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How does an SA afford to wear expensive retail clothes?

post #1 of 115
10/22/11 at 8:02pm
Thread Starter 
I was in Tom Ford in Vegas a little while ago, trying on a suit that was way too expensive for me, and the sales associate I was talking to said it's the same one he wears. I didn't even bother looking at the price tag, but I know his suits at around 5k and up, and I think most places require you to wear their stuff if you work there. Even with something like a 50% discount, it seems unlikely that a new employee would spend $2000 dollars on a suit when he got the job. So how does a new employee get himself decked out in some of the most expensive menswear there is?
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post #2 of 115
10/22/11 at 8:07pm
At most retail stores I know, SAs are given some of the clothing to wear as uniforms.
It's a good way to show the costumer what the products look like when being worn.
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post #3 of 115
10/22/11 at 8:26pm
I also think that a lot of people who do work at places like Tom Ford make clothing a big priority in their life. You have to pick and choose your hobbies. I also assume that a good salesman at a place like Tom Ford probably makes quite a bit of money.
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post #4 of 115
10/22/11 at 8:27pm
They give them the suits to wear for free.

/thread
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post #5 of 115
10/22/11 at 8:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by heaven7 View Post

At most retail stores I know, SAs are given some of the clothing to wear as uniforms.
It's a good way to show the costumer what the products look like when being worn.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpooPoker View Post

They give them the suits to wear for free.
/thread

+1 - either free or at a large discount. Most stores have a "clothing allowance" in the employees' employment arrangements, so each sales associate can choose an assortment of clothing up to a certain amount.
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post #6 of 115
10/22/11 at 9:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpooPoker View Post

They give them the suits to wear for free.
/thread

*applying for job at Tom Ford*
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post #7 of 115
10/22/11 at 9:24pm
Yeah, they get pretty steep discounts, especially on sale items. So in theory, they can get a Tom Ford suit for under 2k as long as it's on sale.

I know at Hugo Boss they get a clothing allowance
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post #8 of 115
10/22/11 at 9:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpooPoker View Post

They give them the suits to wear for free.
/thread

+ 1, the most likely explanation.

Less likely: When store closes, a suit conveniently goes missing ..........
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post #9 of 115
10/22/11 at 10:38pm
Just to rehash everything:

Depending on the retailer SA's generally get of three things:

Free clothing, usually a couple outfits. Some retailers are stingy (BB Bf stand alone stores) and to prevent people from reselling and stuff they ask for it back at the end of the season and give you new clothing from the recent season .

Allowance: Other companies ie D&G give you an allowance to purchase clothes + your discount, or at cost

Then some companies like Hermes, give their associates a huge discount like 90+% off so they can stock up on clothing

Then other stores just give you a decent discount and hope you buy their clothing.

For the department stores like Nordstrom, you are generally just given a pretty sucky discount 20% off for employees, and 33% for managers. Certain days of the year you get bumped to 33 and 40% but it still sucks. But at department stores since they carry many competing designer lines, the companies send their brand reps to the stores to tell the associates about the new lines, and generally give them free clothing, or just give them money for selling their brand.

Plus for many although they do make decent commission, they generally have interest in good clothing so they end up buying what the sell anyways.
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post #10 of 115
10/22/11 at 11:31pm
This makes sense. Multi-brand retailers probably are a lower margin business so the discounts they pass on to employees are slimmer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CYstyle View Post

Just to rehash everything:
Depending on the retailer SA's generally get of three things:
Free clothing, usually a couple outfits. Some retailers are stingy (BB Bf stand alone stores) and to prevent people from reselling and stuff they ask for it back at the end of the season and give you new clothing from the recent season .
Allowance: Other companies ie D&G give you an allowance to purchase clothes + your discount, or at cost
Then some companies like Hermes, give their associates a huge discount like 90+% off so they can stock up on clothing
Then other stores just give you a decent discount and hope you buy their clothing.
For the department stores like Nordstrom, you are generally just given a pretty sucky discount 20% off for employees, and 33% for managers. Certain days of the year you get bumped to 33 and 40% but it still sucks. But at department stores since they carry many competing designer lines, the companies send their brand reps to the stores to tell the associates about the new lines, and generally give them free clothing, or just give them money for selling their brand.
Plus for many although they do make decent commission, they generally have interest in good clothing so they end up buying what the sell anyways.
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post #11 of 115
10/22/11 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CYstyle View Post

Just to rehash everything:
Depending on the retailer SA's generally get of three things:
Free clothing, usually a couple outfits. Some retailers are stingy (BB Bf stand alone stores) and to prevent people from reselling and stuff they ask for it back at the end of the season and give you new clothing from the recent season .

i work at bb and i certainly think this is false. we get 50% off and 60% off most of the time.
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post #12 of 115
10/22/11 at 11:49pm
Interesting thread. I guess if one sells a few Tom Ford suits the commission would easily pay for a new suit.
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post #13 of 115
10/22/11 at 11:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevent View Post

Interesting thread. I guess if one sells a few Tom Ford suits the commission would easily pay for a new suit.

it would certainly take more than a few
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post #14 of 115
10/23/11 at 1:30am
At Chester Barrie one is given a new Suit every three months, in addition to the three one receives on the first day of work.

In places such as T M Lewin the discount is unbelievable. Shirts are £10,Ties £7 and Suits £80. I have nearly 100 shirts from my time there.
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post #15 of 115
10/23/11 at 1:35am
I would think its pretty obvious, nearly every major clothing brand gives out big incentives and discounts to its employees. RL gives 50% on most items, and some of that include sale items. You are required to wear the latest lines as away to market to potential consumers.
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