I’ve recently been on a few shopping binges — because nothing says “I’m unemployed!” like being in a suburban mall at 11am. Here’s my suggestion for all stores:
Become Winners*
Say I want to buy a dress. I can go to Store A that sells off-beat dresses, Store B which sells classic dresses, Store C which sells beautiful but expensive dresses etc. Same thing for shoes. Each time I have to go into the store, say hello to the clerk, look through the dresses… If I buy one and find a nicer/better one later I have to return the first dress or vice versa. Oi — it’s exhausting!
However. When I go to Winners, I go to the dress section and it’s like “Ok, ok, ok, ugly, too long, too punky, too slutty, ok, too pricey, ok” and then I go to the changing room and try on my varied selection of dresses that were found in one convenient location.
Department stores, while slightly better than the horrible, horrible torture that is individual boutiques at the mall, are still atrocious. Clothes in department stores are still separated by designer; not size or colour, making my search less efficient than if all the clothes were grouped according to the logical order of life.
BONUS! Store will make more money because, if I want a blue dress, I’m going to look at all of the blue dresses. If I fall in love with one that is $100, Iwill buy it.
My efficient store. 100 000 square feet of this**:
*Canadian equivalent to TJ Maxx
**Notice that there are no shorts. As per this article
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I am perhaps sad that the men’s clothing department is the same size as the women’s short-sleeved shirt area, but I can’t fault the basic premise.
There is something incredibly transparent about having all the clothes of one type right beside each other. It facilitates comparisons you couldn’t easily make in smaller stores with a particular focus. Basically, I’m a fan of the Winners concept as well.
Alex recently posted..Thought of the Day for Work: Planting Seeds
I hate wearing shorts.
I also think that the store that will get my money, is one that has exactly what I want in my size, and in front of me.
What I hate the MOST about stores is if they do it by clothing COLOUR not size. I mean seriously!?
WTF? .. you might as well arrange books in order by their publisher, while you’re screwing up the way people shop.
That way you’ll never sell anything.
mochiandmacarons recently posted..December 2012 Budget Roundup = -($3206.63) or a decrease of -1.58%
Haha that’s funny cause I kinda like shopping by colour. But then I DESPISE shopping in Winners or Department stores so I guess I’m a little different anyway.
Noooo! If I want a white shirt, I should go to the white shirt section where it will be further subdivided into sizes. Steps: Shirt section, white shirts, size 6, not shirt section, size 6, rifle, rifle, rifle through all the colours
I can see merit to this, but this is where the online shopping has influenced real life. Online, I can filter for just white shirts of a specific size and get the ease of comparison that I desire.
Not a lot of stores make it this easy.
Alex recently posted..Thought of the Day for Work: Planting Seeds
HAHAHA love the diagram. Spot on.
eemusings recently posted..Summer, how I adore thee (though not the associated costs)
I like shopping at Winners for the same reasons you outlined in your post. Now that I’m in NY we always check out T.J. Maxx or Nordstrom Rack first when we want a clothing item.
K.K. @ Living Debt Free Rocks! recently posted..Currency Conversion. Reality Check.
Aw c’mon, I love my cut-offs. What else am I supposed to wear when I’m paddling down the river on a booze cruise?
I agree, the winners format is the best for shopping. It eliminates the disappointment felt when you find something you really, really like, but it’s not in your size.
Country Girl recently posted..Looking Back: 2012 Goals
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