Waking up to an email that Charlotte Russe was closing for good was an interesting way to start my Wednesday morning. For anyone who may not know, Charlotte Russe officially went out of business (both storefront and online) in the past few weeks. I had heard rumors of that they could possibly be closing but I brushed it off as just usual business troubles. In hindsight, I maybe should’ve been just a little more concerned.
If I’m being honest here, the signs were all right in front of me. The constant sales, every store was getting smaller in terms of merchandise stock, and prices were dropping like crazy. Now, for this reason, I began to have a love-hate relationship with the store, mostly love. I loved the price of their clothing and their jeggings all fit so amazingly. It was paradise for a college student who wanted to look nice but on a budget. I also had a little bit of saltiness towards them because it seemed their plus-sized selection suffered the most and more than their sizes. Stores that used to have an amazing selection for all girls began dwindling down their stock for larger girls into just a small corner of the store. But, at the end of the day, there was always online ordering which I took major advantage of.
Now that the store has officially closed and is nothing more than a memory, I find myself a little confused when it comes to the shopping world. I don’t have many options and my sense of convenience and security has been compromised. However, I am loving the new found freedom it has allowed me. I’ve shopped at other stores like Forever 21 and Gap to get all of my cute clothing and it honestly is making me realize how much I missed out on. From the quality denim to the cute tees, I genuinely don’t know why I attached myself at the hip to Charlotte Russe. I was sad to see them go, but I am beyond happy at what I have to gain from being forced out of my shopping comfort bubble.