The Mysteries of Retail

I loved this the last time, design bestsellers and bombs, via New York Times Home section. These are the stores that are carefully curating their selection, not selling the same things that you can get online for less, and, I bet, exist in quirky spaces of their own.

However, their customers clearly exist in a different retail universe than I do. I don’t spend more than $100 easily and certainly not for something breakable, without function, or something for my kid that costs more than anything I own. So I am not a bit surprised that the bowl of melted army men (above) did not fly off the shelves along with the other bombs (boat seat, $42 tea towel). Hipsters without children are gullible, so I can see them buying Sally Voor’s leather piglets, not realizing that it is a rare child that prefers to stand books on end. The stackable melamine bowls and measuring spoons, however, are genius. I think the Conran Shop is right to bet on the red bench, mostly because it doesn’t look so modern. But: more bowls, candlesticks, and tabletop ornaments for hundreds of dollars? Hasn’t everyone in America been through the lemon centerpiece phase, and realized that the center of your table can just remain open?

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By Alexandra Lange

Alexandra Lange is an architecture critic and author, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism, awarded for her work as a contributing writer for Bloomberg CityLab. She is currently the architecture critic for Curbed and has written extensively for Design Observer, Architect, New York Magazine, and The New York Times. Lange holds a PhD in 20th-century architecture history from New York University. Her writing often explores the intersection of architecture, urban planning, and design, with a focus on how the built environment shapes everyday life. She is also a recipient of the Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary from AIGA, an honor she shares with Design Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Ellen McGirt.