J. Christopher Burch
J. Christopher Burch (born March 28, 1953) is the founder and CEO of Burch Creative Capital, a firm based in New York City that manages venture investments and brand development,home decor items. The stores also sells electronics and other products, leading ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
'' to label the company as "the World's Fair of retail". Personalization of the merchandise in C. Wonder stores includes monogramming your initials on their clothing and belt buckle customization. More expansive items such as pillows, table ware, art books, and picnic baskets have also been sold.
History and Operations
The founding and opening of C. Wonder was in 2010. In July 2011 the first C. Wonder signs were posted on the exterior of a storefront on Spring Street in New York City, with a website posted describing the plans for C. Wonder's concept and line. On October 22, 2011 C. Wonder launched its original 7,200 square foot location in Manhattan, featuring fitting rooms with touch screens where customers could adjust the lighting or change the music while trying on the clothing. C. Wonder also introduced store wide check-out capabilities for its sales associates via mobile points of sale (mPOS), allowing sales associates to check-out customers via iPod touches anywhere in the store.
''
Architectural Digest
''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internat ...
'' called the store "the next generation of shopping", writing that the store also allowed customers to monogram their merchandise and that a retail website would launch soon. The first store was designed in an empty factory an hour outside of
Shanghai, China
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, and then shipped to New York for the grand opening. This was the first US retail store to ever be entirely produced and manufactured in China. In September 2012 C. Wonder launched its second flagship store in
Time Warner Center
Deutsche Bank Center (also One Columbus Circle and formerly Time Warner Center) is a mixed-use building on Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City. The building occupies the western side of Columbus Circle and straddles the border between ...
. The space moved into part of the building previously occupied by Borders and covered more than 8,000 square feet. Burch has stated that C. Wonder stores are designed on the principle of disrupting the traditional retail environment. Part of C. Wonder's retail strategy is to open up seasonal pop up stores in places like
Southampton
Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...
in
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a U.S. state, state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the List of U.S. ...
and Nantucket in Massachusetts, in addition to their permanent stores. The first California location of C. Wonder opened in August 2012 at the Fashion Island Mall located in
Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws v ...
. In 2012, C. Wonder opened eight new stores in total.
C. Wonder stores regularly host charitable events to help local charities. In February 2012, a C. Wonder store in
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...
hosted a private shopping even where 10% of sales went to the
Gilda's Club
]
Gilda's Club is a community organization for people with cancer, their families and friends. Local chapters provide meeting places where those who have cancer, their families, and friends can join with others to build emotional and social suppor ...
Northern New Jersey cancer support organization.
In November 2013, C. Wonder signed a "licensing agreement with Al Tayer to open stores in the Middle East, such as the Mall of the Emirates, in Dubai, in early Spring 2014. Vince Montemarano, senior vice president of international at C. Wonder, said stores in "the Middle East, Latin America and Asia will be franchised".
, in the U.S., C. Wonder operates 30 stores.
On November 21, 2014, it was revealed that C. Wonder would significantly reduce their domestic retail operations. C. Wonder made no official announcement, but a report surfaced a day later detailing the locations likely to close.
In January 2015, the company filed for bankruptcy.
People
The President of C. Wonder was Andrea Hyde until March 2014. Also, a past president was Amy Shecter. The founder J. Christopher Burch began his career in the fashion world in 1976, when he launched Eagle’s Eye—a company that eventually established retails stores across the US. Burch also co-founded the
Tory Burch
Tory Burch ( née Robinson; born June 17, 1966) is an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of her own brand, Tory Burch LLC. She was listed as the 88th most power ...
Powermat Technologies
Powermat Technologies Ltd. is a developer of wireless power solutions for consumers, OEM and public places. The company licenses IP, sells charging spots to public venues and the software to support their maintenance, management and consumer inte ...
.
Television
On June 3, 2012, C. Wonder was featured in the television program '' The Pitch'', a reality television show airing on the AMC television network. During this episode, two advertising agencies pitched to founder J. Christopher Burch to become the advertising agency for C. Wonder. The two firms bidding for the business were Womenkind and the winner Digo. The slogan for the Digo pitch was "A Great Mood Can Change the World".
Controversies
The founder of C. Wonder has been involved in a lawsuit with his ex-wife, regarding potential similarities between the C. Wonder and Tory Burch brands. At the time of the lawsuit, J. Christopher Burch was still Chairman of the Board for Tory Burch. In October 2012, J. Christopher Burch launched a lawsuit against Tory Burch, accusing them of blocking his attempts to sell part of his shares in Tory Burch and claiming that C. Wonder's price point is much lower than Tory Burch products, preventing him from competing with the brand. This lawsuit, as well as all pending legal claims between the C. Wonder founder and his ex-wife, was settled on December 31, 2012.
Awards
Accessories Council Excellence Award for Speciality Retailer of the Year, 2012.
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...