Small business

Gasp retail-row store shuts its doors

Mex Cooper
December 15, 2011
'Undesirables' ... Gasp's website has been bombarded with negative feedback, right, Katy Perry in a dress stocked by Gasp at last year's MTV Movie Awards.

'Undesirables' ... Gasp's website was bombarded with negative feedback, right, Katy Perry in a dress stocked by Gasp at last year's MTV Movie Awards.

A Chapel Street clothing store at the centre of a customer service row that went viral on the internet has shut up shop.

The Gasp Jeans store where bride-to-be Keara O'Neil said she was abused with friends while trying to buy bridesmaid dresses in September, has closed its doors.

Ms O'Neil in an email sent to hundreds of people claimed the closure as a victory.

"Power to the people!!! Thanks all," she wrote alongside a picture of the shop with blacked-out windows.

But Gasp operations manager Matt Chidgey said the shop had always been rented on a casual basis while another outlet was built at Southgate (not Southland as earlier reported, our apologies - Editor).

He said a second Gasp shopfront on Chapel Street would remain open.

An email exchange between Ms O'Neil and Gasp's customer care department quickly spread around the internet and made worldwide news due to the defiant attitude of the company when it came to providing customer service.

Read Ms O'Neil's initial complaint

And read the company's response

Ms O'Neil had complained about the treatment of her and her friends at the hands of a rude shop assistant at the now shut Chapel Street shop.

But instead of an apology, Gasp stood by their employee Chris, who was described in its response as a "retail superstar".

Ms O'Neil was warned not to waste the time of Gasp employees as the brand's clothes only appealed to "a very fashion forward consumer".

Gasp's glitzy range was once described as "Zoo magazine chic" by Kath & Kim costume designer Kitty Stuckey.

Mr Chidgey, who became the face of the company during the earlier controversy, said today the attention and negative headlines had not damaged the retailer.

He said the initial publicity had boosted sales and while the "hype" had now worn off there had been "no adverse consequences".

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77 comments

  • GOOD! Crap store, overpriced clothing, and Arrogant staff. Consumers will not stand for it

    Commenter
    Steve
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 12:36PM
  • No, no change at Gasp. The clothes are still ugly.

    Commenter
    Elsie
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 12:48PM
  • Whenever I've walked past all you could hear inside the stores were crickets. Closing a store this close to Christmas is fairly telling.
    Slapper Couture is not really anyones cup of tea unless we are coming up to Brownlow Medal week.

    Commenter
    mark
    Location
    South Yarra
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 12:54PM
  • The designer they stock (Sherry Hill) was described on E Fashion Police as selling "junior prom dresses". So guess there's not that many high school girls looking for formal dresses in Chapel St - Southland mall is a much better fit when you are selling to suburban bogans.

    Commenter
    Fashionista
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 12:57PM
  • Another 7 part-time staff lose their jobs. Not a reason to celebrate people!!!

    Commenter
    Mike
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:01PM
  • "He said the initial publicity had boosted sales"

    I hope this isn't true. What fools out there see such awful customer service, for a fashion line that produces tacky clothing anyway, and instead of turning away from the brand, decide they want to BUY their products?

    Baffling.

    Commenter
    Kate
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:04PM
  • @Mike, ever thought that perhaps the new store will employ 10 part-time staff? Surely that is good news!

    Commenter
    Sebastian Beaumant
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:08PM
  • Hmm and then these retailers wonder why people go to the net to do their shopping. Over priced, rude staff and arrogant owners.
    Well you got what you deserved.

    Commenter
    Jay
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:11PM
  • Last Gasp?

    Commenter
    Aliens
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:18PM
  • @Mike - December 15, 2011, 1:01PM

    If they are as good as their boss claims they are then they should find no issues getting new work.

    However, By all accounts, they didn't deserve the jobs in the first place.

    Commenter
    Martin
    Location
    Melbourne
    Date and time
    December 15, 2011, 1:19PM

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