Translation from English

Monday, October 28, 2013

The Container Store- Midtown East

People like this place well enough--expensive but has great return policy

Let me see about the negatives--

One person dislikes the manager, personally and intensely

Another is upset about home delivery..others complain of rudeness

Rest are pretty good, as good as Yelpers usually get

The Container Store

3.5 star rating
65 reviews Rating Details
Category: Home Decor  [Edit]
725 Lexington Ave
(between 58th St & 59th St)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 366-4200
Nearest Transit Station:
59 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Lexington Ave./59 St. (N, Q, R)
Lexington Ave./63 St. (F)
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
1.1 Miles from The Container Store
Bret S. said: "We recently purchased a couch, ottoman, bed, and rug from Raymour and Flanigan and had a pretty good experience.   First, Lawrence, the sales associate who assisted…" read more »

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "I love all things to do with organization and storage." In 15 reviews
  • "This is a review for the Elfa closet design service only." In 5 reviews
  • "...selection, is that you can order your products online for pick-up." In 3 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites' | Facebook Friends'

65 reviews in English

  • Review from

    • 204 friends
    • 167 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    5/25/2013 4 check-ins here
    The Container Store is like Ikea for the Rich. I come here to dream of walk-in closets and owning cloth boxes for each and every one of my shoes.
    $150 stainless steel hermetically sealed garbage cans. Oh, I'm looking at you. One day even my trash will be housed in splendor.

    I know I can find most of the stuff here cheaper elsewhere. Target carries some SimpleHuman. And BedBath&Beyond at least has 20% off coupons.  But there are some things that just no other store has. Now, I know that I desperately need a plastic box to store my batteries. What? Use the plastic they came in? Are you mad??? It's not perfectly square with an easy open lid, you fool!!!

    So, I will buy a multi-purse closet hanger and feel no shame. My many boots are in dust bunny proof plastic under my bed. And I now own every type of over-the-door storage known to man.
    My miniscule room will soon hold the same mass as a Jr. 1 Bedroom... like the Tardis of Manhattan.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    9/22/2013
    The Container Store, itself is pretty awesome.   Containers in ever shape, size, color, material...you could think of.  It's the place that let's you dream about a perfectly organized house with boxes for your boxes, putting everything out of sight neatly and still not knowing where anything is.  Haha.

    BUT THIS LOCATION IS TERRIBLE!!!

    I would like to give a shout out to the terrible store manager Sean Michael.  Will get to why, soon...but wanted to give him a shout out as to why this Container Store got ONE STAR! It would get Zero if I could.

    I had a $500 store credit which we used yesterday in addition to $200+ that we put on our CC, totaling around $700 purchase.  We went home organized the house and realized we over purchased some things and under purchased others.  So we went to return the items and purchase what we needed.  The manager, Sean Michael, refunded the items (like $100+ worth) via store credit, instead of my CC.  I asked why and he said that was store policy.  Then he said refunds should take place in order of the way they were purchased; since we used the credit of $500 first, we would get refunded via store credit first.  That does not make any sense! If I put it on my CC from the beginning I would not have needed to utilize the store credit, Sean Michael.  Absolutely not logical...additionally the Container Store's policy on refunds are (and I quote directly from their site) as follows: "When accompanied by your original receipt within 120 days of the date of your purchase, we will be happy to exchange your returned merchandise for another solution or issue a refund. If cash or a debit card was used as original tender, we will give cash back up to $400. If a check was used as original tender, we will give cash back up to $200. If a credit card was used as original tender, we will issue a refund to that card."  Did I mention that this return was within two hours of purchase?  NOT even close to 120 days.

    We were tired and hungry after shopping and organizing all day that we tried to use logic with Sean Michael and expressed our distaste but he didn't care.  He kept saying things like, he has been accommodating; accommodation Sean Michael is a mutual adaptation between two groups.  In this case he not only does not know what accommodate means but he also does not know the store policy.  Did I mention he's store manager?

    ....

    Oh and there's no one to help you on the second floor in the store.  Trying to get help to get a shelving unit and a desk was near impossible.  What should have been a two hour excursion turned into 4 hours.  YES four hours.

    Additionally, I had some gift cards but didn't have them at the time of my purchase (forgot them).  I was told that if I brought them back with my original receipt I would get the CC amount refunded then apply to the balance to my cards.  Sean Michael told me that I was incorrectly informed.  I explained that I made my purchase with this information, had I known this I would have placed an order for $500 NOT $700! He basically gives me the "oh well you're sh!t outa luck" look.  OH SEAN MICHAEL...you are the worst manager and customer service representative ever.

    Container Store, you have not heard the last from me.  I will be contacting the BBB, my CC, your corporate offices....GOD if I have to.  But I am getting my money back, oh I am.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    7/7/2013 2 check-ins here
    Container Store is an organizer's dream. From 1000 different types of plastic containers, to random tidbits like pill cases, the Container Store has them all. However, these things do not come cheap. An empty 16oz plastic container ran me $4, which is bearable but still a little on the overpriced side. For sure, don't think about coming here if you're on a budget, because these random things sure add up.

    As far as the store itself, it is pretty big. Sprawled out through two expansive floors, you really can find everything storage related here. If you're coming here to buy large items, then they also do offer home delivery for a price. Otherwise, there's always a cab or good old fashioned walking.

    I love how clean the Container Store is, and that if I'm looking for something pretty specific, they have it for the most part. Just be prepared to shell out an arm and a leg in the process.
  • Review from

    • 49 friends
    • 45 reviews
    Chapel Hill, NC
    7/7/2013 1 check-in here
    When I first went in, I thought I was in heaven. Storage-item shopping is one of my favorite types of shopping so I was really excited at all the different products they had. (Nerd alert)  But like my rating says, "Meh. I've experienced better."

    My friend found the laundry basket of his dream. Literally hugged it when he saw it. The quality was great and the style was exactly what he had been looking for. Plus it seemed like it had a great price. We didn't want to buy it at the time because we'd have to carry it around all day so we decided to head over before he left the city this morning. Well, when we got there, it turned out they had miss-shelved it and wouldn't adjust the price after their error. It was really disappointing since he was so excited and we went extremely out of our way to go pick it up this morning.

    When we looked into the other laundry baskets, the quality dropped quickly. One design in particular had several broken threads and the baskets were misshapen. Another design fell a part whenever you pulled the bag out of the holder, making it difficult to put back together.

    They also held an organizing demonstration with a $20 gift card raffle at the end. We were excited to win the raffle, but the demonstration itself was of very low quality. I disagreed with many of the tips they offered. Some of it was plainly bad advice. The demonstrator was also not good at public speaking and just read off the sheet.

    That being said, the people that worked there were really friendly and helpful when we asked for advice. You could tell they were glad to work there, which makes it a more comfortable and enjoyable experience.
  • Review from

    • 8 friends
    • 156 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    9/29/2013
    A great store to find stuff for your apartment. The staff is ultra service oriented. They have a really good return policy.
  • Review from

    • 9 friends
    • 55 reviews
    New York, NY
    5/17/2013
    This review is purely for their home delivery. I bought quite a few large containers/boxes and other things and didn't want to lug it home in a cab. So I took the option of home delivery for $25 - not bad given a cab would have cost $15-20. BIG MISTAKE. I don't know which store - this or the Chelsea location messed up the delivery so I will post to both. I made the order at the Lexington Ave store.

    Tuesday - made the purchase, scheduled delivery for 7-10pm Thursday because the large black plastic box I ordered was not in stock. Fine.

    Late Wednesday - receive a voicemail from their Chelsea location saying the Chelsea location does not have the box I wanted but the Lexington store does, however the delivery time needs to be shifted to 6-9pm and to please call them back. Why can't they move the box from their Chelsea to Lexington store themselves and save their customer the hassle of changing the delivery time? Anyways whatever fine.

    Thursday morning - called them back. On hold for 10min. Then sale woman finally answered but was all confused about the delivery times, etc, put me on hold 3 times to "check" my order. I had to re-read to her the contents of the voicemail and then told her I can't do 6-9pm (couldn't get home from work by 6pm) so can she change it to Friday. She said fine. (BIG MISTAKE - should have got this woman's name).

    Thursday 6pm - I get a call saying the delivery is outside my door. The person calling blames ME for the mix up, saying "no note was left on the account". Then tries to charge me a re-delivery fee? No apology nothing. I corrected her and then she finally agreed to re-deliver it Friday 6-9pm. I said this is fine.

    Friday - I race home by 5.30pm. Wait..and wait. No call/no buzzer, nothing until 7.30pm. I finally make a call and ask where the delivery is - she then tells me the driver had come but noone was home? (which is impossible as I had been home from 5.30pm). Again NO APOLOGY, NOTHING for wasting MY FRIDAY night. Clearly SOMEONE is lying because I heard no buzzer and she then told me they will usually try to call the cell number to get in touch - NO CALL. All she says is she can re-deliver tomorrow (Saturday) at 12-3pm. I have NO CHOICE but to agree AGAIN - at this point it's getting RIDICULOUS.

    I am LIVID (as you can probably tell). If you live in a doorman building, I guess this wouldn't even be a problem. But if you don't this is a big ordeal. I had to call and deal with these people so many times, not to mention wasting my Friday night whilst I waited for them like an idiot to arrive.

    They had better come as promised tomorrow or I will be heading straight to the store to yell at someone in person. I will definitely be asking for my delivery fee back as well. I wasted a total of 3 hours on this delivery that was supposed to bring me convenience. Ridiculous.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 29 reviews
    New York, NY
    4/11/2013
    CS offers a lifetime return policy on everything they sell - literally.  This store is like Bed Bath Beyond, Target and the likes where you go in for one thing and come out with other things you deemed useful at the time.

    You can find and all sorts of junk to store junk. Prices are what to expect, the $$ matches the quality.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 13 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    2/25/2013
    Love the products, hate the staff. Rudest people I have ever happened across. And I am not alone, my Mom and a couple of my friends think the same of this location. I feel like if you hate your job, then quit! Don't subject the masses to your miserable moods.

    If I ever have to go to CS again, I will NOT be going to this one!
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 55 reviews
    New York, NY
    12/23/2012
    Umm the salesman brought me a chair when he saw me hobbling due to extreme pregnancy. That's what i call special.

    I wanted to purchase 98% of what I saw in the store fully believing it would make my life more successful.

    I bought a lot of stuff to put other stuff in.

    I would definitely come back, if I move into a new place, with more space for stuff to put my other stuff in.

    Thank you, Container Store. xoxo
  • Review from

    Oakland, CA
    5/24/2013
    Dangerous shopping zone!  Not only do we drop a bundle of cash - then we have to shlep it home!  Brought friends, they couldn't resist some organizing bins, mixing bowls and a flashlight on keychain. Success! I actually made 3 trips to 2 stores...had to measure, check out the space at home, return and buy.  Ah well, it's always a fun time at Container Store!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 8 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    9/1/2013
    So...this store is gigantic!! And has tons of useful stuff for my classroom. I had made an initial order online, but it turned out that a couple of the items were not actually  available. A very friendly, helpful employee (Keith) called me to let me know, and patiently went in search of the same product in other colors to fill my order. When he couldn't find it, I just asked to have the amount refunded, which he quickly did. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to pick up my order, first of all because the process was very easy, and the employees were very friendly, but because Keith had left a note and gift card for the apologizing for the trouble with the inventory. That was a very kind gesture. I will definitely be returning to container store for my organization needs.
  • Review from

    • 23 friends
    • 23 reviews
    New York, NY
    11/2/2012 1 check-in here
    Love this store and this Manhattan location is no exception.  They have the selection.  For my OCD self this is a pseudo-heaven for me.  I could spend hours in this store.

    With NYC apartment living being as cramped as it is, this is a useful store to have at your dispense.  Give it a look!  I'm confident you'll find something for that studio apartment of yours!
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    9/15/2012 1 photo 5 check-ins here
    The Container Store is a blessing for anyone looking to maximize their storage space!  Appropriately, they have two locations right in crammed NYC, with a new opening in Westbury, LI, as well as stores in nearby Paramus NJ, and White Plains NY.

    Aside from the massive selection of bins, tubs, racks, shelves, drawers, baskets, you've got their Elfa system (see here: http://www.containerstor…) - a system comparable to the FreedomRail or ClosetMaid systems, but with loads of trim and shelving options/depths/etc.  Their inventory overlaps slightly with Bed Bath and Beyond (VERY slightly), but if you come in here with ideas and measurements, you're bound to walk out with something useful.

    Adding to their inventory, you've gotta acknowledge the staff here.  I'm definitely a frequent visitor, and have seen just about everyone at this store manning different stations/areas/sections.  Truly, they all seem to be "jack of all trade" -types, and they're all quick to ask if you need any help.  Upon taking them up on the offer, you'll quickly see how well they know their own inventory - you may even leave the conversation with another way to accomplish a certain storage/function-related task in your living space.

    Lastly, they offer a lifetime return policy on everything they sell - literally.  Even if you don't have a receipt, they'll still provide you a gift card (valued at the item's lowest price in the past 90 days).  This took the hesitation out of a lot of my purchases, as sometimes, I wasn't equipped with full measurements and ended up getting multiple varieties of the same item.

    Five stars for unique and useful inventory, great staff, and an unparalleled return policy!
    • Storefront
  • Review from

    • 208 friends
    • 155 reviews
    Long Island City, NY
    6/9/2013 3 check-ins here
    I love Elfa and thus I want to love the container store. However they have these insane policies of how and whem to order and when to pick-up the stuff you ordered. All of this can be forgone by shiopping online but if you elect not to shop online you will be told how to shop in their store--like it or not. And, I'm just about done with all the passive agrressive hipester doofesess assembkled under one roof.
  • Review from

    • 65 friends
    • 228 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    5/31/2013 1 check-in here
    Ordered online and picked up at store. No hassle but when i was asking further questions i didnt seem to get the help I needed. The place itself is great though.
  • Review from

    • 7 friends
    • 20 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    6/10/2013
    When you live in NYC you sure need to be organized. I feel like I can spend a whole day there. I think customer service can be better but its a great store to go to and you really feel like you are getting on top of your closet when you are there
  • Review from

    FOREST HILLS, NY
    5/15/2012
    Came here to get stuff to organize my walk in closet. Yes folks you heard that right.
    Recently moved into an apartment with a walk in that was BARE?! So we needed to get solutions for this weird problem. This store is like Bed Bath Beyond, Target and the likes where you go in for one thing and come out with 343,253,563 other things you deemed useful at the time. The store is a little pricey but they literally have everything you could imagine for storage. We bought things for the walk in and the linen closet turned shoe closet. I also got a bunch of other useful crap for the bathroom. Staff kept asking us if we needed help but we didn't, I was a girl on a mission!
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 20 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    6/24/2012
    Container store Lexington bet 58th & 59th St. At first I had a horrible experience with customer service. I opted for the pick up order item at store to save time walking around the store. I received an email stating" my package was ready for pick up" I left work early to go pick up my item and for what to wait 15mins while my item was retrieved from the warehouse.

    Then why did I then get a email stating is ready?  To make matters worst the women at the front is nasty, with a  horrible attitude. if I wanted to see a sour pus I could had stayed at worked. If your unhappy with your job that get the hell out. However I find fault with management this is the type of employees you want representing your store then by all means be keep your bitter emploeey and  say by by to my sweet cash going out the door.

    You would think with this recession employees would be a  bit more conscious on providing great customer service.  I had to sign for my item I sign horrible experience , worst customer service guess management is paying attention because the next day I received a phone call.The store manager was excellent I forgot her name but she was concerned about my experience even though I had already made up my mind of not returning but since she called an offer a genuinely apology.  The next week I went back to purchase another item with a different employee whom was sweet as apple pie.
  • Review from

    • 50 friends
    • 247 reviews
    New York, NY
    4/8/2012 1 check-in here
    This location is much more pleasant than the union square location.  Fewer people, bigger layout makes browsing much more enjoyable.

    This place has everything - check upstairs for all your packing, shipping, kitchen, office, laundry, bedroom etc. organizing needs.  This has become my go-to place for any of my organizing needs.  In many ways this place is a lot better than BB&B.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 27 reviews
    New York, NY
    5/14/2013
    Normally it's a good store.   But today I went in for wrapping paper etc.  five employees are holding a meeting in the wrapping paper aisle....no concern for the customer.   I was looking at one style and an employee came up and asked me to move so she could get something out of the drawer.   Very rude behavior

    Who ever is running the store needs to get it back in shape.   Ignoring the customer. Acting as if your little meeting is more important then a customer is s assure sign you are on the slide.
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    2/9/2012 1 check-in here
    Every Obsessive Compulsive Organizer's wet dream!
    There is no way you can enter this store and not be inspired to make your home neat and organized! I came in here to kill some time before dinner and left with little knick knacks strategically placed by the checkout... so one impulse buy turns into 5. Great!
    But aside from the little odds and ends I picked up, I got lots of inspiration for my impending move to a smaller space in some months.
    The staff are eager to assist and pretty much anything you need in your home to make you more organized or save some space, this place has you covered!
    Also, you will notice a strong coffee smell in the store... and if you follow it, you will be disappointed. However, right next door is a starbucks so if you are scratching the walls form your caffeine addiction, dont fret- its right outside!
  • Review from

    • 63 friends
    • 882 reviews
    Astoria, NY
    3/13/2012 1 check-in here
    CS is waaaaaay too expensive for what it is. Maybe the oil price has something to do, but seriously, a plastic tapper for $20?

    Sure they have awesome customer service and place is like toy store for organizing nazi type, but I really think they need to check price. I actually walked away the other day and went to Target and got something similar for 1/2 the price...and also found similar items at Ikea for less too.
  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    12/14/2012 1 check-in here
    Great customer service! I ordered online and did the click and pickup option, and the experience couldn't have been better. They were super friendly and quick to get my items and I was in and out in a flash. Everything was packed with care and my big order was accurate. I will definitely shop here again and again.
  • Review from

    Sunnyside, NY
    8/19/2011
    "Go to The Container Store. Go to your safe place," my friend told me via text.

    I have a confession to make. When I worked over on 37th Street, I would sneak away to the New York Public Library when I just wanted some quiet time. Hell, I even squeezed in a nap or two while I was there. The Container Store is my new NYPL, except I don't take naps there. That would be weird. But I do cruise the aisles wandering through boxes and containers, plastic jugs, and all sorts of junk to store junk. The Container Store is a marvelous place. It gives you ideas and solutions to all your problems in life and work. It's retail therapy at its finest.

    My favorite thing to do is to try out the office chairs. Once I sat at one of the desks for 45 minutes doing nothing. The sales people didn't harass me and it was quite relaxing. I like the bungee cord chair and the plastic Swiss Cheese chair. I thought the plastic chair would be cheaper, but no. At $199 it is practically double the price of the bungee cord one. Prices make sense. The Container Store is where all the rich people shop. Seriously, some pay $45 for a piece of cardboard. Don't they know they can pick cardboard boxes off the street for free?

    I love The Container Store for everything that they carry. When I walk in I envision a better work space and organization for my apartment. I can get a variety of wrapping supplies for all my presents and plastic bins for my overflow of shoes and linens. I could go wild at The Container Store, but you know I don't really need more junk for junk. In the meantime, I'll take the creative space that they offer. It's where my best ideas are born.
  • Review from

    • 88 friends
    • 119 reviews
    Fishkill, NY
    4/19/2010
    The problem with The Container Store is you go in looking for one particular item and then you find yourself rationalizing why you need yet another shoe rack and storage containers for under your kitchen sink.  The possibilities are endless and the prices are pretty darn good!  In a world where we have tv shows like Hoarders and Clean House, it's a wonder why EVERYONE isn't taking advantage of such a great store.

    There is a lady who works at this location whose only voice is the outside voice.  I swear every aisle I went to, I heard her loud and clear in the next aisle. I understand I'm not in a library but the whole store doesn't need to know your business, get back to work!!!!
  • Review from

    Chicago, IL
    10/15/2007 First to Review
    Functional products, but not my favorite for design.  Everything feels a little cheap, maybe it's the overuse of plastic? My favorite section of this store is storage for the kitchen.  Lots of pyrex, various types of Tupperware, spice racks, wire racks, etc.

    If you're shopping for storage units for closets or take up part of a wall, here's some advice: before coming to the store, measure the space you're trying to fill.

    Stay away from canvas hanging storage products (shoe holders, cubbies for socks, etc).  They are hard to manage and usually bend and fall apart.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    1/16/2011
    This is a review for the Elfa closet design service only. I have used this system to maximize space in several closets. This has allowed my family to continue to live in a small apartment without wanting to kill each other.

    The CS staff uses special software to create a closet design that fits your needs. You bring in the measurements and tell them what you want to put in the space and what look you prefer. Not all staffers are expert with this software, and they do sometimes have to consult a higher-up, so I would leave at least an hour for the process. Call ahead to make an appointment (although they do take walk-ins), and ask exactly what measurements they need. (The Chelsea CS also offers this service.)

    Elfa works brilliantly. While it's not cheap, it's reasonably priced for something so well-made, strong, and nicely designed. Wait for one of the semi-annual sales.

    Everyone who works here is helpful and seems genuinely pleasant. They always have time to give you a hand or a suggestion.

    The only negative is that the Elfa sample pictures in the catalog and web site suggest that your closet must be a suburban walk-in the size of an elephant. Not so.

    In fact, everything about CS skews suburban. I wish they had more scaled-down items aimed at city spaces, and better-designed, uh, containers. Too many are oversized and/or ugly.

    Still, 4.5 stars: You're not going to do better in this life.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered