Charleston, SC

Lauren and I jumped right into immersing ourselves in the Charleston culture. We began by walking through some of stores on King Street, one of the high-end shopping areas in town.

We began with Williams-Sonoma, and could see that the store is intended for the upper-class female market the moment we walked in the door. Warm lighting, attractive displays, and classical music all make the shoppers feel welcome and comfortable before they even begin to explore the products for sale.

We discovered that the majority of the items in the store were subtly distictive from what one would expect to find. For instance, we approached a rack of kitchen utensils and picked up a rubber spatula, similar to what you can find in most home stores. However, this particular one had a metal handle, and a surprisingly subtle yet substantial heft to it that felt good and stable in the hand. Many of the products in the store had this clean style with a subtle surprise. We theorized that, as a complete experience, the Wm Sonoma store conveys a sense of security and stability, which are qualities that their shoppers want to create in their own homes.



Many of the products had classic appeal, but with a contemporary twist, like a bright color or slightly different proportions, with little unneccessary embellishment.

We also visited Ann Taylor, and upon entering the store were overtaken by the slow, hushed atmosphere. We identified the store as targeting women slightly older than our market.

In the Lacoste clothing store, our discoveries paralleled what we observed back at Wm Sonoma. A classic polo shirt design is made new again by the addition of disticitive colors and slightly new fits. According to Lacoste.com, there are 90 variations of the Lacoste polo, and "...Lacoste remains an elegant, authentic and timeless brand."

Interestingly, my father has worn these polos for as long as I can remember, and he is part of a completely different sub-culture than the young crowd that Lacoste's advertisements currently target; he still wears the shirts every weekend though.

We also visited the Sharper Image, one of the only technology-focused stores on King Street, and observed that few of the products attain anything close to poetry of form or use, although many contain as much technology as possible, like the ridiculous phone below...