It’s not unusual for large retailers to make major charitable contributions.
Target Corp. donates 5 percent of its annual profit to charity. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. regularly works with schoolchildren, building nature paths and cleaning up wetlands.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. has plenty of its own charitable projects. But on July 2, the Hoffman Estates-based retailer will take the unusual step of splashing its latest initiative all over the cover of its Sunday newspaper advertising insert, which reaches 53 million homes.
Instead of featuring hot-selling items such as “tankini” swimsuits or men’s khaki shorts, the Sears circular will showcase retired Gen. Colin Powell, who heads “America’s Promise,” an alliance of 500 volunteer organizations and almost 500 communities across the U.S.
In partnership with Powell’s organization, Sears is trying to generate 1 million hours of volunteer work during the next three years from its employees, retirees, suppliers and even customers. The program is being called “The Sears Good Life Alliance,” which ties in with Sears’ new advertising slogan, “The Good Life at a Great Price. Guaranteed.”
Sears and Powell will announce their alliance Sunday at a press conference in Orlando.
Latin Quarter: Another posh Italian retailer has decamped to the new Park Hyatt Hotel.
First, Giorgio Armani, the maestro of Italian minimalist fashion, announced he was leaving his Oak Street shop for 10,000 square feet of space in the hotel development at Chicago and Michigan Avenues.
Now, Bottega Veneta is doing the same. The Milan-based maker of upscale handbags and shoes will be leaving its tiny 1,000-square-foot boutique at 840 N. Michigan Ave. and opening shop in a much larger, two-story space in the landmark building that formerly housed the Wally Findlay Galleries next to the hotel.
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The intricately designed brick and limestone facade of the low-rise historic building was preserved as part of the Park Hyatt project through a deal with the Chicago Department of Planning and the Landmark Commission.
Bottega Veneta’s new digs should be ready sometime this fall and will allow the Chicago store to showcase its line of ready-to-wear clothing, which was launched several years ago.
That leaves just one unleased retail space in the Park Hyatt at the corner of Rush Street and Chicago Avenue. Will Hyatt go for a trifecta of Italian luxury goods makers?
“We can’t tell yet,” says John Lyons, vice president of Hyatt Development. “But we’re delighted with both Armani and Bottega.”
Bad sign: No one is happier than we are when Target signs another designer to produce inexpensive versions of stylish products for its eclectic group of customers. It can only be a positive thing when good design is available to all, regardless of income level.
But Target’s crusade to bring style to the masses has hit a few bumps recently. Italian designer Mossimo Guannulli, who agreed to create an exclusive line of contemporary apparel for Target, was forced into bankruptcy by creditors only weeks after the deal was announced. Target says it is going ahead with the line anyway because it controls the manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Stiffel Co., the Chicago maker of high-quality lamps, was forced to close shop last month when a lender refused to extend additional credit. Stiffel was making a new line for Target that arrived in stores last fall.
Of course, Target says it has lots of other designer deals in the works. It even promises to unveil a new lamp brand in August. Still, a little more due diligence on designers’ balance sheets would seem to be in order. There’s no reason to disappoint shoppers with new lines that are only around for a few months.
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Contact Susan Chandler at [email protected].