Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring Has Sprung

Spring has sprung. Sprung right from the area. The teaser warm spell we had for about two weeks is making us all a little bitter, while offering some hope for the future. The stream of giddy customers, however, has not slowed. Good old Ohio weather keeps us all on our toes, and makes gearing up for riding an interesting situation. Thank goodness Harley Davidson does really well with coming out with extremely versatile gear, for those days when it starts out at 12 degrees fahrenheit and shoots to 90 by noon. (Anyone who's lived in Ohio a while knows this is not that big of an exaggeration). We always have a wide range of jackets, and a fifteen minute long spiel I won't get into on here, but will gladly tell you in store. (Consists of explaining some of the many features of our jackets, with large gestures and an excited tone that just can't be conveyed via text, so I won't ruin it. Just ask me in store.)

The changing weather also makes merchandising/dressing mannequins/maintaining sanity a feat as well. We try to keep the clothes most relevant to the season right up front, so they're easier to find. (It was once suggested we should hide them, and print up treasure maps, but people were finding it difficult to follow the little white rabbit down the yellow brick road....) But, lately, the weather has been throwing us into a frenzy, trying to decide what people need at any given hour of any given day. We recently flipped our entire department in hopes of making it easier, and certainly succeeded in confusing our employees. Now, upon entering, you will find the men's section is right up front, riding gear in the middle and women's/children's in the back. This sort of streamlined the shopping experience. You will also notice the ever-moving, ever-changing mannequins floating around the shop. These poor beings are poked, prodded, adjusted and get a complete outfit makeover every 2-3 weeks. Their existence is one of being dressed, undressed, and dressed again, with the sinking feeling of only being appreciated for their torsos. Right now, you'll find some of our dark custom line donning the mannequins by the customer lounge, and for the mannequins by our F&I offices? Rain suits! (In case you ever wondered or needed to know, legs and arms make wearing rain suits infinitely less complicated.) So, your next visit by, please take the time to check out our mannequins. They are desperate for your attention, and the only happiness the have in life is showing off some sweet Harley Davidson Apparel!!

Chelsea McIntyre
Motorclothes Associate