World Market — Local services in Evanston Township

I hate leaving negative feedback especially because I'm a longterm customer of World Market dating all the way back to when there was a World 🌎 Market location in Lakeview.

Yesterday evening after leaving the movie theater I decided to do some browsing here just to check in on fun products and goodies and snacks since it was New Year's Eve. I came here completely alone --didn't have my pyrenees with me because I left AMC theater 🎥 and some people from the audience might be allergic to dogs.

I'm wandering around and was surprised to see only two employees in the entire store and shelves barren and empty. There was a feeling of gloom like this store might be about to close down. Still I searched for snacks got a tiny candle and a big bag of spicy crackers 🎊 mix and a cake that was labeled at 50% off.

I couldn't find anyone at the register then got the attention of a woman who was organizing merchandise near the front. The store looked barren and the two employees here seemed glum.

When I returned to my space I opened up the big bag of snacks and was extremely disappointed to find there were barely any Japanese rice crackers but a ton of spicy 🥜 🥜 peanuts and other snacks that set my mouth on fire. I love spicy things but mouth was stinging. My dog needed a walk and I thought nothing about asking for a quick return or exchange since I only had a tablespoon full of the opened product .

As I entered i asked the clerk what their return or exchange policy was and she genuinely felt bad for me but was extremely disturbed that I had my dog with me. She seemed like she had a deep seated fear of dogs and demanded i take my dog outside because there's food products in their store. I tied my dog up outside on a bike rack and politely inquired about an exchange for the traditional Japanese rice crackers I had overlooked earlier. The store is so disorganized and half empty it made it super hard for me to find what I actually needed. The other employee said I wasn't allowed to exchange my snack for another and I was dismissed and left with my dog. Super cold and off putting vibes from both of these women and I just got off the phone with the other location just now in Lincoln Park and they said they welcome service dogs and they are dog friendly and because all their food products are clearly sealed they have no issues with a service animal or any well mannered, leashed dog entering their store.

I'm so disappointed with the treatment I received here i had to write this review. It's always my preference to leave positive feedback and appreciation because i worked in retail in high school and it's a challenging job. I appreciate genuine kindness and that's not what I received last night when I brought my dog with me to attempt a return.

Please consider changing your...

Manager and staff are rude and unhelpful. I asked for help because I just lost my father. I am moving my mother in with me and she really needs a comfortable chair in her room to make it feel more comfortable and because she has back issues. I called to see if they could help her by bringing the order out so she would not have to wait. The person who took the call kept repeating her questions, as if she was not paying attention. She asked me my name three times, item number three times and had me repeat that the item was a swivel chair several times as well. I told her that this was becoming frustrating. I asked if she could hear me OK. She decided to pass me onto her manager. I asked the manager if she could hear me OK. They told me they needed 15 - 20 minutes to look for my order and call me back. I replied that my Mom is on the way and asked if that timeline could be expedited. I fully realize appreciate that it may be busy and that I am not the only customer. I specifically asked if I should just have her come back at a later time. My goal is to minimize the wait time for my mother who just lost her partner of 40 years, because running even the most basic errands can be an extraordinary task after a loss like this. My disappointment comes from the poor communication from the store and lack of empathy. I was asking for a favor due to circumstances. They not only did not listen to me, but made no effort to help.

Now I will have to return to the store for a second time. In the scheme of things, not a big deal. However, I live 30 minutes away and specifically selected this store because they had the item available for same day pick up and like I said above, even the smallest errands are difficult after the loss...

NEVER ORDER ANYTHING ONLINE FROM WORLD MARKET. Normally I'm a fan of shopping at World Market. Previous to my recent purchase, I had always shopped in-store. I had a coupon that was expiring, however so I decided to make on-line purchase. In a nut shell, my order never came (2 weeks went by). I called and emailed ... no one could tell me why. Finally my order arrived with the WRONG items. I called and emailed about the issue ... they apologized and explained everything was okay and they'd put a new order through with expedited shipping. I even received an email with a new order number telling me everything was on its way. Another week goes by and still no reshipment. I email to inquire about my second order and receive an email saying that my order was never processed and they are now OUT OF STOCK. They refunded the coupon and said I'll have a credit the next time I order online WHICH I WILL NEVER DO. The saga actually continues, but I won't bore you any further. You get the picture. Nobody can do their job in the warehouse at World Market so if see something you want, buy it...