Recommended Shopping in Providence:
The Curatorium
197 Wickenden St.
between Traverse & Brook
Providence RI, 02906
401-453-4080
E-Mail: info@thecuratorium.com
Hours: Daily 10-6; Sunday 11-5; Thursday 10-8.
Matt Bird’s delightful store on crunchy and cool Wickenden Street is a savvy/sassy shopper’s treat. As he puts it: “Part design store, part Natural History Museum, part small-town gift shop, The Curatorium offers something for everyone.” And he’s pretty much right.
You can find fancy mod-design lighting fixtures for $300, or cute coasters or refrigerator magnets for $3. The aesthetic is a cross between mod and kitsch, cute and colorful, sleek and silly, whimsy and wisely artful. There’s a sense of humor afoot, and a sharp eye for gorgeous, fresh design.
Lousy customer service, rude and dismissive shop owner who only wants to make a buck. We purchased an item and less than 24 hours later tried to return it and have the charge on our credit card reversed. We were told there is a policy of store credit only which is displayed on a sign some distance from the cash register in very small type and it is ambiguously worded on the receipt but that is comes after the purchase anyway, too late to change your mind.
When we explained that there was nothing else we wanted and a store credit for out-of-towners is not useful the owner was rude and refused to discuss the policy or offer any compromise.
It looks to me like all he wants is to take your money and it doesn’t matter if there is a problem. So much for supporting local merchants. The store cheats by not making the policy clear and then lies about how hard it is to reverse the credit. I’ve never had that problem with other small shops.
So be sure you really want that little gee-gaw because if it doesn’t work for you when you leave the store forget it you’re stuck.
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Review: The Curatorium by John Polly