There's nothing more annoying than walking into a clothing store and being asked fifty million times if you need help with something, if you have any questions, or if you are looking for something in particular. Menacing sales associates are the main reason that I shop as little as possible. I just don't want to fend off ten salesgirls while I browse around a store!
Apparently veteran shopper Tinsley Mortimer agrees. She told WWD (which The Cut posted) "I don't like them helping me. I know what I like, and I prefer them to just let me go. I'll probably buy more if I don't feel any pressure." I couldn't agree more! If I need help finding something in particular (i.e. a size that is not on the sales floor), or if I have a question about the ratio of nylon to cotton in that blouse, believe me, I'll ask. If, however, I am continually pestered, I will indeed have a question for the salesgirl, and that question will be "Where is the nearest exit?!"
I've long been mystified regarding the sales approach of clothing stores. Do they really think that this is how sales are made? Sometimes I just want to wander through a store to see what's new. I won't be buying anything, even if you tell me that the sweater I'm holding can spin straw into gold. I'm just here to look. Also, I really don't require a stranger's help with finding a piece of clothing. I've been dressing myself for almost twenty years now (OK, my dad picked out my clothes in elementary school!), and I have a well-developed aesthetic. Plus, I enjoy searching for that perfect piece and stumbling upon an interesting find.
I realize that there are exceptions to this shopping preference, though. I can't imagine shopping for a wedding gown without the assistance of a sales associate. Also, if a man is searching for a gift for his wife/girlfriend/daughter, I can understand how this might necessitate assistance. There needs to be that happy medium between completely ignoring a prospective customer and bothering him/her to the point where the customer makes a beeline for the door.
How do you feel about shopping? Are you with Tinsley and I in that you know what you're looking for and just want to be left to it in a clothing store, or do you enjoy a certain amount of assistance from the sales associates?
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