The North Face

Don’t get me wrong, I love the North Face more than most. But my recent visit to the Natick North Face store was seriously disappointing.
About 3 weeks after Christmas I journeyed to Natick in hopes of finding a new North Face winter coat, but essentially all I found was an empty store. OK I realize it was 3 weeks after Christmas, but seriously this is a manufacturer’s store — why can’t they get a little more merchandise from their factories??? It was a huge waste of time, because they had no coats left in my size, and I even had them check the Newbury store for multiple different models and they were out as well. The online site has a completely separate inventory, so they couldn’t even just ship me a coat from the site.
For a premium manufacturer like North Face, I expect a better shopping experience. Have some gear in stock, have helpful salespeople, and (come on!) be able to ship me something from your online store if it’s out of stock in-​store. Don’t just say «I’m sure you can find it on our website.» I really hope they get their act together, because I really want to love this store.

So… I was really happy with my entire experience in the store, until I realized that the shoes they gave my friend (the kind of friend that will agree with anything just to get out of a store) the wrong size shoe. I called ahead, made sure they had the shoe, color, and size we needed. They were bright and chipper on the phone.
We arrived and asked for a size 11 and 11 ½. The sales girl brings out two boxes and hands them over, pushing the 11 towards us. Turns out the 11 is actually a 12, unless of course we’re in the UK then it would still have been the 11 she was purporting it to be. Understandable mistake, but now I have to make the hike all the way out to Natick, just to make an exchange.

Three Cheers for sales at The North Face! Since it was a holiday weekend, the mall was deserted, even though there were bargains galore. My husband and were promptly greeted by friendly sales associates. The presentation of the merchandise was neat and orderly. Checking out was quick and hassle free. Minus a star for not having as large of a selection as the Newbury Street store. Plus a star for The North Face being able to pull merchandise from another store and ship it directly to your residence, with out shipping or service charges.

Decided to check out the Natick Collection on a very hot June day. Against my better judgment, I ventured down the «expensive» side of the mall.
Well guess what I found… A North Face store. Something I haven’t seen since they got rid of the outlet store here in Wrentham. I start browsing the jackets, and am greeted by a some-​what nice woman. I explain to her what I am looking for, and she points me over to some poncho-​type jackets. I tell her the jacket is for a Father’s Day gift… He wears dress slacks, dress shirt, and a tie to work… He will want something a little more fitted, a little more polished. She then points me to a different jacket. LOVE IT! And for only $ 79, I love it even more.
I hope the fiancé will love it as much as I do.
I gave the store a solid 4 stars… not 5 because, well to be honest, the lady helping me had no personality and was somewhat short with me. I have worked in retail before, still do, and you need to have a people-​friendly personality. She was lacking that… maybe she was having an off day, but she just wasn’t great.