Good point. Actually, I've never been in a Wal Mart or Target, and have only been to a Home Depot because they drove the local lumber yard out of business, but I'm a weirdo. (Just how weird will show in my response to Rob's post....)

[QUOTE]For example, I just got back from Taiwan, and will be making suspension pieces for trucks by forging them, instead of laser-cutting, as is the preferred local method.

 

Warren--absolutely incredible about car salesmen! When you have to tell them the unique features of their OWN PRODUCT and marque history, there's no wonder why so many cars are being sold on the internet nowadays.

I was at a Dodge dealership, and the salesman didn't know that the Magnum used Mercedes E-class suspension arms and transmission...crazy.

I get the same "deer in the headlights" stare when I ask a computer question at Staples or Office Depot. "Uduuhh, we just work here..."

 

No offense, but I think there was another factor that may have been more important. My then girlfriend bought a pair when they came out and absolutely loved them, they fit so wonderfully. But then, a few months later, they didn't fit so well any more - she was constantly gaining or losing the same five pounds, and when she wasn't in the exact right point in the cycle, they weren't any better than off the rack jeans. I think a lot of women are the same way, and having a wonderful fit for a few weeks just wasn't worth the extra price. I think having a wonderful fit for the entire lifetime of the pants would have been, which is why I think it would be a better idea for menswear - and for shirts, where being within an inch or two on the waist is an excellent fit, as opposed to pants, which have to be within half an inch or so. (Maybe they should bring back the adjustable waistband.)

[QUOTE]There was an attempt, in better menswear, to move towards laser cutting and computerized sewing, and some of it had been implemented by the time I left the industry, but the laser cutting and computerized production wasn't sophisticated enough to eliminate human operated sewing machines.

 

When Americans desire quality more than penny-pinching, Home Depot and Walmart will supply it.

They don't provide us with low quality simply to hurt us. They provide us with low quality because we buy it.

$3.70 = my year to date purchases in Walmart. One replacement battery for my Timex watch. In this tiny town, it was the one place I knew had the tools and would do the job.

 

I'm not sure this fits into this discussion but it did amaze me. I just saw a report on TV of Hardees and Mac trying out "call centers" for drive-through window service. The order taker was 1,500 miles away sitting in an office with a PC. What a great idea. What a country. I can see one call center handling multiple drive-throughs so there's less non-productive time. And the person driving through has no idea the order taker is not 50 feet away.

Also watched a great piece by a comedian on HBO last night about selling. He kept driving home the point that America needs to hire marketing people to sell it's good points. If they can convince people that rubbing cream on their thighs will make them shrink, they can convince the world we are ok.

 

I can't imagine why it would be necessary to have call centers for drive throughs. They don't pay those kid that much anyway. Maybe they should just focus on making the food taste better.

 

Hey Rob,

McDonalds did try to make their food better, by adding FAT and SALT. Now the gov't is trying to sue them for making kids obese...

I wonder why more clothing stores haven't "partnered" with off-site tailors, to offer custom stuff when the customers ask for it. I mean, with international communications and shipping, a Hong Kong tailor could make a complete suit to custom specs (faxed to him), and it could arrive at the store less than a week later. The local shop could take care of any final touches, and the customer would be happy. Can anyone say "business plan"?

 

This service, or a similar service is available through better mens stores now. The problem is that there simply aren't many better mens stores (independents) left. I believe you can also get made to order clothes in the better department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and perhaps Saks Fifth Avenue.

I generally have my suits made to order. There is a very fine mens store here in Parsippany (I used to sell them when I was in business and they were in Newark) who do this through a better domestic manufacturer. Remarkably, the suit isn't that much more expensive than an off the rack suit of similar quality.

You would think that a service like this would have huge appeal yet the storekeepers tell me that it is not a very big part of their business. I suppose that except for the very discriminating or the hard to fit (I am both), good quality ready to wear (pret a port) is good enough. Out of fairness, if you shop in the better stores, there is available some very good quality menswear manufactured both here and overseas.

 

Cordy,

That didn't make the food better tasting, it just made it fatter and saltier. I mean better tasting, as in edible.

 

[quote name='cordycord' date='Feb 1 2005, 02:39 PM'] I wonder why more clothing stores haven't "partnered" with off-site tailors, to offer custom stuff when the customers ask for it.