We visited J. Crew and witnessed why business is a disaster

The retailer has had a difficult few years.

In August, the company announced sales declined 4% in the most recent quarter to $569.8 million. Sales at stores open at least a year dropped 8%, following a decrease of 11% in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, fast-fashion retailers such as Zara and H&M have exploded in popularity in recent years.

So, J. Crew is trying to make changes. In November, the retailer axed its popular bridal line. A month earlier, J. Crew launched an athleisure line with New Balance.

In an effort to see what these changes actually mean for shoppers, Business Insider visited a J. Crew location in Manhattan. The shopping trip revealed some of the biggest problems at the retailer - and how J. Crew is failing to fix them.