Today was one of those sticky hot NYC days that makes you happy to be on the subway, just because its air conditioned. I was in SoHo for a meeting and it sort of made me miss working there. So much style (in between the dazed Italian tourists with fanny packs. I don't know why I'm picking on Italians, since it seems all tourists in SoHo are dazed and fanny-pack-clad). I walked up West Broadway to Starbucks and saw that a lot of the stores had closed- Big Drop, Detour, some others, and all were on sale. It so depressing, this recession, especially in the fashion corners of the world. I pride my greedy self in stimulating the economy and the fashion industry as much as I can afford to!
I read this article in Time and as someone who works in retail, I was totally appalled. Haggling?! in STORES? FOR CLOTHES (or in the article, bacon!)?!?! I'm sorry, I know times are tough. But seriously? I have definitely had people ferociously attempt to haggle with me. "Are you suuuuuuuure this is $____? What if I buy two of them? Are they stiiiiiiiill that much?". Please, this ain't Chinatown, honey. We aren't haggling over 2 for 1 "I Heart NY" t-shirts; these are 200 dollar boots that are not on sale! It makes me feel all funny to have to repeat 5-6 times that no, I cannot give you a deal on those. I mean, I know you are a special snowflake, but those shoes are priced as marked! Not to mention that people of late feel enTITLED to a discount, as if we owe them that much because our clothes are expensive. All I'm saying is that retailers are struggling, too. Perhaps if I was the owner I could hand out 10% discounts like candy (which he definitely would not!), but now right now. Anyway, I just had to rant that out. What do you think? Would you haggle? In a boutique? In a grocery store? Exhilarating or downright humiliating? Tell me what you think!
I got REALLY riled up about the hagglers at the atlanta apparel show. Mom was selling dresses from like two seasons ago on a rack for $15 and then new samples for whatever their current retail price is. They'd get really excited about the $15 rack that when they approached the current stuff they would be like ANGRY that everything there wasn't priced at nothing.
And I mean your store is a national chain why would they think that YOU personally could change the prices on what I assume is a tightly controlled inventory.
Posted by: Leslie | August 05, 2009 at 03:37 PM