Trying to Make Dad's Day Pay

best buy wall o' tvs
Originally uploaded by elevatedprimate.

My father is a simple man. We were probably the last people on earth to replace a rotary phone with a touch tone. We didn't have an answering maching until just before I started college and my Dad just discovered how awesome cds are a year ago when he got his first cd player standard with his car. He still scoffs off the thought of replacing the VCR with a DVD player (that's partially because my mother has an addiction to "General Hospital" and records it every single day). So, shopping for him is a no brainer - get a couple of cds and he's a very happy man.

Retailers, of course are trying to make this a big deal with a big payoff - saying our dads need that plasma tv, the iPod, and the turbo barbeque grill. There was even a Father's Day promo at a local furniture store chain that threw in a free grill with the purchase of a recliner (because we all know that Dad is synonymous with couch potato and grill master). But in the end, I know from my own experience - that buying the gadgets for Dad isn't really practical - they sit there collecting dust. Guys just want something they can use and enjoy - and it doesn't have to be big. A couple of cds and my dad will gleefully sing off tune.

What Happened to 99 Bottles of Beer on The Wall?

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Originally uploaded by bradmohr.

Every summer when I was growing up, my Dad would pack us all in the car and we'd go to some state park upstate. I liked watching the scenery pass me by - totally loved seeing new things. Sure, we'd talk and listen to the radio, and when I became a teenager, I brought along my Walkman to provide the soundtrack to the landscape.

I never thought the day would come where we'd have "in-car entertainment" and the ability to watch movies on road trips. With road trip season on the verge of beginning, it looks like 70% of parents will be bringing along DVDs to pass the time and to pacify cranky young'ins. A Blockbuster poll stated that watching movies on the road was second only to listening to music & traditional road trip activities like car games, singing and reading took a backseat. Even video games didn't come in close (just wait - with the slew of new portable systems that recently launched this is guaranteed to become a big road trip activity). I guess that now, people don't really care so much about travelling as they do the final destination. Getting there has become a chore that we need to be entertained in the process.

Lunch? What's That?

fat lunch
Originally uploaded by malyousif.

Looks like we all really are wage slaves after all, according to a survey that was just released by KFC. Lunch breaks are now an office myth, just like the 9-5 work schedule and fully paid benefits. More than half of US workers take a half hour or less to eat, spending the rest of the time on errands, checking personal email, or shopping online. More people eating at their desks more. Have we become so good at multitasking that we only need a few minutes to gobble down some food? Some workers feel that they are deemed more valuable and dedicated if they work away, not taking time for a breather. In the UK, this perception seems to ring very loud and according to a survey taken their, the average lunch break is 19 minutes and workers take 3.5 minutes to actually eat! Crazy - aren't they going to get sick from eating so fast? I have worked in both environments that encourage you to get out and places that encourage the desk lunch. From experience, I would say that productivity and motivation is personally higher for me when I get out and clear my head for a bit. When I would stay at my desk every single day, just going out to pick up food and quickly bring it back, I suffered from extreme burn out. That just shows you the long term effects of this crazy work ethic we've bestowed upon ourselves.

More Proof That Starbucks Runs the World

Starbucks
Originally uploaded by zingersb.

Starbucks is everywhere. They have gone from quirky Seattle based coffee chain to global brand in what seems like no time at all. They have also singlehandedly taken an everyday cup of coffee and made it a premium experience. Back in '92, I wouldn't spend more than a buck on a cup of coffee, but now I spend about $4 and upwards for chai, cappuccinos, and lattes. Now, when most people think of a brand associated with coffee, Starbucks is number one on that list.

Yesterday was the first ever Starbucks Coffee Fesival - which seems like a no brainer event for coffee lovers. It was held at the Reston Town Center in Reston, VA near DC. It featured coffee tastings, seminars, along with lessons on food pairings with coffee (whoda thunk that?). More proof that coffee is becoming more like wine and Starbucks is there, front and center.

Getting Out of The Gap

GAP auf zwölf Uhr!
Originally uploaded by status6.

The Gap used to be one of my favorite stores. They had all the basics, and sometimes had some other great finds. But something happened in the mid 90s when their Old Navy brand launched. It looked like the Gap had taken a back seat to it's sassy, cheap-chic sister. The ads popped out more with a tongue in cheeck retro style that caught on rather quickly and there was a great sense of excitement. The thing was, the merchandise would crank out faster at Old Navy than Gap - and teens were buying it. The Gap, which is pretty much the same as Old Navy - casual basics, tried attempts at changing. They had a couple of collections that just didn't seem to go anywhere and smart customers were starting to feel that if they can get the same jeans at Old Navy, why shell out an extra $20 at Gap - they are the same company anyway.

Now, it looks like Gap - the flagship brand that seems to be the middle child to sophisticated Banana Republic and the fun, young Old Navy - needs to get back to being relevant. Enter the shop-within-a-shop concept which was tried out when the launched their Forth & Towne brand last year (whatever happened to that, anyway?). For the Gap, there will be four distinct shops : denim, T-shirts, activewear and "clean" - workwear basics like khakis and button-down shirts. In the test market, there was a positive response and the new plan allows new merchandise to enter the mix a lot faster - just like rivals H&M do so well. The new format will launch at all Gap stores at the end of July, when the first of the fall collection come in.