The Space:
*Beautifully curated
*I love how open it is
*Easy to maneuver through the store
*One fitting room so you might have to wait your turn
*Mostly small-medium sizes, but I definitely saw large sizes as well
The Prices:
*Prices aren't bad considering how curated the shop is, the location is fairly easy to access, and the stock is high quality in my opinion
*I bought 3 tops (each one between $30-$40) a Fossil necklace ($18) and a leather jacket ($100)
The Service:
*The owner was easygoing and did make it a point to make conversation when checking out
***My main issue (which I did bring up to her while I was checking out) was how I noticed that ALL the people who came in after me were warmly greeted. She made it a point to make eye contact with them and said "welcome in" with a smile to every single person -- ....
But not me.
I didn't receive a hello or a welcome or a smile, which wasn't a big deal to me at first, until I immediately became aware that every single other person received some kind of a warm, inviting hello who came in after me.
She also always seemed to be watching me moreso than anyone else......which I thought was a bit odd as well
Mind you, I am Half Mexican/Half Black and all the other girls/1 guy who walked in were all Asian or White, so I must assume my ethnicities are the reason I was initially ignored :(
Regardless of the difference in treatment, I still purchased my items from the store, because I'm already inside and I like what I like, ya know? Usually I would walk out when I notice other people get treated different than me, but I decided to not let it bring me down this one time.
BUT - did it hurt my feelings to visibly see how other people were treated in a way different than me. Of course, it really hurt my feelings to be honest.
I believe everyone should feel welcomed into a shopping space - and from a business standpoint, everyone should be treated equally. While it might seem like a small thing, it represents a much larger value, which is the reason it's important for me to bring up.
If I'm literally the only 1 out of 7 people who is treated a certain way, well that's a pretty obvious sign that something is wrong right there. It hurt and made me feel sad after I reflected back on the experience.
*Overall, I was really excited for this place, so it's a shame I left feeling the way I did. And who knows, maybe I will come back considering I'm all for 2nd chances, but it's hard to say at this moment.
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Response to Owner's Comment:
Thank you for responding, but unfortunately I'm now confused.
When I brought it up to you in the store, you said I didn't get any acknowledgment because you were "maybe in the back" - but now you're saying that it's because you were observing the other 2 girls who were already in the store when I came in???....so which is it?
I'm sure you can understand how it's a little hard for me to accept your apology when I'm receiving two different reasons? Were you in the back or were you observing people?
How can I accept an apology when you don't even know the reason you initially ignored me?
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To say that you were unable to speak to me and welcome me in because you were looking at something is quite silly, and doesn't make any sense. Considering that didn't stop you from acknowledging all the other 6 people who came in after me.
Besides, your store is one room. If you're looking at a customer, you're basically also looking at the front door.
The logic isn't quite adding up.
It's quite easy to observe something while simultaneously acknowledging someone. I'm sure you were preoccupied with something every time a new person came in, but you showed them the respect of still acknowledging them.
I'm the only one who didn't receive that respect. Do you know how hurtful it is? :(
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While you also are a minority, I as a light-skinned brown girl, was clearly shown different treatment from the asian women who stepped into the store.
I appreciate you writing back to me, but unfortunately I can't accept an apology at this time if it doesn't appear to be truehearted, especially if you're giving me different reasons about why it even happened. That just doesn't make sense.
Warm regards read more