How many American’s don’t love to shop? While I am sure there are a few who don’t indulge in excessive shopping, generally America is the destination known for its consumer based society. Little Five Points is an area that draws in attention from people coming from all walks of life. In order for an area to be attractive to a wide array of people, the place must give the people what it is they want. Marketable retail is a surefire way to get different groups of people on board.
Everyone has to wear clothes in the American society, and many people like to wear cool and unique clothing in order to have a sense of “self” or “individual identity.” Little Five Points is known for its environment of quirky and diverse mix of people; Little Five’s retail environment has a lot to do with what attracts such a wide variety of clientele. The retail aspect of Little Five Points is one of much diversity; the economic variety mirrors this destination’s acceptance of various cultures around Atlanta.
Three major retailers that stand out to me include American Apparel, Junkman’s Daughter, and Wish, three differing stores in Little Five Points which, in my opinion, symbolize different aspects of American lifestyles. America has a preset idealistic belief in “equality and uniformity.” Think about it, when you live in America you are supposed to believe that you are equivalent to your neighbor. You all have birth certificates, identification cards, addresses, etc, which certify you as an American citizen. In the same way, American Apparel clothing creates a sense of uniformity. Though the pieces can be mixed and matched, at first glance the clothing of American apparel is very generic and manufactured. American Apparel symbolizes the grand scheme of ideology in America; the grand scheme says that to be an American, you must conform to the American ways.
Junkman’s daughter is an alternative store which carries gothic and costume apparel, street wear, housing furniture, random trinkets, and even smoking pipes and bongs. This store embodies the American who goes against preconceived ideals. The typical American could not and would not wear to work a blond wig with sequins. However, you can easily locate these items in a store such as this. Generally, Americans aren’t supposed to strut around in crinoline skirts and gaudy gear; Junkman’s Daughter puts this theory to rest and pushes the fashion and lifestyle boundaries by selling unique and marketable product.
The urban destination for shopping needs is Wish, a high energy sneaker and street wear shop. The ideal Wish customer is someone who is a “sneaker-head,” or someone who is infatuated with attaining and collecting sneakers. The typical Wish customer also appreciates and has a love for hip hop and rap. During my visit to Little Five Points there was a line of young men waiting for a shoe to arrive in-store the next morning—yes, it’s that serious. Wish caters to the athletic individual, who likes to be comfortable and expressive at the same time.
After visiting a few of the stores featured in little five points and interacting with the owners, I learned a lot about how little five points is perceived by its inhabitants. After asking the owner Cultural Accents, an African shop, why she chose little five points as her location, her response was pretty simple. She said things like “the vibe,” “the people, “it just feels comfortable here,” and “little five points has an international feel.” A Native American shop owner who has experienced working in little five for eighteen years refers to it as “cutting edge.” These different titles speak to the ideology of Little Five Points—it is the destination where any and everything goes.
There is another aspect of the retailers in Little Five Points that sets them apart from other shopping destinations. While in little five points, I noticed that shop owners are not subject to time much like mall businesses. In common businesses and mall chain stores there is a set daily time for the opening and closing of a store. However, the owner of an accessory shop in Little Five left her shop midday around 3pm. Another shop owner posted up a “gone to lunch” sign. Both of these instances caught me off guard because I am accustomed to the ideal retail establishments that open and close at specific times.Little Five Points is in fact its own melting pot, a meshing place for free thinkers and rebels, as well as classic conformists. Whatever your path may be, there is a place for you in Little Five Points. The retail establishments and the way these businesses are operated say something about the area and the people shopping within the area. As I mentioned before, there is a wide variety of stores in Little Five Points, and this variety is exactly what is needed in order to market to such a diverse consumer market.
Everyone has to wear clothes in the American society, and many people like to wear cool and unique clothing in order to have a sense of “self” or “individual identity.” Little Five Points is known for its environment of quirky and diverse mix of people; Little Five’s retail environment has a lot to do with what attracts such a wide variety of clientele. The retail aspect of Little Five Points is one of much diversity; the economic variety mirrors this destination’s acceptance of various cultures around Atlanta.
Three major retailers that stand out to me include American Apparel, Junkman’s Daughter, and Wish, three differing stores in Little Five Points which, in my opinion, symbolize different aspects of American lifestyles. America has a preset idealistic belief in “equality and uniformity.” Think about it, when you live in America you are supposed to believe that you are equivalent to your neighbor. You all have birth certificates, identification cards, addresses, etc, which certify you as an American citizen. In the same way, American Apparel clothing creates a sense of uniformity. Though the pieces can be mixed and matched, at first glance the clothing of American apparel is very generic and manufactured. American Apparel symbolizes the grand scheme of ideology in America; the grand scheme says that to be an American, you must conform to the American ways.
Junkman’s daughter is an alternative store which carries gothic and costume apparel, street wear, housing furniture, random trinkets, and even smoking pipes and bongs. This store embodies the American who goes against preconceived ideals. The typical American could not and would not wear to work a blond wig with sequins. However, you can easily locate these items in a store such as this. Generally, Americans aren’t supposed to strut around in crinoline skirts and gaudy gear; Junkman’s Daughter puts this theory to rest and pushes the fashion and lifestyle boundaries by selling unique and marketable product.
The urban destination for shopping needs is Wish, a high energy sneaker and street wear shop. The ideal Wish customer is someone who is a “sneaker-head,” or someone who is infatuated with attaining and collecting sneakers. The typical Wish customer also appreciates and has a love for hip hop and rap. During my visit to Little Five Points there was a line of young men waiting for a shoe to arrive in-store the next morning—yes, it’s that serious. Wish caters to the athletic individual, who likes to be comfortable and expressive at the same time.
After visiting a few of the stores featured in little five points and interacting with the owners, I learned a lot about how little five points is perceived by its inhabitants. After asking the owner Cultural Accents, an African shop, why she chose little five points as her location, her response was pretty simple. She said things like “the vibe,” “the people, “it just feels comfortable here,” and “little five points has an international feel.” A Native American shop owner who has experienced working in little five for eighteen years refers to it as “cutting edge.” These different titles speak to the ideology of Little Five Points—it is the destination where any and everything goes.
There is another aspect of the retailers in Little Five Points that sets them apart from other shopping destinations. While in little five points, I noticed that shop owners are not subject to time much like mall businesses. In common businesses and mall chain stores there is a set daily time for the opening and closing of a store. However, the owner of an accessory shop in Little Five left her shop midday around 3pm. Another shop owner posted up a “gone to lunch” sign. Both of these instances caught me off guard because I am accustomed to the ideal retail establishments that open and close at specific times.Little Five Points is in fact its own melting pot, a meshing place for free thinkers and rebels, as well as classic conformists. Whatever your path may be, there is a place for you in Little Five Points. The retail establishments and the way these businesses are operated say something about the area and the people shopping within the area. As I mentioned before, there is a wide variety of stores in Little Five Points, and this variety is exactly what is needed in order to market to such a diverse consumer market.
--Denia Moreland
I love the title of this entry. Overall, this entry was really an eye opener. While I have never stayed in Little Five Points for longer than 10-15 minutes, after reading through this blog I realized how diverse this section of the city really is. I love how you analyzed the shops. Even though consumerism is still the central theme of the area, there is something for all types of individuals, unlike other areas such as Phipps Plaza or even Lenox Mall, and that is clearly expressed in this entry. Nice job!
ReplyDelete-Laini A. Davis
I love this concept! I had never really stopped to consider that this area is indeed similar a condensed America. At first glance it seems as if Little Five Point is an area for grunge getups, eccentric artists, and hippie night life, but after I had the experience of exploring this area it proved to be so much more. This is area that invites individuality. Each shopping area seems to represent an alternate lifestyle and separate aspect of society. Little Five is indeed a melting pot of personality.
ReplyDelete-Ayanda M. Dorsey