STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

miamiBEAUTY · Nine West

Boutiques. Are discounts offered to employees?

honey · Gucci

almost all stores offer employee discounts (though i would double check on the gap one, when i worked there you were only offered 50% off your first purchases). i think the standard is probably 25-30% off and there are usually restrictions. in my experience stores where you have to wear their clothes are more generous with the discounts than stores where you can wear anything.

miamiBEAUTY · Nine West

Thank you. I think my friend worked at Tommy once & since she had to wear their stuff she got discount. So that does makes sense. :) Never thought of it like that.

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

i used to work at a boutique in boston (full-time) and got a 40% discount off anything. (seven's, coh, ella moss, etc) it was a pretty sweet deal. however, there was a rule that you couldn't get your discount until something was out on the floor for three weeks. and there was no discount off sale items. part-time employees got 30% off.

back in the day, i worked at j. crew (an outlet) and we got 30% off outlet prices. AND you could use your discount on sale/clearance items. i used to get things for like 7 dollars! my best buy was a purple faux suede skirt for $15, originally $130!

kenzie · Chanel

I know that almost all chain/mall stores offer employee discounts (and most are very generous, especially for full-time employees). I'm sure that one-of boutiques would do the same thing, but it might vary from boutique to boutique. I would just check with the individual store (although, if you are interviewing at one, this is not a great question to ask in the interview--let the interviewer tell you or just wait until you are offered a position).

crystal · Kate Spade

i worked in a small boutique (9 stores) for a couple years and our discount sucked! it was 20% off "labeled" items (i.e. COH, 7, miss 60, PDC, etc.) which after tax barely made a dent. on non-"labeled" items (i.e. bought downtown & relabeled w/ our boutique's name) we got 25% off & certain items were 40% off. also no dicount on sale merch. rarely we would have one day where we could get something like 30 or 40% off "labeled" items, but it was so rare i can't even remember what the disc. was. plus we could only get one item!

miamiBEAUTY · Nine West

I may start working at a small boutique soon where there are only 3 different locations & I'm hoping I get a decent discount. I also hope that the 3 week rule does not apply where I may start working.

That would be torture!! They sell stuff that is L.A. based but in Miami. Like all of the Nicky Hilton bags, Seven, COH, Blue Cult, Juicy, Rebecca Taylor, Trina Turk, etc. So, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Chic · Marc Jacobs

I worked at a boutique for a summer and we got 40% off and there was no time limit on items, but I could see an owner restricking this since they are not a chain they really can make up their own rules. I worked at several chain stores at the mall and the gap was 50%, Harold's 40-60%( we would get 60% punch cards every new season to get a new sweater, pants, skirt, jacket etc...b/c we had to wear current season), BCBG was the best 70% as a manager but about 2 years ago they changed the rules and you had to wait a full month...it really sucked!