Missoni Madness Lures Out Shoppers

The demand for merchandise labeled “Missoni for Target” has been surprising, to say the least. Last Tuesday marked the first—and possibly last—day of limited offering of budget-priced Missoni goods.

The design house created pieces especially for Target and were sold at prices Target shoppers would expect. For example, a Missoni for Target infinity scarf sold for $25, while the same type of scarf at Neiman Marcus costs $200. Are they the same product? Of course not. The Target scarf is 100 percent rayon and half the length of the “real” Missoni scarf which is a blend of acrylic, polyamide, mohair and polyester.

The scarf is nowhere to be seen in St. Louis stores and is sold out online. Yet eBay has more than 30,000 listings for “Missoni by Target” merchandise, with 191 listings for Missoni infinity scarfs. Shoppers should be wary of opportunistic sellers who are trying to capitalize on the Missoni craze. The same $25 infinity scarf can be found on eBay for as much as $155, nearly as much as the real thing. A few items spotted on eBay at more than twice the retail price are still available online at Target.

Town and Country’s Target still has a few Missoni odds and ends, such as baby boots, picture frames and sleeping masks in bright zigzag patterns. Most shelves under Missoni signs are either sparsely stocked or filled with goods from other labels.

Shoppers who thought to outfox brick-and-mortar shoppers have hit a snag. Target wasn’t able to fulfill all their online orders and shoppers have received messages that their purchases will be delayed or even cancelled.

The shopping frenzy that Target created is making experts wonder if shoppers are feeling frugal fatigue from the long-running recession. Other retailers, like Toys ‘R Us, are hoping to find their own Missoni magic in time for holiday shopping.

Other Town and Country retailers a happy to offer designer looks for less. Kay Wallace of F.O.B. offers of trendy—and more expensive—goods. One of her more popular finds are ceramic knickknacks that looks like pricey Victorian collectibles for a fraction of the cost.

Thrift shoppers in Manchester know that you can find real designer duds—if you don’t mind that they’re secondhand. can have surprising bargains with designer labels for those shoppers willing to dig through the racks.

On the Horizon:

• Planet Fitness recently opened its first St. Louis location at 13924 Manchester Rd., near Manchester Meadows.
• Halloween Express opened a temporary store at 14244 Manchester Rd. in Manchester across from Manchester Highlands.
• recently opened a location in Town and Country Crossings.