don't shop at mimi maternity in center city!
I read the board but I've never posted before-but I had to share what happened to me this weekend at the mimi maternity store on walnut street. I went in to try on some bras. For whoever has not been in that store, it is average for city size-not that big overall, and there are 4 dressing rooms kind of in the middle of the store with a bench (for dads) about 3 feet from the dressing rooms. There are no doors, only these purple curtains that close for privacy. It was the weekend so the store was pretty crowded with about 3 men sitting on the bench. As soon as the salesperson put me into the dressing room I was a little nervous about the curtain and did my best to secure it closed, but I still kind of turned to the corner when I tried on the bras. Of course, there is a mirror there so if the curtain was open you would still see a lot.
Sure enough, some idiot salesgirl came and opened the curtains wide while I was in there, boobies hanging out. NO KNOCK, no inquiry about is anyone in there, no asking the other salespeople if they put someone in there. No looking down and checking for feet! NO common sense application of the mind that IF THE CURTAIN IS CLOSED, SOMEONE IS PROBABLY IN THERE. I yelled "what the hell?" as she closed it but it was too late-all the men on the bench and the girl at the register saw my big pregnant boobs naked as a jaybird.
I tried to compose myself, got dressed and went out. I saw my husband with a pained look on his face and asked him which salesgirl did it, he pointed to her. I went up to her-she was with another customer at the time time- and said "don't you think you owe me an apology? what the hell were you doing opening up the curtain like that?" She TOTALLY ignored me, not even turning to face me-while the customer with her was obviously expecting her to. It was so awkward. So I went to the register and the girl at the register had the audacity (stupidity?) to ask me if there was a problem. I said "yes, you know what the problem is, you and everyone else in the store just saw me naked because of that idiot who isn't even apologizing!" Her response was "she didn't know anyone was in there." No apology AGAIN. I said "YOU yourself put me in there-don't you have some kind of system? like, if the curtain is closed it means SOMEONE IS IN THERE?" Then I walked out.
I'm not normally so insane but it was just so awful and embarrassing and would be at my regular size but even more with my gigantic pregnancy boobs and belly in front of all of those strange men! Ugh.
Anyway, I've shopped at the store in cherry hill which is always a pleasant experience-they put a note on the curtain with your name and are totally nice and helpful. Needless to say I won't go back to the CC store. this is a vent post but also a warning. Not just a regular "they don't know how to treat their customers" but really, the most humiliating experience I have ever had shopping.
Re: don't shop at mimi maternity in center city!
I think I was too shocked and angry to cry at first. After thinking about it for a few days, I'm sure all the men felt sorry for me and since they were in a maternity store, mine are most likely not the first boobs they have seen-they were all probably just glad it wasn't their wife who was about to make a huge scene. It was more the callousness and the stupidity of the sales staff that upset me. I seriously wanted to rip the salesgirl's shirt off myself and expose her to the whole store to see how it feels! It's not like they should have offered me free merchandise or anything, but at least an apology and have the manager come to see if I was ok-ugh. Pregnancy hormones aside, I really don't think I've ever had any worse of an experience with a retail store-and I shop a lot!!
I am sorry that you had to experience that...
Thanks for the warning... I will not be doing any maternity shopping down there at all.
Had that been me...there probably would have been some cursing going on as well. My FI would not have appreciated that at all either. I wonder which worker was the manager. If you haven't already, I would file a complaint about that...b/c if they did that to you with no remorse it clearly isn't the first time that has happened.
It's not enought that you are already going through a lot being PG, but to experience that in a store catered toward PG women is unacceptable.
It's awful that you had to go through that! I agree with Lulu about being accosted, they are relentless. I went in there once, to get a belly band and I barely didn't even make it through the door before I was attacked by a sales girl. I told her what I was looking for and she went and grabbed one for me.
My plan was to look around and see what they had, even though I'm not ready for maternity clothes yet. But as soon as I experienced how pushy they are I didn't even bother to browse.