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A local boutique on Amsterdam Avenue was unexpectedly swarmed by bargain hunters last week after a customer shared a Facebook post saying it would “probably shut down.” We spoke with the store’s owner about the disruption caused by the post, and during our talk, she revealed a much deeper issue which is causing her to rethink how she operates her business.
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Owner Rhonda Stober told us that shoppers rushed in following the post, but not to express concern. “People don’t care that we’re closing, they just want to take advantage of the closing sale. It’s heartbreaking.” She went on to explain that it was especially shocking since the store has no plans to close and still has four years left on its lease.
Happy Kangaroo was created as a space to slow down, appreciate craftsmanship, and celebrate the beauty of well-made, one-of-a-kind pieces. But Stober says that vision is fading as the in-store atmosphere has drastically shifted over the past couple of years. Customers now come in using Google Lens to find cheaper alternatives elsewhere. Employees are regularly confronted by customers demanding discounts, challenging prices, and threatening bad reviews if they don’t get their way.
“We’re all in shock here,” says Stober. “My girls who work here don’t want to work here because of the abuse.” Stober says that many other local business owners are dealing with the same challenges and frequently share their frustrations over the current retail climate.
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Happy Kangaroo is a premium boutique, and Stober openly acknowledged its pricing. “We know we’re expensive, but we have to be expensive to survive,” she explains. High-quality, small-batch craftsmanship comes at a cost, but she says many customers now refuse to see it that way.
The backlash from the closing rumor has prompted Stober to switch to an appointment-only model for the store. It’s a way to preserve her original vision, but it’s also a sign of the times.
Learn more about the business at thehappykangaroo.com or @happykangaroolifestyle on Instagram.
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I literally thought this would be an article about the owner’s mental health struggles of OCD or something and was expecting to feel compassion. But alas… a cop-out. The bad reviews are real and warranted. PLEASE read them. This woman literally harasses you if you approach the merchandise! I have witnessed this and know several people who have experienced this. I understand this isn’t interrogative journalism, but not one semi-hard hitting question about the fact that 90% of the negative reviews all say the very same thing?
i saw that post and remember thinking that the “lack of community support” comment was a bold thing for a business owner to say to a customer. the whole post just felt off so i empathize with her surprise here. there may have been a time when the UWS Together facebook group served a purpose but having been a member of it since shortly after it started, it’s one of the most toxic things to witness from the sidelines. at this point you can really only marvel at the lack of common sense people are willing to publicly display, alongside the sheer audacity that some people have to let certain thoughts escape their brains.
The store is highly priced and has some bad reviews. I went in there once and it wasn’t really comfortable to browse. So people are now going to the store and she’s mad? And now she’s going to make it more difficult to buy stuff by requiring appointments? Also they’re closed on Saturdays. That seems like a decision that results in lost business. It seems incredibly difficult to run a small retail business these days – but a poor attitude and outdated business practices isn’t going to help. Figure out a creative way to get people in the store and have the right items. Do a better job on socials. Ultimately, being nasty isn’t a good approach.
Suggest reporter post the entire fb group entry which in *no way* is a call to rush the store for bargains. UWSers are not the sort of people to rush a boutique store for deals because of a post which says literally: We should try to support UWS stores as the ‘hood will be dismal without our community stores.
So someone either misread shoppers’ intent or someone posted wrong information somewhere about the store — but not from that fb group. This is slipshod reporting.
Happy Kangaroo is a unique beautiful place to shop for exquisite gift items, mostly for the house. It is for the type of customer that likes to see and feel the merchandise and enjoys a shopping experience where many of the items are truly unique. Every time I go there, I find beautiful things to buy for my home and for gifts in every price range. Rhonda has a great eye and amazing taste! It is very upsetting to me to know that people are publicly disparaging her and her store.
Deena S.
Which only begs the question, why, oh, why, would so many people go out of their way to “disparage” a home tchotchke store – quite possibly the least threatening, consequential, or contentious type of business in the neighborhood.