By MyraMyra
After months of back and forth on whether or not it would open, the Rainer Valley has finally welcomed ROSS into the neighborhood. For those who aren’t familiar with the chain, ROSS is a deeply discounted retail store that sells clothing and home furnishings.
ROSS is housed in the Rainier Plaza, the same area that also has Safeway, Silver Fork and Hollywood Video. While it may be just another parking headache to some, it’s a major step for the Rainier Valley. On opening weekend, 50 sales associates served nearly 1,000 shoppers.
As soon as I walked in the door, it was as if someone cued “Welcome to the Jungle”. The lines were jam packed with carts, teenage girls squealed in delight clutching $15 jeans and exhausted retail associates struggled to keep up with a crowd that showed no signs of dwindling.
I took a chance and braved the clothing section to see what the fuss was all about. Women were going bananas over the cheap prices for name brand clothes and shoes. After thankfully making it out alive, I wandered over to the home furnishing section where Ross has some AMAZING deals. I’m talking 16-piece glass sets for $10 and shower curtains for $5. Gone are the days of being forced to travel downtown, east or south due to lack of shopping options.
This is the first store its kind to hit the Rainier Valley and to say it was “needed” would be an understatement. Driving by and seeing all the commotion might put a few people off, but with such good deals, you can’t stay away for to long. Before taking your first journey, keep these hints in mind:
Be patient. With long lines and sales associates doing 10 things at once, it may seem like you’re not getting helped in a timely manner. If you can’t seem to get any help, go the customer service center and a manager will take care of you.
Jump on it! Trucks come with merchandise Monday through Friday and it’s all put on the floor as soon as it arrives, so don’t ask, ” Can you check in the back?” because what you see is what you get.
Need some extra money for back to school shopping or a part time job to help with the bills? ROSS is still hiring for retail associates. Check out their website for more details.
Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 9:30pm and Sunday from 11am to 7pm.
Myra Myra on the Wall is a semi-regular column written by a hip, Rainier Valley 20-something who seeks to uncover all the fantastic happenings happenings in Southeast Seattle for those of us who don’t necessarily equate going downtown with having a good time. Email Myra with your favorite south-of-I-90 hang-outs, upcoming events or random observations about hidden south-end spots.
{ 22 comments }
Hello
A small item, but I feel that it needs to be pointed out.
There are at least two more ROSSes in Seattle. There is one at Northgate and on at 130th and Aurora. I realize that is north of I-90, so to most of the readers of RVP, they don’t exist.
Keep up the great work. RVP is one of my first reads in the am.
Actually, there is ANOTHER location as well, down in the Southcenter area-in the shopping center near the Toys R Us, near Michael’s crafts and Famous Dave’s BBQ.
Ross is a great store for those of us trying to keep growing kids clothed, and we found many items needed for our new home in the home good section. Nordtroms and Macys can keep their over-priced stuff. I’m always willing to put up with lines and some digging to save several bucks.
Thank you for pointing that out
we know there are Ross’s all over, but what there are not are stores like this in our neighborhood which was the point of the article.
My favorite is actually pretty close by at “the landing” in Renton. It has a little less excitement than our RV one.
Ross is like Goodwill, except the stuff is new.
Finally – some good retail in SE Seattle! Drugstores have been inadequately filling this gap for too long. Glad to see Ross moving in and creating jobs.
Ok, I went there the first week they opened. What was left of the merchandise was cheap and shoddily made, clothes trying to seem trendy but looking trashy.
I waited in line for 30 minutes for a small item I bought…only one cash register in operation. There were employees just standing around.
That’s no way to begin a relationship with neighbors. I won’t go back.
The truth is that local (in CC, HC, RB, MB, BH, etc) businesses do not create a statistically significant number of jobs for people in the area, for this to be a consideration for shopping there. If a business sucks and offers bad service, please don’t pump them to your neighbors. Let them fail so they can be quickly replaced by someone who knows what they are doing. The only thing local businesses offer is shopping/service convenience to the locals, though most of the time if you can order something over the Internet, you’re getting to find that item at greatly reduced cost (our local Radio Shack comes to mind…). The exception obviously being restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
Is it the microclimate down here in Southeast Seattle that breeds a sub-race of serial complainers? Or what?
“Is it the microclimate down here in Southeast Seattle that breeds a sub-race of serial complainers? Or what?”
Thank you Trellis!
Edna, please don’t come back to ROSS and keep your complaining ass home!
Edna, maybe instead of complaing so much you see the bright side of things
Edna is right as far as if you are not satisfied as a consumer basically do not give them your money, but here I would probably give them a month to get in to the groove as far as what is needed to run this one particular location.
Dear Local,
Your comments are interesting… are you aware that Amazon jobs/careers that are leaving South Seattle for SLU? The quality of jobs at Ross does not compare. Set your sights higher – we deserve high tech and low tech jobs in SE Seattle!!
I went in last week, and was not overly impressed. I can find deals just as good at Fred Meyer—especially when they have the “Take an EXTRA 60% OFF” Clearance, which seems like all the time these days.
The Ross was a huge mess, clothes were mixed all over—a problem that stems from lazy shopper, not sales clerks. I found the layout to be confusing. The sales people, on the other hand, were all very nice and helpful—a plus! It was an OK experience, I’d check back when I’m in the complex and have the time to browse, but I’m not rejoicing. It’s certainly better than the Long’s as far as filling an empty niche, and it’s nice having someplace close when my daughter tells me she needs a white blouse for the school concert the next day!
trellis — Attacking other people’s comments because they don’t match your own is like trying to change the world into your image. Variety is the spice of life, and if you really are positive, you would already know this and accept it. You would not exist if the myriad of infinite things around that are completely unlike you did not exist.
@Reason, I agree with you. But no one likes a kvetch.
I’m just happy we have something in our neighborhood. A place where I can run and grab some silverware or cups in a hurry. Sure, it may be long lines and a tad messy, but I will take it with a grain of salt.
We complain about not having anything in our area, but when we get something, here comes the negativity train.
Lady Cool, well, why would I lie? I was honest and very truthful. The bright side, you ask? The ring of truth isn’t always pretty.
Folks, its ROSS. When I want the zen-like peace that comes with perfectly organized and pleasing color coordinated merchandise under alpha brain wave pattern inducing lighting and music with bathrooms nicer than my own, I go to Nordstrom. There I can be hounded by sales people earning more than min wage+commissions, anticipating my every desire (well, not EVERY).
Do you go to McDonald’s and bemoan the dearth of prime aged organic beef?? What do you want when you’re paying 2 iced mochas for a shirt? Workin’ the bargains is work. Always has been. And if I’m in a recessionista place where I can’t afford Nordie’s, I eat dust and dive at the second run retailers. fact o life.
ahow, you are in fine form today. Cheers.
Must be the sangria. Cheers to you.
Beer o’clock makes for good ahow.
Comments on this entry are closed.