Few European brands have a history in Chicago as long as Christofle’s.
The Parisian silversmith began selling flatware and serving bowls at Marshall Field’s in 1893 after several Christofle pieces drew raves at the World’s Columbian Exposition.
Last week marked the beginning of a new era for Christofle in Chicago, however, according to Maurizio Borletti, the company’s 30-year-old chairman.
From now on, the Christofle boutique in the Bloomingdale’s building at 900 N. Michigan Ave. will carry only Christofle’s china, crystal and table linens in addition to its better-known silverware. Previously, Christofle’s shops carried Limoges china and other brands of crystal and linens.
“Our own stores have become the only branded chain of luxury tableware,” boasts Borletti, who was in town for the symbolic rechristening of the Christofle boutique. Potential rivals such as Tiffany and Georg Jensen are distracted by their larger jewelry businesses, while Lalique has moved into the perfume and handbag business, he said.
Borletti, an Italian cousin of the Christofle family, believes it’s a great time for his company to be enhancing its Midwestern presence. “Chicago has developed incredibly. The favorable economic period of the past five years has done well for the city. Even the looks on people’s faces have changed,” he said.
Now, if only more of us could figure out the difference between an oyster fork and a pastry fork.
Mouse shopping: Retailing is not an industry known for understatement. And some of the biggest whoppers in recent years have emanated from those selling on the Internet.
“It’s like whose lie do you want to believe,” acknowledges Lauren Freedman, president of the e-tailing group, a Chicago consulting firm specializing in on-line retailing.
Still, from the information available, Freedman estimates 1997 on-line sales could hit between $1 billion and $3 billion. That’s a huge increase from 1996, but still a drop in the bucket compared with catalog sales, which totaled more than $70 billion last year.
/So who’s doing well in retail cyberspace?
Leading the class are direct marketers of computers such as Dell Computer and Gateway 2000, Freedman said. The techies are followed by booksellers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. And third place goes to music sellers and the travel biz, which has embraced on-line airline ticketing with a passion.
Among the runners-up, clothing remains a hard sell. But when it comes to selling fashion on-line, the companies that offer standardized products such as Lands’ End, L.L. Bean and The Gap have an edge, Freedman believes.
That’s because consumers feel more comfortable buying five pinpoint oxford dress shirts on a computer than taking a risk on an unknown item where the fit and color can only be guessed at.
Positive thinking: It’s the time of year when the really wise men (and women) have already finished their holiday shopping and are sitting at home roasting chestnuts over an open fire.
For the rest of us, here are a few tips about how to get good service from harried sales clerks, courtesy of Ron Zemke and Kristin Anderson, authors of “Tales of Knock Your Socks Off Service.”
First, prepare to be served well. Visualize it happening.
More Top Picks Best Bass Guitar Pedals
T/
hen, take 10 seconds to make a personal connection with a sales clerk. Establish eye contact, smile and make a friendly comment.
If you need extra service, express your request as a vision. Use phrases such as “This might be something you aren’t able to do, but if you can, I’d really appreciate it.”
And if you get good service, be sure to thank the person who made it possible. It’s the holiday season, after all.