As all Mizhattanites know, Mizhattan reports on a lot of sales happening throughout Manhattan. But I have to say, this Mikimoto Employee Sale--open to the public--takes the cake for the most horrible shopping wait I've ever had.
When I arrived at noon, around 80~90 women & men were already waiting...ready to shop. The queue had formed inside an extremely narrow hallway making it impossible for people to pass by. Because the line was soo~ long, you couldn't see where it ended and thus newly arriving patrons kept asking the same question: "Where's the end of the line?". Once you did find your place in line and came to the realization that this was going to be a horribly long wait, you also noticed that there was NO cell reception! AT&T. Forget it. Verizon. Ditto. Sprint & T-Mobile. Ha! Your contact with the outer world was completely cut off. No checking emails, calling friends, or updating your Facebook account. All you could do was twiddle your thumbs and acquiesce to the Bermuda Triangle of Cell Reception. While waiting for 2 excruciating hours (BTW, many ladies ended up giving up), I did get a chance to smile when I noticed that there were a handful of men with their wives. Perhaps they were shopping for the upcoming Valentine's Day? In any case, a guy who is willing to go through this and still get a Valentine's Day gift for his wife/girlfriend is a keeper!
After the 2 hour wait, I was eventually let in. The obligatory coat check felt a bit uneasy since there was no designated coat check person. Once inside, I saw that there were about 10 sales associates ready to help customers. But grabbing the attention of one was, in itself, a task. To make matters worse, the glass showcases were fiercely surrounded by the restless shoppers. Therefore, taking a look at the merchandise was almost impossible. I had to take quick glances before being pushed aside.
Now that I got my frustrations out, I will say that there is a beam of light. The pieces that were available at this sale were exquisite & exceptional. From elegant earrings to necklaces, it was pearl heaven. Discounts were 50~80% off retail. Here are some prices. A pair of beautiful dangling earrings were priced $190 (originally $550) and classic studs were $280 (originally $810). A graceful necklace was $320 (originally $920) while a pendant was $255 (originally $730). As I mentioned earlier, it was hard getting the attention of a SA. But once you did, you had their full attention without being disturbed by other shoppers.
On my way out, I asked an employee about the line. She told me that the first day is usually insane and that it should get better tomorrow. Hopefully, she's right.
