Research Assignment for JOMC 50
A Neiman “Marcused” Society
Even with the slowing economy, today more than ever Americans are becoming increasingly captivated by material possessions. The Internet has now become a vice through which Americans can further facilitate their material desires.
With the creation of the Neiman Marcus Website (1) in 1999, along with the popularization of the Internet, consumers found it easier to purchase items, especially clothing that they might not have previously had access to.
Neiman Marcus opened in 1907 with the slogan "presenting wider varieties and more exclusive lines than any other store in the South...Only the finest productions of the best garment makers are good enough for us (1)." Until the launch of NeimanMarcus.Com in 1999, the retail store still remained fairly exclusive with stores only in a handful of cities and states. The website has made it easy for American citizens from all parts of the country to not only see the “latest” fashions, but to purchase them online as well.
Not only does the Internet now provide an outlet for more consumer activity, it actually in a sense tells the American consumer what to buy and what is in style. Websites such as The Look Online (2) and Fashion Icon (3) show Internet surfers the latest styles and how to purchase them. Shopping has never been easier.
In conjunction with the formation of Web sites such as Neiman Marcus, another telltale sign that the Internet is in fact facilitating Americans desire to shop is the new “online gift certificate.” At the Give Anything Web site (4), a consumer can purchase and electronically send a gift certificate for a specified amount to anyone they choose. There are virtually thousands of online stores who participate in this.
Whether or not increasing consumerism via the Internet is a good or a bad thing, the Internet has with out a doubt made consumerism easier by not only showing consumers what to buy, but also providing them a virtual place where they can do so. Who would have thought 10 years ago that you would be able to unwrap an electronic, online gift certificate via an email?
The United States and the rest of the world have come so far technologically in the past decade that there is no telling where this Neiman “Marcused” society will be in the next decade. As the past has showed us, just when the Internet has seemed at its peak, it has always out done itself.
Web Sources:
1)
Title of Web Page: Neiman Marcus Online
Brief Description: This is the online version of the Neiman Marcus store. Consumers can purchase goods and read about the store’s history.
Source of Web site: Neiman Marcus
2)
Title of Web Page: A NY Fashion Industry E-Zine
Brief Description: This is an online magazine that deals mainly with the fashion industry.
Source of Web site: lookonline.com
3)
Title of Web Page: Fashion Icon
Brief Description: This is a Web site that shows consumers the latest styles and designers.
Source of Web site: Fashion Icon
4)
Title of Web Page: Gift Certificates and Online Gift Certificates Sent
by Email
Brief Description: This is a Web site where people can purchase gift certificates to virtually any store and send them online to people.
Source of Web site: GiveAnything.com Inc.