A&F store in Manhattan

Sam Vimes · 30-06-2008 12:47PM #1

Let me tell you of the worst shopping experience in human history. It was in the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Manhattan where my girlfriend insisted on going.

Firstly, standing in the entrance is a topless black guy for some reason. Then when you get inside the store is more like a night club than a shop. It’s so dark that it’s impossible to tell when the clothes look like. There are spotlight type lights coming down from the ceiling in front of the mirrors if you absolutely must sort of see what they look like in daylight.

The music is uncomfortably loud, i.e. as loud as a night club. You have to shout at people for them to hear you.

It was so packed that people kept bumping into me. Imagine the dance floor of a night club but spread across 3 floors and with people milling about to find clothes.

I honestly think that they pump perfume into the air. The entire place stank of it. It was so bad that I kept coughing because it was hurting my throat.

So to recap:
1. Its too dark and has topless men about the place

2. Its extremely loud

3. The place stinks of perfume so badly you can taste it and can’t breathe

4. People keep bumping into you

So basically it’s offensive to all five senses simultaneously

The final straw, where I told my girlfriend I’d wait outside until she finished was when the following song started blaring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

Yes, that’s right. I got Rick Rolled by the Abercrombie & Fitch store.

Does anyone agree with me about this store? Should it be added to the axis of evil? or maybe they should send the terrorists there instead of guantanamo? after ten minutes i would have told them whatever they wanted just so i could breathe again

The Hill Billy · 30-06-2008 12:54PM

You think that's bad. You should try SuperValu in Skerries after 11:30 mass on a Sunday. Fully-clothed OAPs everywhere. Can't hear yourself think for the constant chatter about the quality of the sermon & what a great funeral they had for Mr X on Thursday. Constantly gag from the smell of wee & Tweed perfume too.

Onearmedbandit · 30-06-2008 12:54PM

I was there about a year ago and I had the same experience. My girlfriend loves A&F clothes but we were in the store five minutes before we turned around and left.

Also I noticed a high turnout of D4 scrummies around the place. It was like the store was in the middle of Dundrum shopping center.

Anyway I had a headache for the rest of the day after being in that store. One of the worst ever

Danbo! · 30-06-2008 12:55PM

To anyone that hasn't been there, it would seem like you are over reacting.

Ive been there. You are not over reacting.

Sherifu · 30-06-2008 12:55PM

Abercrombie ftl.

/me nudges Shrimp

kowloon · 30-06-2008 12:57PM

I absolutely despise these "fashion stores" you know you're paying a premium just for the fact that the shops are in expensive areas and their product is spread over more area than a regular shop, which when you're talking about several grand rent per square metre is taking the pi55. Knowing that the products are made by the same sub-contractors that make the cheaper stuff only adds insult to injury.
I hold out a weak hope that common sense will prevail over high street "fashion".

The Master · 30-06-2008 12:58PM

I've been there too

Hell on Earth , Dump of a place

funk-you · 30-06-2008 01:13PM

We should just start super-gluing A&F gear to a few emo's. It'll soon go out of style.

-Funk

smellslikeshoes · 30-06-2008 01:17PM

Never been there but that definitely sounds like my idea of hell.

biko · 30-06-2008 01:20PM

I've been to other A&F stores in US. They can be pretty bad alright.

The Hill Billy · 30-06-2008 01:22PM

biko wrote: »

I've been to other A&F stores in US. They can be pretty bad alright.

SuperValu in Clifden is quite nice though.

Pete4779 · 30-06-2008 01:37PM

Was it like this?:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w3-WzqfbVHU

stereo_steve · 30-06-2008 01:45PM

Hill Billy wrote: »

SuperValu in Clifden is quite nice though.

I second this, by far the nicest SuperValue I have been in

MIN2511 · 30-06-2008 01:45PM

I have been to the A&F store in Manhattan, yes it's always packed(we buy the name!) but the one in Boston and Atlanta are decent.

A&F is a religion!

Jeapy · 30-06-2008 01:58PM

noblestee wrote: »

To anyone that hasn't been there, it would seem like you are over reacting.

Ive been there. You are not over reacting.

+1 Music is so frickin loud! I couldnt stay in there for more than 5 mins!

stevoman · 30-06-2008 01:58PM

iv been there and its not just there its bad. there are in fact worse places in manhattan. i lived in new york for a few years and what bugged me the worst is the sales tactics by staff. the just dont understand the notion of somewhon just coming in for a quite browse. instead they have to bombard you every 5 seconds asking do you want help and even taking clothes off the rails and trying to force the sale on you.

its just typical new yorkers and there need to be feel important. word of advice, next time just go to boston!

Earthhorse · 30-06-2008 02:02PM

Just when I thought night clubs couldn't be any worse they turn one into a shop.

Gone West · 30-06-2008 02:06PM

Sherifu wrote: »

/me nudges Shrimp

Half the people here won't remember that, and the other half don't want to.

Ginny · 30-06-2008 02:06PM

I think I spent 3 seconds in the one in NY, I can't stand those shops.

kevpants · 30-06-2008 02:21PM

Man that place is crazy, it's across the street from Tiffanys isn't it?

I kinda followed my wife around it like a scared lamb, we finally left when I realised the jeans in there only go up to a 32 inch waist, and they're supposed to be worn loose. Seriously, stick thin female models are offensive enough but this whole stick thin bloke thing is really fukcin gay. Not as gay as the bloke on the door though.

ladybirdirl · 30-06-2008 02:26PM

Couldn't agree more with OP... the worst thing I saw was that all the staff seem to have taken the same degree in stupidity... couldn't help you if their lives depended on it, mind you they are most likely deaf from the noise...plus they all look very very alike...horrible horrible place

Blisterman · 30-06-2008 02:30PM

I've been in the one in london, and I think it's great. A much more interesting shopping experience than 99% of shops. It's like stepping into some other world.

I can see why a lot of people hate it though. They do in fact spray cologne on all the clothes. You can smell it the whole length of Saville Row. I'd imagine the upmarket tailors there hate it. Also, the clothes are ridiculously overpriced.

I don't know why you hate the staff asking you if you need assistance, stevoman. It's much better than looking around for 10 minutes trying to find someone.

Ginny · 30-06-2008 02:31PM

Agreed, some tool served my friend conversation went like this:
"Oh where are you guys from?"
"Ireland"
"Oh wow thats cool, I'm Irish too"
"Ah right where you from"
"Well my great great grandmother came from a little village called Galway"
*Bangs head against wall*

Steve_o · 30-06-2008 02:47PM

GinnyJo wrote: »

Agreed, some tool served my friend conversation went like this:
"Oh where are you guys from?"
"Ireland"
"Oh wow thats cool, I'm Irish too"
"Ah right where you from"
"Well my great great grandmother came from a little village called Galway"
*Bangs head against wall*

Don't forget the "Did you know her??"
To which you reply "Of course, who didn't... we often frequented the same leprechaun trails...."

Americans who say they are "Irish" p*ss me off....

Ross_Mahon · 30-06-2008 02:51PM

Dunnes stores on Christmas eve, the women are like barbarians on Cocaine!

Creamy Goodness · 30-06-2008 03:00PM

MIN2511 wrote: »

I have been to the A&F store in Manhattan, yes it's always packed(we buy the name!) but the one in Boston and Atlanta are decent.

A&F is a religion!

i've been in the one in boston, it does have everything the OP mentioned but it wasn't like too loud or too perfume smelly and was a lot quieter too as it was a quieter area.

still too dark though.

the old saying the world would be a better place without religions is made stronger if you include A&F as a religion :P

stovelid · 30-06-2008 03:00PM

GinnyJo wrote: »

from a little village called Galway

You'd hardly expect everybody from New York to know a backwate, city like Galway, in fairness.

Sherifu · 30-06-2008 03:03PM

FuzzyLogic wrote: »

Half the people here won't remember that, and the other half don't want to.

Hormones make the best threads.

kowloon · 30-06-2008 03:04PM

stovelid wrote: »

You'd hardly expect everybody from New York to know a backwate, city like Galway, in fairness.

Not the worst, I was told I spoke very good American.

metaoblivia · 30-06-2008 03:07PM

I worked in an A&F in Miami for a year, and before that I worked in a Hollister (owned by the same company) and another A&F in Orlando. You may dislike the atmosphere of A&F, but I promise you, Hollister's worse. We called it the bat cave. A&Fs are amazingly spacious and well lit compared to Hollisters.

stovelid · 30-06-2008 03:09PM

kowloon wrote: »

Not the worst, I was told I spoke very good American.

A&F store in Manhattan

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