Chicago newspaper writers and commuters may be kvetching about our lousy winter weather, but local furriers are reveling in it.
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The mink trade has been so strong, in fact, that Chicago-area fur retailers are enjoying their best season since 1987. Sales in November and December were up an average 31 percent for members of the Associated Fur Industries of Chicagoland, a trade organization founded in 1918.
“With fur in the fashion spotlight and Mother Nature’s cooperation, furriers are fulfilling the consumer’s demand for fashionable and practical outerwear,” says Kathy Rezny, president of the group and co-owner of York Furrier in northwest Elmhurst.
To be sure, December’s deluge of snow and bitter cold had much to do with the sudden revival of fur buying. But the fact that 300 designers–including Vera Wang, Michael Kors and John Galliano–are now incorporating fur in their collections hasn’t hurt, either. Only 42 designers were using fur in 1985.
Also helping the fur business is a variety of new colors, textures and styles that have made wearing fur less stuffy, says Susan Kluger, co-owner of Kluger Furs in south suburban Flossmoor.
For instance, vests and sweaters knit from strands of beaver pelts have been strong sellers for Kluger at prices ranging from $1,995 to $5,000. Also popular are fur collars and cuffs that can be detached. One customer recently purchased a mink ponytail holder.
Fur’s comeback hasn’t occurred too soon, retailers say. More than a hundred small fur shops in the area once catered to the carriage trade. But animal rights activists made fur wearing a political issue in the 1980s and a series of unusually warm winters in the late 1990s allowed potential buyers to procrastinate. The fallout: Many furriers, including Chicago-based Evans Inc., were forced out of business.
Today, the Chicago fur group has been whittled to a mere 16 members. Even the survivors have felt the pain. “There have been a number of years when we just had to hang on,” Kluger says.
But things are definitely looking up. The political backlash against fur largely appears to have evaporated. Celebrities of all ages are wearing it, including comedian Chris Rock, who recently donned a floor-length fur coat at the MTV Video Music Awards show.
Still, cold weather is the No. 1 reason people cite for their decision to plunk down thousands on a fur coat or jacket. And with cold weather predicted to last through March, this year is shaping up as a cozy and bountiful one for fur merchants.
Changing of the guard: The Paul Harris store at 430 N. Michigan Ave. is going away, part of the Indianapolis-based retailer’s attempt to restructure its business for a second time.
But its two-story space won’t be empty for long. Casual Corner Group, another moderate-priced women’s apparel chain, is purchasing the store’s lease in a deal approved Thursday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis.
The Enfield, Conn.-based chain plans to divide the space between Casual Corner; Petite Sophisticate, its store for petite women; and August Max Woman, its store for larger women.
Casual Corner, which stumbled badly for most of the `90s, has been staging a comeback recently since it was acquired, cleaned up and then spun off by Milan-based Luxottica Group. Sales have surged more than 40 percent since 1998, and Casual Corner has opened or renovated more than 40 stores since last fall.
Meanwhile, we hear the empty Joan and David space at 670 N. Michigan Ave., next to Garrett Popcorn Shops, is going to house a Starbucks outlet. Just what Magnificent Mile shoppers need, another latte source so they can wash that caramel and cheese corn taste from their mouths.
Heartfelt: The slowing economy may be hurting sales of big tickets such as cars, but it appears to have little effect on romance-related purchases. Shoppers for Valentine’s Day gifts say they plan to spend an average $84.20 on their special someone, up 8 percent from last year.
The biggest spenders will be those in the 18- to 24-year-old age range, who plan to shell out an average $183.80, according to a survey by the International Mass Retail Association.
And in an unusual twist, men will do most of the spending, buying gifts worth nearly $122, compared with $50 for women shoppers.
Still, lots of Valentine’s Day shoppers admit to being value conscious. Nearly one-third of shoppers said they would head to the local discount store to make their purchase. Only 14 percent said department stores would be their retail venue of choice.
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