Jeans and Marketing

Sunday is the bridal shower and it is traditional in Jenn's family for the groom to attend. Jenn bought a shirt for me to wear, but I have been having khaki problems. One pair ended up with candle wax in a particularly problematic region. (The wax dripped from the candle at the Easter Vigil.) Washing them did not get rid of the candle wax marks. The other pair of khakis is too short.

Consequently, earlier this week I embarked on a hunt to find a pair of 30x34 khakis. Going into the search, I assumed it would be in vain. Finding pants in size 30x34 has been an ongoing struggle. (The best luck that I had in previous endeavors was online. The problem with online, though, is that it is not possible try them on before purchasing. If I am going to pay money for clothes, I need to know they are going to fit and don't want the hassle of sending them back.) Jenn did not believe me when I told her this so she started looking as well.

Guess what? She couldn't find a pair of khakis. They are rare - and so are 30x34 jeans. So the journey began at American Eagle. They had two pairs of khakis in the entire store. Of course, none of these were 30x34. I went down to Old Navy although I knew the story would be the same. (Actually, I would not have even been able to find a pair if they existed because the place was a disaster.) Jenn already informed me that Kohl's and J.C. Penny did not have them either.

I decided to just call it quits. But, then on a whim, I decided to take one more pass through the mall and find a store that had a pile of khakis that I could see visible through the window. One store stood out, The Buckle. I've never shopped there before but was met by a sales associate who asked what I was needing to buy. She promptly pulled out a pair of 30x34 khakis. Recovering from shock, I ask about jeans. She says, "We have someone in the back who can get you any length of jeans that you want." She proceeded to get me a couple pairs of 30x34 and then recommended the best pair.

Meanwhile, as I was trying on the khakis and jeans, she found a couple shirts that she thought would fit great as well. Now, all of this was particularly interesting to me because I have been thinking a lot about marketing. The Buckle distinguishes itself from other stores because it will modify jeans to desired lengths. They realize that people are truly different, and even the standard sizes do not fit all people. In addition, this particular associate was outstanding and offered personalized attention to get the sale done efficiently and effectively. As a guy, this was really important to me because I was ready to leave the mall as soon as I walked in the door. If other associates even exhibit a fraction of the enthusiasm that this associate demonstrated, then the store is far advanced compared to other clothing stores. This combination of fit and service sets the store apart from any other place that I looked. So actually this ended up being a positive experience, and I'll hopefully be set on pants for quite awhile.