Shawny D. ChiefSac

Jackie Chan Loves the LoveSac

So I'm in Hong Kong today meeting with Jackie Chan at the tail end of a product development trip around China to visit our factories.  It turns out that Jackie Chan is a big fan of the Sac having fallen asleep in a LoveSac a few months while filiming his new movie The Spy Next Door, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.   [RIGHT: SHAWNY D. & JACKIE CHAN & DAVE UNDERWOOD AT J.C. OFFICES IN HONG KONG]

We actually built a "LoveSac Store" for the set of the movie, where a scene was shot in a shopping mall.  Jackie took a break in a LoveSac "BigOne," and the rest is history.  Jackie went into our Albuquerque store at the Cottonwood Mall and bought a bunch of Sactionals and Sacs for his place in Beijing.  Jackie's got a 13,000 square-foot apartment to fill, so Sactionals should be good for him.

Dave, my biz partner of 10 years and current Director of Product Development at LoveSac got to hang with Jackie for a while.  We talked about LoveSac, and business....maybe I'll share more another time.  I'd have to say, however, that the highlight of the meeting was Dave PUKING IN JACKIE CHAN'S BATHROOM -- TWICE!  I guess his pork chop noodles + Mrs. Fields Cookies for lunch in the mall at Mong Kok didn't do him right.  He was bent over so hard he busted out of his jeans.  No joke.

While Dave was blowin' chunks in the bathroom, me and Jackie were makin' plans.  I don't think Jackie knew, but his secretaries probably heard him.  Don't know what to say, really.  Davey--you usually handle your noodles so well!  You know, I've been coming to China since I was 5 years old.  1982, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999...and 2 or 3 times a year ever since for LoveSac business.  I learned fluent Mandarin while on a mission for 2 years in Taiwan, and then worked in Shanghai for one year as a Management Training Consultant in the year 2000 while Dave ran a very fledgling LoveSac back home in Utah.  Sometimes I feel like I'm part Chinese, so I must say, it was pretty darn cool to meet Jackie who IS the biggest star in all of Asia (half the world), hands down.    [ABOVE: ME with the pink fan, ON A PERFORMING TOUR AROUND ASIA, 1986]. 

So the craziness that is LoveSac goes on.  What's next?  Well, tomorrow, Dave and I take a train from Hong Kong to the border town of Shen Zhen, China.  We're visiting more of our factories that make LoveSac stuff before we hop the long flight home to NYC.  Then it is on to Las Vegas in the LoveSac Bus for the Bar & Nightclub show, and also to finish merchandising the Las Vegas (Henderson Galleria) LoveSac Store.  Should be a good time.

DON'T FORGET TO SEND ME YOUR EFFING CUTE PICTURES OF PEOPLE OR PETS ON LOVESACS.  (See my previous blog post).  You can win some serious LoveSac shwag....FOR FREE!!!  Even the runners-up get stuff.  I've only received a few pics so far, so your chances are pretty darn good.  Send them to chairmansac@gmail.com.  We'll post em and vote on em next week.

Rockin' the Sac from the far east....

-- Shawny D.

Effing Cute Photo CONTEST, FREE entry

It all started with one of my favorite LoveSac Managers, Jeremy Corash (loveyaman, I mean it!) who sent around this email to all of us with his "cute cats" on the Sac, subject line: "pretty effing cute."  So began an informal rivalry that day to one-up the next guy with the cutest photo of someone (or something) on a LoveSac.  They're all posted below...

Now its up to you!!!  SEND ME PHOTOS of your "pretty effing cute pets, kids, or self on the Sac and we'll take a vote to determine the final victor of this "Pretty Effing Cute LoveSac Photo Contest."  By sending me your photo you are automatically ENTERED TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE....

1. A LIMITED EDITION 1 POUND BAR OF LOVESAC EMBOSSED CHOCOLATE. (It is actually amazingly good chocolate.  We have smashed to pieces and eaten 5 or 6 of them at LoveSac HQ recently). Plus...

2. A LIMITED EDITION LOVESAC HEART PILLOW. Plus...

3. A LIMITED EDITION LOVESAC TRAVEL BAG, BY OGIO. Plus...

4. A $100 GIFT CARD GOOD IN ANY LOVESAC STORE LOCATION.

**Top 5 runners-up each get a 1 Pound Bar of LoveSac Chocolate sent to their doorstep.

Here is how to enter: Email your cutest effing pic to me, chairmansac@gmail.com.  LIMIT ONE PHOTO PER ENTRANT!  (Only the first photo attached will be displayed/judged).  Subject line: "Pretty effing cute."  Attach your photos to the email and make sure to include your name, where you are from, and any explanation for the photos in the body of the email, as well as any quick blurb you have about how you LoveSac.  Anyone can enter, once. YOU HAVE UNTIL MARCH 1st to enter, so DON'T DELAY!!!  Entry cutoff is 11:59pm EST on March 1st.  I will post all of the entries on my blog by March 3rd and voting will begin.  The public will decide the winner on March 8th, and results will be posted by noon EST on March 9th. 

Check out the rest of these pretty effing cute photos sent by the LoveSac crew that day....

"Meatball," from Lauren at LoveSac HQ (right):

I nominate Meatball as the winner!

He couldn’t even wait for me to put the cover on he was so excited!

"Oscar," from Casey in Vegas: (below/left):

This is my dog Oscar Lou and he wins.

 

Thanks,

 

Casey Cochran

Vegas Sac Manager

From Dan in Salt lake City (below/right):  

 

Dan Bostelman

Fashion Place LoveSac

From Katie at Mayfair LoveSac (below/left)...I'll raise you my baby.

My now 85 lb baby.

Katie Kroncke
Store Manager - LoveSac Mayfair

And last, but certainly not least, while these pics may not exactly be effing cute, the man who sent them is.  Meet LoveSac's #1 Fan Mr. Wayne Vaughn who just recently sent me new photos of his favorite room on the planet, his own.  Wayne has been supportin the Sac since 2002, and has more Sacs than I do!  Check out his rad pad as the battle to be the biggest fan continues...         

DEAR SHAWN MY BUDDY.

HI THIS  IS WAYNE YOUR NUMBER 1 LOVESAC FAN.

 YOU SHOULD PUT MY PICTURES OF MY ROOM AND MY COVERS ON LOVESAC.COM  ON YOUR BLOG.  HERE SOME PICTURES OF MY ROOM.

 LOVE WAYNE YOUR NUMBER 1 LOVESAC FAN.

                                                                                                        Thanks to all of you who have sent in your photos.  I look forward to seeing many more pretty effing cute photos.  Get em in and win!!!

--Shawny D.

The Amazing Machines of China

So I'm over in the eastern hemisphere right now checkin' out our Chinese factories.  We're inventing a few new products, and also constantly improving our staple ones.  LoveSac does about half of our production overseas and the other half in America.  While visiting a new sewing factory here I came across this fabric machine.  It is a completely mechanical contraption designed to produce patterned jacquard fabric.  I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.  The video does not do it justice, but I thought I would share it with you anyway.  Check it out...

This may sound juvenile, but I still find myself sometimes totally amazed with the world around me...often moreso in China than even the U.S.  It seems that every moment is a picture waiting to be taken here.  Even driving down the street in a cab here is often memorable....albeit kinda dangerous.  At least it is never boring.  I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to come to China at least twice a year since my missionary days in Taiwan in 1998.  This has allowed me to maintain my fluency in Mandarin, Chinese.  It really is like a 2nd home here--if only Tiff and Lucky could come along.

God bless the U.S.A. 

Thank goodness for the P.R.C....where anything is possible--they'll just throw more people at it.

Keep rockin' the Sac.

--Shawny D.

He has more LoveSac than I do....

So it turns out that John, from Maryland, may not only be the biggest LoveSac fan, he may even be more of a fan than I am!?  How is this possible?  Check this out...

That pic to the right is NOT the LoveSac Arizona Mills Store.  That is John's house.  I don't even have every one of those T-Shirts.  And the LovePuppy (center, black stuffed dog with spotted ears)....talk about a Limited Edition piece of the Sac.  Back to 2003 for that bad boy.  And if you look really, really carefully, I see a Snow Leopard Table Runner on top what looks to be a G1 U-table.  WOW.  The only other person I know who has one of these obscure LoveSac creations is  my mom. 

But John is not just a LoveSac fan of yesterday.  He has all of the latest and greatest from LoveSac.  To the left we see that John picked up a 2008 "Grad's Package," otherwise known as the Black Velvish Demon MediaPad.  That is just cool. 

And to the right we see one of John's many G2 Sationals configurations.  Clearly John "gets" the flexibilty of Sactionals.  I mean, wha other furniture could work in a strange little space like that one...and then become a part of a Movie Lounger or Sectional in another room, or eventually in another house.  John knows his LoveSac.

...and an O-Lamp.  Now I know John is serious about his Sac.  I don't think most people even know LoveSac sells lamps.  (ok, a lamp).  On top of all that, it appears that John has a virtual stockpile of LoveSac Covers, accessories, even the very rare baby blue LoveSac beanie!

John is kickin' it LoveSac style, same as I do nearly every night, curled up with a Navy FootSac blanket and a laptop. 

In John's own words, check out his take on things...

I drop in on your blog every once in a while and I've seen the people who claim to be the biggest fan.  I always wanted to challenge that but figured I'd let the kids play.  I can't keep anything the same for long, I'm always changing up but starting after my first 6' sac and TonoLove I've gone through:

 

4 SuperSacs

3 MovieSacs

2 GameSacs (I think that's what they were called... they were square)

1 Big One

Sactional G1's

Sactional G2's

3 Squattomans

LoveSac runners, placemats, birds, puppies, footsacs, pillows, tubesacs, sodasacs, a LoveSac shag rug that I kick myself everyday for getting rid of, license plate frames, T's, socks, etc!

 

Covers?  As Adam at Tyson's once told me... "You've got all the good ones".  I can't remember what they're all called but I've gone through:

 

Earth Microsuede

Black Microsuede

Mushroom Plush Suede

Original Puppy Phur

Buff Puppy Phur

Black Bear Phur

Artic SnowCat Monster Phur (?)

Chewbacca Phur (?)

Pink Phur

Blue Phur

Leopard

Crushed Velvet

Black Velvet

Dirty Denim

SUC's

Twill's

Cord's

 

My current inventory is:

 

1 SuperSac with the original Puppy Phur, Black Bear Phur and logos on the naked sac

1 MovieSac with Mushroom PlushSuede & Black Microfiber

3 Sactional G2 chairs with black & earth microsuede covers and an ottoman (that used to be a sectional)

1 O-Lamp

1 U-Table (with old school animal print runner)

2 U-Drinks

1 Media Rocker with media pad & speaker sac

1 Pet Pad with black microsuede cover

A ton of old pastel placemats & runners

1 LovePuppy

A bunch of Lovesac zip's, T's, socks & misc apparel

 

Anyway, you asked for pictures so I snapped a few, and found some on my computer.  Look around, you'll recognize some of your stuff...

THANKS JOHN!  MY FAITH IN HUMANITY IS RESTORED BY SEEING LOVESAC'RS LIKE YOU OUT THERE. 

 

NEVER STOP ROCKIN' THE SAC!!!

--Shawny D.

 

 

WINNERS 08 Merch Contests

I am pleased to announce the big winners from 2008's Merchandising Contests at LoveSac!  

WHITE GLOVE CONTEST RESULTS...

1st place: SOUTH HILLS LOVESAC STORE, 990 points

2nd place: KING OF PRUSSIA LOVESAC STORE, 977 points

3rd place (4-way tie): TYLER GALLERIA (CA), STONEBRIAR (TX), GARDEN STATE PLAZA (NJ), and LAYTON (UT) with 975 points!!!

Store Manager, Torin Hoole, and the staff of LoveSac South Hills, winners of THE WHITE GLOVE CONTEST!  (Yes, that guy -- to the right).  With 990 points of a possible 1000, South Hills just nailed it when it comes to merchandising.  Hats off fo the entire staff.  They win the $$$.  Here is the breakdown...

It is simple.  I, Shawny D., will be visiting each and every LoveSac store in the country beginning on November 4 thru December 22.  The first thing I will do upon arrival is to give your store 1000 FREE POINTS.  I will subtract from there.  Every color, Cover, POP, poster, crooked poster, dusty shelf, scuffed wall, out of place product, poorly fluffed Sac, too-empty Sac, too-full Sac, wobbly Sactionals arm, worn-looking Cover, Corner-Cover-Horns showing Sactionals Piece, burnt out light, cluttered cash-wrap, poor layout choice, etc, etc, that I find in your store, I will deduct one point.  The store that scores the highest with the highest pointsYou will not be deducted for anything that is truly out of your control, as long as you are aware of the problem, and as long as you are making the effort  to get it fixed.  The store that scores the highest wins.  Here is what the winning store will win:

1. Store Manager wins $600 cash bonus
2. Assistant Manager wins $400 cash bonus
3. Every other staff member wins $100 cash bonus

 MERCH-BOOK-SMARTS CONTEST

 

1st place: JEREMY CORASH (LoveSac Natick, MA.  Shown right--he clearly learned from the best)

2nd place:  ANDRES MORALES (LoveSac Albuquerqu, NM)

*Only 2 entries!!!  Let this be a lesson to you all.  But I must say, both were extremely thorough.  I had to count twice. 

CONTEST RULES

This one requires an eye for detail, but anyone can win!  The contest is simple: Review the full-size color photos of Mayfair, “the perfect LoveSac Store.”  (see the photos of this store in the following link): http://lovesac.typepad.com/shawndnelson/2008/10/new-lovesac-look-new-lovesac-direction.html I have made a list of 10 (there may be more) very specific things that are “wrong” with the layout or details portrayed in these photos as per the instructions within “The Showroom” section of this Merchandising Bible.  The Sac’r (Mananger or not) who can discover and point out these 10 or more “problems” with the “perfect” merchandising shown, as well as explain what the correct answer or detail is (based on the information in the Merch Bible) will receive a $350 cash bonus plus a set of matched LoveSac monogrammed custom luggage, by O’Gio (a value of over $500).

Check out the big brain on Jeremy, and all the flaws he found in my handiwork...

1. The placement of the U-drink in the Home Theatre is incorrect. It should be placed on the back of the sectional instead of on the side.

2. There should be soda sacs on the City Sacs in the Home Theatre.

3. The swatch is on the wrong side of the U-Cube in the Home Theatre. N/A

4. This one's a little picky, but the angle of the "pea pod" pillowsac is incorrect in the loft. It should be angled into the loft instead of facing straight out.

5. There should be soda sacs on the big one in the loft.

6. The throw pillows are in backwards order in the Media Room - they are ordered right to left instead of left to right.

7. The lamp in the Media Room is facing the wrong direction (not sure if this matters) - it should be parrallel with the U-Cube.  N/A

8. Again, the direction of the lamp is wrong in the Living room by the deep sofa. ?  N/A

9. In the living room the swatch should be not be on the U-table, it should be on the ottoman.  N/A

10. The squat in the livingroom should be Eskimo instead of Espresso.

11. The ottoman in the livingroom should be centered on the far end (towards the back of the store) of the deep sofa, not centered on the middle of the deep sofa.

12. They are missing their stanchion ouside of the store!

13. The u-cube is missing from the custom order pod.

14. The custom order swatches are in the wrong order.

15. The swatches on the cashwrap are missing.

16. The Sactional Covers in the  Stock Furniture Standing Unit should be Eskimo, not Red Velvish.

Thanks to ALL of you for working so hard in 2008 to make your LoveSac stores look HOT!  It was by far the most successful Front Line tour I have ever had.  Dig into those Merch Bibles if you haven't.  Those of you who won, congratulations--your money and prizes are on the way.

--Shawny D.