It’s the Friday before a long weekend and Retail Therapy is back.
In the latest and strangest retail news, we have a $585 pair of luxury duct-taped sneakers, do-it-yourself brunch at Ikea, and some real monkey business at Wal-Mart.
Sit back, relax and enjoy these stories (and more) in this week’s Retail Therapy.
Sneakers in distress
Breaking in a new pair of sneakers is painful. So why not buy your kicks already worn-in?
Luxury footwear brand Golden Goose has got that corner of the market covered. Its new designer sneakers bring the wear-and-tear of traveling the world right to your doorstep — dirt, duct tape and rips included. But don’t expect to snap them up for Goodwill prices: The worn-out shoes retail for $585 and some Twitter users are saying the style is already sold out on upscale department store Barney’s website.
this is like buying the Hardcore title from WWE's shop. pic.twitter.com/jtdkkqfi1m
— The Prime Suspect (@RyVillainy) August 27, 2016
It wasn’t long before Golden Goose came under fire on social media for the look, attracting criticism from Scottish comedian Limmy that the shoes are “poverty appropriation." The grungy, pink duct-taped sneakers pictured above no longer appear on the brand's website, but customers can still chose between about a dozen dirt-stained footwear options.
I've got a pair of Adidas Sambas that are in that state. The sole has a hole in them with cycling. Yours for £499.
— LimmyLive THIS MONTH (@DaftLimmy) August 28, 2016
I mean come on. I'm all about fashion but seriously WTF... $585?!! #GoldenGoose pic.twitter.com/YT5ATFMUdZ
— Zoe Rocha (@zoeyrocha) August 29, 2016
Hubs found these in the garage. Grass stains and dog poop included. He could get $600 easy. #Goldengoose pic.twitter.com/4NLdDSHlm5
— Atheist View (@atheist_view) August 30, 2016
Brunch on a budget
Swedish retailer Ikea has a reputation for anxiety-inducing do-it-yourself projects. Hopefully, its new build-your-own meal experience proves less stressful than assembling a shelving unit.
The retailer announced a new pop-up restaurant called The Dining Club, which will open for two weeks later this month at its Shoreditch location in London, England. Customers with at least seven friends will be able to play chef and prepare brunch, lunch or dinner with the guidance of a culinary professional.
The best part? Forget that stomach-dropping moment at the end of the meal when you see the damage bottomless mimosas have wreaked on your wallet — the retailer says if you’re lucky enough to snag a seat at the table, the food and alcohol are free.
Seven years later, Damon Dash merges TV with Internet
Hip-hop and fashion mogul Damon Dash is blending two things that all millennials love: binge-watching TV shows and shopping online.
Dash, who came to fame after founding Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear with Jay-Z in the late '90s, is launching an app on Black Friday that lets shoppers purchase apparel and other items from shows streamed on Dame Dash TV.
The idea isn't exactly a new one, Dash told Women's Wear Daily: “I tried to merge the Internet and TV seven years ago, but the market wasn’t ready for it; they didn’t know how to monetize it.”
Perhaps Amazon is taking a cue from Dash (or the other way around): The e-commerce giant is inserting product placements into a Japanese TV show available through Amazon Prime Video, enabling viewers to use their TV remotes to tap a "1-Click" icon to order products featured in the program.
Monkey business at Wal-Mart
This is no joke: A Wal-Mart employee was assaulted by a diapered monkey in a parking lot outside the retailer’s Lancaster, OH store location. The interaction went viral after a customer filming from a car uploaded a video to YouTube.
“I saw the monkey and he was just standing on the carts, and this lady was trying to come over and get him,” a Wal-Mart customer who saw the interaction told NBC4. “The monkey had escaped from a nearby camper. And we saw the cart guy from Walmart coming over to help her.”
Although stunned, the employee wasn't hurt. In the video, the monkey's owner snatches up the leash and the employee eventually goes back to collecting carts. All in a good day's work.
