VV on the Cheap

Random guys sporting their Vineyard Vines attire - I'm guessing they're well into their imported ales at this point, especially the guy with the pink whale stickers on his legs. Buddy, you better have a few more drinks before you peel those puppies off - ouch!

I received an interesting tidbit of information this morning, and I’m sure it’s true, because our intern told me and those kids are always in the know. :)

A local establishment that I’m quite fond of recently hosted its big summer sale, one of the few retailers in the area that carries Vineyard Vines. The last time I was in there, though, one of the sales people said they were phasing out their line of VV. Hmm. So, our intern told me this morning that she hit the sale and, alas, there were no women’s VV polos to be found. So, she asked the owner, “What gives?!” According to the owner, VV is now being carried by Stein Mart and she could not compete with $20 ties and polos. What?? Apparently – and I’m hearing this second-hand, so keep this in mind – VV had so much inventory due to the difficult economic times, that they had to find a way to unload their merchandise on the cheap. VV found that in this economy, even their target audience isn’t shelling out $75 for polos and $80+ for ties.

So, I’m planning to head over to Stein Mart for some “research” on this topic, to see if I need to dispell any rumors here. And for those of you with Stein Marts in your town, let me know if you see any VV on the shelves.

For the record, I don’t want to take anything away from the Murray brothers who built this company. I do admire their “Ties for a Cause” endeavor which donates all of the proceeds from sales of custom-made ties, totes, etc. to a charitable organization or cause. They are currently featuring the Gulf Fish tie which will benefit Gulf-based charities that are assisting with the oil spill clean-up along the Gulf Coast. So, if you have a little cash to spare, you can order a dapper tie and know that your dollars are going to a good cause. Okay, this PSA is over. Back to our regularly scheduled blogging.
Photo courtesy of Vineyardvines.com