What’s Selling at Hide and Sole in Missoula

Isaac Elwood discusses Western Montana’s favorite brands.

Asics Opens First U.S. Retail Location

Asics unveiled its first U.S. retail location today at 51 West 42nd Street in New York. Company chairman Kiyomi Wada was on hand to cut the ribbon along with other executives, including Rich Bourne, president and CFO of Irvine, Calif.-based Asics America, and Gary Muhrcke, owner of nine Super Runners Shop stores, who will run the Asics flagship.

Dialing It In

Sure, millions of consumers are already shopping 24/7 via their home and office computers, but why wait until seated at a desk when you can just dial in that order of must-have gladiator sandals from your cell phone?
Lucky Magazine kicked off a flurry of cell phone–shopping related software programs this past spring, when it launched its “Lucky At Your Service” iPhone application and shoe finder. Now, others have started to ring up sales thanks to the user-friendly advancements now available in the latest mobile phones.

The Shampoo Shakeout

According to a recent article in the The Wall Street Journal, supermarkets, drug stores and discounters are switching gears amid the recession: Less will be more in terms of product selection on their respective shelves. Rather than cram in an abundance of choices (a typical Target store has 88 kinds of Pantene shampoo, conditioner and styling products!), the belief is that less will be more to consumers who are choosing to be thrifty and, when they do make a purchase, buy brands they trust.

After Party

Matt Horan, where have you been all my life?

I can recall numerous Saturday nights that go like this: It’s last call, the bar is closing and my feet are killing me after hours of dancing. But I still have to trudge to the subway in my 4-inch heels, wait an eternity (standing) for the train to come, and then walk the remaining half-mile home—and all the while I’m kicking myself for choosing fashionable over functional footwear.