Christopher Day
Google
1/5 stars
I made a cologne purchase about a month ago that I’ve had some time to reflect on and I would like to share the experience with potential shoppers here.
The story starts in middle may when I visited this Utica Square location, slightly before opening hours. Despite this I was greeted warmly at the door and invited in, after which I made a beeline to the goal of my visit, namely the men's fragrance section. I found a friendly salesperson who quickly moved to assist me, despite perhaps not even being on the clock yet. I asked about multiple CREED scents and he gave me successive sample strips. I asked about coconut base notes and he suggested VIRGIN ISLAND WATER, which I absolutely loved. He said that he was out of stock but offered to make arrangements to notify when the item would be available. He even joked that he could make a travel sample from his personal collection. He was the height of helpfulness and I said that I would come by again in a week to check.
I returned after about a week, in late may, and asked an unfamiliar salesperson about the same Virgin Island Water fragrance. I was told that the stock had not yet replenished and that a fuller size could not be had. I was offered a travel size instead. I am used to buying travel sizes so I was immediately open to the idea. I was then passed off to yet another employee who began preparing the order. This second saleswoman gave me some instructions concerning refilling at the end of which I wanted to make sure I understood how to operate the spray function. I asked whether i would press on the top to spray she said yes and then sprayed the item into the air multiple times, wastefully and away from both of us, to demonstrate.
She then packaged the phial into a proprietary Creed travel container, placed it into a bespoke Creed bag, and told me the price. I am used to buying travel sizes and have found price points between $25 and $50 depending on the quality etc., but I was certainly not expecting the roughly $105 price tag I was charged. The salesperson was an attractive female and I, a male looking disheveled and sweaty in exercise attire and already feeling out of place in the store, felt that it would be gaûche of me to ask about cheaper options, like simply using a plainer travel sprayer, like those that can be found at other Creed sellers like FragranceNet, instead of an ornate Creed-branded one. So I sheepishly completed the sale and quickly left.
I love the scent I tried and I truly wished to buy the full size had it been in stock. But the experience I had when purchasing the trial really lingers as a negative experience and, perhaps because I am an uninitiated shopper at Sacks Fifth Avenue, still gives me pause concerning their brand impression.
Sephora and FragranceNet are trustworthy retailers and have given me much better value for my money so far. I will continue to shop with them instead and will encourage others to do the same.