OMG this has to be the most pretentious shop ever....

[paddingtonbear1]

New shop has recently opened in the large shopping centre near me. To begin with I thought it was a restaurant, as the lighting inside was so dim and I couldn't see a name anywhere! So I ventured in, nearly being attacked by a couple of large plants and some really strange looking lights on the way. I've never seen a shop like this - full of surfy gear which looked OK, but I could barely see it due to dim lighting. I don't think I'd even get one of my legs in the largest size, and I'm not normally bigger than a 14. When I'd managed to find my way out again (believe me, they didn't make it easy) I saw 'Hollister' in tiny writing on the bottom of one window. Don't they like to advertise who they are?! I have heard of them, but never seen one of their shops before!

Sounds like an average A &F store. Barely able to see inside and what you can see is either incredibly small clothing or model-esque shop assistants!

what the hecks an and f store?

ITS OLLISTER

oh yes
its in west quay and has featured in many a chat already
did they say wassup to you

Hollister

It's dark so you can't see the prices. And because it deters old gimmers who have forgotten their glasses.

eveeryone thinks tis a chinese restruarant

Yes, A & F most pretentious shop on planet. Been dragged there a few times by dd (as plastic is required to purchase anything there - too dangerous to carry that much cash about London ). Find the way beautiful young shop assistants treated like meat really vile.

Very relieved dd has decided not to shop there anymore on principal after the way they treated that girl with the prosthetic arm. (proud and relieved mum emoticon)

oops, cross post. A & F = Abercrombie and Fitch. Parent shop of Hollister.

theres one in west field and brent cross. the brent cross one sometimes has queues to get in! I once asked a shop assistant in that if they could see the stuff properly and they said the darkness gave them a headache. I bought a T shirt though which i like a lot. It is a very wierd concept indeed

hmmm I went mad in the A&F store in NY, bought quite a few things
maybe im a sad old bag

Noah yes I thought it looked like a chinese restaurant!
It's just opened in the Trafford centre near Manchester. Seemed quite busy, didn't get as far as looking at any prices - they weren't obvious... I didn't notice too many assistants, but my eyesight isn't that good, admittedly! I suspect I am a bit too old to be shopping in there..

one has just opened in meadowhall and i didnt dare go in with dd, good job as i couldnt work out which was the 'in' door anyhow! the front is just a load of shutter doors.

not very consumer friendly

A&F have just been in trouble for discrimination against a disabled member of staff.

They took on a pretty young woman (it seems that they only employ Pretty Young Things anyway, male and female) and when they realised she had a prosthetic arm she was moved to backroom duties only.

I've been in one and was puzzled by the dimly lit sales strategy. Am not sure who this is meant to assist/impress? I pretty much left straight away as i felt i could not be bothered wasting my time trying to put effort into assessing if the clothes were nice or not. Think it would be a no go with a pushchair too. Would probably run it into someone inadvertently or someone would fall into it.

My DP wears Hollister, and for a birthday treat I thought i'd order him a t-shirt since they are now online and in the UK. I went online and ordered it and the running total kept saying £20 (the price of the t-shirt), I clicked on the final 'place your order' bit and it said "thanks for your order, total £40"

I went back through the website and the only way you can tell the cost of postage is to click on the '?' by postage but I was so used to it showing you the price as you go along when you order elsewhere I hadn't done so.

An expensive mistake that I won't make again!