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Shopping frustration

post #1 of 9
11/13/12 at 5:41pm
Thread Starter 
Just out of curiosity, as a basenoter, do you find shopping for perfume frustrating. I don't know what it's like in other countries but i feel so aggrieved in the UK. Here are my main peeves.

1- Why are so many brands unavailable in UK stores?
2- Why do sales staff speak to me like i've never bought a fragrance in my life?
3- Why don't staff know more about the products they sell?
4- Why do sales reps tell me they don't have samples?...and why do i get random samples of old fragrances when i make a purchase?

Is it just me and where i choose to shop or are these universal issue? I'm at the stage where i only buy online.
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post #2 of 9
11/13/12 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cloud9 View Post

Just out of curiosity, as a basenoter, do you find shopping for perfume frustrating?

Not at all.
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post #3 of 9
11/13/12 at 5:56pm
4 - when sales reps tell me they don't have samples, i wonder if i wasn't engaging enough to get a sample, because i know they could easily make one from the tester. but other times, getting samples is really easy, so i just move on to another store if i can't get a sample.
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post #4 of 9
11/13/12 at 5:56pm
I've never purchased a fragrance at a retail shop. All of them have been online. The only local perfume shop in my area doesn't really have anything I want and the sales rep is super annoying. It's ok for average person but basenoters are not average.
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post #5 of 9
11/13/12 at 6:02pm
#1 is a big one for me, at least in Canada. I don't live in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver so my selections are quite limited. Holt Renfrew just started carrying Frederic Malles and Kilians but I don't live near a good one. Where I'm at now, other than designer fragrances I have access to Creeds, Armani Prive, and some higher end Chanels but that's about it.
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post #6 of 9
11/13/12 at 6:58pm
1- I think you can probably get anything in the UK if you know where.
2- They just use standard selling techniques, except you bump into a real fragrance freak.
3- Cause they are on low wage?
4- They always have testers but not for every scent.

I think demanding a sample is unusual over here but in the US it seems pretty common.
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post #7 of 9
11/13/12 at 11:55pm
3 Training. they only go every few months for new releases. Plus for many department stores, the training is all about the new make up releases. Not many SA are full time, the companies are cutting back and have been for a long time. So most will only get 16 hours if lucky, the manager of the counter will be full time only. Oh and the stores want them to push the store card.

4 I have friends who work for some of the bigger houses. They are not sending the samples to the counters, usually only new releases Another thing is the sample collectors, get samples and then put them on ebay. Non of the main stores make samples as they do in the US. Some SA do find it annoying they cannot give samples, as people are more likely to buy if they try properly.
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post #8 of 9
11/14/12 at 2:34am
Thread Starter 
it seems samples are far easier to attain in the US than in the UK.

Thanks for your insight Donna. I'll go easy on SAs next time.
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post #9 of 9
11/14/12 at 7:46am
Mmmm thought UK had plenty to offer. What's missing ?
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