The parrot is back

One of the more annoying but identifiable radio advertising mascots, the Marty’s Shoes parrot, is back. Consigned to advertising purgatory when Secaucus, N.J.-based Marty’s closed its 47 stores last year, the parrot returned to the airwaves this week hawking a resurrected chain of, for now, three units.

Operated by the founding Samowitz family, Marty’s three stores are in Garwood, Greenbrook and Westwood. The new chain is headquartered in Westwood.

Marty’s return from the dead is but another example that retail franchises may have multiple lives.

Despite going out of business at the end of 2008, West Coast-based Mervyns is seeking an afterlife. Last month the Morriss family bought back the intellectual property as well as naming rights to the company founded by Mervin Morriss. Media reports suggest Morriss’ sons want to relaunch as an internet-based retailer.

That’s the route Montgomery Ward has taken back to life. Though its stores, catalog and Internet operations closed in 2001, Ward was revived on the Web and in print in 2004.

Bringing companies back to life, or at the very least buying up the trademark rights and then reselling them to parties who see equity in the brands, appears to be a thriving cottage industry, made more so by the continuing economic hardships that are forcing many retailers to discontinue operations. Among the retail brand names purchased and awaiting a second life are Linens ‘n Things, The Sharper Image and Bombay Co.

Among the group, only Marty’s had a distinctive radio personality. Truth be told, to this discerning listener’s ear, this time out of the cage the parrot has a slightly less strident squawk.

— Murray Forseter

Gap looks for comeback

It’s been a long time coming, but Gap may finally be waking up to the fact that a brand can’t live on cost-cutting alone. Speaking at the Bank of America 2009 Consumer Conference, chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy, a man who to this reporter has often seemed missing-in-action, said Gap hasn’t been played the hand it was given as well as it should have, and that it was “unacceptable” that the company was losing market share. Amen, on both counts, I say.

Murphy was frank in cataloging the company’s failures, starting with its namesake division’s unexciting, uninspiring and outdated store fleet. He acknowledged his disappointment that Old Navy was not gaining market share at a time when other low-cost value formats were gaining. He also said “shame on us” with regards to the fact that the brand’s store design has remained virtually unchanged since it launched 15 years ago.

Looking to the future, Murphy implied that changes are in the works. Old Navy is testing two prototypes, and Gap will debut a new store design in the third quarter. Banana Republic also has a pilot store in the works, along with a new store design.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Gap has promised a lot over the past several years, but hasn’t done a very good job when it comes to the follow-up. I don’t know if the brand can ever regain its cache, but now -- a time when many of the companies, including Abercrombie & Fitch, that took away its market share are struggling -- would be a good time to try. One big thing in the company’s favor is its balance sheet: Gap has no debt and is sitting on $1.8 billion in cash. That’s not a bad position to be in these days. Gap should use it to its advantage.

— Marianne Wilson