We all know that we shouldn’t be judging a book by its cover, especially when we rely on those books to earn commission. But despite how often we’ve all heard this idiom, some people seem to never learn their lesson.
One woman recently shared a story on the Petty Revenge subreddit, detailing how she had a real life Pretty Woman moment in a designer store. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as some of the replies amused readers left her.
This woman found herself being ignored by staff after going to a designer store in casual clothes
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
So she decided to choose her outfit even more carefully before returning to do her shopping
Image credits: Elias Momoh / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Monstera Production / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Prize-Break8433
Image credits: Harper Sunday / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Many people are attracted to designer items due to their quality and exclusivity
Shopping designer is something that most of us probably never even consider. Sure, I’ve heard of some luxury brands, but I could not tell you the difference between any of them. I barely even know the difference between lower-end brands, as I do the vast majority of my shopping second-hand. But for many who can afford it, shopping designer is very exciting.
According to Money Crashers, it’s easy to spend a pretty penny on designer clothing. High-end jeans at Nordstrom range from $220 to $1,850, and the average prices for designer shoes range from $215 to $1,400. These exorbitant prices may be because these items are of a higher quality than other brands and made with better materials, or perhaps they were produced in a more ethical or sustainable manner.
But these items are also marketed in a way that portrays them as luxurious or elite. According to Original Lúxury, “When you buy an Italian scarf, you also buy the feeling of being special.” We also tend to admire others who have expensive items, as one 2014 study found that women who viewed a scene of a woman shopping designer were more likely to consider her young, attractive, wealthy and ambitious.
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Being treated poorly by employees makes some shoppers desire luxury items even more
In this scenario on Reddit, however, it appears that the sales associate also viewed herself as better than her customers, even though she’s simply the one selling the items. But one 2014 study found that rude associates in luxury stores actually sell more than their friendlier peers.
"It appears that snobbiness might actually be a qualification worth considering for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci," Sauder Marketing Professor and Co-Author Darren Dahl said in a press release. "Our research indicates they can end up having a similar effect to an ‘in-group’ in high school that others aspire to join."
Apparently, after being treated poorly, those who aspired to be associated with luxury brands had an even stronger desire to purchase designer products. However, this “Pretty Woman effect” was not seen with lower-end, mainstream retail stores. “You’ve got to be the right kind of snob in the right kind of store for the effect to work,” Dahl says.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Customers are encouraged to look and act a certain way when shopping designer, but at the end of the day, they're in control
While we all know that we shouldn’t be judging one another, and it would be nice to enter a designer store as casually as we enter less expensive shops, some people believe that it’s important to dress and act appropriately for the occasion. Content creator Anna Bey explains how to feel confident in luxury stores on her blog, and the first tip she shares is to dress well, avoiding “athletic wear, flip-flops or anything that is too revealing.”
Bey also recommends knowing what you want, being polite and confident, taking your time and focusing on the experience while shopping luxury. But at the end of the day, it’s up to the customers to decide whether or not they want to spend any money. And the woman in this story had every right to return and give another employee some great commission.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article featuring petty revenge, look no further than right here!
Amused readers shared their thoughts, as well as similar experiences of their own
