Aerie Fragrance + One Ugly Store Manager

American Eagle Outifitters' Aerie line has a new feminine fragrance out and it is quite delightful. With top notes of flowering quince and green apple, middle notes of watery jasmine and blue freesia and a dry down to sexy, empowering sandalwood and musk, this fragrance is easy to love. Available in the full size spray ($39.50), a sweet little purse-sized atomizer ($15.50), a shimmer cream ($17.50) and a shimmer powder brush ($24.50), we chose the cute little atomizer spritzer.


We refers to my daughter and I. As you know from prior posts, my daughter, 14, has become quite the little connoisseur of fragrances. We enjoy shopping together and trying out new fragrances and beauty items. Usually, we have a fabulous time. Keyword there = usually.

(picture purposely obscured so as not to be too brash)

Meet Ashley

Ashley, we're told by the girl behind the counter, is the Store Manager at our local American Eagle Outfitters in Mandeville. Ashley is bothered by customers in her store. I wonder what made Ashley decide to be a store manager for a retail firm?


On this particular night, we had the pleasure of catching Ashley in an especially horrendous mood. We caught Ashley commiserating with the gal behind the counter, apparently aggravated - about what, who knows. The two, glancing out at the customers from the counter, rolling their eyes, huffing. We tried to stay out of their way.


But it was short-lived. My daughter and I, drawn by the new fragrance in the store after sampling it via a promo card by mail, had our eyes on a purchase. Off we went to the fragrance counter to see which option of the new Aerie fragrance we'd select. Graceful here (that's me) knocked over one of the shimmer powder brushes while trying to reach for the full size bottle of fragrance. Ohhhhh .... that was it! That's all Ashley needed to justify verbal ugliness. She stomped over to us demanding that she "help us" with the fragrances. I was quite capable of picking up the little box that tipped over (no damage done, was in a secured packaged) but she insisted I keep my hands off by grabbing for it herself. She took the bottle I had in my hand away from me and brought it over to the counter. Then she mumbled some curse words and trapsed back to the counter, more venting with her pal at the counter.


The photo above was taken right after she straightened some clothing on the hangers. Her thoughts on that, verbalized out loud to another employee and in earshot of several customers, "Look at this! Can you believe this! Can you believe people act like this!"; add in a few curse words there as well. Yes, seriously. Curse words. Yes, the store manager - in front of adults, teens, children - it didn't matter, Ashley needed the world to know she was "pissed" (her word; yes, hers). These are but a couple of the several such "episodes" we were lucky enough to catch at the good ole AE tonight. It was Ashley's stage and she was determined to give a memorable performance. Nice example to her employees huh? How about this, "Hey Janie and Joe-worker, here's how NOT to act when you're store manager". Or, "Hey, here's a lesson in how to drive customers right out your store, never to return again". They'll not be bothering you anymore.


Not knowing she was store manager, I asked for the SM's name when we checked out (ordinarily I would have refused to buy the item on principle after her rant, but I'd promised my daughter I'd get it ahead of time and it's the only AE in town). She was it, of course - the store manager. She'd only give me Ashley's first name, wouldn't give me who Ashley answered to. That's okay, I've already filed a formal complaint with corporate. I'll let you know how that works out.


In conclusion -- if you're in store for a fabulous, lovely, feminine yet not too sweet scent, check out Aerie's new signature fragrance. Just don't go to the AE in Mandeville to buy it!


fragrance photos: ae.com