New York execs are paying nearly R5,000 an hour to have their closets organised — and it's not just the ultra-rich anymore

Busy New York executives are willing to spend big bucks for time-saving help.

Steve Prezant/Getty Images

• Personal helpers are no longer just for the ultra-rich, according to recent reporting by Alix Stauss from The New York.
• Many executives are now opting for services once reserved for the ultra rich in order to save valuable time.
• Services include grocery shopping and meal prep, along with closet reorganisation and personal shopping.
• For more articles, go to Business Insider SA.

For many New Yorkers, time is money, and they are willing to pay to buy some back.

In a recent article for The New York Times, Alix Strauss reported that many businesspeople living in Manhattan are paying the equivalent of thousands of rands a week for personal shoppers and chefs in order to save time normally wasted on running errands.

Beth Fisher, a Manhattan marketing executive who employs both a personal chef and stylist, told The Times, "I don't want to spend my time shopping online or at the stores. I would rather spend time connecting with family, staying fit, or reading.

According to The Times, chefs buy and bring groceries to the client's home and prepare a week's meals, labelling containers and organising the refrigerator. Meanwhile, personal stylists cart department store racks directly into New Yorkers' living rooms, swapping out-of-style pieces for those in vogue.

While The Times reported that these services are becoming more common, some specialties - such as $900 (R12,700) custom-made shirts - are still reserved for New York's superrich.

Personal chef visits such as Eat Well Food by Daniela and Carried-Away Chefs can range from $300 to $500 per week (R4,200 to R7,000), reported The Times. Personal shopping is even more expensive; rates for wardrobe styling company NYCStylist begin at $350 (nearly R5,000) per hour with a 20-hour minimum.

"At home they're not fighting with the masses; my clients don't want to wait to see a size or color, or interface with a sales person who is going to upsell them," Laura Solin-Valdina, owner of NYCStylist, told The Times.

These services join a long list of expenses wealthy New Yorkers are willing to splurge on. Business Insider's Katie Warren previously reported that wealthy New Yorkers are asking more of their kids' nannies - including providing massages and styling hair - as the demand for personal services grows higher to save time.

Meanwhile, Hillary Hoffower previously reported that some New York parents are dropping $375 (R5,300) per hour on prep courses for top-rated kindergartens referred to as "Baby Ivies," along with $400 (R5,600) per month in member fees for executive social clubs.

Read the whole article at The New York Times »

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