Attractive Salesgirls Could Turn Off Shoppers
A new study out says it's better to hire a diverse workforce than only pretty salesgirls. Photo: Ray Moreton, Getty Images
PhD researcher Bianca Price says, "Retailers often think that beautiful is better. In the same way they use a celebrity to endorse a product, they hire a beautiful girl thinking that it reflects the brand and that other women will want to be like her."
"It doesn't always work like that -- women may not consider celebrities a direct social threat, but they might consider the girl at their local shopping centre to be one."
Price chalks it up to biological competition, explaining that because young women feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful, the reaction to an attractive salesgirl is to avoid them and not buy the product.
For retailers like Abercrombie, whose "look policy" has caused legal troubles, the news came a little too late: The company recently reported a $26.7 million loss. What goes around comes around!
Still haven't had enough shopping? Check out these style tips here.






Citizen, 8-19-2009, 6:40AM
"What goes around comes around?" There's a professional comment.
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