McCaulou’s Department Stores

I was at Concord store on May 11^th. 2016 looking for a ladies night gown & found under 50% off sales rack. But the item I want was not marked off so I asked to sales lady but she wasn’t sure about the price so she called the Manager named «Lize».
She told me it was not on sale, even if it’s under 50% off sale sign.
I told her that it is false advertising which misleading me think that the idam is on sale.
I sent an email to McCaulou’s on line — same day– address but no replies from them.
I am really disappointed on their customer service.
If you don’t want to get cheat on your price to not shop at the McCaulou’s !!!

I wish I could give no stars. I was in this store recently, and had a backpack with me after working on my laptop at Noah’s Bagels next door. I was politely browsing the racks in the middle of the store when a very snot faced employee interrupted in a terribly pinched voice «Uhmmm NO backpacks unless you are with a parent». Uhmmmm I am 20 years old and was planning on making a substantial purchase. The only saving grace was a pregnant, dark haired cashier when I went to retrieve my backpack (and offered for her to look inside to ensure I did not shoplift) who was so nice and assured me it was ok. They really should fire most of their employees and replace them with respectful and professional ones. I won’t be back, never have I been treated so rudely.

I’m from Oakland and a woman of color and this was my first time shopping in the Lafayette district. The neighborhood is nice and quaint. It can get quite crowded on the weekends. I stopped into this store on the afternoon of March 26 and found a great top and headed towards the register. I was second in line. The lady in front of me was finishing her purchase so I put my top on the counter for the next slightly blonde senior women to ring me up. What did she do, she pushed my top to the side and began helping the woman standing behind me. I thought, «okay… the next cashier will help.» But no, the next cashier women ignored me and proceeded to help the next blonde woman in line. In what world is the second person who is clearly next to be helped suddenly pushed to the back? They completely and blatantly ignored me. I get it, you obviously hate people of color and it shows. You 3 older blonde women behind the women’s dept register should be ashamed of the way you treat people. I put my top down and walked out of store. These women are RUDE and nobody should be treated that way. This store does not deserve any stars.

This store has really professional and clear boundaries. They are all very nice and helpful and treated me with kindness and fairness while staying true to their values as a business. I think more businesses need to operate in this way. They have a great selection and staff all around as well.

A rather hidden gem in an otherwise, shopping mall full of Peet’s coffee and grocery stores. This place has almost everything anybody would need. It’s a throwback to old town local department stores but with updated fashion and the latest stuff.
Need a good looking dress shirt for work? They have it. Need some new sneakers that are reasonably priced? They have it. Men, women, kids, they cover it all with a pretty big cosmetic department as well.
I have found their sale/​clearance items to be of value. Higher end stuff than TJ Max but better priced than Macy’s. It’s sort of nice to be able to get your groceries and pick up a pair of brand new 3 pack of trunk shorts in the same area. Overall, a very nice, well run small (but not too small) local shopping center department store. If you need something, check them out as they probably have it.

I have very mixed feelings about this department store. They have a beautiful selection of clothes, shoes, jewelry and makeup and have options for both genders and of all ages. My problem with this store are the RUDE individuals who work there. I’ve been coming here for years and have only interacted with one or two employees that actually went out of their way to be friendly. The main problem is the man with the glasses who works in the shoe department. I once tried to swap out a pair of ugg moccasins because the ones I received for Christmas had clearly been tried on many times. The fur was flattened and the shoes were stretched out. This gentlemen gave me an extreme amount of attitude for claiming these shoes were stretched out, he has always been very condescending to me and other customers. I now only come here if I am desperately looking for a quick gift because it is close to my house. Although I love the merchandise, the sales reps are a big turn off.

I love this store for many reasons! The junior department has such a great variety of things and all great prices. Awesome sales too. They have a great selection for «going out» clothes and dresses. They have a very nice women’s and «older lady» section that you don’t seem to find anymore. It’s a very wonderful place to shop for items an elderly woman might need/​want as far as intimates, PJs, etc that again, you just can’t find anymore. Great shoe selection too. It’s a really wonderful LOCAL department store. Shop here!

My daughter and I shopped here a couple of weeks ago, and we had the kind of service that we used to get in department stores. Two of the staff, Fran and Debbie, found the clothes we were looking for, exchanging anything that we didn’t like or didn’t fit, and were so helpful and pleasant. We loved shopping there.

Though I really do enjoy the selection and variety at McCaulou’s, especially for junior’s clothing, make up, and shoes, I do find their customer service to be incredibly lacking. To the store’s credit, most of the clothing seems to be on trend and I almost always am able to find my size. The real issue is that I actually feel that I’m bothering the sales people by asking them questions or by trying to make a purchase. If the store could improve its costumer service, I would give it a much higher rating. A little bit of friendliness goes a long way.

Ok so I know this place is a bit old and is not fancy or anything like that, but I like this place regardless. Not to mention, it is conveniently located near me. There is a fragrance and cosmetic section when you walk in the then girls clothes is right across. I usually have to shop in the girls youth section because the women’s clothes are not my style. It’s geared for woman over 50 and older I think. They have a good selection of shoes and kids clothes. I get my son stuff there all the time. Also, a side note, they sale cub and boy scout stuff there too. I use to get my son his scout stuff there, its better than going to main scout store in Concord. I know ill be back there soon.

I have been a regular customer for years and McCaulou’s has been my «neighborhood go to» place for kids clothes and misc items for myself. While I appreciate the homey vibe and great prices, it is time for a make over in energy, service, color and technology.
As a corporate consultant, I still cringe that the level and energy of the service staff is so low, that the same CD’s play over and over again, that it’s still the same black and gray clothes for boys and men and that during check out, we’re still waiting unnecessarily for the sales rep to manually write numbers on every tag… on every item. Really? In this day and age of limitless technology?
I write this because I want them to be successful and I truly believe that they could maintain their homey feel AND make some changes starting with: paying more for better quality sales reps (take care of them and they will take care of you… empower them to handle returns on their own– it goes a long way and the customer isn’t waiting for a manager), change up the music, bring in some of the cool bright neon boys shirts that are so popular now, for example, train the service reps to be on the floor with a smile and an enthusiasm that shows they’re interested in helping customers, and please, bring in technology that allows the reps to scan each item versus hand writing… this is a must!
These are minor changes that would make a world of difference– making their customers happier, employees happier and ultimately bring them more financial success for the long term.
Thank you,
Susan

Nice Department store. Lots of choices in many areas. Has a nice old fashioned feel to it. Prices vary, but can usually find what I need, and sometimes good sales.

My grandma likes to frequent this shop because she wants the gift that comes with a $ 25 purchase at clinique, so while she is doing that, I like to wander around and see if I can find anything decent. This place truly is a hit or miss. The shoe selection is decent, I got a pair of sweet brown boots there, but the clothing is mediocre. A lot of it is outdated and are things I would never wear, like baby phat jackets.
Like other reviews, the customer service is so bad, its hard not to laugh out loud when a worker ignores you.
One plus is that if you are getting a gift for someone and you spend $ 15 or more, you get free gift wrapping! Which, mind you, takes forever. So, a plus and minus… evens out to nothing.

Okay, so this is a perfect place if you are in need of something small and quick. Really a place that sells Hanky Panky skivvies can’t be all that bad. (score points for that!). The clothes are basic but you will find something as long as you aren’t looking for something in particular but more something in general. Brand names are easily found. Prices are mid level and sometimes a good sale can be found.
This is the place I will definitely be shopping at when I’m living in Rossmor.

There is nothing else like it in the area. It has fantastic children’s clothing at very reduced prices, name brands, everything you could want. The Clinique women are wonderful. I could go on in detail about many
of the other departments. I much prefer shopping here for a wonderful
shopping experience with all the sales help I need. If you can wait
for sales, you can get real value. If not, you will get what you want with
a huge selection at very affordable prices. They make every inch of space count. My only complaint is sometimes the bathroom is not available.

This McCaulou’s Department Store is a bit of a throwback. The merchandise is tightly packed within a single floor of a ranch style building within a small town suburbia vibe. The old Capwell’s also comes to mind.
Finding things can be bit challenging, but I’ve found the friendly store staff to be equal to the task. And if you look really closely, there are some really good sale deals to be found. The location is also somewhere between Sun Valley and Broadway Plaza in terms of wanting to come here.

Two stars, only because the deals can be good BUT…
Do they have a competition to see who can avoid talking to a customer the longest?
I walked into 4 different departments; shoes, girls, womens, and juniors and not one person even said hello to me EVEN when they accidentally made eye contact. They looked away as fast as they could, like they broke the McCaulou’s code of ethic or something.
Forget about anyone asking if I needed help, I quickly learned that wouldn’t happen!
When I found someone to let me in the dressing room she was nice enough but she put me in the room and closed the door and totally disappeared.
When I was finished I couldn’t find anyone and I hate just leaving my clothes in the dressing room (I think it’s rude). So I started searching for someone but then realized that I’d be breaking their code of ethics if I made eye contact, so I just left it in the room and checked out.

McCaulou’s is truly a throw-​back to the old department store mentality. Here you’ll find divided departments, as well as employees that don’t cross between departments. If you want to buy something from the Estee Lauder counter, the chick from the Lancolm counter will NOT venture over to assist you. Because of the crappy estee lauder counter service, I now shop the Clinique counter, and couldn’t be happier :-)
Their selection of scouts supplies is much appreciated, as it saves the working parent a trip out to Concord.
They have a great shoe selection & teen department. Their women’s clothes are geared towards an older client (yup, they carry the poly pants here)… but I can usually find something in a pinch. ALl in all, I’m thankful to have this local resource.

This is a truly old fashioned department store, a rambling, ranch-​style single level suburban store. Though I’m not much of a shopper, I kind of like stores like this. It doesn’t feel upscale and haughty, just down home and a tad shabby, w/​carpets that look a bit tired. I’ve come here looking for winter weight robes and nightgowns. Their quality seems better than Macy’s and their prices seem better than Nordstrom. Their robe selection has been pretty good. I prefer zip front robes to ones w/​sash closures and was successful in finding one a couple of years ago when I struck out at Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Other than robes, they don’t have much that interests me. I don’t wear cosmetics and there are other places I shop for clothes and shoes. I always check out their newspaper ads, though, and if I’m looking for something like sleepwear I’ll check out what they have. I hadn’t realized it before, but McCalou’s awakens a residual fondness for the department stores of my younger days, like Hink’s in Berkeley and Leask’s in Santa Cruz. Now everything is Macy’s. Unless it’s Nordstrom, which is better than Macy’s.

McCaulou’s is a 9 store local department store chain mostly in the East Bay, in nicer suburbs like Orinda, Moraga, Danville, Walnut Creek, etc.
It is a throw back, old school type store, remeniscent of a small town JC Penny’s without home furnishings. There is a little bit of everything in these stores inluding Men’s, Women’s, Girls and Boys clothes, shoes, toys, make-​up. The prices are discounted, too, so it isn’t so expensive like the name brand stores in the local malls in the same town (i.e. Broadway or Stoneridge centers).
The help is old school, too. My sales clerk was perhaps 70 years old? Old school white suburbia. It took her 5 minutes to open a dressing room up for me, and she was moving as fast as she could!
A long, long time ago, I worked at Capwell’s in downtown Oakland. It was an old school department store chain of 5 stores in Oakland (flagship), Fremont (Fremont Hub), Richmond (Hilltop), Walnut Creek and El Cerrito (Plaza). It was a place where all the little old ladies loved to shop: It had a Notions department, Men’s Furnishings, Foundations, and a basement with bargain bedding. (When there was a big sale in the basement, the mad crowds would come down, and it was the Sheets!)
Capwell’s was associated with Weinstock’s in the Sacramento area, and Broadway stores in SoCal, and Emporium in SF and the peninsula. Later Macy’s bought a few and others were simply closed down.
McCaulou’s is sort of like Capwell’s. If you grew up in the neighborhood, it is a comfortable local store. If you didn’t and are just curious out-​of-​towners, well then, it seems like an oddity from another decade, or maybe century.
I did buy a pair of Levi Jeans for $ 35, on sale from $ 44.