EXPRESS

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ¹²²⁄₁₀₀
Almost all my work clothes are from Express because they have «short» and now «petite» sized dress pants! But unfortunately, these sizes aren’t easily found in-​store so I find myself ordering online — ALOT. Every Black Friday I look forwarded to Express’s 50% off the entire store! This year was no exception. Their online sale started a week before Black Friday and I went a little overboard. Once I finally received my large order, to my dismay, Express had forgotten ONE of the pants I ordered. With a simple call to their customer service, the waiting being the worst part, they promised to re-​ship the missing item.
So how does this pertain to this Express location?
After trying on each item and debating which were worth alterations and which were an utter fail — because not all 00 Short Express pants are made equally — I decided to return a few items. I lugged my items to Ala Moana’s Express store where I stood in-​line and was greeted by an unfriendly, lethargic cashier. Without much expression, she took my items and started to process the refund. After the transaction was done, I left the store chatting with my Fiancé about the purchase and showed him the receipt. He mentioned that he thought the refund should be more considering what I returned. I immediately double checked the receipt and realized I was not refunded for all the item I had returned. I rushed back into the store, unfortunately getting the same cashier, and was hoping they had not put my return away! I explained that I had returned more items then refunded. She snatched the receipt without a word and turned around to sort through the returns behind her. She grabbed some clothes and said «Oh I thought I was forgetting something» and proceeded to process the return. I was shocked that she did not seem more apologetic for not refunding me for all my items. If I hadn’t hurried back in time they may have sorted my returns and I would have no proof of the return.
The only somewhat apology I received from the cashier was a quiet, half-​hearted «sorry» as she handed me the receipt and called for the next person in-​line. I’ve worked in retail during holiday season when I was in college and I know things can be stressful and overwhelming — especially with the amount of returns post-​Black Friday but there’s no need for an attitude or lack of customer service. I was on the brink of asking for the manager.
If anything should be learned from this experience is to pay close attention when returning items, that all are processed and refunded.

Express — LOL! The last time I shopped here was pre-​pregnany (when I actually had a disposable income and there were no extra mouths to feed, or tuition to pay, and I actually had a figure to go & find «Mr. Right»… over a decade ago… hence the LOL)!
MISSION:
My journey here was the result of a new job offer, and I needed to get suit slacks and work shirts. The assortment of work shirts was pretty great, I bought a lot of the Portofino shirts (which were pretty pricey, ranging from $ 49.50 to $ 59.50) — but they had a sale, buy one get one half off… and I needed shirts and am on a time-​crunch!
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
I called in the morning to ask mostly about suit slacks. I needed something that were more trouser-​style, not low-​rise and fitted (which has been the trend for a while). The gentleman I spoke with on the phone (Casey), was super friendly, answered my questions, and proceeded to place two on hold for me. Awesome start! I eventually made it down to the mall (I rarely venture to Ala Moana because it is just so freekin crowded and has a lot of never-​ending construction going on).
When I got to the store, the dressing room associate was also very nice (I wish I got her name). The slacks that were put on-​hold for me was fitted. I asked the associate in the dressing room about what styles they had, and what i was looking for, and she brought me two other slacks to try on. Ultimately, the slacks are just cut more fitted here — so I didn’t get any slacks here — but that doesn’t take away from the service.
The frosting on the cake… the customer service received at the checkout! Jan was the epitome of service. She was kind, not fake, genuinely kind. And I asked if there were any other sales, coupons that I was not taking advantage of, and she said that I could look up online while she was ringing me up. I eventually signed up for the Express email and was emailed a coupon code to use immediately in-​store. So on top of the buy one, get one… I also got the additional percentage off with the emailed coupon.
OVERALL:
5-​stars for customer service, especially JAN, and quantity of Portofino tops!

Ahhhhh, Express. They really know how to hit the perfect balance of trendy and affordable while giving you great choices.
Yes, the retail prices are expensive, and if you need something RIGHT NOW, you’ll end up paying full price for it. However, if you hit up the sales, sign up for their rewards program, and get their newsletters, the retail prices won’t even matter anymore.
I like Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and J. Crew as much as I like Express now. However, Express items are mostly machine washable while majority of the other brands are dry clean only. Express do have great options for work clothes as well as trendy clothes for going out. Their clothes selection is very good, and even my favorite leggings come from Express!
Obviously, the fit of the clothing will vary with each person, and each cut of clothing. I’ve had clothes that fit me perfectly off the rack while I’ve also had some that needed some changes here or there. They have a great variety of sizes for women so I’m sure there’s something for everyone.
I think their clothes hold up well over time. I’ve had a few pants’ threads come out a little at the hems and loose buttons, but because I do tend to be rough with the clothes that I think can handle the abuse, I’d say they are a pretty solid investment. A loose thread or button here or there is no big deal anyway after a year or two of wear, though I’ve held on to some of their clothes for far longer than that.

To be frank, I’ve never been here before my friend introduce me to Express. She popped in during one of our shopping adventures and as she was clothes hunting I checked out the store.
It seems there’s always a sale here, so I’d advise to wait (if you can) for the item to be marked down before paying full price. Sales associates are really, almost too, kind but they don’t really offer much than multiple greetings… my friend was searching for a particular shirt for the longest time, but the sales girl, who hovered around us once in awhile, made no effort to help.
Like I mentioned, I rarely shop here and I don’t really think I’ll be back soon unless I’m shopping with friends.

Whenever I am in the Honolulu area especially at Ala Moana Shopping Center I like to come to Express and check out all the clothing that they have to offer for both men and women. I always tend to look at all the graphic tees… why is it that the mens always have the nicest looking graphic tees.
I love it when they have sales when you purchase one shirt at regular price and get the second shirt for half off. Even the days when they have clearance sales… that’s when you can buy items at a lower price. The shirts that I normally buy are made out of thin fabric and it is very comfortable especially on hot days or evenings when i want to feel very cool.
Besides graphic tees… the Express store also sell blouses, skirts, dresses, matching sweatshirts plus sweatpants and jeans for the females. There are other merchandises that Express has to offer to their customers like wallets, perfumes, and even small bluetooth speakers.
Before the Express store would have check out registers in the men’s section and in the women’s section. On my most recent visit I noticed that the check out registers is located only in the women’s section of the store. With the expanded space in the mens section there’s more items being offered for the the men to buy.
The employees are very friendly and they greet you as soon as you walk in through the entrance. Every now and then there will be a wait in line especially if there’s only one employee working on the register. Once a second employee shows up and opens up a second register the line goes down really fast.
If I am ever at Ala Moana Shopping Center and I feel like splurging on myself I would come to Express and shop for the blouses that catches my eye.

I usually do most of my shopping online. However, I continue to be a loyal supporter of Express Ala Moana. The staff take great care of you, which is most important of course. They have a great selected of blues and reds, which are the only colors I wear outside of shades. I also receive «coups» regularly.

Business casual, CHECK!
I used to think Express was too pricey for the styles they offer, but as a growing young professional, Ive come to recognize their quality and versatility versus price.
Stepping into this black and red oasis of style, you’ll be greeted by their latest trends and tempting deals. Often at «BOGO» (buy one get one), Express offered sweaters, tanks, skirts and dresses at a pretty good price with this deal.
More of a bargain hunter? Head towards the back of the store where they house their red tag mech, sometimes they even have up to70% off retail prices~!
In addition to these deals, if you sign up for their point card (free, and not a credit card) you can snag coupons for $ 100 off $ 250 in the store, STEALS! My last haul here, I spent $ 70 for two sports bras, a necklace, some earrings, a sequins dress AND a cute skirt.
Tip: their return policy is 90 days with receipt and attached tag, even for clearance items!

This is my go to place for dress clothes. The slacks are super comfortable and reasonably priced, and the dress shirts are made to fit a lot of different body types with the 3 different styles they have. Good customer service, and always good deals!

I went there this past monday (labor day) looking for a shirts. As soon as i walked in i got greeted and helped by kekoa. He was very patient and helpful. He showed me the diffrent styles. I am very pleased with their customer service there. I will shop there again!

I really do like Express as a brand, but this store has some areas of improvement.
I give them major pluses for their large men’s section. It’s hard to find fashionable affordable wears for men, but Express and their photographer suit make it so accessible. However, I find their setup to be confusing and sort of chaotic, especially in the women’s section, which also, includes men’s underwear? I’m confused. Also, they do not have enough people working the floor, as I just stand in front of an empty cash register on either side, hoping someone will magically appear to take my money.

I like Express. I like it better when there’s a sale. Or when there’s a sale and I have one of those coupons. I have to time my binge shopping accordingly.
They have sales, they currently have 40% off the entire store. I know that there have been 50% off sales, but they’re not so common. Join ExpressNEXT and you earn points and coupons. They haven’t even been trying to push their credit card like they usually do. Whew! There are times where the salesperson is so convincing that I almost get it, but I’ve resisted this long. MUST. RESIST.
Oh, the salespeople are very helpful. I was looking at pants last night and the guy came up and asked if I needed help. I didn’t think I did. But he said «oh honey, you should let me help you because I know what’s goin on.» (Ok I’ll try not to be offended that you implied I don’t know what’s going on but I guess I do look like a hot mess right now). He suggested the other pants, which would fit better on my hips. Um okay yes, you do know what’s going on. Thank you!

I love this store, they have great clothes at reasonable prices. I’m a hair colorist so being able to find trendy, quality clothes I don’t have to spend a fortune on is a huge plus! Sign up for text alerts and get coupon offers, they have so many great deals. The staff is always very helpful and I’ve never had to wait more than a few minutes to be approached, even during Christmas time.
I stopped in Monday night after dinner, literally 15 mins. before closing, when most stores are «closing» and the employees trying to go home, I met Trey. Trey was awesome, and so helpful! We didn’t have much time together but he picked up immediately on my style and made accessory suggestions that were spot on. Super friendly, you would have thought I caught him 5 minutes after he came to work. I had so much fun on my brief stop in thanks to Trey.

what: the must-​have sexy, sophisticated fashion brand for work, the weekend, or going out. it’s what’s new and what’s now for young fashion-​forward women and men.
something good: you know, only up until the past year or two have i become a fan of this place. i don’t know why i never liked this place but i’ve come to realize if you’re looking for current trends that aren’t going to kill your wallet then this is a good place to shop. i still can’t say that i have a ton of express stuff in my closet but i’ve found some pieces here that i really like! i noticed that people do love getting express items as gifts because there is something here that everyone could use (basics that everyone needs in their closets) and also their exchange policy is very lenient!
something not so good: things go on sale so quickly here! that could be a good or bad thing, depending on when you bought the item ;)
something to try: new clothes!

This is my go-​to place for business outfits. They usually have great sales. And for business outfits, you’re sure to find something that looks slightly sexy/​cute but very professional. They also have other types of clothes but I just look at the business apparel. I have purchased tops, skirts and pants and in love with it!

We had an AWFUL customer service experience here early this month. I accompanied my friend to Express for the purpose of buying 4 pairs of men’s slacks and 4 men’s white dress shirts for the groomsmen in her wedding. The order totaled over $ 1,000.
We had spoken to someone earlier and they told us that all we would have to do is come in with the sizes and shipping addresses and we would be able to pay and they would have the items shipped to the individual groomsmen (they all live on the mainland). Sounded easy and very convenient– perfect! We knew exactly what we wanted, wrote down the info and came one evening after work.
However, when we got there we were greeted by a friendly, but very inexperienced employee. He helped us find the shirts and sizes, but when he went to place the order online, he could not get it to work. He called a few numbers and tried a different things, but wasn’t able to help us do the order. We waited for almost an hour and in the end we left without accomplishing our task.
It is understandable if your system is down or if you aren’t able to place an order for some reason. I get it. What is not understandable is poor customer service. The WORST part about this experience was the female manager. Whom saw that her employee was struggling to help us with this order and failed to do anything. She came by told him to call a number and then left. Then when he still couldn’t place the order on the phone, we suggested to the employee that he go get his manager to see if she could help. He refused. He seemed scared to ask her for help. There was no one else in the store. Not one other customer. She walked by us a few times throughout our hour of waiting at the counter and never inquired as to what was going on.
When we left very frustrated, we informed her that we were not able to complete our order. She brushed us off and responded with an excuse… «the time difference in Hawai’i really messes us up». What does that have to do with it? And why didn’t you come and help us and explain this to us rather than us wait an hour and then not get our order in???

I have a lot of trouble finding anything my size. I’m a stick, but I’m also short, so clothing is always loose in the chest area and overly baggy. I feel like an Olsen twin sometimes.
When I first started working, I bought all my work clothes from Gap. I would find that their size 00 were way too loose and I’d end up wearing incredibly baggy pants. After working a little while, I transitioned to Banana Republic clothing. The collared shirts were more fitted and the designs are more sleek. However, I ran into the problem that all their work pants are dry-​clean only. Later, by chance, my aunt bought me work clothing from Express, but the sizes were way off. I went back to the store to exchange them for small sizes and had the chance to look around the store for the first time in my life.
Express clothing is very stylish and work-​appropriate. I would argue that it’s the best place to shop for young professionals! The colors are bold and the clothing is fitted nicely for women. I think Express does a pretty good job of making sizes and fits for women of all body types, which I appreciate a lot!
I always shop here for work clothing or evening wear. The pants come in 00-​Short and they fit very nicely. I think this may be the only place that sells work pants in that size, because they always seem to sell out of the colors I want! The cut is really nice too. They have the Editor pant, with a thick band at the waist and wide pant legs, and the Columnist, which is a more slim cut. I personally like the Columnist the best, because the Editor pants remind of the baggy pants I used to wear when I first started working. Best of all, you can wash them in the washing machine!
Sure, the prices are a little high, but if you join Next Express (the rewards program), you can get some pretty decent discounts. I personally love this store and it may be the only place I go to just to check out the new styles that come in.

This is the go to place for Business Attire that makes you look chic and very put together. So all you people out there who need to dress up and look your best at work Express is the store for you. I’m not only talking about the ladies but all you gentlemen out there too.
My favorite dress pants are the Editor. It fits me so well and I always get compliments at work on how my pants fit me. Depending on the trend that season they also come out with colored Editor pants. The way it works with their sizes are your size number and then the length of your pants. So for example if you are a size eight and you are on the short side you would get a size 8S. S stands for short. The letter R is for regular and the letter L is for long simple enough. I find that a lot of times I can’t find my size. I am a short girl and I am always hemming the bottom of my pants so I always go for the S Editor pants but to my surprise they always run out of my size. It is hard being a petite girl I tell you!!!
Other then business wear they also have a nice selection of casual wear. A lot of jeans and t-​shirts. The t-​shirts seem to be more graphic so if you like wearing really plain t-​shirts you might not like their selection but I love their shirts! I am very basic when it come to pants and shorts but I go all out when I wear tops.
In the men’s side my husband has purchased many of their shirts and the quality of their jeans are awesome. My favorite part is looking at all the dress shirts and ties. I swear they have every color of rainbow available.
The best part is when they have to turn over their inventory of clothes to make room for the next season’s merchandise. They have crazy sales!!! So stop by when you see that SALE sign.
Happy Shopping Yeeps!

Express is a great place to come and shop! You need to constantly be checking for specials since they always have some type of sale going on. Most recently they had 50% entire store for Black Friday and an additional 40% off all clearance just this past week. The other standard deals are their buy one get one 50% off. Be sure to sign up on their mailing list/​express next card so that you can get points on all your purchases and get rewards! They always mail out coupons like $ 25 off a purchase of $ 100 so it really helps you save even more!
Selection is great! They have a good combination of casual, trendy and business attire. Some of my faves are their columnist pants (super comfy stretch!!) and their shorts. Tops can be a hit or miss but I always find something that I like. It’s very seasonal too so expect a LOT of sweaters during the fall/​winter time and they will then switch it out and start bringing in their bright, cooler spring/​summer looks.
This is definitely one of my go-​to stores when I need a quick outfit since I always find something here!

I absolutely love the 1MX dress shirt series at Express. I swear, my closet has 12 of these shirts ranging in different fits and colors.
When guys need a particular color shirt to match anything, Express is it. There are so many colors available, it is like going to a hardware store and finding a color to paint your wall.
Besides the 1MX shirts, the other products they sell aren’t really my style. If you’re a bargain hunter, the aisle between the men’s and women’s section has the clearance section. You will find incredible bargains there.
And wait, it doesn’t stop there. Like their page on Facebook and get their email’s and you will find that they often have in store coupons for crazy additional savings!
100 Reviews, 1 Day ⁹⁰⁄₁₀₀
January 12, 2013

Dear Express:
May I «Express» sincere gratitude for all the hip, stylish, fabulous, wonderful, colorful, tailored, unique, chic‘, sharp, sleek, slick, and trendy clothes you sell in your store. As every season comes and goes, I look forward to see what you’ll have «in store» next and what styles are going to be popular. You always seem to offer everything from casual to sophisticated, and classic and modern. Thank you for offering some sort of special on your clothes such as the buy 1 get 50% off the second
item, and of course the discounted items on your sale racks.
Also, thank you for always hiring friendly, polite, and attentive workers.
They always provide decent customer service and are utmost helpful if you have any questions about anything.
I sometimes find myself just needing to pass by to window shop even though I’m not planning on buying anything, and yet it never fails that I somehow end up looking at your clothes. Why oh why do you have that effect on people!!! At times I have to stop myself from spending money since your clothes can sometimes be pricey for the average worker, but thankfully you mail me those coupons were I can get a discount off my purchase depending on how much I spend. Sometimes, I feel the need to spend more money to get more of a discount, which I think is tricky at times to find items within a certain dollar amount for the discount to be applied. But I’m up to the challenge, just you wait and see!
Thanks again offering stylish clothes for the now from season to season.
Sincerely,
Michael C.

:D