Letter from a Reader: Fierce and Fashionable?

Image courtesy of www.diytrade.com

Dear Fashion PULIS,

I am a regular reader of your blog. I find your blog a "complete package" as it is not just about showbiz stuff, but you also write about inspiring stories of ordinary people. And there's social responsibility, too, as you also address consumers' rights by providing them space in your blog. If only for that, I thank you, Fashion Pulis.

Anyway, I would like to relay to you a story about an American clothing retailer in the Philippines (AR) with several branches worldwide. I came to realize that its Philippine branch seems to be duping its local clientelle.

My teenage kids and I are regular shoppers at AR. Aside from the shop's cool interior, we also like the trendy and hip designs of its varied collections. Although prices may not really be cheap, but the thought that we're buying quality is enough to justify the cost. As they say - quality has a price.

But lately, we are often disappointed to find out that quality ceases to be AR's major turn-on anymore. Slowly we are getting suspicious of their products. To be honest about it, we did our own investigation to satisfy our curiosity and disgust. And lo and behold, what did we find out?

Some of AR's merchandise are not originally made in USA. For one, we found out that some of its fashion accessories are just copied/outsourced from a major local retailer, stamped with AR's name and then sold at double, and more often, triple the price. What a big let-down!

The (mal)practice is real. But if not addressed properly, the damage will even be greater. With competition in the industry getting intense, this is the last thing that AR needs. As they say in business - it takes years to build a good reputation, but only minutes to ruin it.

Yours truly,
A. Salvador