Barbie, no space waster

It has been a while since I’ve been to Shanghai, but a two day trip on the way to an ancestry visit opened my eyes. Yes, hardware changes a lot in the cityscape. But it is more than that. Retailers are making use of every space to encourage people to spend, as the new Barbie store shows.

Strolling into the six-story Barbie extravaganza, the escalator on the ground floor took me back to the 50s era. Lots of old designed Barbies are displayed within these 20 seconds, like a mini-exhibition, the Elizabeth Taylor and the pilot style Barbie are two of the many. These certainly mean something to the mid 20s and 30s something generation like me. It took us back to the good old days.

But the Barbie store symbolises more than a child’s fantasy. I could see different strata, different ages of people in the shop. I would say the only Barbie store in the world which offers something for everyone. Not only the spa and cosmetic shop lure the 20 to 30-something women, the coffee shop, selling macaroni and cakes with Barbie’s logo, are suitable to everyone and those who would like to sip a cup of coffee. There is a tiny little space that allows us to be Barbie for a minute or two in front of the camera.

And this giant shop also fulfills its corporate responsibility while encouraging you to spend. There is a big space for educational purpose. Kids could learn fashion design and English, with the computer aid and English books.

The only thing I am puzzled with is the timing. Why investing US$30 million in Shanghai and in this particular period of time? Not other cities? Not other country? My Shanghai friend told me China, as US President Obama said, will be the first country in the world to recover from the credit crunch. And the elixir to save the country from the deteriorating economic growth is to encourage consumptions. Corporates believes China is the only and biggest country that has the potential to spend, albeit in a gradual speed during this time of the year. Sadly fail to make an appointment with the manager; I would have to ask him this question.

Not just the Barbie shop, Shanghai gives me an impression that corporate grasps every chance to boost consumption. Like the sakura exhibition I have gone the other day, Sakura is never the main character. The lucky draw, the painting auction, the food store, the handmade accessories, every step I walked through the path is not about flowers! And they got pig racing that sort of things that attract people to come over.

I will tell you more about interesting marketing in Shangahi, in the next round.