THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT
Sep 1, 2003 12:00 PM
Shoppers at Barney's blowout semi-annual sale (which just happens to be held in the building where Retail Traffic is based) barely noticed the blackout. After spending hours rifling through racks and racks of deeply discounted designer duds, they would not be separated from their bargains. Many refused to leave. Cashiers finally let shoppers store their picks in shopping bags, labeled with their names, so they could return — once the electricity returned — and pay for the goods.
Kenneth Cole was a man with a plan. As soon as the electricity crashed, he arranged an employee car pool for the next day so salespeople could be shuttled to whichever New York store lit-up first. It was in Rockefeller Center, where people, with plenty of time spent plenty of money — more than double a typical Friday. He was also prescient. On the day of the massive power failure, he introduced his new fragrance “Black.” It's tag line? “It's better in the dark.”
