“black Kids Don’t Read” Last Words Before Retail Graveyard
Certain principles of life and business never change. Like with the law of gravity, for example, its just plain better to know how it works even if youre not sure why.
I was reminded of this last week when the mens fashion clothing trade magazine Daily News Record (DNR) ran a story (Retail Graveyard, October 29) about a guy named Peter Divietro in Sloatsburg, N.Y., who annually for Halloween decorates his front yard with tombstones to commemorate dead retail stores.
That in turn reminded me of a failed chain of hip-hop clothing stores in Chicago called The Lark. Do you remember The Lark?
The owner was Lenny Rothschild. I met him on a sales visit at his suburban Chicago office one summer day in 2003 while my company was still making Black Fives throwback jerseys for wholesale distribution to stores. The Lark was an important account because it commanded the urban fashion retail market in Chicago.
FLYING HIGH; WITH AN UPSCALE APPROACH TO MERCHANDISING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE LARK SOARS IN CHICAGOS URBAN MARKET, read a headline in DNR earlier that year. As Lenny Rothschild pilots his silver Mercedes-Benz coupe around Chicago, his love for the city is obvious, is how that article began (DNR, February 10, 2003).
If you wanted your goods in Chicago, you had to sell Lenny. All the biggest streetwear brands loved him, and Lenny was the gatekeeper who could make or break small, upcoming apparel brands like Black Fives. And he knew it.
Lenny was smart, and he wanted people to know it. His Harvard diploma hung prominently on the wall. Lenny delighted in explaining how to introduce new merchandise to coincide with welfare check and tax refund arrival dates, to maximize sales to his most faithful customer base, low-income inner-city residents. His stores were concentrated in those areas.
I showed and pitched my unique, attractive, high-quality, economically priced jerseys and matching fitted hats. Lenny looked them over and shrugged, and asked me how I expected anyone to know about the history of these Black Fives teams and players. I showed him some big press clippings and also explained that each jersey comes with its own informative hang tag, reminiscent of a collectible vintage basketball card, with images on one side and history text on the other. I handed him one of the cards.
This wont matter because black kids dont read, said Lenny.
Today, when I think of the immutable principles that work in life and in business, I think of two of them that applied to Lenny that day. One is that how you do anything is how you do everything. The other is that what you focus on expands. The trick is that these principles work the same whether in the negative or in the positive realm.
Lenny gave me an $8,000 order that afternoon. I shipped it, but what he didnt realize is that his loyal customers had already begun a quiet revolt. Instead of buying $300 retro jerseys like the kind The Lark was selling, his clientele had flipped the script, now buying plain white tee shirts to make the same fashion statement at three for $10. It was the revenge of the lowly urban consumer. It happened across the country. It was swift and it was bloody. Many urban retailers didnt make it.
Within two weeks, Lenny returned his Black Fives order unopened.
Whenever I shopped at The Lark, customer service didnt exist. Young African American employees were distant and resentful, usually the sign of low wages, cheap thinking, and lack of appreciation by management.
Not to pick on Lenny, because he wasnt alone in this approach to the so-called loyal inner-city consumer, but didnt you have that experience too, nearly everywhere you shopped?
By 2005, The Lark lay buried in the retail graveyard. AFTER THE LARK: MORE HIP, NO HOP; CLOSING HIS HIP-HOP APPAREL CHAIN, RETAILER OPENS ESSEX5, DEVOTED TO PREMIUM DENIM, SPORTSWEAR, read the DNR headline this time. The Lark is grounded, the article began. Lenny Rothschild has closed all 10 of The Lark stores he owned and operated, making the once-high-flying hip-hop apparel specialty chain a thing of the past (DNR, December 19, 2005).
What Ill always remember about The Lark are Lenny Rothschilds famous (last) words: black kids dont read.
The principles of life and business always work the same. Beliefs do become reality. Thoughts lead to feelings lead to actions lead to results. This works both ways, in this case to the advantage of the consumer and to the dismay of the retailer. Lenny couldve avoided it all if there had been any books like T. Harv Ekers brilliant Secrets of the Millionaire Mind available for him to read at the time. But there werent. And he didnt.
Thus, the Larks tombstone might have the epitaph, Gee, I guess black kids read after all.
Was Lenny right? Or do all kids read less? Or is it only online reading they do? Or something else? Whats your opinion?
About the Author
Claude Johnson runs Greenwich, Ct.-based Black Fives, Inc., which combines insights about the pre-NBA history of African American basketball teams with popular elements of contemporary black culture to motivate, enlighten, and inspire people today. Book, film, exhibit, and blog activities are underway, and licensing pacts with Nike and Converse help propel the brand globally.
New Jersey Cop beats up Older Black man for standing on the corner.
|
|
02/03 Black Diamond Kevin Garnett Single Diamond Jersey $0.01 |
|
|
DeAngelo Williams 2006 SPx Black S Jersey Patch Panthers Memphis SP MINT $0.01 |
|
|
TEAM Shocker jersey kickball pimp softball T-Shirt BLACK Team 2XL One Side Print $0.01 |
|
|
NEW TORONTO BLUE JAYS BRETT LAWRIE BLACK JERSEY XL\52 $0.01 |
|
|
DeAngelo Williams 2006 SPx Black H Jersey Patch Panthers Memphis SP MINT $0.01 |
|
|
NEW BOSTON BRUINS RAYMOND BOURQUE BLACK JERSEY XL – 52 $0.01 |
|
|
Buster Posey Black San Francisco Giants Coolbase Jersey NWOT Size 56 $0.01 |
|
|
Reggie Bush Black New Orleans Saints Replithentic Jersey NWOT Size XXL 2XL $0.01 |
|
|
Evan Longoria Black Fashion Large (Size 50) Tampa Bay Rays Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Dustin Pedroia Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Boston Red Sox Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Jose Bautista Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Toronto Blue Jays Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Justin Verlander Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Detroit Tigers Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Josh Hamilton Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Texas Rangers Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Jeff Weaver Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Los Angeles Angels Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Joey Votto Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Cincinnati Reds Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Matt Kemp Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Clayton Kershaw Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Chipper Jones Large (Size 50) Black Fashion Atlanta Braves Jersey NWT!!! $0.01 |
|
|
Soccer Referee Jersey, Black with White Stripes, Long Sleeved, XXL! $0.25 |
|
|
100%Adidas AC Milan Football FC Soccer Shirt Jersey Away White Red Black XL $0.31 |
|
|
Richard P. McWilliam Black Diamond 2001 #128 Game Worn Jersey $0.50 |
|
|
2011-12 BLACK DIAMOND Tyler Bozak JERSEY $0.50 |
|
|
Dallas Cowboy jersey black $0.50 |
|
|
Between The Pipes Henrik Lundqvist Game-Used Jersey Black M-18 10-11 ITG Rangers $0.67 |
|
|
2008-09 Black Diamond Jerseys Quad #BDJBR Brad Richardson bv $15 $0.72 |
|
|
2010-11 Between The Pipes Golden Goalies Jerseys Black #GG22 Marc Denis #/80 $0.72 |
|
|
LOVELY LADIES NEW LOOK BLACK FANCY CAPTAIN STYLE JERSEY CARDIGAN BUTTONS SZ 14 $0.79 |
|
|
2010-11 Tomas Vokoun Black Diamond Quad Jersey Card; #QJ-VO; Game Used $0.94 |
|
|
2000 UD Black Diamond Shane Heams USA Jersey NM Condition $0.95 |
|
|
2006-07 Black Diamond Miroslav Satan GU Jersey $0.97 |
|
|
2006-07 Black Diamond Mike Comrie Jersey GU $0.97 |
|
|
2006-07 Black Diamond Marek Svatos Jersey GU $0.97 |
|
|
H&M Black Corporate Sleeveless A Line Jersey Dress M 12 – 14 – NWT $0.98 |
|
|
NEW JERSEY DEVILS BLACK DIAMOND 10/11 TEAM SET $0.97 |
|
|
NIKKE DUTCH NATIONAL TEAM JERSEY AWAY BLACK ORANGE SMALL $0.98 |
|
|
Upper Deck BLACK DIAMOND Double Diamond Jersey Card Josh Childress 250 In World $0.98 |
|
|
2000 UD Black Diamond GU Jersey CURTIS KEATON RC $0.99 |
|
|
2003-04 Upperdeck Black Diamond GU Jersey MARK JACKSON $0.99 |
|
|
BLACK HORSE ALE “FROM TRENTON, NEW JERSEY” – 12 Oz. Steel Pull Tab – “UNIQUE” $0.99 |
|
|
11/12 ITG DECADES 1980′S LANNY McDONALD GAME USED JERSEY BLACK LIMITED TO 120 $0.99 |
|
|
Kotobuki 280-129 2-Tiered Bento Box, Panda Face $10.99 The Japanese have perfected the art of making bento boxes over centuries. This two-tiered box is the most convenient way to pack nutritious, travel-friendly meals for school and work. The top tier is a container that seals shut with a fitted plastic lid, which doubles as a cover for the lower tier. A bigger outer lid holds the two tiers in place and is held shut by the matching elastic band. Cute … |
|
|
Presto 6-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker $60.00 Pressure cookers have experienced renewed popularity over the last several years because cooks have rediscovered what some cooks (particularly grandmas) have known for a long time–they’re really fast. And it’s easy to cook healthfully with pressure cookers, since the food retains so much more of its nutrients and flavor. Presto’s 6-quart aluminum pressure cooker is a multi-purpose pot that can st… |
|
|
Wilton Easy Flex Silicone 6 Cup Muffin Pan $7.25 Silicone Baking Accessories: Standard 6 cup Muffin Pan. Silicone is the Wonder Kitchen Tool: it can be used in the oven (up to 500F/260C), toaster over, microwave, refrigerator and freezer. These silicone utensils are the perfect tool cold foods: Jell-O, ice sculptures, Candies and hot foods: cake, muffins, bread, pies, main and side dishes and so much more! The flexibility makes removing foods mu… |
|
|
The Harder They Fall [VHS] $15.99 Humphrey Bogart’s final screen role was in this 1956 film by Mark Robson (Home of the Brave), about a cynical sportswriter who becomes a press agent and sees firsthand how badly boxers are used and manipulated by crooked managers. The story finds Bogart’s character waffling about the ethics surrounding the exploitation of an overrated fighter who will earn money for his handlers in the short term,… |
|
|
The Buckskin Lady [VHS] $9.99 … |
|
|
The New Jersey VHS Trilogy: Autographed by Kevin Smith Signed by director & writer Kevin Smith during a visit at New York city Comic Convention. All three VHS (Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy) are autographed and in a “like new condition” with no disruption of the tape. A collector’s dream from my personal library…. |
|
|
SABRE RED Pepper Spray Home & Away Protection Kit $14.27 The Sabre Red Pepper Spray Home and Away Protection Kit provides self-defense tools to protect you from both home invasions and threats away from home. The kit includes Sabre’s popular 0.54-ounce pepper spray with a quick release key ring for immediate access. This pepper spray fits easily on a keychain or in a purse for away protection anytime/anywhere. The home protection component of the kit in… |
|
|
Panasonic FV-11VQ5 WhisperCeiling 110 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan, White $234.00 … |
|
|
G & F 4408 Regular Brown Jersey Gloves, Sold by Dozen (12-Pairs) $7.80 These clute pattern Black Cotton Jersey work gloves feature a general purpose clute pattern ideal of light-duty applications. Made from soft and comfortable 100% cotton, these work gloves provide general protection and comfort for all day use and also keep your hands warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Ideal for: Cleaning Material Handling Warehouse Workers Landscaping Shovelin… |
|
|
Hugo $11.94 Martin Scorsese directed this whimsical adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.” In 1931, Parisian orphan Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) attempts to complete the repairs on a clockwork automaton his late father (Jude Law) had begun. With help from a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), Hugo finds his quest leading to an unexpected encounter with legendary filmmaker Georges M… |
