Black Friday Report
It may surprise you to know that I, a dedicated shopper, have never gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving. This year, I thought I'd head to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago for some people watching. And there were lots of people.
Going off the number of shopping bags I saw, people over thirty are shopping at Bloomingdale's, twenty at H&M, and teens at Victoria's Secret.
The most crowded place we stopped was Macy's. The one near me is, no exaggeration, the most poorly staffed and pathetically stocked Macy's in the entire Midwest. They do not carry the boots I'm hunting. Surely the Macy's on Michigan Ave. would have them, since I don't want to commit myself to hunting an item I've never tried on. But no. The manager of the shoe department told me that they stock, at most, 10% of what is on their website. (Has anyone else encountered this? If something is online only, they should say that on the website. And only selling something in your flagship store in New York doesn't mean it's really available.) He recommended I buy two pairs (of the $400 boots) and mail back what doesn't fit.
After turning up empty-handed at several more stores, I wandered into Neiman Marcus. It wasn't crowed at all, and a very pleasant sales lady asked if I would like to see anything. I picked up these shoes and told her that I'd had a rough day and had always wanted to try on a pair of Christian Louboutins. She understood the need for shoe therapy perfectly, and brought me a pair in my size. I'd been on my feet for hours, and I must say, these are the most perfectly balanced and comfortable shoes I'd ever put on. If you could make a hug from an old friend into a shoe, it would be this shoe.
For understanding a customer's needs: Macy's F, Neiman Marcus A
Going off the number of shopping bags I saw, people over thirty are shopping at Bloomingdale's, twenty at H&M, and teens at Victoria's Secret.
The most crowded place we stopped was Macy's. The one near me is, no exaggeration, the most poorly staffed and pathetically stocked Macy's in the entire Midwest. They do not carry the boots I'm hunting. Surely the Macy's on Michigan Ave. would have them, since I don't want to commit myself to hunting an item I've never tried on. But no. The manager of the shoe department told me that they stock, at most, 10% of what is on their website. (Has anyone else encountered this? If something is online only, they should say that on the website. And only selling something in your flagship store in New York doesn't mean it's really available.) He recommended I buy two pairs (of the $400 boots) and mail back what doesn't fit.
After turning up empty-handed at several more stores, I wandered into Neiman Marcus. It wasn't crowed at all, and a very pleasant sales lady asked if I would like to see anything. I picked up these shoes and told her that I'd had a rough day and had always wanted to try on a pair of Christian Louboutins. She understood the need for shoe therapy perfectly, and brought me a pair in my size. I'd been on my feet for hours, and I must say, these are the most perfectly balanced and comfortable shoes I'd ever put on. If you could make a hug from an old friend into a shoe, it would be this shoe.
For understanding a customer's needs: Macy's F, Neiman Marcus A
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