Teenage girl wins shopping spree

Many women would be ecstatic at the chance to receive a shopping spree to Wet Seal, and for one young girl, her chance has arrived.

According to the official website Wet Seal “seeks to provide its customer base with a balance of affordably priced fashionable apparel and accessories.”  The store’s target customer base is girls 13-19 years old.

Wet Seal held a nationwide contest in February for one person to win a $1,000 spree to its store. And on Monday, 13-year-old Jatia’ Harris, became that lucky person.

The contest was advertised in more than 400 Wet Seal stores and the Deer Lake Middle School student was chosen among thousands.

Wet Seal recently interviewed Harris and she was beyond excited about her recent winning.

“Wow, this is so exciting!” Harris said.  “I cannot believe that I won the sweepstakes. I really love Wet Seal and I cannot wait to have a closet full of their clothes!”

But unless she can shop really fast, her closet may only be half full.

According to a release about the shopping spree, Harris 
has exactly 10 minutes to speed the $1,000. If she does not spend the entire amount, she will only be allowed to keep everything chosen within the allotted time.

Some students are happy for Harris and have advice on how to handle the situation.

“Since she will only have 10 minutes, I would grab things specifically for me during the first five minutes, and grab everything I can to donate for the next five,” said Lyndsi Caldwell, a second-year political science student from Detroit. “This way, I will help others and won’t be the only one benefiting from the contest.” 

Others think she should prepare beforehand.

“I think it’s possible as long as she has some sort of plan before she gets in the store,” said Ileana Garcia, a 19-year-old criminal justice student from Miami.  ” I will definitely be there to see how she does.”

Ed Thomas, the company’s chief executive, said Wet Seal is a leading specialty retailer of contemporary and stylish apparel.

“This event is exactly how Wet Seal likes to operate,” Thomas said. ” We like being in the community and making a difference in someone’s life. This will prove
to be a very exciting day not only for the winner, but several other people
that show up to cheer her on.”

The manager of Wet Seal, Ezilma, is as ready for the event as much as Harris.

“I’m really excited to see how she is going to spend the $1,000,” Ezilma said. ” We expect to be very busy on Saturday and we already have people coming in asking about the gift cards and how everything will be displayed.”

Come and support  Harris this Saturday, March 28, at Wet Seal in Governor’s Square Mall.


The clock begins at 10:05 a.m., and after her time is up, Wet
Seal will open the doors to the first 100 supporters and hand out gift cards.

The gift cards
are valued between $5 and $100.