Limed for the Truth

The Generation Gap

When I worked at the Gap, my friends rarely asked me for my discount; when I started working at Urban Outfitters, even people I considered mere acquaintances started asking to use my discount. It was always so confusing, as both were similarly priced and had similar clothing quality. Their styles didn’t seem that different when examined on someone’s body. Everyone, however, seemed to be so interested in my job at Urban Outfitters. There seemed to be some generational alignment towards that store. It seemed clearer though, when I recall my shock during my interview.

I was more or less explicitly told not to look for customers to sell to. I was quite shocked. At Gap(2) the managers wanted us to approach all customers to welcome them to the store and lookout for any customers he might even have the slightest desire to buy the smallest article of clothing.(3) . However, Urban Outfitters did not want you to try and create sales by forcing a customer into buying an item they don’t want, and the managers certainly didn’t want us trying to mix and match to make outfits for the customers. While initially taken aback, the philosophies of the two companies seemed to be much clearer when you see it from the inside.

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