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Disarray, frustration as parents line up to purchase school uniforms

Parents and guardians say they had to go through boxes and wait for hours to buy uniforms at Regency Square Mall store

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Shopping for school uniforms at a store inside the Regency Square Mall left some parents and guardians frustrated on Monday.

Shoppers told News4Jax they had to wait for hours to purchase uniforms at School Uniforms and More for their children and grandchildren.

“They should have an online service so more parents and grandparents like myself who is raising her grandkids don’t have to come stand in a line at 60 years old for two or three hours to get uniforms,” said grandparent Teresa Jones.

Parent Michelle Reed said: “I’ve been here for two hours and still haven’t been seen yet.”

Most of the parents who News4Jax spoke with said they had no choice but to wait until Monday -- the day before the first day of school for Duval County students -- to get their child’s uniforms because they just found out which uniforms their child is supposed to have for this school year.

Many of the uniforms were piled up high or were unfolded on the floor. Some were in open boxes that people sorted through.

“It’s not organized,” said Shatia Williams. “Nothing is ready. I prepaid on the 27th, and we’re having to dig through stuff to get our items.”

“It’s a mess. You have to go through boxes. Nothing Is where it should be at,” said parent Theresa Grant. “Some people say they been here for three hours, so it’s really hard trying to find the kid’s uniform.”

Many of the uniforms were piled up high or were unfolded on the floor. (WJXT)

There appeared to be only one person ringing up customers. News4Jax went around the store and could not find another employee.

“I think it’s unfair that they have all these customers coming in and they only have one person ringing up all these uniforms,” Jones said.

Shoppers also had to navigate around a leaky ceiling that had water dripping into plastic trash bins.

Water was dripping from the ceiling into plastic trash bins. (WJXT)

Everyone who News4Jax spoke with said they had no choice but to go to that store because it had a supply of specific uniforms that their child needed that they could not find in any other store in Jacksonville.

News4Jax reached out to the store but had not heard back as of publication.


About the Author
Erik Avanier headshot

Award-winning broadcast and multimedia journalist with 20 years experience.

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