HILKKA Easterwood called on Monday to share a very disturbing hypothesis. She had just returned from a shopping expedition to Ala Moana Center for a new pair of athletic shoes. But every time she walked into a department store or shoe gallery -- even when she held up a style that she wanted to try on -- salespeople avoided her. Even if the shoe fits,
service can fall shortAccording to Hilkka, this treatment boiled down to one thing: age discrimination. "Salesclerks would rather wait on young girls than old ladies," said the 63-year-old Kakaako resident with conviction. "Not only I feel like this; it happens to my friends, too."
There was only one way to test her theory.
On Wednesday, Hilkka, 21-year-old Star-Bulletin summer intern Jenny Tom and I went back to the state's largest shopping center to conduct a real-life experiment on the psyche of sales. The three of us entered various stores together, paused in front of the same shoe display, then waited to see which of us would draw a salesperson's attention.
OK, so it wasn't very scientific. But it certainly was enlightening.
We started at Liberty House. Hilkka, dressed conservatively in slacks, a pullover blouse and expensive walking shoes, meandered over to the Nike display. Jenny -- in a long skirt, denim top and sandals -- followed carrying a backpack. Then I, representing shoppers on the cusp of 40, wandered in with my dressy brown shorts set and black pumps.
Two salesmen, 25-year-old Clerk A and 58-year-old Clerk B, both made eye contact with me and asked if I wanted to try something on. The same thing happened at Robins Shoes, where 20-year-old Clerk C inquired if she could help me.
Asked why they came up to moi instead of 21-year-old Jenny or 63-year-old Hilkka, the two Liberty House salesmen were vague about their motivation. The Robins clerk, however, was more forthcoming: "You were closer in proximity to me, you appeared to have decided on a shoe, plus you sort of look like a Japanese tourist."
At Foot Locker, Jenny broke my streak when 25-year-old Clerk D, in his referee-striped uniform, came up to her. When told about our little experiment, he confessed that he prefers waiting on older customers because "they have the money and always buy something."
So why didn't he go up to Hilkka? Because Jenny was closer, he said (not to mention she's a pretty cute college coed, too).
Thus the score stood: middle-aged shopper, 3; young adult, 1; older consumer, 0.
WANT to know what happened at the other five stores we visited? Here's the real shocking part: In this so-called age of service with a smile, NOBODY came up to wait on ANY of us.
If we walked over toward a gaggle of salesclerks, they retreated the other way. Or they were too busy chatting among themselves to acknowledge our existence.
This was perplexing. Did they not want to disturb us? Was this a quaint, local custom of not "bothering" the shopper?
In the end, Hilkka was both right and wrong about discrimination at the mall.
According to our little test case, none of the salesclerks picked the older shopper over the young or middle-aged buyer. However, considering the general lack of interest at most of the stores we visited, you were fortunate to get a salesclerk's attention at all.
Unless, of course, you're a Japanese tourist -- or are lucky enough to look like one.
Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
DianeChang@aol.com, or by fax at 523-7863.