I only shop at department stores for bras, underwear and tights.
I don't know why I do this to myself.
Actually, I do it because I don't wear padded bras, push-up bras or bras with underwire, and that's all you can find in lingerie shops.
Anyway, how many of you get severely choked in the lingerie section (and now even the men's underwear section) of department stores looking for your size and preferred colour? If you could've only witnessed me at The Bay last weekend! I wanted to purchase one pair of opaque black Spanx Tight End tights, but left empty-handed. Why? Well, because lingerie departments are always a mess. Customers have to rip down all the other sizes from the wall/rack just to try and find theirs. If you're a size extra small or extra large, you can thoroughly relate to this pain because you know exactly where I'm coming from. Your size is always the last one hanging behind ten other sizes, or they just don't have any because I guess only size medium or extra extra large women should wear bras or tights. Another thing is that no one wants to buy those bras or tights that someone, for some reason, has pulled out of their packaging.
You know what I want? I want a wall that I can go up to, select the image of the Size A black Spanx Tight End Tights, insert my payment and poof they drop down for me. Ba-bye - out I go, a happy customer. Remember L'eggs hosiery vending machines? In goes my change, out drops the egg.
Retailers, this is one of the reasons why we shop online. Your stores are overstocked (because you're not reading your data properly), they're a mess (because you're not reading your data properly), you have no cashiers ever open, there are no customer service people around and you never have an appropriate assortment of sizes (because you're not reading your data properly). It's time you figured out what to do with all the strategic data you've collected because your time is running out.*
Oh, and Spanx, you need to offer free shipping. I would've just bought a pair of tights online (in a transaction clocking in at less than a minute), but it would cost me $12 in shipping for a $28 pair of tights. Come on, Spanx, add free shipping to your cost of doing business deduction.
*I've worked in retail for almost 30 years - my first job was in a boutique when I was fourteen. I've worked in every retail environment imaginable. Everything from department stores, international boutiques, independent retailers, pop-up shops, trade shows and e-commerce. At present, I'm in the process of creating a retail management program for BCIT. I'm also a very critical consumer.
Image via eBay
Retailers, this is one of the reasons why we shop online. Your stores are overstocked (because you're not reading your data properly), they're a mess (because you're not reading your data properly), you have no cashiers ever open, there are no customer service people around and you never have an appropriate assortment of sizes (because you're not reading your data properly). It's time you figured out what to do with all the strategic data you've collected because your time is running out.*
Oh, and Spanx, you need to offer free shipping. I would've just bought a pair of tights online (in a transaction clocking in at less than a minute), but it would cost me $12 in shipping for a $28 pair of tights. Come on, Spanx, add free shipping to your cost of doing business deduction.
*I've worked in retail for almost 30 years - my first job was in a boutique when I was fourteen. I've worked in every retail environment imaginable. Everything from department stores, international boutiques, independent retailers, pop-up shops, trade shows and e-commerce. At present, I'm in the process of creating a retail management program for BCIT. I'm also a very critical consumer.
Image via eBay
