Working at a high end boutique

Shopbottom thread.

Some of those stores, especially the ones in Manhattan and Beverly Hills are not meant to make money as much as serve as marketing vehicles for the brand, OP.

An acquaintance worked at Gucci and was pulling in 120k. That was 15 years ago. Don’t know if things have gotten better or worse. He definitely had regular clients which accounted half his income.

What R2 said.

I worked at a reasonably high end boutique in Santa Fe. We didn’t get commission but we were paid well to be young and well dressed and pretty much just stand there.

Most of the “customers” were looky loo tourists who’d ask the same questions about the merchandise and never buy. Sales were fun to ring up and package but rare.

Mostly, we made sure the glass cases were spotless and then stand around drinking iced coffee. We’d gossip and comment on the people window shopping.

I worked at a very high end home store, it's the same as any other kind of retail...grueling. My personal sales were always in excess of 1 million per year, I made decent money. The mark up is the same as any other retail brick an mortar business.

The boutiques in Las Vegas are pretty empty as well.

As the Sex Pistols put it: "Pretty . . . vacant!"

Some small boutiques are owned by bored wealthy fraus as a hobby, or as a way for the frau and hubby to stay away from each other. I knew somebody who opened a chocolatier for this reason. However, lack of true business acumen and failure to obtain any led to the demise of the business within less than 2 years.

There's a decent 90s movie, "The New Age" with Judy Davis & Peter Weller (cute), that satirizes luxury boutique retail.

Peter Weller and Judy Davis both always struck me as underrated actors. I did hear that Davis is something of a nightmare. If true, too bad, as I think she's quite talented. Weller has one of those slightly haunted faces that I have always found attractive.

Have always meant to check out that film - thanks for reminding me, R10!

Yes, Weller was hot in the 80s and 90s. I know Judy Davis and David Lean clashed on "A Passage to India", but hadn't heard of other instances. She's usually good, though.

Peter Weller is gay.

Are you still a fan?

R13, why wouldn't I be?

A friend works at a Celine boutique. She's passionate about the brand, knows the merchandise and even at that price point, has a lot of business. Customers of a certain age who like the Celine fit and can afford it seldom wear anything else. Of course the bags sell themselves.

Better to be standing there doing nothing in a high-end boutique that's expected to lose money, than to stand there doing nothing in a low-end retail store that's likely to go out of business and leave you without a livelihood.

They're all fronts for male brothels.

[quote]I did hear that Davis is something of a nightmare. If true, too bad, as I think she's quite talented.

That's like saying - I think Meryl Streep is quite talented.