NEW YORK – It’s a really cool blogpost. Blue Fountain Media put together a comparison of bricks vs. clicks. It’s a list of storefronts on the web and how they compare to storefronts online. Dozens of brands on the list, and right next are shots of storefronts.

Says Zoe Holmes of Blue Fountain: “It shows how brand continuity can be strengthened (or fail) on the differences between a brick and mortar store and the company’s website.”

See www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/53-storefronts-vs-websites/

Brand Problem: Big-Box and online electronic stores are superior in sales. Research shows that the consumer has a negative perception of the brand. Research also shows that people are displeased with employees and their ability to help them. Weak sales due to big-box and online electronics retailer competition. New primary research indicated poor consumer perception of employee knowledge, which fought the brand’s “we’ve got answers” advertising message.

Brand Solution: Using the consumers’ notion of Radio Shack as only useful when convenient, we will rebrand Radio Shack as the convenient store. This will reposition Radio Shack as the alternative to big-box stores. Focus on how the brand allows consumers to “get on with their life” instead of shopping.

The Phoenix Project is the yearly contest of Prof. Sean Trapani, a specialist in branding and copywriting. The idea? Take an old brand and reinvent it for today. A full gallery of all the entries is at Phoenix Entries; we will be writing an item on each entry as well.

It made us think. Back then, jewelers sold records? Hmmmn. Should they do that again?

Wait, we know vinyl is back. But of course not. No jeweler would sell CDs.

But back on subject.

Here is the issue. All our increasing segmentation and oh-too-smart marketing and product discussion has taken the excitement out of local retail. If your product looks just like other retailers, you have essentially lost your brand to a manufacturer. So changing up your brand might just mean selling something odd with it.

Jewelry companies are one of the staples of the mall. Yet what they sell is boring, and they are closing up shop. We are not here to suggest that jewelers start selling 78s. Or records. Or music.

But we do think there is enormous benefit to selling things other than the same sorts of jewelry that the folks down the mall are selling. For a jeweler to brand himself, he must sell his original designs. Otherwise, he’s a ring dealer.

In some cities, you see it. In Santa Fe, some of the luxury jewelers sell regional jewelry, silver and crafts. Granted, the objects need to be of exceptional quality because they sit on counters next to luxury watches, but the concept works. Many jewelers sell bone china, to tap into bridal registries. That sort of thing.

Other weird pair ups that help with branding include Cold Stone Creamery which had a big sales increase this year following the successful launch of its “new” product, ice cream cupcakes. In the short time since the launch, Cold Stone Creamery sold 1.75 million cupcakes. Cold Stone’s will soon sell iced and blended coffee drinks.

Dan Beem, President of Cold Stone Creamery said in a press release “It’s exciting to see an uptrend in sales in an otherwise down-trending industry. We’re actively pursuing new opportunities in new products, co-branding and partnerships to increase our franchisees’ bottom line.”

Other weird pair ups:

• Limited Too sold candy along with its girls’ clothes. Not sure if it worked, but it was an idea.
• Some furniture stores used to sell minor appliances, just to build a bit of store traffic.
• Some hardware stores in resort areas rent bikes. Other hardware stores in resort areas carry bathing suits, turning an Ace into a sort of cool department store.
• Menswear stores can sell cigars, and all other manner of men’s stuff.
• Women’s clothing stores can have small men’s boutiques. Talbot’s used to do this for men.

This is a time when American retailers need some ideas. If anyone can think of some, please comment after this story. We don’t mean to be prescriptive about this; there is not one right answer for all stores. Instead, see what other odd things might work with your retail brand, and it might just set your store apart.

Just a big mahalo to Alfred Shaheen, the man who not only made Hawaiian shirts famous and in the process helped gave Hawaii an identity after statehoood. He died in December.

Shaheen was Lebanese, and started making Hawaiian shirts just after World War II. It was a perfect time, as statehood was just around the corner. His look was slightly Asian, and he hired designers to create the bold prints.

Interestingly, Shaheen was one of a group doing the same thing, but with different emphasis, and no connections.

• In Miami, there was Supreme International, founded by George and Isaac Feldenkreis. Supreme, now called Perry Ellis International, brought great attention to the Cuban guayabera
• Just up A1A in Palm Beach, Lilly Pulitzer began making shift-style dresses to go with her juice stand. The rest is fashion history
• In the ski areas of the northeast, promoter Carroll Reed helped to bring an American twist to Alps skiing styles through classic sweaters.
• In New York, the Vera Companies also made block print scarves; their most famous designer was Perry Ellis.

Today, each state and region of the U.S. has designers and creators. While few have the great opportunity that Shaheen had (statehood and a completely unique isolated place), that doesn’t discount the opportunity for clever folks who sense something in the air in their peculiar place.

Find out more at www.alfredshaheen.com.

The Repair and Parts Business Offers Great Margins and Improved Customer Relationships

According to recent news reports, consumers are apparently buying clothes they like in three colors, instead of trying out new styles.

This is old school. This is a big change.

It’s the same philosophy that is driving the re-launch of Anderson-Little as a web-based seller of blue blazers. Not only is the price right, but the tailoring and materials are perfect. As they say, a good blue blazer is an investment.

In the last week, I ran across the group Retail Anarchy, a group who is totally into anti-consumerism through the lens of consumerism. They are dishing out coupons, buying locally and cutting down on what they buy. This is not the anti-consumerism of the Wal-mart haters; this is a different tack altogether, much more akin to Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette. This is about gaining good quality merchandise, shutting down crappy sales help, and beating stores at their tricks like rebates. Their YouTube vids show how to legally game the coupon system, the sort of segment that might have been the subject of a Donahue! show back in the 1980s (you know the segments; family goes to Kroger and gets a weeks worth of groceries for $14).

Also in the last few weeks, I saw a common thread. Folks fixing things:

• At our local Toyota dealer, customers were packed in the service lounge, watching Judge Joe Brown and injury lawyer ads. The showroom was empty, save the salesmen. But we were all getting our oil changed, by golly.
• At the local Chevy/Buick/Pontiac dealer, customers were lined up in the morning at the service area, but the salesmen were puttering about in the parking lot trying to sell Chevy trucks for $38,000. I mean please, get real.
• At Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a guy with a late 1990s Mercedes was buying parts.
• At Circuit City (just before announcing a shutdown), folks were lined up to get Firedog computer service.
• At Apple, the Genius Bar is always busy. Take a lesson from Apple, which offers appointments to bring in Apple products for service. Apple even offers monogramming. Yes, monogramming.

All of this got me got thinking. Value. Value. What makes goods valuable? Only a few years ago, if an $89 lawn mower broke, you just bought a new one at Lowe’s. At one time, I somehow ended up with three lawn mowers, only one of which worked. The reason was simple. It made no sense to spend $50 to get a mower fixed when a completely new one, with a new blade and new oil was $40 more.

But when times are tighter, if you can get by with a $40 repair, you would certainly save $40 bucks. Plus, in tight times, it is often not what you are actually spending but what you THINK you are spending that is important. So wasting $89 for a new mower feels more like a waste in a downturn. In addition, with more people under-employed, they have more time to take items to repair shops. Still, I don’t know, even now, where I could get a lawn mower fixed cheaply and quickly and without detective work.

Service is a smart branding asset in a downturn. Your wealthy customers love it (it’s all about quality workmanship and time), your retired folks are inspired by it (reminds them of olden days) and young customers will think it’s all new and totally green!

There is much potential in this change in philosophy. Who could be the beneficiaries?

1. Department stores often have tailors on site for two days a week. Why not brand your tailor service. Promote your tailor, not only for hemming and tailoring, but custom designs? And what other departments can offer service, perhaps with leased operations?
2. Many jewelry stores have great skills at settings and repair. Promote it. I never know which stores do which service; who does great jewelry work is often insider community information, passed in secret from woman to woman.
3. Ford has apparently been pushing its dealers to continue to improve its dealers’ repair departments. I am sure this is the case at GM. Strangely, I think it is Chrysler dealers who have the most potential here; their cars are crappier, and yet they have a number of models, including the minivans, that were made for years with essentially the same styles. This means that a clever Chrysler/Dodge dealer could essentially rebuild minivans and pickups for families and tradesmen.
4. Our local Jo-Ann Fabrics sharpens knives for free; most supermarkets and kitchen stores do it too. It gets folks in the store, and talking to the sales help intimately. Is there some service your store can offer for free?
5. Whatever your retail store is involved in (sewing, vacuums, shoes, clothing, brass, jewelry, phones, printing, gifts), offer classes or repairs. If you are a liquor store, offer bartending classes. If you are a telecom store, offer lessons on the latest gadgets. And every type of retail store ought either offer repairs or know where it can be done. Singer shops do sewing classes and grocers do cooking, but there is so much more potential.
6. Deliver goods to folks at home. If you can afford to send a salesman by a customer’s house to deliver a microwave, do so. Getting in people’s houses means you can sell them more things. “You know, that microwave is nice, but if you wait til summer, we might get you a deal on a new fridge!”
7. Push parts. It has been years since I have seen a wiper rack at a gas station. Why is it that this business moved to Wal-Mart? Last week, my cousin was going to fix his broken dryer but had no clue where he could find the parts. A tiny part might sell for $10 bucks with more than 100 percent margins, when the original appliance sold for no markup.

That being said, not all retailers will go the way of Circuit City and Linens-n-Things. So the question becomes what retailers can do to tread water through 2009? And when they do make it, what sorts of things are they doing in 2009 to create opportunity in 2010?

That’s the biggest question facing Macy’s (M), which has been in the mid-range of companies affected by the downturn. It has not had the double-digit drop in sales that was seen by the luxury department stores, but it also had a 1.4 percent decline in same store sales from 2006 to 2007. Press reports had the whole 2008 Christmas season (Nov/Dec) down 7.5 percent, but December down only 4 percent. That’s good news for a number of reasons. Mostly because big luxury retailers were off far more in the holiday season; Saks (SKS) was down 19.8 percent and Nordstrom down 10.8 percent.

Macy’s, which is really Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, is doing some forward-thinking things; after all they have survived two major downturns and any number of smaller recessions in their 150 years. They have a My Macy’s pilot project, where product assortments in select stores are more tailored to local habits. This should be retailing 101; I think even a Kroger manager can pick some of his own SKU assortments. Still, it indicates that Macy’s management is fighting for sales across the country, and not just in markets like New York where there are analysts watching.

In addition, Macy’s is investing in food start-ups, with concepts like chef Todd English’s Figs restaurant at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach County, Florida. Department stores were traditionally home to great restaurant concepts; it helped keep customers in the stores for hours, not minutes (witness the success of the 40 Carrots restaurant brand at the 59th Street Bloomingdale’s). In addition, restaurants bring customers (including businessmen) into the store regularly, sometimes weekly. That Macy’s is bringing restaurants back in places like Palm Beach Gardens is smart, smart, smart. But it’s difficult and expensive to get this right; let’s hope they have the stamina to make these pilot programs work.

Macy’s still has a lingering problem they have not really addressed; they merged a number of great department store name brands into Macy’s, and alienated longtime cardholders from each store brand when they did it. The most prominent case has been Marshall Field’s. Folks who don’t live in Chicago don’t realize that their flagship store was the subject of boycotts and street protests just after the Marshall Field’s brand was retired in favor of Macy’s. The same sadness was felt by customers at Rich’s (Georgia), Abraham & Straus (Brooklyn), Burdines (Florida), Meier & Frank (Portland), Marshall Field’s (Chicago), John Wanamaker (Philadelphia) and Filene’s (Boston), among others, though only Chicago saw street action.

All of this, however, presents a New Coke/Old Coke opportunity. At the same time it ditched these store name brands, Macy’s has been pushing strange store product brands including Alfani, American Rag and Tasso Elba. These brands mean little to consumers. American Rag? Hello? Macy’s also licenses Donald Trump. Trump is really a head-scratcher; who would actually associate a comb-over guy with men’s fashion leadership?

Macy’s needs to reassert its former store names as in house product brands, and use that equity. Before the changeover, Marshall Field’s, for instance, was not only a store brand, but the Marshall Field name appeared on a number of goods, including towels. Because Macy’s was so keen to brand the store, it over-reacted and obliterated most mentions of the prior Field’s name, including those that made sense. Reviving these names won’t confuse consumers; Target Stores (TGT)  still sells towels under the Fieldcrest brand, a legacy from the time when Marshall Field’s and Target were sister companies.

Chains routinely use store brands as product brands. For instance, Delhaize Group’s (DEG) Sweetbay, a Florida grocer, sells Hannaford brand products, which are actually the name of their sister Northeast grocery stores. Montvale, N.J.-based Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (GAP) sells its A&P branded food in Germany at its sister supermarket, Tengelmann. And Target sells Boots-branded cosmetics exported from that U.K. drugstore chain.

These former department store brands have national profiles and centuries of brand equity. Some brands like Burdines, associated with Florida, would work well on resort wear across much of the U.S. Marshall Field’s could be used for store-branded housewares, linens and the like. Rich’s, with its Gone With the Wind Atlanta mystique, might be used for wedding wear. And even the more forgotten store names that have been shelved for more than five years could be utilized on simple promotional goods.

At minimum, Macy’s should immediately order a really short run of T-shirts, with different versions of each of the store logos. The shirts could be sold in former stores associated with the brand, and even given to employees who worked for the store under its past name. Macy’s former John Wanamaker flagship store ought to sell John Wanamaker merchandise to Philly tourists. These sort of cheap store-based programs could make the financial risk low, but create internal and external goodwill. Macy’s has the added overhead of its remaining downtown stores; promotional items can help promote these monsters to consumers.

There is no prescription for a single right way to monetize this goodwill, which has certainly already been written off. But Macy’s has an opportunity to utilize this intellectual property, not only to develop sales for the future, but to protect these great names from use by others, which can happen if they are not used.

RICHMOND — Original neon signs from two well-known Virginia retailers have been restored to original working condition and are on display at the Valentine Richmond History Center. The exterior sign from the former Mill End Shop in Richmond ‘s Carytown and a mid-century A&N Store sign join the History Center’s extensive neon sign collection.

Upon its closure in late 1996, the Mill End Shop, purveyor of custom drapery and upholstery, saw its vertical sign donated to the History Center, where it was mounted outside the museum’s south entrance in a state of disrepair. In 2008, the History Center commissioned a complete overhaul of the sign, including replacing broken neon and transformers, removing rust, and restoring its original bright blue color. The Talley Sign Company, which manufactured the sign in the late 1950s, oversaw the recent restoration and re-installation.

Richmond-based retailer A&N grew from a small, 19th century dry goods store to a prosperous wartime army surplus supplier to a sporting goods institution, owned and operated throughout by the Sternheimer family. By 2007, 48 A&N stores were in operation, 12 of them in the Richmond area. The Sternheimers closed the entire chain in January 2008 and donated a mid-century A&N sign to the History Center. Designed in 1930, the 24-foot wide neon sign hung at a Culpeper A&N.

After its service in Culpeper, this particular sign was restored and hung in the company’s Sandston headquarters. Both signs are best visible from the History Center parking lot off of 10th Street between Marshall and Clay Streets in historic Court End. They join an extensive collection of local and regional neon signage from the Richmond community past and present, including the former Mosque, WTVR, Buster Brown and Thalhimer’s.

The results seem obvious, but retailers have been missing major opportunities, and driving away customers at a time they can’t afford it, says Paula Courtney of the Verde Group, a co-sponsor of the study. The good news in the report is that in this extremely bad retail environment, mall operators have opportunity.

The study shows that customers drive up to 25 miles to their mall of choice and when there, visit five stores. One in three consumers spends at least two hours in the mall, and the majority spend over $150. Only one in ten did not make a purchase.{+++}

Opportunity for Regional Retailers
Courtney says that with empty space, it is an excellent time to try new tenants and ideas. For instance, can you make the food court not look like a food court? Can you use empty storefronts to find new tenants, including mid-sized regional retailing brands (BrandlandUSA talking here; let’s go easy on the nail shops please). The key point, says Courtney, is to “add some diversity and discovery in the mall.”

Around the U.S., even well maintained and previously well-capitalized properties are struggling. For instance, Festival Bay (seen above), an Orlando mall owned by General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP), has a large number of empty stores. Nevertheless it is in a strong location in Orlando, and has draws like Bass Pro Shops. Courtney believes that there are many positive options for these sorts of properties; for instance, are there community events that can “monetize” the white space and common areas? “Unless you are going to tear it down, are there lower cost solutions?” asks Courtney.

Boring, Boring

“The lack of ‘discovery’ or the ‘what’s around the corner’ factor seems to be sorely missing for shoppers who want to enjoy themselves at the mall,” said Wharton Professor Stephen J. Hoch, and faculty director of Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative, in a release.

Shoppers aged 18-24 find malls a bore, with too many teens hanging around. The 25 to 40 year olds, who spend the most time in malls, find that the restaurant selection is limited. Says Courtney, “Irregardless of the timing, consumers are experiencing problems at the mall.”

A few statistics:

• 80 percent of mall shoppers report having a problem on their last mall visit
• 35 percent of mall shoppers report their was nothing new or unique
• 28 percent report there were too many stores that carry the same products
• 35 percent said the selection of restaurants was too limited

The study was a joint project of the Verde and the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Baker was created with a $10 million gift from Patty and Jay H. Baker, the latter former president of Kohl’s. Verde Group is a consultancy that specializes in helping North American organizations measure the cost of customer dissatisfaction and prioritize the issues.

The questions revolved around the stores and restaurant selection, the uniqueness of products, special events, environmental consciousness, an attractive and inviting appearance. “The Shopping Mall, A Study on Customer Dissatisfaction” is the fifth annual study. In total, 917 telephone interviews were conducted nationally with consumers between October 29 and November 9, 2008. The sampling was 2:1 female.

Regional Restaurants. Offbeat Events.

Part of the problem is that mall operators look for the tenants to be the solution to problems for the mall, rather than malls creating an atmosphere. Mall operators typically say that if they had a tenant like the Apple Store, that would attract consumers. But Courtney asks operators to think what is it about Apple that is so enticing, and create it inside the mall.

“You take the Apple experience, and create that for the mall,” says Courtney.

Cousins to Vienna Sausages, but darker? Try some Prairie Belt Smoked Sausage! In case you didn’t know or can’t read, the serving suggestion on the front shows that the sausages are best eaten on a plate, stacked. Thank you for that.

The sausage is distributed by Castleberry’s Food Company from Augusta, Georgia. We found this gem of a food product on the shelves of a Dollar General store in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate area. Dollar General is a genius font of beautiful old brand names. They also sell big brand names, but have gems like this Prairie Belt sitting on the shelves.

Did you know these facts about Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Dollar General? We pulled it from their site:

• $9.5 billion in sales in fiscal 2007
• 8,000+ stores in 35 states
• 9,000 square-foot stores
• 5,400 core products from America’s most-trusted manufacturers
• 9 distribution centers
• 71,500 employees

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, they will hold a lunch hour rally to “Support the Return of Marshall Field’s” under the “Great Clock” at State and Washington Streets. That evening, there will be a reception, talk and book signing by Joan Greene, author of Marshall Field’s Food and Fashion: A Chicago Tradition.

A bit about the previous rally.

The past two years’ September 9th protest rallies in support of the return of Marshall Field’s were covered worldwide by hundreds of media outlets. Images of you rallying for the return of Field’s by holding protest signs and picketing in front or our beloved Marshall Field’s on State Street were seen as far away as the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe and Asia. Thanks to you, the message that Chicago will not settle for anything less than Marshall Field’s was heard (and is still being heard) around the world.

BrandlandUSA wrote a number of pieces on ways that Macy’s could preserve the value of the Marshall Field’s brand, but the company did not listen to any of those ideas, and the hundreds put forth by friends of Marshall Field’s. In the interim, they are boycotting, and supporting other Chicago-inspired retailers. Below are a few of the stories:

• How Marshall Field’s Would Return
• What Boots Can Teach Macy’s
• Bring Woolworth’s Back. Don’t Forget Marshall Field’s

The reality is that it is STILL possible for the name to return, and for Macy’s to get out of the absolute mess that they are in, not only in Chicago, but around the nation. Places like Florida, which misses the heck out of Burdine’s. Read the story on some Macy’s locations that are closing in the Miami Herald. The “I Miss Burdines” crowd still has punch.

We are grateful that Macy’s is continuing to operate these stores, particularly the Brooklyn A&S store, which means so much to the identity of Brooklyn. Our post detailed some ideas we had for the revival of a great old name like A&S, though it was generic enough to apply to many dead brand names.

• 10 Ways to Revive a Dying or Dead Brand

Today, the Miller & Rhoads building stands empty, and the city of Richmond waits for its next use, retail.

A new Hilton Garden Inn had been slated for the building forever, though now apartments are in progress!

Wouldn’t it be great if there were still actually a Miller & Rhoads? I do need a place to see Santa Claus.

Apparently, commercial real estate brokers from Grubb & Ellis Harrison & Bates are working on leasing the grand old store.

We want our Tea Room back!

If you are interested in the buildling, please talk to Harrison & Bates. Or sign a lease for an apartment.

Perhaps the most famous revived brand in the U.S. is Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF). The company was once an old-line sporting goods company selling guns and tents to presidents and such. Today, American mall-goers are so mesmerized by the half-naked teens of today’s Abercrombie that we forget that it was a carriage trade store. In the 1920s, the store’s most notable feature was a log cabin which sat atop its building at Madison Avenue and 45th Street. Immortalized in Lisa Birnbach’s The Official Preppy Handbook for their “signature English tackle bags,” Abercrombie’s most popular floors were the “adult game and odd equipment floors.”In her seminal book, Lisa Birnbach was quite prescient about the value of great American retail brands; it is arguable that she reinvigorated many an old-line retailer by establishing these old brands’ relevance for young audiences. She took grey-flannel retailers into the youth Reagan revolution by mere mention. In her book, Paul Stuart, Brooks Brothers and J. Press were all featured, with addresses. The effect on sales was immediate.

Birnbach featured four “R.I.P” retailers in her book – Abercrombie, Best & Co., Peck and Peck and DePinna. Since the book, three have returned.

Here they are.

• First, Abercrombie & Fitch came back. A&F went bankrupt and folded in 1977, only to be revived two years later as a luxury sporting goods retailer in Beverly Hills. It later morphed into the unnecesarily sexualized retailer that it is today.
• In 1997, Susie Hilfiger, wife of Tommy Hilfiger, revived Best & Co. as a boutique in Greenwich, Conn.
• And recently, Peck & Peck has been increasingly featured at Stein Mart Inc. (SMRT) as a private label brand, according to an article by Diana Middleton in the Jacksonville Times-Union. It has grown because Ralph Lauren has pulled back from off-price discount chains. Brilliant move!
• Is DePinna next?

An interesting side-note: the old Best & Co. department store building at 372 Fifth Avenue has been renovated into lofts. The building was also notable as it housed another great old dead retail brand, Bond, the snazzy men’s store made famous in those Times square photos for its “two trousers suits.” The 372 Fifth location of Bond was re-branded by the great Miami modern architect Morris Lapidus after Best & Co. left.

BrandlandUSA Case Study

When reviving a dead brand, it is important to not try to recreate what was; it is more important to capture the spirit, and do something that is sustainable. The most important thing is success. Like Guinness, good things come to those who wait.

When Susie Hilfiger revived Best & Co. in 1997, it was not revived in its original form, which was a major department store. Instead, she built the brand as a smaller, more manageable retail boutique in Greenwich. She took an existing small business and re-named it Best & Co. Purists might grumble that it was not the giant Best & Co. of the old days (of course it wasn’t!); instead it was a new interpretation that responded to its market of WASPs and WASP wanna-be’s. Equally as important, the re-launch was equal to the capital at hand.

In time, the company can be built into the Best & Co. of old. It took years for the old Best to become what it was. And Abercrombie & Fitch could still move back into the elite sporting goods arena. In fact, in recent years it has been pushing the athleticism of teens; what would be a brilliant masterstroke would be to market sporting products instead of teen sex to the A&F audience. Take the company back to what it was, without losing the teen market.

The news that Sears wants to buy Restoration Hardware shows that the venerable retailer is in desperate search of growth after its merger with Kmart.

While merging the two retailers might not be a bad idea, the reality is that Sears Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: SHLD) needs its current crop of store brands and needs to develop some new ones. To put it nicely, turning around Sears AND Kmart is a big challenge, and it will need every trick there is. (Well, almost every trick. Please don’t license the Sears Catalog to Charmin.)

Some people at Sears know this. The company’s Craftsman line is worth millions, ditto with Kenmore and Die Hard. But these brands only work well when they are connected to Sears. It seems weird to buy them at Kmart, thought I am sure they are selling.

The company, according to Business Week, leases those three brands valued at $1.8 billion from a Bermuda subsidiary. Sears does some cool stuff just to keep Sears interesting and alluring.

• It keeps some of its very early stores open in Chicago, hell or high.
• It brought the Wish Book back this year, after 14 years.
• It even brought back a nostalgic mall version of the store, detailed on the excellent website Labelscar. Worth a trip to Georgia to see, we say.
• And the history section of its website is exceptional. Someone at that company cares.

But Sears can do more. What is missing is a BIG stable of powerful brands like those days of old. We think back on the 1960s and 70s – its Sears Jon Boats, sold at the Ted Williams-led Sears Sporting Goods store, were unrivaled, as were its other sports branded offerings. With brands like Ted Williams, Tower cameras and Free Spirit, it had its own brands. It was all led by people like Carl Bjorncrantz, who ran Sears’ industrial design department. (Designers like the legendary Charles Harrison also worked there.) Sadly, Sears apparently closed down its then Harrison-led industrial design department in 1993.

Sears needs to go back to those days of thinking of itself as an incubator of store brands. Perhaps Restoration Hardware, an innovator in resuscitating products many thought defunct, would be the perfect incubator test lab for Sears. In that sense, it could create enormous value for Sears as it repositions revived products.

Don’t just look at Craftsman and think about putting a price on it, but instead think about what are the next set of brands that will be worth millions that it can leverage across its vast retail network. These could be old dead brands that it has not used in years, other retail brands unconnected with Sears or even a merger with a one of the new wave of brand holding companies like Payless Shoe Source, Iconix or Jones New York. These holding companies own tons of brands, and could use the distribution.Granted, setting up a new design department takes time, and the Sears turnaround doesn’t have much. So, what are some brands that Sears could emphasize or buy now?

1. Free Spirit. Get these bikes rolling again. Sears uses the name for exercise equipment in Canada, but the brand still has punch here.

2. Toughskins. This Sears store brand was so well known that kids and parents demanded it after that iconic trampoline commercial in the 1970s. If Orville Redenbacher, Folgers and Tootsie Pop advertisements can be run over and over again, so too can Toughskins. They are tough pants that kids like tough. Toughskins Red. Toughskins Blue. It is on the shelves, but they need to promote it. It could be the next Boden.

3. Coldspot. A great fridge name which would work well with air conditioning, ice machines, tequila mixers, ice cream makers, freezers (duh!) and wine coolers. Plus, you could slap it on some $19.95 Thermos-like coolers by the door, and you’d be on your way to re-developing another brand. Make it a niche top line brand. Coldspot appliances were connected to the great industrial designer Raymond Loewy, so this bit of nostalgic fridge would attract the Mini/Target/Subaru crowd who wouldn’t dare have Kenmore. (Click on the fridge above to get a link to the Raymond Loewy site).

4. Carroll Reed. This defunct ski and outerwear line would be the perfect counterpart to Lands End, though it has never been part of Sears. If Lands End is about sailing and summer, Carroll Reed is about winter and skiing. And I bet the brand could be found for a lot cheaper than Restoration Hardware, as it has been defunct. Slap that puppy on some Icelandic sweaters knit in Bangladesh, Mr. Edward Lampert, and you’d have next Christmas nailed!

5. Chris Craft. This boat maker used to have a great line of catalog, clothes and accessories, though it never was associated with Sears. Nevertheless, Sears could really push this motorboat brand and bring it back, and complement Lands End, which has a sailing focus. Plus, boat makers are struggling with the housing recession and could use a little licensing cash. Those pink and green duck shoes. Wow.

6. Palm Harbor. Sears was the originator of the mail order prefab house. This category is hot again, even at a time when the rest of real estate is suffering. With energy costs, the small house will be back. Why doesn’t Sears buy a prefab maker like Palm Harbor, or develop its own kit house. Thats how you sell Kenmore… start with the house. And get Ty Pennington giving a few of them away. How about sponsoring an ABC “UN-EXTREME Makeover” for rich folks in McMansions who have become house poor in the latest mortgage mess. Drowning in credit card debt and mortgage balloons, they could move downscale to an affordable Sears house. (We are serious about this, by the way.

7. Eatons. Sears killed off this Canadian department store, though it did try to relaunch it. But bringing Eaton’s back as a store brand (not store name) in Canada would utilize some lost goodwill, as well as create a new brand that had real meaning for millions of Canadians. Or reopen ONE store as Eaton’s.

8. Roebuck. Don’t forget the Roebuck in your name. Many still call it Sears, Roebuck & Company. It can still be Sears Holdings as a company, and Sears as as a store, and the store signs don’t have to change, but occasionally, in formal reference, call it by the old name.

Brands mentioned by this Men’s Vogue blogger include Carroll Reed, Gloverall, Neese’s Sausage, Bazzini’s Pistachio Nuts, Kinloch Anderson, Brickman’s of Martha’s Vineyard, Petit Bateau, Schiaperelli, Rody Horses, Filson, Smiths Rosebud Salve, Tervis Tumblers, Chris Craft, Dale of Norway, C. O. Bigelow mints, Dubarry Boots, Stubbs & Wooton, Murray’s Toggery, Piggly Wiggly and iomoi matches.

Note. The above are all good brands that are not in trouble, except for Carroll Reed, which ought to return.

Note to readers: Read her Q&A on Bringing Back Carroll Reed.

Are you listening, Macy’s? You heard a protest of 200 folks, telling you that they loved your store. While it might not seem like alot to you, the reality is that if 200 people would dress up on a Sunday afternoon in odd costume and protest, there are about 2,000 other Chicagoland people who strongly sympathize.

These 200 folks have lots of family and friends, and they are telling their friends how silly Macy’s is being on this whole issue. Handing out Frango to everyone doesn’t do it. The key is using the Marshall Field’s name, in small doses or large. People want to hear the name Marshall Field, anywhere. So here are a few ideas on ways you could bring the name back.

• Rename the Chicago store in name as Marshall Field’s, but operate it as Macy’s. Instead of calling it Macy’s at State Street, call it Macy’s at Marshall Field’s.
• Re-introduce Marshall Field (no apostrophe “s”) as a store brand. Why in the world are you pushing other store brand names at Macy’s (Charter Club Home, Tools of the Trade, and Hotel Collection), but are not using the name Marshall Field as a store brand?
• Re-launch a tiny niche Marshall Field’s catalog at Christmastime.
• Quietly, oh so quietly, rename the Macy’s North division the Marshall Field Division. You don’t have to re-flag the stores, which is expensive when the whole Macy’s chain is suffering. But if you allow staff, customers and vendors to use the name in a soft-sell way business-to-business, this will preserve the rights to use this name. If Macy’s does not make a good faith effort to use the brand name, you can lose it. And that name has millions in value; a small internal move like this will add to the balance sheet.
• Make a Marshall Field’s website that by all effect operates as a Macy’s site, but puts the Marshall Field’s name out front.
• Pull a Conch Republic, and rename the State Street store once a year “Marshall Field’s” during the holiday season with a “Give the Lady” sale. That would be fun.
• Offer Macy’s cardholders the opportunity to have a Marshall Field’s co-branded store charge card.
• Make the State Street BUILDING an independent Marshall Field’s unit of Macy’s, with its own identity, while leaving all the suburban stores as Macy’s. In truth, the old department stores were really collections of smaller stores and leased concession shops, all operating under the department store name, the earliest shopping malls. So how about the store complex being a retail complex called Marshall Field’s, with Macy’s being one of the smaller shops inside. Then, the Marshall Field Store at State Street, connected with the brand trademarks and goodwill, will add to the balance sheet, yet not detract at all from the Macy’s name.

Even forgetting that there is a Marshall Field’s store name, Marshall Field was person, and his trusted name means everything to Chicagoans. So use it.

And here’s another point for Macy’s stockholders. In the second largest metropolitan region of the U.S., your name is being dragged through the mud, not only as insensitive, but as incompetent. This is not good.

No one of these above solutions is correct; the correct answer can only be determined by store officials who just swallow a wee bit of pride and make a good faith effort to harness the goodwill in Chicago for that State Street store. I promise you, it will be good for sales. And it doesn’t have to be a big mea culpa. Instead, Macy’s should take little steps in bringing the name back. Repairing this is a process, not a one-time act.

In fact, Macy’s skilled-but-beleaguered press department can use the line “Give the lady what she wants” when they announce the first of these name changes. It will signal not only that Macy’s understands the Field’s shopper, but it will show a sense of humor about the whole thing.

Editor’s Note: Want to read our most up to date mentions of Marshall Field’s? Click here on all our stories that concern Marshall Field’s.