glassons

First off we visited Glassons, this being one of New Zealand’s most visited women’s fashion stores. Glassons is renowned by many for its fast fashion, vibrant stores, and low end price range. According to their own website, the brand is made to appeal to fun, cleaver and energetic females. There are stores in all major cities in New Zealand and also online. I would say the brand’s target market would be those aged between 13 and 25 based on the garment’s bright colour palette, youthful styles, and the way in which the store creates cheap imitations of clothing that are considered to be following a current trend.

The store we visited had a very 'chain store' vibe with a lot of stock grouped into one place creating an overly crowded aesthetic. The racks were filled with clothing and some styles were obscured completely by other garments displayed in front of them. I found the store to be messy and disorganised. Glassons also sells accessories and shoes. 

Photos glassons.com and myself

The clothing is generic. Most of the clothing is made in China, with a small number of the garments being New Zealand made. The clothing has cheap fastenings and embellishments, while there is little tailoring. The fabric used to create these garments is low quality, e.g. coats are made from polyester instead of wool. All stock is displayed on hangers on the floor or wall and on tables. 

The prices range from $4.99 for such items as a pair of socks, to approximately $129.99 for a coat. Sizes range from size 6 to size 18 (the availability of the largest sizes are limited, but size 18 is available for generic items such as basics e.g. singlets). The quality of the items varies greatly and you get what you pay for. All of the garments we looked at had loose threads and the blouse even had some damage. It was pulled on the front panel and also had several obvious marks, which made the garment look unprofessional and of poor quality. Garments are produced cheaply in bulk, and sold to the low end market, therefore meaning this poor quality can occur. The customer service was fine, as they greet you when you enter the store, and assist if you require it. Glassons produces a seasonal brochure promoting their clothing, and also features on shows such as New Zealand’s Next Top Model, to promote itself.