Retailers might want to think twice before hiring pretty girls.

Would you buy something from a sales associate who looked like this?

Well a study in Australia shows that most women wouldn't. According to a story in Retail Week, researchers analyzed the behavior of women in age groups 18-26. The study showed that they were less likely to purchase if they thought the salesperson was more attractive than they perceived themselves to be, regardless if the product was even related to appearance.

“Women are ‘biologically competitive’ and the perception that another female is more attractive than them is a direct social threat and affects their behavior,” says Bianca Price of the University of South Australia.

Hmmm…a couple words come to mind when I read this: Haters, insecurity, um jealousy??
Seriously though. Just because a sales girl is pretty doesn’t mean anything to me. What matters is if she gives good retail service, is friendly, or not in the least bit b**chy. I mean if you’re shopping for make-up, you’re going to take advice from the girl with the prettiest make-up, right? At least I would. Unfortunately our society puts a lot of emphasis on beauty so is it even a wonder that retailers think that way?

Price added: “Retailers often think that beautiful is better. In the same way they use a celebrity to endorse a product, they hire a beautiful girl thinking that it reflects the brand and that other women will want to be like her. It doesn’t always work like that - women may not consider celebrities a direct threat, but they might consider the girl at their local mall to be one.”

On one hand I can see some truth in this study. Most women go on what we call a little “shop therapy” when they’re feeling down. Looking for something in the local mall to make them feel better which usually is something that makes them feel pretty. So when you’re having one of those bad days where you’re hair’s too poufy, your outfit is out of season, and then you walk up to a Heidi Klum look-a-like who claims she ‘eats whatever she wants’ it just makes the day just that much better.

But then I think back to one of my older retail jobs. She’s what you’d call nothing less than gorgeous and resembled Halle Berry. With her impeccable style and her ability to make any consumer feel like you’ve been BFF’s for years, she was THE top seller at the store. Which definitely breaks the credibility of this study.

So what’s a retailer to do? “The key is to hire sales people of all shapes and sizes so that customers can find someone to relate to,” says Price.

I agree. Or find Pretty people with complete relate-ability, that can make anyone feel beautiful on those Heidi run-in days.

Trina [♥]

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