Anyone who knows me also knows that 95% of my wardrobe is from New York & Company (aka Lerners). I’ve loved the store since high school because I can always find classy, stylish clothes that are just so me. So you can guess that when I went to pay my NY&Co; card off online, and saw their site had been redone to sell clothes too – I was ecstatic! Was the online version all that I expected? Let’s compare!
What they sell
New York & Company sells clothes that are great for going from work to the weekend just as they advertise. This means I find clothes that are classy and nice enough for work, but at the same time they are comfy and relaxed enough for going out. I love it because they are business like but still girly. The blouses, for example, are fitted to shape a girl instead of being boxy. The style is best described as “girl on the go” because you can look nice, and be comfy, and feel great as you go about your busy day. Great clothes for the office.
The Selection
Offline: I walk into the store and there are so many great clothes I don’t even know where to begin. They have loads of options, and I usually end up spending a few hundred dollars there. I also only shop there once or twice a year to protect my wallet! There are always plenty of choices and even if I initially don’t see anything I like, I always manage to find a few shirts, sweaters, or blouses. There are so many pants choices that I can always find at least 1 or 2 styles I like. Clothes are placed together as color schemes or outfits, making it easy for me to figure out how I’m supposed to wear it.
Online: There are a lot of clothes on the website, but it doesn’t seem like they have nearly as much selection. Clothes are split into Trends, Apparel, Accessories and Sale. From there you can choose to see Shirts, Sweaters, Skirts, Pants or various other types of clothes. However you miss out on the outfits, you don’t get to see things together only individually. Although I think I dress well, I’m still style challenged and I don’t always know what goes together. This site makes it harder to shop for that reason.
The Look and Feel
Offline: Sometimes I browse clothes by touch alone, and avoid anything that feels itchy, or stiff, or just uncomfortable. Generally, I walk around the store just looking. I’m usually not looking for a certain item, I’m just browsing and I’ll walk in a circle around the store to see every area. Trying on clothes makes a big difference since sometimes they come out with new styles or cuts that just don’t fit right.
Online: Obviously you can’t try the clothes on, but you do see a picture of them on a model which helps quite a bit. However since my size at this store can vary based on the cut of the outfit, I am more hesitant to spend a lot of money online. Also, you can’t feel the material. The descriptions list the material, but it’s not the same as being able to touch it. It’s also harder to shop because you have to choose a category and shop for only one thing at a time. I enjoy browsing in the store because I see things together (as mentioned above) and things catch my eye more if I see a whole bunch of similar items on the same rack. However, for the basic styles and cuts, the pictures on the site will suffice.
The Sales
Offline: I get a coupon in the mail almost weekly for 30$ off if I spend 75$. Then yearly I get a 25% discount on my birthday and a 30% discount just came in the mail this week. I refuse to go to this store without a coupon, and I usually hold out for the 30% discounts since that is the best deal. The store also has a sale area which I totally avoid. It is always just jammed packed with clothes and I’ve rarely found anything in my size there that I liked.
Online: I can’t use my coupons! That sucks! It says right on the coupons I receive that they can’t be used at the online store 🙁 What a bummer. On the other hand, their sale section is much more organized. I managed to find a sweater and a tunic on sale (and in my size!) and that is what I ended up buying from the store. The discounts were pretty good with each shirt I bought being around 10$ – which is awesome because the regular price of these types of shirts is usually $30-40 dollars. With shipping my total was 28$ which is way less than I would have spent if I had gone to the store. I have recieved a few “online only” coupons but they are not usually as good as the instore coupons.
The Convenience
Offline: I can only go when the mall is open, which usually means that I have to go after work to avoid the weekend rush. It’s not really the best time to shop, but it’s the only way to avoid the crowds. Sometimes I’ll go there just to find they haven’t yet updated their collection for the next season. That’s always a disappointment too.
Online: Um, let’s see – you can shop anytime you want from the comfort of your own home! Of course that’s more convenient. Cloths can be returned to your New York and Company store as long as you have the online receipt and credit card you used. I ordered on 1/24/07 and the clothes arrived at my door on 2/4/07, packaged and folded nicely. I also like that I can look online to see what’s new, even if I don’t plan to buy it online. It will save me the trip to the store in the future if I can look online to see if anything new is out yet. I can use my NY&Co; credit card AND pay it off all from this website.
The End
I will continue to browse NY&Co;’s website, but I will only purchase from there when I see really good deals like I did this time. Even though I know some of the blouse styles would fit me with no problem, it would be deadly if I started buying those online – I’d go broke! So I am only visiting to see what’s new or on sale, then otherwise it’s off to the store. If this website accepted my coupons, I’d visit it all the time! They are really losing out on that one.
If you do not have a New York & Company physical store near you, I highly suggest checking it out. It’s a great way to dress nice for work and still look like your ready to party! View the Information to find out how to shop there today. Enjoy!
