Retail: Chapter 15

Steve Madden of course is a retail shoe store.  I visited the franchise located in Soho between Spring and Prince Street right on Broadway.  I could not help but notice that there was another Steve Madden franchise on the corner directly across the street.  This location is one key to the success that the company has had this year.  I often see Steve Madden stores in the busiest shopping spots.  Soho in particular is the one place that hip trendy fashionistas go to shop.  Twice a year on the first night of seasonal fashion week the most popular stores on Broadway have huge events.  Steve Madden is one of the few stores that throw a large party including a DJ, drinks, finger foods, and big sales.  I go every year and I find that Steve Madden always has one of the biggest turn outs.  The company has many stores in high traffic shopping areas like 34th street, 5th avenue, and even 42nd street.  The company's retail store would be classified as a specialty store because Steve Madden is a shoe designer although they do offer hand bags, sunglasses, and other small accessories (mostly scarves and gloves when I went for the upcoming winter chill)  When entering the store someone greeted me automatically.  While walking around there were several employees that asked whether I needed assistance. I would say that the service was high, not as high as service that you would get at Saks but I could not move around with out someone asking to help me.  The layout of the store is one the best aspects of the store.  The manager said that the window display is changed in someway once a week.  A entirely new display is put up every month.  There is a raised runway in the store making the small space two leveled.  These two level allowed me to see all the shoes over the big crowd that walked in the store.  The speakers played updated pop music and all the seats are a comfortable sparkly purple.  This store in particular holds most of the monthly music events that Steve Madden has begun doing which brings in an even larger crowd.  The prices are pretty moderate but high in comparison to the quality of the shoes.  (Although the styles are great steve madden has some of the most uncomfortably made shoe that I have ever wore)  After purchasing a pair of clearance shoes for $50 the cashier told me I could also purchase things from the recently launched mobile site.  It seems to me that Steve Madden has the prefect retailing strategy, the many times I've been to this store I have never seen it empty.