Fashioning a Pandemic: Department Store Workers on The Importance of In-Person Retail
This project examines the role of in-person shopping and physical retail spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Told from the perspective of department store sales associates at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nordstrom, it illustrates their experiences returning to work how they are selling high-end fashion in an ever-evolving retail landscape.
Excerpt:
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept through New York City in Mar. 2020, department stores were forced to shut down in-person operations in response to the looming health crisis. 5th Ave., the once glittering beacon of high-end fashion, went dark. When Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman reopened their Manhattan flagships to the public in June, the role of in-person shopping was uncertain. The salespeople who were able to return were put to task to navigate this new retail landscape.
The arena of hybridized shopping, which merges the virtual technology with the high-touch customer service that can only come from in-person retail, is crucial to fit today’s demand for convenience and intimacy. The salespeople put more emphasis on the use of online platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and apps designed specifically for the stores that employ them. Those who remain employed by these department stores are eager to deliver a meaningful in-person shopping experience in an increasingly digitized landscape.
The physical experience feeds an appetite for glamour that customers may be longing for since life transitioned online last year. Vinny Reyes, an ambassador for Nordstrom’s emerging and avant-garde designer category titled SPACE at the retailers Columbus Circle flagship, aims to show his customers that fashion is not a trivial pursuit- even in the midst of a pandemic. It can be a creative outlet as well as a distraction. He breaks shoppers out of their quarantine uniforms of mundane sweatpants and t-shirts, introducing them to the bold patterns and explosive silhouettes of lesser known designers from Grace Wales Bonner to Merryll Rogge, an alum of Dries Van Noten.
“There is always going to be that customer that buys things because of an emotional reaction that they’re having to fashion, and that’s really what it is: it’s emotional.” Reyes understands that customer’s mentality because he is that customer. They want to invest in a small sliver of glamour, be it a sequin dress or a piece of fine jewelry, to spark joy in the moment and keep as a sign of hope for the future.
A survey by McKinsey & Co. revealed 50% of Americans expect to treat themselves to something they feel they were deprived of during the pandemic. And, according to Bloomberg Economics, in 2020 Americans amassed close to $1.7 trillion, which could be allocated toward luxury fashion. As the world opens, consumers want to venture into it. How they choose to dress while doing so will likely be more considered.
For Reyes, the pandemic presented a much needed moment of reflection that shaped his thoughts about personal style as well. “It essentially took every distraction out of the way…we’ve just kind of had to sit with ourselves and be like “who do I want to be? What do I want to contribute to society?” This led him to further explore gender identity and the manner in which the clothes he chooses can help express it.
“It was really important once the store reopened that…I started wearing clothes that I really wanted to wear. I opened myself up to wearing skirts and dresses,” he said. “Ever since I started doing that, certain customers have started gravitating towards me because I think there is this honesty that they can see,” he said. His favorite purchase of late is a deconstructed black t-shirt dress from Sacai with industrial nylon side panels that resemble the MA-1 flight jacket, which he sports over a humble pair of slim-leg trousers.
Because of this newfound honesty, Reyes said his relationships with clients are more open and genuine. “It is important to market yourself within the store setting and present an authentic, individual identity to the customer,” he said. Whether in-person, virtual, or a hybrid model, “the customer is searching for guidance and the salespeople who succeed are the ones who can offer confidence.”
He does not believe that online is the future of luxury retail or that it should be a considered separate entity apart from shopping in-person. “Anybody who is going to have success is going to merge the two,” he said. Although more focus is put on the development and implementation of virtual selling strategies, Reyes knows that physical interaction is key in the next chapter of retail.
Although a website is a valuable asset, “there is something about going into a store and finding a salesperson who kind of gets you or has a different viewpoint on fashion,” he said. This city’s department stores offer more than just clothes and shoes and handbags.
Ari Stark is a journalist currently residing in New York City. Passionate about fashion from an early age, his work examines the cultural impact of sartorial trends and industry-related events.
