Utrecht Art Supplies

10/19/09

ARRGGG!

by RieGuy at Citysearch

Don't shop here.

They are a corporate hole. Start shopping at Jerry's Art O Rama and put them out of business. We only need one big corporate art supply in Tempe, after my last experience at Utrecht, I don't want it to be them.

The manager is rude and judgmental.

Also, there is Arizona Art Supply and Wet Paint Art Supply. I think both those stores are locally owned too.

• Pros: selection
• Cons: everything you could think of

10/15/09

let down again

by LoveJason at Citysearch

I usually shop some where else that is local first, but if they are out this is the next closest art supply. Let me say that it takes a lot to get under my skin and I never do things like give bad reviews, but after so many times you just have to.

I've been in there two other times before this. The first time was OK. The Second time I was told the wrong information about what a product would do if I used it with this other thing. In the long run I just think he was trying to sell me something I didn't need just to sell it. Also, I was told that a pen was waterproof and it wasn't. That set me back 3 hours because I had to re-due my entire project.

I always feel rushed to get in buy it and leave. I also always feel like I am being watched like a hawk. Yeah, I'm a hip hop looking kid but I'm not going to steal from you. I went in to by some spray paint and some acrylic paints and some markers. I'm not a fan of Montana Gold because it is way to expensive for what it is, but I needed one extra color that was a mat finish so I could paint over it with acrylics, and thats the only spray paint they have. It took forever for someone to open the case for me and the girl with the glasses helping me seemed super annoyed that she was working and had to deal with customers. I put my can on the counter. Went over grabbed 2 tubes of paint then decided not to get 1 and put it back. The manager ( i think ) never took his eyes off me after that. I think he didn't see me put it back and though I dropped it in my pocket.

After checking out a few other things I got so annoyed. I put the paint back and left. I was all set to paint and I just needed a few more things and after I left I didn't feel like doing anything creative. I ended up going to Jerry's Art O Rama so I could just get all my stuff done for the day.

I'm over Utrecht and the people that work there. You can't even pronounce the name ... You retch? Ha! Its just not worth it. I would rather wait for the other place to restock than go here again.

• Pros: cheep, big parking lot, lots of products
• Cons: uneducated about product. rude. impatient. soulless.

09/01/09

Good selection but hovering employee

by art123456 at Citysearch

I enjoy stopping by Utrecht near ASU everytime I pass through Phoenix to pick up more supplies that I can't get where I live. Usually the staff is very knowledgeable and I can find what I'm looking for. The last time I was in (less than two weeks ago), the woman tried to help me find the paint I was looking for but they had moved it so she wasn't sure where it was, but we eventually found it, and then I was looking for some more linocut blocks and the male employee who was hovering over my shoulder as I browsed had no idea about lino products - he even said he didn't know anything about them. I think he should have found me an employee who could answer my questions. Instead, he hovered by my shoulder watching what I was doing as I continued to browse. At some point he got distracted and I ended up at the front counter after browsing some tape, and suddenly he reappeared at my side and watched what I was putting on the counter. Only after the clerk had rung my purchase and I was paying did the male employee finally walk away. I asked the cashier if the store was having a serious loss problem, otherwise why was the guy totally hovering over my shoulder. She said they do have a serious loss problem. I think it's totally unfortunate that some cheap shoplifting people have ruined the experience for decent, paying customers like me who no longer want to go to Utrecht in Phoenix because I seriously don't like being hovered over while I'm browsing, especially by someone who doesn't even have product knowledge. It's not a big enough store that the person should not have product knowledge on nearly everything in there, or direct me to an employee who does have that specific knowledge - it's only like 600 square feet, I would imagine, nothing like the quantity of products that a store like Michaels carries. No, I am not comparing Utrecht with Michaels. I'm simply saying this store is small enough that the diligent employee, especially an artist employee, should take the time to get to know the product, even if that means experimenting with a medium he/she is not familiar with.

I might still swing by Utrecht when I'm in town, but next time I'm going to ask the guy not to hover. I just think it's rude, loss problem or not. Get some security cameras or something!

• Pros: Good selection of supplies
• Cons: Loss prevention creates issues