Marimekko is an unusual retail concept. It's not built around a product-type such as apparel or housewares, but a common material -- colorfully printed fabric -- for which it and its customers dream up a range of uses. Jackie Kennedy loved Marimekko; can it make a U.S. comeback in our time?
Struggling department store operator JCPenney, which last month said it would shutter five department stores, 19 outlet stores and two call centers, unveiled the most substantial change to its logo in four decades as it tries to boost sales by pitching itself as a more modern retailer.
Despite tepid industry sales last year, South Korean carmaker Hyundai set a sales record, thanks to savvy designs and sophisticated engineering. It's come a long way from an early econo-box image. Now, if it could just do as well at home.
The Gap earned nearly universal scorn this week when it unveiled its new logo. But the clothing retailer's response -- a crowd-sourcing request aimed at getting the public to design a better logo for free -- is only fueling the backlash against it.
