain the customers of both stores. It appears that the driving force in the direction chosen was the assumption that customers prefer the lower pricing model of Justice.

I disagree. I do think that Justice currently offers a better match of quality with pricing, but I don’t think that lowering the pricing model of Limited Too would be an insurmountable task — especially if they have found a way to keep their current Limited Too leases and real estate in tact, while switching them to Justice stores. Additionally, the distinction in quality between Justice and Limited Too is not always perceptible. The designs are different - yes, but does the difference in quality justify the price difference - upwards of 25%? I don’t see it.

While I do agree that Limited Too’s pricing is too high, thus artificially inflating the value and perceived quality of their clothing, I suspect they may not be making the right choice in dropping the brand.

A part of the equation in the decided direction that is missing is the quality factor. I’m not buying that Tween Brands target customer just wants cheaper clothes. Rather, they don’t want to pay prices that are too high for the quality. If Tween Brands can find a happy medium in their transformation to offer a desirable mix of pricing, quality garment construction, and quality designs, it may be irrelevant which direction they chose. After all, the tween market is significantly lacking in this space, especially for girls ages 8-12.

Hopefully this natural force being placed on Tween Brands to reconcile the best of both competing brands will motivate them to deliver the quality and designs at the prices the market desires. While there could be some trial and error initially, I hope they can get their formula right as they merge the best of both brands under one roof — but, only time will tell if they have chosen the right roof.

What are your views on this decision? Can the Justice for Girls, with 800-900 stores, withstand the expectations of Limited Too customers? Do you think Tween Brands will be successful? Please comment and share your views.

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Perfect Picks for Moms at the Li’l Peanut Patch

Loobalee as Around the Web

Aug|19|2008

The Lil' Peanut PatchThe Lil’ Peanut Patch, a new site for busy Moms, will be searching the internet and featuring deals on products and services they find valuable to busy Moms who don’t have time to do all the research themselves. Having just launched this week, we thought you’d like to know what they are up to:

“The Lil’ Peanut Patch was founded by two stay at home moms that have a love for finding and using wonderful new products and services! We Don’t always have a chance to get out so we do a lot of “window shopping” on the internet. We know that there are a lot of other moms out there in the same position so we wanted to share all of our great finds with you!”

The site also plan to offer frequent and fun giveaways. Enter now up now to win a a monogrammed Night Owl Baby tee or onsie for your little one and/or a pair of Twisted Silver earrings for yourself! Plan to check back often, as the giveaways are limited time offers.

We love hearing about Moms helping Moms and we think The Lil’ Peanut Patch window-shopping concept is fun and unique. It looks like Karyn and Amy, the “Lil’ Peanut Mommies” are up for the task of finding us the best of the best for Moms across the internet. Be sure to pay them a visit!

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