New Oprah store stocks trinkets not luxury
If Oprah Winfrey has plans to grow a retail empire she may want to reassess her latest effort. A kiosk at Chicago's Water Tower Place on the prestigious Magnificent Mile is being blasted for selling tacky souvenirs and leaving fans looking for any of Oprah's favorite luxury items sorely disappointed.
This is Oprah's second retail location, the first is directly across the street from her Harpo Studios where the Oprah Winfrey Show is taped and carries a much wider selection including many of the luxury items featured on her show and in her magazine, like Ralph Lauren cashmere lounge wear and. But at the kiosk, called a microsalon by the company, the selection consists largely of trinkets and souvenirs, to the dismay of shoppers and retail analysts alike.
According to Crain's Chicago Business:
The tiny kiosk, filled with tchotchkes like $28 "O" rhinestone key chains and $30 canvas tote bags emblazoned with Oprah's signature inspirational quotes, doesn't quite match Ms. Winfrey's larger-than-life image-or her reputation as an avid, savvy luxury shopper," says the Crain's report.
