Handbags

[smoochy]

I drove fifty minutes to the grand opening of a Portland Leather store in Wesley Chapel Fl. You probably see their ads pop up on Facebook. Nice looking leather bags and accessories. Got all the way there, found a parking space in this busy congested shopping area, grab my cane and....there is a line of ppl going around the block for this store. Its not moving. There are security people at the door, allowing only a few shoppers in at a time. I stood and watched for approx ten minutes to see only 4 people admitted. What the what! Did I mention its sunny, humid, 96 degrees, I have a seriously bad back and I'm old. Not gonna stand in that line and pass out from pain or heat. 

Came home. Live and learn. 

[Janey2]

Many stores do this to avoid overcrowding so you can be waited on properly. Occasionally stores that had shoplifting problems in the past also do this as to avoid problems.

[Estellee]

They do the same thing at the Coach outlet store in my area, especially during the holiday season.

[FancyPhillyshopper]

If you are older and retired than you should have more free time available to you.  You can surely return there on another day mid-week mid-morning when most younger people will be working and/or in school. A grand opening sounds like a special event that draws a lot of traffic. 

Here in Philly fifty minutes is a normal commute from one end of the city to the other, or from the city to the big suburban mall.

Our King of Prussia mall is monstrous, but during the holiday shopping rush, entrances are also very limited to each store, and people line up patiently.  Of course, they are in the mall away from the elements. Gucci and Tiffany often have very long lines because each shopper is assigned a personal clerk to show them around and assist!

I have never heard of Portland Leather (I also do not do Facebook), but hopefully you find something you lilke

[Estellee]

It's too bad you drove all that way and didn't get to go in. I wouldn't have waited a long time in all that heat either @smoochy 

[elated]

@smoochy  That is a real let down. I would have seen the line and went back to my car..Don't they have tags on purses that alerts the store. I know most expensive bags do have them in department stores. They don't have heavy security so this is their saving grace.

I have very little patience when it comes to long lines. In the grocery store, I check around before I go to a register.

[Etoile308]

Times like that are when a rollator with its seat comes in handy. 

Responsible stores adhere to the required fire code occupancy number.

[smoochy]

well it seems that you ladies all know that it is standard practice. I had no clue. 

Yes I have lots of free time. Might wait a couple weeks, then go back on a weekday morning as someone suggested. 

Their products are leather goods-totes, purses, tons of accessories-with unfinished raw, other side of the hide, interiors. Completely bare with no structure. That's how they keep the prices affordable.They specialize in having many colors and exterior finishes. As it happens, I tried a smallish tote bag a few years ago. It looked beautiful. Had a rich lustrous finish they called nutmeg. Well after a few weeks the bottom began to sag and bulge. Looked bad and then it wouldn't stand up. It just rolled over. I wasn't necessarily going to buy another one but wanted to see how they look now, scope out the inventory. 

[smoochy]

---

@FancyPhillyshopper wrote:

If you are older and retired than you should have more free time available to you.  You can surely return there on another day mid-week mid-morning when most younger people will be working and/or in school. A grand opening sounds like a special event that draws a lot of traffic. 

Here in Philly fifty minutes is a normal commute from one end of the city to the other, or from the city to the big suburban mall.

Our King of Prussia mall is monstrous, but during the holiday shopping rush, entrances are also very limited to each store, and people line up patiently.  Of course, they are in the mall away from the elements. Gucci and Tiffany often have very long lines because each shopper is assigned a personal clerk to show them around and assist!

I have never heard of Portland Leather (I also do not do Facebook), but hopefully you find something you lilke

---

the traffic in the Tampa Bay area was something we were unfamiliar with. We moved here 8 years ago from west Michigan.There, you could be across town in twenty minutes. We were 150 miles each way from Chicago and Detroit and guess what- it took 2.5 hrs as expected.To us that was normal. This place I went to today is 34 miles away. In my head I still think that should be a 35 min drive. Haha when will I learn. 

[deeva]

I usually avoid stores on the weekends, grand opening or not.

If I have to shop, I go early when the store first opens. 

Some store limit the number of shoppers because of shoplifting.