I’m mad at Kendra Scott.
I don’t know the woman personally and am usually not prone to getting worked up about much. I will, however, raise a confident voice when I feel like I’m being taken advantage of, which is precisely what caused me to get amped up today. Her pricing policy or lack thereof is the source of my dissention. The lack of any logical response by the boutique added Red Bull to my fire.
For those unfamiliar, Kendra Scott is a local girl gone good. (The good native Texan in me just clarify that her website says she hails from Wisconsin, however.) Regardless, she is the designer and purveyor of stylish fashion jewelry and her pieces are carried around town in cool boutiques. A year or so ago, she opened a flagship store on South Congress. Her price point is a tad higher than I’d like…I am very comfortable paying $50 for a pair of earrings to go with a given outfit; Kendra Scott’s generally run around $75 - $90. I'm not a one-accessory girl, so that means to have a set of anything is going to run me between $200 and $300. I have gulped as I have shelled out hundreds of dollars over the years to buy her accessories, telling myself that I’m supporting local artists and designers with my purchase.
This year was a banner year for Kendra, as Nordstrom picked up her line. I was genuinely happy as I perused the Dallas Galleria Nordy’s and saw her items, even making a point to tell the sales girl that I was a huge fan of hers and delighted to see her make the big time.
My enthusiasm for her promptly ended today. Shopping in my local Nordstrom, I cruised by the accessories counter to find a couple of items to go with a new sundress I’d just purchased. I did indeed buy some Kendra Scott pieces…for about 30% less than what Kendra is charging at her flagship store. Upon calling the boutique for clarification on pricing, I was told that they are not matching Nordstrom prices. Excuse me, WHAT?
So I guess I’m just mad in general. Mad that I’ve obviously overpaid for her accessories for so long, mad that I bought anything of hers today, and mad that no one from Kendra Scott was visionary enough to see this coming.
