The Container Store

It is amazing to me this company is still in business. Consumers, on average, are paying 40-50% more for products at The Container Store that could be bought for less at Target, Wal-Mart, or even Lowe's or Home Depot. Having recently bought a new house close to the store in Fairview, TX, I'll admit I got caught up with the "coolness" of The Container Store. In fact, I bought nearly $400 worth of various knick-knacks for my new home. All the little things that would make my new house more organized. We also bought a CosCo step stool for $29.95. Later, I found the exact same thing ... EXACT ... at a nearby store for $18.97. No problem, I'll go back to The Container Store as I'm sure they will price match. WRONG! First of all, The Container Store does not have a price match policy posted anywhere. No signs in the store, not on the receipts. In fact, on multiple visits, I randomly asked different associates about their price match policy and I received responses ranging from "well, sometimes" to "we don't do it ... ever" because "not all items are the same in various retailers". Anyway, when I went back to the store to price match, I dealt with Charlie (female employee), who may be a fine individual personally but has no business dealing with the public. As I asked questions about the price match policy, under what circumstances do they match, don't match, etc. she stopped me mid-sentence and said "Sir, we DON'T price match. If you don't like that, you can return the item." While I appreciate a direct approach, is this really the type of person you want representing your store/company to all the soccer moms in the Allen/Fairview, TX area? As I walked away in disbelief, I grabbed my wife and we started heading towards the exit, I saw Charlie with another associate somewhat snickering. I walked up to them both and asked them if they were willing to lose my business for life over $11 ... guess what the answer was?

While I appreciate a company's policy that protects them and hopefully ensures their longevity, at the end of the day it is about how a customer feels and will they return to shop at your store and tell their friends and family to do the same. Specialty stores and boutiques are becoming part of the past, not the future, as larger retailers and internet channels continue to take market share away from this space.

You have forever lost my business (over $11, by the way), and I will encourage my friends, family, and those that I work with to NEVER shop your store again. Their wallet will go much further (and for the same exact product), at a Target, Wal-Mart, or other various retailers.

As of this writing, I have still not heard anything from The Container Store in terms of my feedback regarding their price match policy. Their silence is deafening and highly consistent with the attitudes I received at store level.