J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler has responded to a New York Times column that called out a bad experience with his retailer and declared all online shopping "hell."
Author Delia Ephron related a personal experience with J. Crew in the column, saying that the items she ordered weren't wrapped and they were shipped to the wrong address. Then she had to go through a time-consuming customer service process.
"Precious holiday giving cannot be entrusted to a Web site," she concluded. "A gift shouldn’t be something you open by accident — hello, what is this? — ripping open the cardboard outer box with a knife, and then having your present fall out naked."
Drexler responded with a letter to the editor, which was then published by The New York Times.
He wrote that he was "more than a little surprised" about the column and defended online shopping.
"While online shopping may not always offer the precise level of personalization Ms. Ephron requires, it is a growing part of retailing — and for good reason," he wrote. "It offers convenience, saves time, adds value and provides access to goods and services that might otherwise be difficult to obtain."
While he admitted there was certainly a problem with Ephron's experience with J. Crew, Drexler blasted the premise of the column.
"We certainly acknowledge that what is warranted in this situation is a sincere apology — but not a generalized defamation of an efficient and valuable way of shopping today," he wrote.
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