I have an addiction and that’s called shopping.
The upside of this addiction is that, it’s easy to fuel.
The downside of this is that the older I get (and the more cash I earn, due to the responsibility and work I have to do), the more I am addicted to designer goods.
Thank god for Bicester Village.
Many of my designer goods in my wardrobe were picked up there, including my most treasured Dior handbag.
I used to think it’s a great place because I can find timeless fashion pieces there.
Then it went downhill when the pound dropped.
Tourists.
Tourists everywhere.
Not just the Chinese ones, but also Middle-Eastern where they buy their wives designer goods to show how much they love her.
I only go when I have to.
And this time I went because I will be seeing the two (not so… one is 29 and the other is 28 this year) little girls that I love dearly when I get go Eastbound (not japan unfortunately) this March.
Last time I saw them they got limited edition Pandora charms, and the one before I got them a Ted Baker bag and a Juicy bag.
Because in Hong Kong designer handbag means everything.
What else shall I buy for two girls who also love bags?
So I braved Bicester Village today, and I had the worst experience so far.
For a start, it is INSULTING to assume all Chinese people speak Mandarin.
Most of us do speak the dialect, but because Mandarin as a dialect is automatically associated with those from China – and being from Hong Kong, but growing up whilst it was a British Colony, we feel especially violated because we are more British than Chinese.
I had a Chinese salesperson talking to me in English first (in Coach, I am naming and shaming), then heard me talking to my friend in Cantonese and then spoke to me in Mandarin straight away.
We both went “huh” and “sorry?” Before she spoke to us in Cantonese (Mainland Cantonese, no less).
The worst part is that, I wasn’t holding anything and she was following me as if I am about to steal something.
I walked out pretty much after that.
Then I went into many other shops to have a look, and the next one that was on my hit list was Michael Kors, which is popular in Hong Kong.
It was also the original shop I thought of when I was thinking about buying them bags.
I was holding two small ones and one large one (large one for a friend in Hong Kong who I will be seeing her for her birthday) whilst I browse, because I was trying to make up my mind and I don’t want to go back and they were gone. At the end of the day, it’s an outlet, I am not going to get much of a choice. not only the sales person was breathing down my neck, she was talking to me in Mandarin, which I ignored and it was only then she spoke to me in English.
Then the queue was bad because no one wants to go behind the counter, and there are about six or seven people not doing anything in the shop. It was only when the queue was getting really long and the shop manager told them to get to the counter.
Seriously, talking about bad customer service.
I was so close to not buy anything there.
Au contraire, I wandered into Dior and McQueen (two of my favourites) and I was roaming freely, picking up and playing with scarves and bags, coats and dresses and same for MaxMara and Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Balenciaga.
All the brands I have listed above cost at least ten times more than Coach and Michael Kors.
As sales person you surely need to know how to read people.
I was a sale person once, admittedly it was only in a bookshop, but I know who is willing to spend money when I see one.
My bag itself is a Christian Lacroix bag which isn’t as expensive as designers like MaxMara, McQueen or Dior, but it is still more worthy than Coach and Michael Kors.
Why the hell would I want to steal one of those, when it is and understatement when/if I have to use one?
Crazy.
Middle of nowhere femme 