I almost forgot! Erica Mulherin (check out the shiny new permalink!) mentioned she received a West Elm catalog in the mail. I heard an NPR report about this, West Elm is a part of Williams-Sonoma and is a shot at the younger hipper cheaper crowd, see this article in The Gourmet Retailer. I have been eyeing a shop near my new apartment called Hold Everything, which I find is also a Williams-Sonoma dealy. According to the NPR report thingy West Elm isn’t the first time a home goods retailer went for the younger market, Crate&Barrell had a line of shops under a different name, though I forget what the name was now, darn. Abercrombie and Fitch has Hollister a beach based clothing brand, named after a town in California which in reality is nowhere near the shore.

Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy are all the same company. Check this out – L’oreal, Biotherm, Giorgio Armani, Garnier, Lancome, Maybelline, Ralph Lauren, Redken, Vichy and Laroch-Posay (?) all the same company (go to “our brands” then “our brands portfolio”). Estee Lauder? and Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Jane, Donna Karen, Aveda, Stila, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble and Kate Spade all under the same company.

Ok, so it’s not news, I know, but it helps to remind myself that it’s all about the packaging. Which I knew already.