Personal shoppers give clients a stress-free alternative to shopping

Colorado Springs Business Journal, Dec 10, 2004 by Stephanie Cline

There are always numbers to crunch, clients to visit and mission statements to revise. While the cycle of business is forever in motion, businesspeople everywhere must find the time and energy to go shopping. Like it or not, it must be done. Seasons change and fashions go in and out of style, but looking good is still mandatory. The lines at department stores and the plethora of suits on sale tend to be overwhelming and, at times, discouraging. But there is always hope.

Personal shoppers make it their business to help those in need. Need a dress for a dinner event? No problem. Need a gift for a coworker? That can be arranged. In Colorado, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom offer personal shopping services to their customers, at no extra charge. Customers also are not required to spend a certain amount in order to work with a personal shopper, so there should be little pressure.

If department stores are a turn-off, working with an independent personal shopper presents an even more personal alternative. Mary Smith, a lifetime resident of Colorado Springs, has been in the clothing business since she was 18. She got her start selling wedding gowns and then added wedding planning to her resume. I did that for about 20 years, she said. As a matter of fact I see some of my brides now and they've all got grown-up kids.

Smith went on to work at the Pendleton shop downtown, which closed about a year ago. Regular Pendleton shoppers became accustomed to seeing Smith on a regular basis and were comfortable asking her opinion. Women would consult her about issues such as fit, the cut of a garment and for updates on what was in style. The closing of Pendleton, however, did not mean the end of Smith's interaction with the shop's loyal customers. Smith considers herself not only a personal shopper, but a wardrobe consultant as well. How I got into the wardrobe part was I let my customers know I can shop with them, she said. Smith has been working as a personal shopper, and charging an hourly fee, for about six months. I guess I've always been a personal shopper, but I just never charged for it.

And shopping with her clients involves much more than taking a quick trip to the mall. Smith meets her clients at their homes to go through their closets and assess what clothing they have and what extras they need. The closet consultation also allows Smith and her clients to find items that may be donated to the less fortunate.

At the moment, Smith said she has only a handful of clients, but that suits her just fine. I don't want too many. Smith usually spends close to three hours going through a client's closet. Shopping for new items comes later. You can't do it all in one day, it would be too much, she said.

Working with a personal shopper saves time, Smith said. Running from store to store and not knowing exactly what to look for can burn daylight. A lot of these people are busy women and they don't have time to shop, Smith said. I would find that most of the women I shop for are businesspeople. Smith and department store personal shoppers are not only in business to help women though - men also are welcome to meet with wardrobe consultants.

Ann Fetsch, owner of Drexel Heritage Furniture, has been working with Smith since her days at Pendleton. She started helping me with everything there, Fetsch said. I know that whatever event I need to attend I'll be able to go in my closet and have the right thing to wear. Smith and Fetsch meet four to six times per year to clean out Fetsch's closet and to decide which new seasonal items need to be brought in. Fetsch has been shopping with Smith for about 10 years. It's a service that's fabulous for me, she said. I'm not a shopper. And even when Smith is out shopping and Fetsch is not around she will select items she knows her client will like. If they just want to go shopping, I usually just zero in on a store that fits their tastes, Smith said.

Knowing someone who can scout out the sales racks and dress slacks is a load off Fetsch's mind. She knows my entire wardrobe and she'll remember what color I need to go with such and such, Fetsch said. I could see how there would definitely be men interested in this.

In addition to saving time, working with a personal shopper can save money. It's also a savings financially because you don't have to spend money buying the wrong thing, Fetsch said.

Kris Haffar, personal touch manager for Nordstrom at the Park Meadows Mall in Littleton, said she and her staff are committed to making shoppers feel comfortable in their store. The personal touch department, Haffar said, works to develop relationships with customers. We are a complimentary service for women and men, she said. We are a functioning department within the store. Probably our target customer is a person who doesn't like to shop.

Nordstrom personal shoppers work with working men and women, stay- at-home mothers and other people who don't have the time to seriously shop. Mothers who choose to stay at home especially appreciate the services at Nordstrom, Haffar said. These women don't want to get in the mommy syndrome with the sweatpants and T-shirts. They don't have time, but they know they want to look good.