I assume that's an extra service.

I'm pretty sure they just get a commission on whatever you purchase.

ETA: I know that the personal shoppers at Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus are free to the customer. How they get paid in the grand scheme of things is a mystery to me.

Although, damn, are the clothes better quality.

Agreed. I don't go there all that often given the gas I have to expend to get down to San Lorenzo or wherever, but I've gotten some very nice costume jewelry there.

ChiKat knows someone who shops there.

Yes, yes I do. Of course, she won't be back there any time soon. What with the whole under house arrest thing.

I rarely shop at Nordstroms, but they are my Favorites right now.

ohhh! In my daily obsessive checks on my bank accounts, I saw that my tax refund hit today! Yay!!!

I'm going mattress shopping. I've never bought one before. Any tips?

Do you know your preferences? Extra-firm, Firm, medium, soft, extra-soft?

I'm going mattress shopping. I've never bought one before.

Now, I know I'm tired and it's late on Friday afternoon, but why did I read this as "I'm going shopping. I've never bought anything before." ??

Um, lie down and try them out?

Get a cute salesman to help you test drive it.

Do you know your preferences?

Medium; full-size; no pillow top. That's all I know for now.

Get a cute salesman to help you test drive it.

Best suggestion EVAH!

I'm going mattress shopping. I've never bought one before. Any tips?

Wear comfortable clothing that won't make you feel weird when you lie down on the beds. Also, test the mattress in the position you normally sleep in. (If you sleep on your side, lying down on your back won't really help.)

My dad just sent me a long article from Consumer Reports about mattress shopping a few weeks ago -- their conclusion was that it's a big-ass racket. They suggested (a) going to a store with a big selection and setting aside a big chunk of time so you can test-drive the ones you want for a minimum of 10 minutes each; (b) not even attempting to keep track of model names because the manufacturers change them constantly and will sometimes send the same identical mattress to a half-dozen stores in your area under a half-dozen different names; and (c) noting the qualities of the ones you liked best (foam or coils or layers of each, how many coils, how firm) and then checking around for a cheap-ass demi-wholesaler, calling him/her up, describing what you liked, and asking what they've got that's comparable.

IIRC, the article specifically said not to even attempt to comparison-shop by maker or model (except to avoid the obviously cheap and crappy ones) because they're deliberately trying to confuse you.

I don't remember what the article said about cute salesmen, but admittedly I didn't read all the sidebars.