00:00Oh my god, can you imagine her wearing anything in this store?
00:04I guess not.
00:06Oh man, it's like such a waste of our time.
00:09I'll get her out of here. Watch this.
00:13Hi there.
00:15I just wanted to let you know that we do skew towards a younger customer here.
00:21You might find something more your style somewhere that's a better fit.
00:24I mean, there's a lovely place down the block, very classic, very elegant.
00:30And which place is that?
00:32You know, I don't know the name off the top of my head, but it's more, you know, mature.
00:37Well, I appreciate that, and I'll keep it in mind.
00:40Also, just to mention, the sizing in this section runs quite small.
00:47It's probably not going to be the most, like, flattering.
00:51Well, what size is this one?
00:53That's a 10.
00:54Oh, well, what do you know?
00:56That's exactly what I take.
00:58They do run small, though.
01:01You know, it might be worth...
01:02I'll try it on.
01:04You know, maybe I can help you find something specific,
01:07because we do have a sales section, and the pieces are slightly older stock,
01:12more accessible price points.
01:14It might be...
01:15I'm fine here.
01:18It's just that some of our new season pieces are quite an investment.
01:24I appreciate your concern, okay?
01:28I heard all of the things you said.
01:31Now, just let me browse, please.
01:35That style is really designed for a specific silhouette.
01:40I mean, it's quite unforgiving through the middle.
01:44Really?
01:45Well, does it come in another color, like pink or yellow?
01:51You know, I'm not sure.
01:53It would be helpful if you could go find out.
01:57Maybe you can see if there's more in the stockroom or something.
02:01Is there someone that you can send back there to check for me?
02:05You know, we're really kind of short-staffed today.
02:10You're short-staffed.
02:12I see.
02:13So there's no one else here but you?
02:15Yeah.
02:17So, um, but...
02:20Oh, that one's from the new collection, the spring campaign.
02:24Right, which is aimed at a very specific customer.
02:28I mean, the whole campaign is built around, like, a younger demographic.
02:32Active, aspirational.
02:34It's quite targeted.
02:36I mean, the brand direction is very clear about it.
02:39Mm-hmm.
02:40And what brand direction is that?
02:43Young, contemporary, very of the moment.
02:48And you feel I'm not of the moment?
02:51I just want to make sure you're finding pieces that really work for you.
02:57It's about fit in every sense.
03:00So is this dress for sale to the general public?
03:05Or only to the campaign demographic?
03:07Just so you know, the fitting room wait is really long right now.
03:12I'll take my chances.
03:13Because I know where it is.
03:24The fitting rooms aren't busy.
03:26Yeah, I know that, Sarah.
03:28She knew that, too.
03:30And your point?
03:31No point.
03:32Just saying.
03:33Okay, we're not doing anything wrong.
03:35We're just being honest about who this store is for.
03:39She has a reservation.
03:41She picked things out.
03:42She's trying them on.
03:43Some people just don't know when they're not the target audience.
03:47That's not our problem.
03:53I can't believe you.
04:05I'll take all of it.
04:08I mean, just so you're aware, our return policy is really strict.
04:13Most of these are going to be final sale.
04:15And a few of these pieces require really specific care.
04:20They're dry clean only.
04:21I feel like you'd probably want to factor that in.
04:23Mm-hmm.
04:25I do my own dry cleaning.
04:27Right.
04:28But some people find it adds up, especially if something's probably not going to end up working.
04:33I'll take the risk.
04:35And this one, honestly, I think you might regret it once you get home.
04:40I mean, the cut is just so unforgiving.
04:42And the color is really specific.
04:45It's just not going to work on everyone.
04:47Hmm.
04:48I'll find out.
04:50It's just, it's quite an investment for something that might not...
04:55Okay, ring it through, please.
04:57Okay, I'm going to be honest with you.
04:59And I say this because I think it's important.
05:03This store has worked really hard to build a particular image.
05:07That image matters to our customer base.
05:11And a woman of your age wearing this brand out in public isn't exactly aligned with what we're going for.
05:18I'm not trying to be unkind.
05:20I just think you should know what you're buying into.
05:23Really?
05:24Did you really just say all that?
05:28Can I tell you something?
05:29I started in retail 19 years ago.
05:32In a stock room.
05:34Minimum wage.
05:35A store not unlike this one.
05:37Concrete floors.
05:39Fluorescent lights.
05:40A manager who thought the job was to move product.
05:45It took me years to understand that the product was never the point.
05:50The person in front of you is always the point.
05:55I worked the floor for a year, time and time again, before I understood the business.
06:01This side of it, anyway.
06:03I mean.
06:04And in all those years, I watched a lot of women come in and walk out.
06:08Older women, women who didn't look like the posters on the walls here.
06:16And I watched staff manage them right out of the door.
06:19Politely, smilingly, with the very best intentions.
06:25Every single time, it was the staff who had it wrong.
06:30The customer was just a person who wanted to buy something.
06:35That's a very nice perspective.
06:37But brand positioning is really important.
06:42My name is Lily Marsh.
06:45And I am the founder and CEO of this company.
06:50I've been doing unannounced visits to every store for 20 years.
06:55I find it tells me things that quarterly reports don't.
06:59Tonight has been particularly informative.
07:04Okay, I was just trying to be helpful.
07:07I mean, some of our customers, like, really genuinely appreciate.
07:10Oh, I know.
07:12That's why I didn't say anything.
07:15Ugh.
07:16Move.
07:21Well, you can keep your job.
07:25But I'll know how this floor runs from here on, okay?
07:28Not as a punishment, just as a fact.
07:31And what I expect is simple.
07:33Every person who walks through the door gets treated the way you'd want someone to treat your own mother.
07:40That's the whole standard.
07:41I will, and I should have today.
07:44Oh, I know you are.
07:47I'll take these without a bag.
07:49Okay.
07:53Oh, I know you are.
07:55Oh, yeah.
07:59It's when you move to the middle.
07:59Okay.
07:59Bye.
08:00Bye.
