STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

stylethread · Kenneth Cole

Pricey places attract or intimidate?

ico · Dooney & Bourke

Dunno...

I guess I am so insecure that I don't feel confortable going in a high-end store. I feel like I should buy something, while this doesn't happen when I go to regular stores.

Guess this is a typical case of "validation thorugh shopping", but I can't help it, so I just don't go, especially if the store is almost empty and the sale people are available...

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

For the most part, I wouldn't go unless I had plans to buy something. If I was just going to browse (or even buy I guess), as sad as this is, I make sure I'm carrying my LV, or wearing designer jeans or something, just so they sales people "know" that I DO have money. I suppose because of that, that I am intimidated somewhat. My biggest fear with those stores is having the sales people be total snobs to you because they don't think you have the money to shop there. That would be why I'll wear something expensive to sort of prove that.

I know, it's sad. I suppose I could also tape my Visa to my forehead too, huh?

blink · Coach

Neither.

Texans are generally friendly. I certainly do not feel personally intimidated in the more luxurious stores, I usually get very friendly treatment from the sale associates...my baby son always gets a compliment, or I get a kind hello. One time an associate walked up and told us we had a beautiful family, isn't that so nice? I smile and admire the store when I shop, but I don't always dress up, nor do I own any bag more expensive than Coach. One thing I don't do is immediately look for the price tag, I usually admire the selection and ask general questions if I am actually considering a purchase.

I am not attracted to these stores so much though. I generally don't make purchases at luxury stores because I am fairly conservative about material items. I go for the look, not the brand, but when I find something I plan to buy, such store might see me browsing again about five times before I actually make a final decision to buy the item.

honey · Gucci

not really, i used to be more intimidated but now i'm not. if i'm in a general browsing mood then i don't care. i've never been treated poorly by an sa, though sometimes i feel like i've been followed in stores (but that's a whole separate post). though i will admit, if it's a really small boutique and i know i'm not going to buy something i won't go in. just b/c i feel as though i'm wasting the sa's time, which is silly but it's how i feel.

f413 · Kenneth Cole

I am really touchy feely when I buy clothes, so I feel like that may be frowned upon in a big high-end store. I guess it depends on the vibe too. I went to a saks in Boston and it just felt cold and snooty, so I left almost immediately. I went to Nordstrom and it was totally warm and friendly and the clerk didn't sneer at me as I groped the clothes.

Honey- isn't that a catch-22 (?), if you don't go in you might miss something great, but if you do go in you risk "wasting the sa's time." I feel this too, but I feel bad going into any independently owned business and not buying anything.

luckylily · Gucci

I don't really worry about it. I don't generally shop just to browse, when I shop, it's because I'm going to buy. I usually know what I want too. Also, the high end stores I go in are typically smaller boutiques and have really friendly SAs.

When I go to my favorite boutique, I do make sure I'm wearing a good outfit. However, it is more because I have little girl crushes on all the SAs there, they always have the best outfits!

berryahou35 · Dooney & Bourke

I get intimidated by high end places. I'll only go in if there's other people in there also. Even if it's not high end, if there's barely anyone in there, I won't go in either. For some reason, when I go to Taiwan, I'll just go in anywhere, but in America, I'm more conscious.

jen · Kate Spade

Uh yeah, once when I was shopping in Miami, this salesgirl greeted me by saying 'The sale stuff is in the back.' No Hello, no welcome, nothing, just there is the sale stuff.....I felt like saying-bitch, I'm probably half your age and have twice the amount of nice things you'll EVER own! But I didn't because I'm nice....but I was SO mad!

bex · Chanel

inside i feel intimidated but outside i walk with authority and buy what i like. i just keep thinking in my head "the SAs can't afford the clothes here without the discount b/c the most they make is prolly $8 an hour...."

shopgirl82 · Chanel

from working in retail, i've learned that you can never judge someone by what they're wearing. a lot of times the people who look the most frumpy, spend the most. the women who "dress up" to shop, don't always spend money. so ya never know. i'm the same way as luckylily, when i shop, i know what i'm going to buy.

lorelei-while i agree that in tx. people are often nice. i don't believe they are any nicer than most states. in fact, my worst customer service was actually in tx. i went into this store and this lady was so rude to me, telling me that across town they own a boutique that has less expensive items. i was super offended. i was on vacation, so dressing comfortable, but cute. if she paid attention to the little details, she would have known that i shop. shop well, and hard! i think in the end, those places lose money, cuz i am certainly not spending my money at a place like that...i'm a firm believer in good customer service.

-- Edited by shopgirl82 at 22:24, 2005-05-31

Bastet · Kate Spade

I'm not intimidated by pricey stores for the most part. I do feel weird if I don't buy something, which is what happens most of the time. What I can't stand about pricey stores are the snobby salespeople. They have no reason to be snobby, especially when they probably can't afford to buy stuff in their own stores. I went to Pink to get a shirt for the hubby and I had my huge workbag with the seal of the gov't agency I work for on it, and was wearing a skirt and sweater set with flipflops. When I asked the salesgirl, who was probably a senior in highschool, if I could see a pair of expensive cufflinks she looked at my bag and then ignored me even though no one else was around. When I asked her again, she rolled her eyes said, "Why? They cost $x. Are you going to buy them?" My cheeful response was "Not from you!" I waited for the other employee to come out from the back to buy the shirt and cufflinks.

blink · Coach

shopgirl82 wrote:

from working in retail, i've learned that you can never judge someone by what they're wearing. a lot of times the people who look the most frumpy, spend the most. the women who "dress up" to shop, don't always spend money. so ya never know. i'm the same way as luckylily, when i shop, i know what i'm going to buy. lorelei-while i agree that in tx. people are often nice. i don't believe they are any nicer than most states. in fact, my worst customer service was actually in tx. i went into this store and this lady was so rude to me, telling me that across town they own a boutique that has less expensive items. i was super offended. i was on vacation, so dressing comfortable, but cute. if she paid attention to the little details, she would have known that i shop. shop well, and hard! i think in the end, those places lose money, cuz i am certainly not spending my money at a place like that...i'm a firm believer in good customer service. -- Edited by shopgirl82 at 22:24, 2005-05-31

ooh, that was rude. I think anyone is more likely to get someone kind of rude in a small boutique as opposed to a big store like Neiman Marcus, where any sales associate may be subject to someone writing a complaint letter to management. But there is probably a greater possibility of getting stellar service in a small boutique too. I like the ones that ask if they can please bring you a soft drink! That doesn't happen in department stores, does it?

ILoveChoo · Hermes

Bastet wrote:

I'm not intimidated by pricey stores for the most part. I do feel weird if I don't buy something, which is what happens most of the time. What I can't stand about pricey stores are the snobby salespeople. They have no reason to be snobby, especially when they probably can't afford to buy stuff in their own stores. I went to Pink to get a shirt for the hubby and I had my huge workbag with the seal of the gov't agency I work for on it, and was wearing a skirt and sweater set with flipflops. When I asked the salesgirl, who was probably a senior in highschool, if I could see a pair of expensive cufflinks she looked at my bag and then ignored me even though no one else was around. When I asked her again, she rolled her eyes said, "Why? They cost $x. Are you going to buy them?" My cheeful response was "Not from you!" I waited for the other employee to come out from the back to buy the shirt and cufflinks.

OMG that is the rudest thing I have ever heard. I would have been thisclose to punching her in the face.

dot · Marc Jacobs

i used to be intimidated by pricey stores but always have been drawn to them... living in nyc and working right off of fifth avenue... the pricest places are so close yet so far (at least from my budget). but i do find that in alot of the pricier stores, most (definitely not all.. i have definitely run into snobby sales people).. anyway most of the sales people are usually really nice. i feel like the higher the level of store, the higher the level of customer service.

i used to be freaked out to be in barneys or bergdorfs because i can't afford basically almost everything but they are really so helpful there! they make it so inviting to go there and blow tons of $$$$... maybe that's the whole idea?

anyway, if someone is snobby, i just find someone else... but i've had a lot of good luck in higher end stores. i also usually try to find the same person if i can when i revisit.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Those sales gals always assume I'm just in there to look (or steal) since they follow me around the whole place. Oh, I will be interested in something but they will talk to the older lady who's wearing the big diamonds and carring the obvious LV first, even though I got there before she did! So I get mad and leave. I may be toting my fun and cute cheap bag, but that does not mean I can't buy a Coach bag!

Bastet · Kate Spade

Cortney1982 wrote:

Those sales gals always assume I'm just in there to look (or steal) since they follow me around the whole place.

I hate it when salespeople do that! It makes me feel like a teenager again. I was in a Riedel store last month and the saleswoman started following me around. I complained about it to my husband later and he was under the impression that in nice stores they're supposed to follow you around in case you want them to help you. I don't know if he's right or not, though. It was making me uncomfortable, especially since she didn't even greet me when I entered the store.

Drew · Gucci

I am amused by my own intimidation, because my SO and I own a store in the trendiest part of our county where the brokerage firms and high end retail stores are (we'll be getting a Tiffany's soon too). But, it took me three years before I mustered up the nerve to walk into a certain store that is always advertised in Lucky for Blue Marine, Choo's, Moschino, and what-not. When I finally did work up the nerve to walk in I made sure I was wearing a pair of designer shoes and I carried my best bag. The SA's fawned all over me. It was nice and I didn't feel the need to buy anything, but I still feel uncomfortable walking in there and rarely go. In fact to date I have never even looked at their clothes (that would require touching!), only their shoe collection, but I did try a pair on. There are plenty of high-end retail stores I still haven't gone into even after more than five years with our business in town.

This past Christmas season I visited Barney's for the first and only time. I was very observant and noticed that the "common" looking people (especially those that looked like tourists sporting fanny packs and such) were ignored, while the flashy looking ladies got lots and lots of attention. I didn't think I looked bad, although I wasn't wearing my nicest clothes, because -and I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this - I feel like the city can get very dirty with all the soot and cars. When I went into the shoe department I was planning/hoping to find a pair of shoes to buy. I was completely ignored although there were SA's walking around not helping anyone. It was nice though when a man came to me and said I looked great and he wanted me to pick out a pair of shoes for his wife for Christmas. He validated me. Silly, I know (that I still need external validation -and from strangers at that), but I was starting to feel really low, before he came up to me. I didn't end up buying shoes because I certainly didn't want someone who ignored me to make any commission off me, but the man ended up buying the shoes I picked out for his wife.

rocky · Coach

bex wrote:

inside i feel intimidated but outside i walk with authority and buy what i like. i just keep thinking in my head "the SAs can't afford the clothes here without the discount b/c the most they make is prolly $8 an hour...."

me too!

I feel super intimidated going into Abercrombie & Hollister! The SA's usually ignore everyone, and are definitely snooty.

theotherjess · Chanel

Cortney1982 wrote:

Those sales gals always assume I'm just in there to look (or steal) since they follow me around the whole place.

Ugh, yes! I don't like to go in expensive places because I usually can't afford it anyways BUT the sales people automatically assume that since I'm a teenager A) I am going to try to shoplift or B) think its okay to help the person BEHIND me in line to pay, because I guess I'm not important enough, even though I have been waiting in line longer.