This is many women’s dream job: To be paid to shop. How did you get into shopping for a living?
I started off as a management trainee at Tangs and picked up the ropes from a colleague who’s also a personal shopper.
What do you do as a personal shopper?
Normally we have customers filling in forms beforehand, telling us what they want. They will come down when they are free and look through our picks before deciding.
Do you literally spend every working hour shopping?
I do shop in town to check out the latest fashion trends and products to keep myself updated, besides being a personal shopper at Tangs. But there are also other aspects like stock and inventory management.
So are you a shopaholic?
Definitely, yes. I love shopping!
What are the items you are usually asked to buy?
Usually its fashion items—bags, clothes, shoes and fashion accessories.
How do you know that you have good taste or what if your clients have bad taste?
I think the issue is when clients do not know how to match clothes well or properly, not that they have bad taste.
Ever had to make purchases for stuff your clients find too embarrassing to buy themselves?
Only for men buying lingerie for their partners. Normally it’s done very fast because they already know what they want—brand, color, size and style.
What’s the most money you’ve ever been asked to spend in one shopping spree?
I once had a customer who spent $7,000.
What happens if you buy the wrong stuff for your clients? Any bad experiences?
No. We don’t force our opinions on them but suggest or recommend items and see if they will buy. Normally they are quite assertive already and have their own style.
Ever need to ask for help with carrying all the bags?
Most definitely.
Do you shop for yourself on the weekends?
Yes. But sometimes I have to work on weekends, and so I shop on weekdays.
