THE CONSUMER: Pop Go the Stores

Music is all about the merchandising

Anne Kellogg

Sir Elton John's personality-plus hits you right in the face when you walk into the Elton John Store inside Caesars Palace. But the total experience starts on the casino floor, where guests are treated to a short but sweet window display of several pairs of his wild, sparkling eyeglasses and some elevator boots, circa 1970s. Personal fave: Elton John's version of Dorothy's ruby slippers. We're a perpetual sucker for anything that even remotely conjures up the Wizard of Oz.


From this rainbow-and-glitter-infested display, we learn that Elton had his own style early on and peppered his initials on everything in his lengthy, 40-plus-years career. Right foot "E," left foot "J." Maybe it was an easy way to remember the piano pedal routine during those wild and crazy "Honky Cat" days.


Walk in the store and you'll find some wonderful Swarovski crystal-laden sunglasses designed for Sir John's retail ventures, along with some lovely Baccarat champagne flutes with red, bulbous stems and Elton's signature on the bases.


If you remember when life was young, you may even appreciate the stuffed crocodile toy that looks a lot like the Rocket Man himself.


Then there's an entire wall dedicated to all of Elton John's music. Every single album ever produced, including an uncanny number of greatest-hits compilations, but what else could you expect? The guy's had a ton of hits.


The Bitch is Back T-shirts rule the store, with sparkling block letters backed by fabrics in all the colors of a rainbow. And there are also the feather boas; lots and lots of boas.


Down the way, Celine Dion's signature store is on a similar merchandising program, but is decidedly more, well, Celine. The alien-looking silhouette icon she adopted for her New Day show at Caesars is everywhere: earrings, necklaces, T-shirts and other souvenir garments.


Like Elton's store, everything in Celine's is her own label, including sunglasses, golf balls (she golfs big time), a line of fragrances and personal pampering lotions and potions, and some interesting New Day Judith Lieber purses—sparkling totes usually in unusual shapes that are outrageously priced, and which some women enjoy carrying, you know, for fun.


But what we really need is some action from the Elvis and Frank Sinatra estates. They are missing out on this Vegas pop-singer retail gold rush.



Anne Kellogg is a native Las Vegan with a thing for purchasing stuff. E-mail her at
[email protected]

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