It is time to unveil the crux of my blog: The Discount Store Rating Scale.
Some of us are discount store experts, others are intimidated, or even driven to panic, by an over-stuffed rounder. Now, I admit that there is truly never a good excuse for improper merchandising, but sometimes we must suffer the ineptitude of retailers in order to reap the benefits of their offerings.
To this end, I plan to rate a different store each week. The lower the score, the easier the store is to successfully shop. Ratings will be based the following three categories:
1) Shopability: How easy is the store to maneuver/shop? This can be broken down into two sub-sections. First, Size of Selection--does the store carry a wide selection of items, including multiple examples of one article (like vests, leggings)? Or does it cater to a smaller selection of unique pieces (say, one type of vest, or one kind of legging)? Second, the Tidy-Factor--are the racks over-stuffed and over-flowing with a disorganized orgy of fabric? Or, are the racks easy to maneuver and neatly organized by color, size and style?
2) Reliability: This is important--If I close my eyes and remove a random article of clothing from a rack, how likely will it be that the item is on-trend for the season? If I am likely to open my eyes and find a sweatshirt appliquéd with an angel and quilting squares, I would give them a 3 in this category. Alternatively, if I would be hard pressed to find something that wasn't on-trend in the entire store, their score would be a 1 (and I would be in heaven because I've never encountered a store quite that reliable!)
3) Return Policy: So you make your purchases and you're feeling good. But when you get them home, you realize that the boots that looked brown in the store, look purple when you put them next to your brown slacks. Or the top you thought would look great with the skirt you bought last week actually looks horrible. Can you return your purchases? If so, how long can you wait to make the decision to do so? Will you get your money back, or do they only offer store credit? These are important issues to consider that should inform your retail-daring at any given shop. The worse the return policy, the higher the score.
So, if Elle's Belles is a tidy store with a small, focused selection of on-trend items, it would score well in the first two categories.
Shopability: 1
Reliability: 1
But if they won't let you return your new top, that will hurt their third rating. Return Policy: 3
Elle's Belles total score would be 5--this would put them in the middle of the Shopping Sorcery spectrum. Feel free to shop, but make sure you are certain about your items before you buy. Or, maybe Elle's Belles is a sprawling store with over-stuffed racks and that same fabric orgy problem I mentioned earlier.
Shopability: 3
But 6 out of 10 items you pick up will be seasonally on-trend. Reliability: 2
AND, to make it even more complicated, they will accept returns with a receipt within 30 days. Return Policy: 2
Total score: 7. This puts them in the middle-high end of the spectrum. The deplorable Shopability tipped their score. This Elle's Belles represents a semi-advanced shopping experience. Hopefully, these ratings will help you get the most out of your shopping experience. They should also help you pace yourself. If you're having a frazzled day, it might be best to stay away from that level 9. Stick to the stores on the lower levels of the Shopping Sorcery Rating Scale.
Ratings to come:
Forever 21
Love Culture
H&M
Arden B
Charlotte Russe
JuJubes
Papaya
Payless Shoes
Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
Old Navy
(Got a suggestion? Send me a message!)
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