when diversification leads to homogeny
bath & body works has started selling... clothes.
clothes.
?!
it’s true.
the store known for its lotions and body washes and assorted beauty products is now selling “sleepwear” and “loungewear.” robes, pyjamas, boxer shorts, slippers and the like.
at BATH & BODY WORKS.
what’s next? snacks?!
like other specialized chains before them (specifically, restaurants and food vendors), B&BW has apparently bought into the notion that, in order to succeed, they must expand their inventory and diversify their offerings. the same way starbucks started selling sandwiches, or swiss chalet added stir-fry dishes to their renowned rotisserie-chicken menu, or the fact that – if you’re the kind of brave soul who’d dare – you can actually order a steak at the olive garden.
why?
what’s the point of eschewing that for which you’re known in a bid to please all of the people all of the time? why not master one thing and kick ass at it, instead of spreading your resources thin? why diversify when specificity is actually much more universal?
for the love of pete... why sell clothes at bath & body works?!
the same thing goes for people, i think. too often, we try to quash that which is different in a bid for more sameness. we hide what makes us special so that we can feel like we fit in better... be it in society or, more tragically, within ourselves. go out into the world and look at the people you encounter – how many have the same type of jeans, or shoes, or bags, or haircuts, or gadgets, or catchphrases? lots. and it only makes the world more boring, not more interesting.
i don’t know about you, but i find the odd one out to be much more appealing and exciting than the person who’s the same as everybody else. i’m drawn to people who are different, who have embraced their uniqueness... whatever that may be. maybe they’re geeky, or artsy, or quirky, or super-smart, or super-talented, or just really really love cake. but they happily fly whatever freak flag they call their own, and i think that's awesome.
so, while we wait for old navy to start selling ice cream, or for furniture to be widely available at HMV, or for krispy kreme to introduce a line of salads, please embrace that within you which is rare. special. different. that part of you that makes you you.
own it and love it and share it.
think of what a cool, colourful world it would be if we all did.
4 comments:
Oh good message. I too gravitate toward the individualist......aka freak. Always!
If only we could teach this to our children, growing up would be a lot better!
In-N-Out Burger. The drive-thru line is always so long they have to send a kid out to walk from car to car and take orders. And you know they are all there for the burger and fries because that's all you can buy at In-N-Out.
((((((((*vickie*))))))))
Yeah, there are a lot of companies that have pretty bizarre "world domination" plans. It's like their executives got a bit bored of bath products and, instead of finding a new job, decided they'd "re-purpose" the company. You know who else did this, though not involving bath products? Enron.
But I do feel like restaurants deserve a bit of an exception, because you might be eating with someone who doesn't share your tastes. Or who, like an old friend of mine, was deathly allergic to chicken but was fascinated by and very supportive of my love of Swiss Chalet.
yes, but there are plenty of "anything goes" restaurants that are known for having something for everyone (the pickle barrel, cheesecake factory and the like), if personal preference or allergies are an issue.
when a specialty chain (especially a good one!) starts to branch out in disappointing ways, it makes me sad.
and i will never order meat at IHOP.
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