Tokyo, Japan - June 24, 2016: Tokyo, Japan - 24th June 2016: Shoppers pass by the French couture store Chanel in the expensive shopping district of Ginza.

 

I nearly fell of my chair yesterday when I read an article about Chanel peddling a luxury boomerang.

For just under $2,000 the French fashion house gives customers the chance to not only drop a crazy amount of cash on the wood and resin boomerang, but engage in a little cultural appropriation too. Bargain!

Chanel boomerang

The boomerang features in Chanel’s spring/summer ’17 collection alongside other  products including a branded tennis racket ($2,220) and paddle board (price available on request).

Of course, I don’t begrudge people spending their own money, but it did get me thinking about other ‘luxury’ versions of items.

Chanel boomerang

Like Balenciaga’s $2,610 handbag that looks like a $1 Ikea shopping bag.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BElKW5_Hs6U/?tagged=vetementsdhl

Or fashion label Vetements’ DHL t-shirt, which cost about $330 and sold out after just a few months.

I love fashion and clothes, but sometimes retail is a bit insane.

In other news…

How social media is influencing store design: UK fashion brand Missguided opened its first bricks-and-mortar store recently and the space is every tween girl’s fantasy (think a lot of pink and unicorn mannequins). To connect with its audience, the brand focused on bringing social media to life in-store through non-traditional pathways and heaps of digital signage.

Visual merchandising: With the cool weather setting in, our contributor this week Ali Newton shares three ways to create attention-grabbing winter window displays. Have you tried the rule of three?

Redefining retail on NYC’s ferries: Super cool retail brand The New Stand is challenging consumers’ perceptions of what a news stand should look like, with a limited number of newspapers and magazines alongside tech products and an app. And now, it’s setting sail with concessions on New York City ferries.

Shipping woes: A new study reveals local retailers are failing to delivery on fast and free shipping and are at risk of losing out to Alibaba and Amazon if things don’t improve.

 

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