Shop Assistant - School uniforms

[constantlytired]

Hiya,

My DD (5) will be starting school for the first time in August, we're all really excited (although i know i'll be holding back the tears on the first day!). Anyway, as this is the first time i've ever had to buy school uniforms, i took DD to well known chain at weekend, as they seemed to have lovely stuff on their internet site. I couldn't find anything relating to school uniforms in the shop and asked shop assistant if he could point me in the right direction. The lovely man said "I'll tell you the same thing i told the 3 ladies before you...We have nothing left, so if you want anything, you'll have to buy online.....maybe think about starting earlier next year!"..I was a bit by this, as the schools haven't even finished here yet, and won't be starting back till mid-August. I thought i was being a bit sad for starting so early, but apparently not, now feel like bad mum for leaving it so late!

[BessieBoots]

Really? I never do mine 'til late August...
Where was it?

[Firawla]

that is really silly, considering children do grow over the summer holidays, and there is no need to buy so much in advance before the summer term is even finished! hopefully somewhere else will have them in stock..
otherwise as he said just do online i suppose, if its m&s you can buy online and bring back into the store if theres a problem, no need to send it back in the post

[WellMeantHellBent]

That is a bit daft, maybe they get another order in after term finshes and he meant there was none of this term stock left? I would have though they make more money over the school holidays and early August than now tbh.

[gingernutlover]

i think the shop assistant was rude

and would be amazed if that was it for school uniform, all our local shops have it at the moment.

maybe, he's right though, buy online then you dont have to put up with rude shop assisstants like him hee hee.

[SweetGrapes]

what? I buy mine in the holidays.

[gagamama]

WTF?! I can only assume that he meant they wouldn't be getting any more deliveries before the end of term, not that you should have to buy uniform in May for September... which would probably be too small by then anyway. The assistant was rude, why is it the customer's problem that the shop have massive stock control issues?!

[zerominuszero]

1. He is a rude bastard and I would have had a go at him
   
   
2. You know what successful shops do? They - SHOCK, HORROR! - actually replenish their stocks when they get low!!!
   
   Unless of course they are selling them as a loss leader and would rather not replenish the stock, but maintain their reputation as being a value for money retailer. But they wouldn't be that cynical... would they?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

The shop assistant was rude. The miserable git.

I have never bought my dd's uniform before the hols as she always grew like a weed. There has always been plenty left, as long as you don't leave it until the first Saturday in september.

[lilolilmanchester]

He's talking rot. I have always bought ours first couple of weeks of the school hols. Tesco, Asda, M&S at least usually have stuff in then. When they were very small, I used to leave it til the end of the hols as they can grow a lot in 6 weeks but did find they were running out of sizes later in the summer. You're not a bad mum and you haven't left it too late. Try a different shop!

[piscesmoon]

The shops will be full of it in July and August with huge signs saying 'Back to School' before they have had a week's holiday! Don't worry-no one buys it until the holidays-they can have a huge growth spurt in 6 weeks. You will find that the shoe shops are queuing out of the door at the end of August-for the same reason. I expect they have no stock at the moment because those at school are 'making do' until the end of term.

[lilolilmanchester]

P.S. worth writing to customer services of the store (the general one, get address of website). You might just get a voucher...

[littleducks]

He prob is right, they have 'run out'

It is a clever marketing ploy to make you buy more because you are scared it will be gone (like panic buying of bbread and milk)

Roll on sept and it wont all fit and you will have to buyt even more

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

piscesmooon speaks the truth. Mine seem to grow a lot during the Summer.

I used to get so fed up seeing the "Back to School" signs in BHS and M&S in July, when I was a child

[fernie3]

thats odd we bought ours mid august last year and the shop was full!

[constantlytired]

Well, i don't feel half as bad now, i started to panic by Sunday night and subsequently ordered a bunch of stuff on-line yesterday. Was really annoyed, cos it is extremely hard to get a black pinafore and ended up having to order from same retailer as cheeky assistant....NEXT year, i'll remember to start buying early

[BigFatSepticToe]

some sizes seem to sell out quicker than others - some sizes have been available all year round in local supermarkets, others have sold out in the last few weeks already. Its mad.

I also wish they would do their homwework about what colours they need most of locally.

we have a few schools with red or blue gingham summer dresses,and LOADS that have green. So green gingham dresses are like gold dust round here!!

[constantlytired]

i know what you mean....i honestly thought a black pinafore would be the easiest thing in the world to get....i can only find 2 shops that stock this colour....loads or brown though, i don't think i've ever seen anyone with a brown uniform near us