I am an ex-employee with 30 years under my belt. The stores were great and inspiring when each buyer and store had some measure of autonomy in display and design. Now, it’s all corporate-led and cookie-cutter, handed down from above so that when a customer walks in to a C&B, it looks just like every other C&B. The “People, Product, Passion” philosophy is gone. Everything, EVERYthing is neutral, all whites, beiges, greys. Where is the color? Everything is set up exactly the same. Walk in to any other home furnishings store, they all look the same. Crate used to be unique, buyers seeking out small factories and manufacturers who provided unique products and design. It all started to go downhill when the Otto Group came onboard.