Ross Dress for Less

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I’ve reviewed Ross TWICE already but I thought… You know what? I’m gonna give them one last shot. I mean, I used to love Ross. Only recently has it gotten horrible! I tried the Ross on Aurora thinking I’d have better luck there. Well, there always seems to be dressing room drama! First off, let me backtrack and tell you about the first time I used the dressing room at the other location in Northgate. So I tried on some pants and and a few dresses and I decided to buy the pants but not the dresses so I go to hang them up on the rack and the lady manning the fitting room says «you can go hang those up where you got them.» I said what? Are you serious? So I took the handful of dresses I had and dumped them off in the first free spot I saw.
Ok so then the second time at the Aurora location… I get to the fitting room with 3 articles of clothing. Two were without hangers. I get back there and this very obnoxious man takes the clothes and says «you can’t bring these back here without hangers!» And then goes to find some hangers, put the clothing on them, handed them back to me and asked me to hang them on the rack. So I did… When I came out, he was helping someone else so I just walked out with the clothes because I intended on buying them. He then freaks the hell out on me because I did not hand him the card that had the amount of items I had on it and instead I hung it up where it belonged. He said «you can’t just do that! You have the hand me the card because I don’t know if you’re stealing or not!» Oh my God…
And then the third time which was today at the same location… I spend an hour in the store looking at things with my two babies in the cart. Finally when I’m ready, I go to the fitting room and the lady did not greet me or pay any mind to the fact that I was standing in front of her as I was hanging up my stuff. As she hands me the card, she says «your cart needs to stay out here.» It was as if I was trying to bring my outside toy inside the house to play and my mom was telling me «that needs to stay outside!» That is honestly how this lady made me feel. Well, nope sorry I’m not gonna leave my two kids in my cart outside of the changing room, nor am I going to carry an arm load of clothes and two babies to the fitting room and then set them on their disgusting floor. So I said «oh… Ok well that changes things then.» And she just stared at me with a blank look on her face. I once again, threw my crap in the first vacant spot I saw on the rack and left, never to return again.
I cannot believe I gave this hell hole a second and third shot after what I went through with them the first time. What a lame store!

I used to enjoy this store — would even go so far as to rate it in the 3 – 4 star range (it IS a Ross, so don’t expect fabulous…), but it seems like their selection has thinned out, their staff has gotten worse, and the whole check-​out system is poorly managed.
They DO have a pretty good kids section, which is why I keep checking back in here periodically, but I always end up disappointed when it comes to the fitting rooms and/​or checking out.
Flaws:
–Shopping carts MUST stay in the building, they’re jerry-​rigged to do so. Big pain in the butt if you bought heavy items. Also, can’t take them in the dressing rooms.
–At most, 2 cashiers… and that’s only if the line exceeds 5 people. Expect to wait for your unenthused sales associate.
–I get that it’s a Ross, and it’s not the best job, but the staff just seem miserable here. I’ve seriously only ever had the security guards smile and/​or greet me. Everyone else I feel just can’t wait for people to leave.
–Due to it’s proximity to Aurora, there can be questionable clientele.
So, it’s (for the most part) clean, it’s got decent prices on what it manages to get in stock, and… that’s about all it has going for it. Maybe try a different store.

Just don’t go here.
For starters there was this smell permeating the whole place. Not like stinky gross, but like ugh what chemical is that and why does my head hurt all of a sudden?
It almost looks like they are trying to clear all of the clothes out, so no one will shop there, and they can close down. Seriously. There were so few racks of clothing it felt like a ghost town. The racks I did look at only had super shitty quality clothes. Like brands that don’t actually exist.

It is too unorganized and hard to find what you what, but if you have a lot of time, maybe you could find something. It totally depends on luck.

This is not my favorite Ross location but it is close to my house. During the week, the staff does a great job of keeping the store clean. On the weekends, as with most Ross stores, all hell breaks loose — things all over the floor, clothes hanging off the racks, and general disarray pervades your entire shopping experience. I will not blame the staff entirely for this because disrespectful customers also play a role in the condition of the store.
What I like best about Ross is getting new clothing, at a lower price, that is relatively well organized on the racks. I also like going there for housewares such as silverware, picture frames, vases, and serving dishes. The prices are right and you never know what you will find. Shoes are kind of hit and miss, depending on what you’re looking for.
Ross is great for low-​cost deals. That’s exactly what you will get. If you expect more, you may be disappointed. The cashiers are slow, staff is not terribly helpful, and the bathroom is almost always ‘out of order’ which is really a blessing in disguise. You shouldn’t use it even if it is in working order.

YAY for more Ross’!
Wish they had more!

I like Ross. I like pretty much any store where I can buy normal stuff for way cheaper than other stores. But as far as Ross stores go, this one is my least fave. I keep going back because it’s close to my house but I always walk out empty-​handed. For one thing, the inventory is relatively sparse… it’s a big space and without enough stuff to fill it, it always looks empty.
And then there’s my biggest complaint of all… They don’t sell coats at this location! Part of the fun of winter is going to Ross and buying a Nordstrom coat that was originally hundreds of dollars but has been marked down for $ 40 or $ 50! Seriously, this is Seattle, get some damn coats in your store and I’ll be a happy camper.

There are better Ross’s out there. This one is poor quality all the way around. I went to buy a wallet for a friend and they just had a small bin of less than 20. What kind of selection is that?

You can never go wrong shopping at Ross. We happened to stubble here, since we were in the area eating and needed to walk off our dinner. This Ross is huge, but they have a lot of empty space that they can fill up. Not as clean as my favorite Ross stores in Renton and on Rainier, but I was happy to find a nice opened top to go over tanks and such.
I probably won’t be going here again, considering it is out of my way.

I can only comment on my experience, your mileage may vary, but I wandered in here the other day on a whim and ended up finding a really nice pair of jeans for $ 16, and the manufacturers tag had them at $ 55 which is on par with what most jeans of this caliber cost, and I also got a nice Perry Ellis two sided leather belt for $ 10, all in all I was a happy camper, now I’m going to call them up to see if they have more of those jeans, I want another pair!

DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL. Returned gloves, no questions asked… it was quick and courteous.
PARKING: It’s in a strip mall, so ya.
RETURNED ITEMS: As long as you have the receipt & it’s not worn. Nice. Quick.
I’LL BE BACK, GF. :)

This Ross is well-​run, clean, and has lots of fun bargains to discover. The staff really goes out of their way to be friendly. Pretty good for a bargain place in a yucky neighborhood.

I used to love coming to this store but recently I noticed that it seems like there is a lack of selection and it was kind of akward to watch an argument between a cahier and the manager over a breaktime in front of a line of people. Shame on you guys…

Do you think it is appropriate to use a dressing room as a place to use a bathroom? Never? Well than I don’t think you should go here…

From all the Rosses I’ve ever been too, this is by far the most clean and organized, and therefore less painful to be in, so 4 stars for this location.
This small rant goes for Ross in general: I kind of hate Ross. Like it and hate it at once. I hate how unclean and badly disorganized it normally is, not to mention you have to browse through loads and loads of crap in order to find something decent (I’m talking clothes; I’ll get to the other departments in a bit.) It doesn’t help that there always seems to be a mother or two who brought her screaming, temper tantrum-​throwing kids along. I hate how their customers can behave like pigs, throwing merchandise on the floor, replacing clothes on the wrong racks and mixing sizes, having that attitude of «This stuff is cheap, there is no need to handle it with care». I feel bad for the salespeople; it’s impossible to keep up and try to keep the mess under control.
In any case, I keep going back (when I’m the mood for it), because the occasional nice garment you find is indeed cheap. And there are things I ONLY buy at Ross: bedsheets, for one. At any regular store, king size bedsheets cost $ 80 and up (simple ones with a low thread count). At Ross I find better quality ones for $ 20, sometimes less, and I’m talking brands like Ralph Lauren. It’s also a great place to buy pillows, towels, small rugs, table cloths… I really like the kitchen area, it has lots of tools, silverware, all types of cocktail/​liquor glasses. Most pots and pans aren’t very good quality, but there are exceptions, and I found a few great ones. There are all sorts of knick-​knacks worth browsing through, including a huge variety of picture frames. Large selection of handbags (it’s where I found my current everyday purse, a black Kathy Van Zeeland) and suitcases (so cheap, I’d never buy a suitcase elsewhere. Great brands too!) I just do not recommend buying shoes there: I must have bought 3 – 4 pairs along the years, and each one was very uncomfortable and I didn’t ear it more than once or twice.
As you can see, even as I hate Ross with a fierceness, there are plenty of reasons to keep going back, and to recommend it.

I don’t think I ever went to a Ross before this one, for no better reason than I never found myself in the vicinity of one.
So I found myself at the GO next door, and I decided I’d stop in here and see what kind of crap they have. Imagine my surprise when I discover that they’ve actually got some okay stuff! I had expected to be kind of disappointed, but I’ve gone back a number of times and I always find a ton of stuff that I like. And because I am really NOT lacking in stuff, I usually end up just buying the least expensive items (unless the most expensive is something that I absolutely cannot live without — there have been a few of those) and leaving the other stuff behind, which gets me out the door without feeling it in my wallet.
Last time I went, I got a dress, two tops and 4 dishes (that match 4 I’d bought here months ago!) for less than $ 60.
Oh, and this is the only place I’ve ever found any dishes that I even remotely like enough to spend any money on, and usually I’m like «Seriously? Why do dishes cost so damn much?!?»
Yeah, it is a little inconsistent, I can never find shoes I like in my size, and for the longest time they had tons of socks and tights, and last time I went, they had none, but whatever!

*** FYI: I don’t know why, but even though I added created my orig. review for the Ross at: 1418 3^rd Ave — Seattle, WA 98 104, it ended up showing my review as the wrong store. Both reviews are for the Downtown Seattle store. ***
Well, I still shop here, but my focus these days is more on the home and kitchen items than clothing, although I still find some awsome, one of a kind — funky, cool pair of shoes or cute clothing item I just can’t live without for dollars. I still find great deals here and in the last few months they’ve streamlined their checkout with an automated ‘-move-​the-​cattle-​through-​the-​gate-​watch-​for-​the-​flashing-​blue-​arrows-​move-​forward-​get-​yer-​stuff-​and-​go” gonging, lighted, hi-​tech system. Basically, when a checker is available, the checkout system announces the number of the check-​stand that is open, flashing blue arrows direct you to the check-​stand (I kid not) and the open register number flashes on (hmmm– seems reminiscent of K-​mart, does it not?) Anyhoo — I digress; still great unique finds, love the home stuff — excellent bath/​bedding/​dining/​kitchen and photo frames here. It appears the lighting is brighter now too! (hands rubbing together in anticipation of new photo frame) — doesn’t look quite so dingy. Shop away! Have fun!

ok ok it’s a big warehouse with a few attempts at high fashion merchandising in front.
Its crammed full of deals. not always the deals I want. and who would ever make stuff and think it would sell?
But between all this cramm lie true values and nice things. Especially if you are a size 4 or 6 or 8.
You have to really look.
Sales staff vary in training and help.
I am amazed by the truly nice ones by the try-​on booths. Look at th epile sof stuff people try on and then throw places! These girls are still smiling!
I will be back.

This is definitely the «better» Ross when it comes to finding cute clothes and funky décor.
My only complaint is that the customer service is lacking. I stood in line for –not exaggerating– twenty minutes before I finally got up to the front and the cashier told me she was closed because she had to go on her lunch break! I said, «You couldn’t have told me that twenty minutes ago?» And I am NEVER confrontational. Then I had to go to the back of the line for the other cashier and stand there for another fifteen minutes, instead of having another cashier take over the line I was already in. I’ve worked retail before, and I know there’s a point where you tell people that the line ends after them and you finish the line before you take your lunch break. Call me crazy if I am wrong.
This on top of the eight-​item limit thing. I had ten items, so I asked the lady if I could leave two outside. She said yes, and when I came back out the two items were gone and there was a different woman working. I was only in the dressing room for eight minutes, tops!
Alas… I have to go back because I love that this Ross isn’t picked-​through like all the others.

I’d write something but the screaming in my head won’t stop.