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Camden Road Retail in SouthEnd

joshuacc

By joshuacc
in Charlotte Coffee House

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NCMike1981 Burg

NCMike1981

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That reminds me of something a friend who worked at Abercrombie & Fitch told me a few years back. The employees at that store are told to never talk to or even smile at a customer unless they are talked to. It's supposed to promote some sort of image...of course sales clerks of A&F also have to, yes have to, be attractive to be hired, or so I was told....another friend of mine applied for a job at Hollister at Crabtree in Raleigh and was politely told he didn't fit the "image" of the chain...

I think that this American Apparel probably operates essentially in the same way A&F and Hollister does....but hey at least an upscale store is coming to an area of/near downtown....

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Miesian Corners City

Miesian Corners

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^Interesting way to do biz. I actually shopped at Hollister this past holiday season (my nephew will only wear clothes from there and Urban Outfitters). Not only were the sales people friendly, they were knowledgeable about their merchandise...something that surprised me for a store employing 17 year olds. The guy that helped me even talked me, a 40-year old, into trying on a pair of jeans. I ended up buying them. Glad the SouthPark employees at Hollister don't subscribe to the selling techniques you describe above.

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appatone Hamlet

appatone

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Alright, I have a confession to make.... I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch. :blush: I was young so cut me some slack. Anyway, we were told as a group to speak to any customer who came within 10 feet of us. If people were rude, it was just because they were 19 and didn't know anything about customer service. It wasn't mandated by the company for "image" purposes. However, A&F does hire based on look which often times means that they end up hiring the most cocky 19 year-olds your likely to find. However, this is a job your not likely to find on my resume, I have been in situations where managers elsewhere will not hire Abercrombie store employees because of the bad service reputation of the store.

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spectacle21 Whistle-Stop

spectacle21

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Alright, I have a confession to make.... I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch. :blush: I was young so cut me some slack. Anyway, we were told as a group to speak to any customer who came within 10 feet of us. If people were rude, it was just because they were 19 and didn't know anything about customer service. It wasn't mandated by the company for "image" purposes. However, A&F does hire based on look which often times means that they end up hiring the most cocky 19 year-olds your likely to find. However, this is a job your not likely to find on my resume, I have been in situations where managers elsewhere will not hire Abercrombie store employees because of the bad service reputation of the store.

A&F is ALL about image. If you don't look remotely close to the style of their models on those posters...forget about being hired. I applied and was interviewed at Abercrombie @ Lenox (Atl) twice & then, talked with the Store Manager who gave me a senseless runaround. I dress sorta preppyish....not exactly on the lines of A&F...but hey, I tried. I think they were intimidated by my locks, "urban" appeal, & the other obvious factor...lol. I'm 19 & I KNOW quite a few rude 19 year old A&F'ers who think they are on top of it b/c they hold that particular job.

On the otherhand, Urban Outfitter's is a very friendly based store. The entire atmosphere encourages the shopper to interact w/the employee in way in which both sides feel respected. I'm glad A&F turned me down...b/c I have a way better job @ Urban Outfitter's w/a more laid-back working environment.

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appatone Hamlet

appatone

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The reason I brought up look based hiring is that American Apparel does require 3 pictures to be sent in with the online resume. I didn't apply but I did check it out.

To answer your question Cantnot, I sure as hell don't look like A&F's models. I have been told however that I give off a sort of Waxhaw Chic. :silly:

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voyager12 Town

voyager12

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I went to American Apparel today.They were distressingly empty. Of course I went around 3:30 on a weekday. Cool store. I like how the entrance is basically a large open garage door. Its amazing what one additional business can do for a small block. The whole street seems more alive now which is great. I just hope they can survive. The area is still relatively isolated and I am not somone who pays $20 for a white tee shirt.

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appatone Hamlet

appatone

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So I finally got around to checking this place out. I have to say that my customer service experience there was great. The manager approached me and introduced himself, asked me if I was familiar with their store's concept. I was asked by 3 sales people if I was familiar with their business practices, I guess they really like to push that. At least 5 people spoke to me while I was in there. However I probably got a lot of attention because I was the ONLY customer. It's a shame because I really like what they're all about. Producing their clothing in an urban area in the US, paying there employees (even in manufacturing) fair wages, offering all sorts of programs for their sewers, etc. Opening their stores only in urban locals and pioneering some urban retail in many cities. I bought a tee-shirt, it was only 15.00. That's really not that bad, that's what places like the Gap charge and we probably wouldn't want to get into the details of their production. They have every color of T-Shirt imaginable which I thought was cool. I'll definitely try to pick up things like T-shirts, socks etc. there when I can. I'll tell my friends to check it out too, I think what they're trying to achieve is cool. The store will be open until 8pm most days. I think more retail will enter this area now and follow their lead on hours which should fill that transition time between 5pm work and 10pm party with shoppers in Southend. Definitely stop by and check them out and, if you havn't already, check out the mission section of their website. www.americanapparel.net

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StevenRocks City

StevenRocks

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for the record, I don't shop and never have at A&F.
When I was super-skinny, the clothes were too big. When I got bigger, they shrunk their clothes and they fit too close. I had about three years circa '99 that I matched up with A&F's sizing. I still like my cargos and some tees I bought there, but I've moved on to Polo, Brooks Brothers and above for the "conspicuous consumption" part of my wardrobe

Isn't A&F not doing so well with its investors? I had heard that its stock was in the toliet recently.
They have a tendency to offed at least one major or social group per year, their clothes are too tattered to cost what they do, and they've overexpanded like nobody's business. my money's on American Eagle in that segment. They took A&F's business model and removed the BS

On the otherhand, Urban Outfitter's is a very friendly based store. The entire atmosphere encourages the shopper to interact w/the employee in way in which both sides feel respected. I'm glad A&F turned me down...b/c I have a way better job @ Urban Outfitter's w/a more laid-back working environment.
Good for you! Urban Outfitters is one of my favorite stores. It's very eclectic and there's always something unexpected in there. I'm glad they're in Charlotte.
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