It takes more than price cuts to attract recession shoppers

COURTESY PHOTO Special events, such as the Sip in Style fashion show held at Bell Tower Shops on June 25, help attract more shoppers in a down economy. It's been a tough few years for the U.S. retail industry. Even as the Federal Reserve has announced that the recession shows signs of easing, consumers are focusing on necessities instead of discretionary items, according to studies released by the National Retail Federation.

The market research firm Retail Forward reports that more than eight out of 10 women surveyed have changed the way they shop for clothing, accessories and shoes. Concern about the economy has caused women to limit spending by shopping less and by seeking out bargains when they do shop, the survey said.

So it's no surprise that retailers everywhere are looking for the magic panacea to get the shopper in all of us back. Without an economic bailout from the federal government, the retail industry must rely on good old American ingenuity to weather the economic storm.

The key to survival in retail is always to offer something the competition does not. And because studies show that a consumer's emotional state affects his or her purchases, savvy retailers are putting effort into making the shopping experience a good one. This summer, boutiques, malls and outlets everywhere aim to lure shoppers with bonuses such as seminars, fashion shows, parties and entertainment — often with bargains aplenty to sweeten the attraction.

COURTESY PHOTO High-fashion couture tips are revealed at special Style Sessions every other Thursday morning at Marissa Collections on Third Street South in Naples. Resourceful retailers from Naples to Fort Myers are giving would-be shoppers

reasons to stop by their stores. Florida

Weekly helps with a head start on the list:

• Stroke Boutique at Coconut Point has introduced a Champagne Fashion Party that lets groups of friends sip bubbly and nibble on petit fours while coordinating ensembles with the help of a stylist.

Parties can be arranged with as few as three guests and are also being marketed as innovative networking events. In twohour sessions, guests learn to mix and match colorful clothing the Brazilian retailers markets as comfortably chic resort and daywear.

• Espirit, the company that started in 1968 on a whim with zany garb sold out of a VW bus in San Francisco, now has stores around the world with casual apparel for men and women, bed linens, make-up and cologne. To bring shoppers up-to-date on its stylish evolution and European flair, its Miromar Outlets store will serve wine, cheese and sushi — and discount coupons for the next visit — from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, July 25.

As for the rest of Miromar Outlets, the center brings the Marc Vee Jazz Band to the restaurant piazza for all shoppers to enjoy a free concert from 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 31.

• The push to pull in shoppers is also in full force at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers, where free Moonlight Movies (see "Breakfast at Tiffany's" on Friday, July 17) and live music (6-9 p.m. Friday, July 24 and 31) draw crowds to the courtyard to start off the weekend.

"People are not inclined to just come out and shop," says Amy Fletcher-Smith, director of marketing for the center. "Special events are a way to get them to the shopping center and to remind them that they don't need to spend a fortune. The economy doesn't mean that you need to hole up in your house and never do anything again."

Individual shops at Bell Tower are doing their own things to attract summer shoppers, too. Banana Republic has margarita and wine parties for preferred customers, and plans are in the works for a series of fashion shows about what to wear this fall (hint: blue and gray). At Ulta Cosmetics & Fragrance, complimentary make-up makeovers come with "Tame the Mane" on July 19, 25, 26 and Aug. 1. Marketed as professional hair care events, RSVP-requested sessions feature pros offering tips on how to add volume while creating sleek and smooth looks to hair.

• The International Design Center has a series of free seminars at 2 p.m. every Saturday that touch on more than interior design trends (coming up: "Health from the Inside Out," July 18; and "How Fashion Affects our Décor," July 25).

• And at Robb & Stucky Interior Design showrooms in Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, seminars are a year 'round marketing tool. Visit www. robbstucky.com/seminars for details about programs devoted to everything from "Eclectic Design" (10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, in Fort Myers) and "Wallcoverings: Wallpaper versus Paint" (11 a.m. Thursday, July 23, in Naples) to "Luscious Leather" (11 a.m. Tuesday July 28, in Bonita Springs).

• High-fashion couture tips are revealed at special Style Sessions every other Thursday morning at Marissa Collections on Third Street South in Naples. Beginning at 10 a.m., guests partake of coffee, fruit and petite quiche as they sit front and center for a presentation designed to stimulate conversation as well as fashion sense. Earlier this month, more than 40 women signed up for "The Top Ten" session highlighting musthaves for taking the fashion-conscious "from the boardroom to the Bahamas." Prior to that, says marketing manager Tina Farnsworth, the "Trend Translation" session about ways to take runway fashions into the real world was standing room only.

Ms. Farnsworth reports the Style Sessions are attracting fresh faces to Marissa Collections, as fewer than 20 percent of the attendees are regular clientele. "We've had overwhelming response," she says. "All we ask is that people RSVP. It's a little more interactive and intimate if we can keep it to about 30 women, but people are hearing about it and stopping by." Coming up next: "Super Natural" on July 16, exploring how to make the most of what you're born with; and "Gemology 101" on July 30, for insight into beloved gemstones.

Marissa Collections has a media blitz on to spread the word, with ads in magazines and newspapers and on the radio, plus direct-mail invitations. "We're even filming each session for YouTube," Ms. Farnsworth says. "We're having a blast with it."

• Waterside Shops presents free live entertainment in the pavilion from 2-5 p.m. every Saturday through Sept. 5, giving shoppers and browsers a reason to pause in the shade between shops. This Saturday, hear Jay Robert; on July 25, James Michael Evans takes the stage. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month, Waterside and the Children's Museum of Naples have a special activity for children. On Aug. 8, the topic is "Masks Around the World," and on Sept. 12 it's "Journey Thru the Everglades."

So it's the off-season and the economy is off. Shop 'til you drop might be passé, but retailers who want to stay on the radar are making sure you have reasons to drop in anyway.