Blogger Assignment: #10

New York & Company


The exclusive brand store that I went to visit Friday afternoon was New York & Company. I'm not an avid shopper, especially when it comes to the mall; however, I had no choice with this assignment!


So, in the beginning, I was somewhat dreading the experience to come. It had been years since I'd been in there, and the last impression I got was still prominent. I left New York & Company, never looking back, because they came off as a "motherly" brand. Old, out-of-date, and tacky were the description words tossing back and forth in my mind before I approached the store. I just felt like they'd be another big disappointment like most junior/women department stores. One thing I'd say that was positive about my past experience was that their customer service was better than the average. They did say hello, and they did offer their help; but I've worked in retail, and looking back, I wondered whether their lines were scripted like the weekly taglines they told us to use at Hollister.


So, in a nutshell, I was a little "turned-off" to the idea of New York & Company. The major question to me was more so whether they were truly being genuine four years ago--or were they what some stores have become?


Before I went into New York & Company, I sat outside and decided to survey the setup. It was brightly lit and held grand walkways accenting the name of the store. I thought they were trying to give off some sort of upper-middle class, regal feeling, but from a distance, most of the clothes still screamed soccer mom! One of the entrances were gated off, and that led me to believe they had past problems with thievery. That didn't phase me because I remembered how ridiculously prevalent stealing was working in Hollister. Clothes lined the walls, and styles were separated by Spring, business, and workout attire. There were casual tops in the back, and it looked like undergarments were to the right towards the back. A couple of sales people were restocking some outfit racks, and another was just walking around aimlessly. There weren't that many customers, but it was only a little after two. There were a couple of older women, maybe in their late twenties, rifling through the clothing racks. A couple of young teens--maybe nineteen-ish--walked into the store together and began trying on clothes.


After Entering & Exiting the Store


I didn't have anything particular in mind when I went into the store. I just wanted to see if their clothes were still older than me--or whether I just had to grow into their style. I will say that there were some nice ensembles and two piece dress suits, but for the most part, their demographic seemed to be young business women and teachers. They had some nice, cheap jewelry, and that peaked my interests, but ultimately, New York & Company would, for now, only be a store that I went to before job fairs and interviews--that or cheap jewelry.


Customer service was really nice though. I didn't learn their names, but there was a girl with brown hair and a ponytail that checked on me when it seemed as if I was puzzled on what to buy. She even offered matching suggestions! So, maybe she genuinely cared about the customer; maybe the retailer is what makes the taglines count for something.


Post New York & Company Perception


I still believe that it's for an older crowd, but the difference between now and back then is that I'm slowly becoming a part of their in crowd. Ultimately, it's a store that's made for a young woman to grow into. And it's a little comforting because if you're not ready, it'll be there when you are.