ALO — Local services in New York

My recent visit to the Alo store yesterday was, unfortunately, deeply disappointing and disheartening. From the moment I walked in, I was met with an uncomfortable atmosphere. Instead of a warm greeting, I was instead greeted by stares from the staff. I couldn't help but notice how the only person who acknowledged my presence was the security guard, who, to his credit, was very polite.

What stood out most was the stark contrast in treatment between myself, a person of color, and the white customers in the store. Despite wandering around the store for a considerable amount of time and clearly searching for assistance, no one offered to help me. However, it was evident that the white customers who came in after me were promptly acknowledged and offered assistance. I was only approached after I approached a staff member myself.

While it's not unusual for staff to refrain from overly approaching customers, there is a significant difference when one is being clearly ignored, and others are treated with priority. It was especially uncomfortable when the staff members, including the lady in the green shirt and blazer, followed me around the store and gave me lingering, uneasy stares.

I proceeded to purchase two items, partly due to the brand's recent collaboration with BTS, a collaboration that initially drew me in. However, the discomfort I experienced in the store soured what should have been a positive shopping experience. The transaction at checkout felt rushed, and I couldn’t help but notice the green-shirted staff member instructing her colleague to hurry up with my transaction, as if eager to push me out the door. It was only after the sale was completed that I was finally acknowledged with a simple “goodbye.”

This experience was, unfortunately, not isolated. Upon looking at the store’s Google reviews, I found a recurring theme of dissatisfaction with the staff, particularly in regard to their treatment of customers. The lack of response from the store owner to these concerns is troubling, as it signals a disregard for customer feedback and an unwillingness to address the issues at hand.

As a loyal customer who appreciates the brand and its collaborations, it’s incredibly disheartening to witness such a lack of inclusivity and respect. Alo has positioned itself as a high-end, globally recognized brand, and it’s disappointing to see that their in-store experience doesn’t reflect the values of respect and professionalism that one would expect from a brand of...

I had an extremely disappointing experience at ALO yesterday afternoon. While checking out after picking a few items, I noticed that one of the pieces I had was slightly dirty—probably tried on by someone else—so I politely asked to exchange it for a cleaner one. The male staff member (a man wearing a black baseball cap🤮🤮🤢, with visible tattoos and white nail polish) looked visibly annoyed from the start and clearly didn’t want to help. He reluctantly made a phone call to ask if someone could come upstairs to check for another one, then after about a minute, simply told me, “This is the only one.”

I was skeptical, so I went back to the clothing area myself—and easily found several others in the exact same size. When I brought one back to him, he had no choice but to proceed with the exchange. Without a single word, he refunded the original item and rang up the new one, tossing the clean item toward me with a cold, dismissive attitude.

He didn’t say a single word during the entire interaction, and his behavior was so unprofessional and unpleasant that it completely ruined my mood for the rest of the day. I expected better from a...

The store is run with extremely friendly, very helpful and professional staff. Living only a few blocks away on 5th, Alo popped up and it was either my worst nightmare or the luckiest day! I love the store and they are extremely professional. They have a security guard at the door who too is always very polite and professional, offer you free (Alo) masks as you enter and you can take one to go if you please. I'll get a picture: I always come in there as I'm just getting started on my run, with a giant dog attached around my waste, simultaneously on an investor call -- a hectic mess, to say the least -- they always come right up as soon as you walk in and greet you, and they are SO GOOD TO THE DOG. And he truly LOVES that attention, so that too is worthy of note. I'll update this review tomorrow but I wanted to make a special note about the gal who I believe runs the shop and is the Manager, her name's escaping me, but she deserves special recognition as she goes out of her way, big time. Will update tomorrow with picture and name. THANKS TO THE GREAT TEAM AT ALO ON...