do you shop at Debenhams?

[HoraceCope]

I get an occasional gift voucher for debenhams given to me, but this year struggled to find anything, perhaps it was bad timing, there was a huge jumble sale of a sale going on.
but it has never been my go to shop.
is it yours?

I find it hard to shop in Debenhams due to the clothing being organised by brands rather than type. It's fine if you've got hours to spend trawling all around the store or if you only want to look at a particular brand. But if you want, say, black pants or a red dress, navigating their store is a nightmare. Old ones are worse. It;s as if they know their stores are too big, so they spread the stock to try to make it look full,

These days, most of us are in a hurry. We shop in our lunch hours, or have limited time due to the car park, or whatever, often dragging bored kids (or husbands) around. These department stores like Debs, John Lewis, etc., are from a different era where the "little woman" had hours to browse. The ones in old buildings are even worse when you're navigating through lots of different rooms, up/down to different floors etc.

Last time I went in to a Debs was a couple of years ago. Wanted some jeans. After about an hour of losing the will to live as I trudged around the store, different floors, different rooms, etc., I'd come across several different "brands" that had jeans, but some were designer ones, some were weird colours, others weird leg widths - I just wanted a bloody simple pair of basic jeans! I gave up and decided to try to find the toilets instead - another pain in the neck navigating to try to find them. Then, behind a pillar in a corner was a random rack of simple basic jeans - exactly what i wanted, but why do they make it so hard??

My OH always used to buy a winter coat every year from Debs (He's a big guy so needs a large size which most High St stores don't have). He's not been able to buy a new one for 5 years now - goes in every year to look, but there's never anything for him.

They're like M&S - they've lost the plot and don't understand their core shoppers anymore. Probably the designers are too London-centric and concentrate on what works for the flagship London stores, but completeley out of touch with what people want in all the other towns and centres away from the capital and "luvvies".

Hardly ever, I do wander in and sniff the perfumes sometimes but the only thing I recall buying in the last few years was a dressing gown in a pre-Christmas sale. I have bought Mantaray clothing in the past but last year it all seemed overly fussy and I haven't looked this year. We had our wedding list there 20 years ago and the homewear was great then but there are so many other places to get kitchen etc stuff now.

Exactly, i went first time 21 years ago, it was a total maze, i didn't go back, until i was given a voucher and was forced to.

Love Debenhams

Occasionally they have some lovely kids clothes. But it's getting few and far between! I brought some clothes for dd Xmas 2017, and just before last Xmas they had exactly the same stuff in store. My ex brought a dressing gown for dd that was identical to the one I'd brought a year before.

Used to shop there more often than I do now, can understand why they are in trouble, they need to refresh their stock!

I never find anything I like in there but, if I was given a voucher, I would probably head up to the kitchen section and splash out on so me Joseph Joseph. I've had some nece Ben de lisi bedding for the boys, in the last, but o ly ever bought on permasale.

I’ve had some great bargains for DC frpk there, in particular they do good discounts on Ted Baker clothes. Also buy bras from there as their range is good. However I seldom buy full price because they have such frequent sales!

No, its a shop I hate.
The last times I shopped there was 2014 as we got a gift card for our wedding from someone and in 2018 I got a dress from Oasis in Debenhams as they didn’t have my size in the Oasis store. That’s it in decades.
I won’t miss it. I think its had its day. But it is sad to see empty units, just like when Fenwicks and BHS went under.

I’d weep if we lost John Lewis though.

No. I find it dated and expensive and the kids sizing is weird.

I love Debenhams, more so since my daughter was born. The kids clothes are lovely, especially the Ted Baker range!

For me I buy underwear in there, sometimes clothes or shoes but not often. Occasionally make up or perfume. I also sometimes buy things for the house, towels, plates, actually got the ceiling lights in my living room and dining room from there too.

I shopped a lot there for Xmas presents last year they had amazing deals on different items half price each day for ages and extra 10% off for cardholders. I imagine that's why they are in such a mess, practically giving the stuff away even before the Xmas sales and too many Debenhams Spectacular events that mean u don't ever buy full price just wait a few more weeks it will be in sale.

My local Debenhams is cramped, really tired and miserable looking and the staff (mainly 16yr olds who don't want to be there) are rude. The shop genuinely looks like it hasn't been invested in since the mid-nineties. They don't even have a women jeans section!

The only thing sad about it going is that it will leave an empty space because whoever takes it on is going to have to spend loads to make it look reasonable and I can't see that happening atm

I really like Debenhams and I will miss our one. It was my go-to for makes up and perfume, and I liked their kids clothes and Christmas presents.

@jenniferjareau me too, they were horrible employers so I actively avoid giving them any of my money.

Which is pretty easy to do as most of their stuff is too expensive for me anyway

Ours takes up a huge area in our nearest shopping centre. God knows what they'll put in there. I like their bedding, esp in the sales, and I used to buy lots of the children's clothes there. But I find the women's clothing very bland or ugly, and our store is very uninviting. They've been sending me surveys for years about ideas to update, inc the cafes, but have never seen a single improvement.

I used to. My entire work wardrobe is from Debenhams and gets compliments but reently there has been nothing. And everyone is shocked that I found anything in there.

Designers at Debenhams used to be brilliant 10 years ago as was Betty Barclay but they scrapped that, and it's replacement was rubbish. The Designers wasn't refreshed properly and now there is barely anything in it.

Again they have chased the younger market, who wouldn't be seen dead in Debenhams anyway, so none of their brands sell anything I can wear to work, except the Phase Eight concession and that isn't really the point of Debenhams is it? When they used to have loads of their own brands that were excellent and you were spoilt for choice.

Add to that, when you go on the shop floor it always looks like a closing down sale

I love their bras, I’ve just ordered 6 in case they go under, will keep me in bras for a few years!

I quite like some of their clothes, but it’s always a hassle to find the good, basic, well made items from the acres of garish, bejewelled, shiny fabric with cut outs and frills.

Good selection of kitchenware, but nothing you can’t get cheaper elsewhere.

It will be a shame if they go under though, they take up so much floor space of our local towns. I expect the buildings will be converted in to flats, as there is little call for large department type stores anymore.

I used to love them but now rarely go in. My local ones are so overheated I don't want to try clothes on. Designers at Debenhams used to be great but now they mostly seem dated, I miss Betty Barclay clothes though. Lots of their homeware is nice but overpriced for the quality too.

I used to buy a bit from Debenhams but now if I am buying anything I tend to buy it online. Out local store is a nightmare if you want to try anything on. Tills are poorly staffed and often staff are chatting with each other or surrounded one customer who has a simple query.

The store is full of sales rails and non sale clothes are poorly displayed.

Betty Barclay! That's reminded me! I had the best ever black skirt from there, I still miss it!

My 6yo DD will probably spend most of her summer in Bluezoo cotton dresses... Bright and cheery. Unfortunately she's now in the biggest size of the younger girl sections.

Oh no. I hadn't thought about the bra situation. I love the gorgeous dd range. Fit me better than others.

My first job as a Saturday girl was in the restaurant-Springles!

It’s the gorgeous range that I love, def the best fitting bras I have tried for my (huge) size. I hope the range is picked up by another shop if they do go under, they must be a good seller.

There luggage brand is good too, is it Tripp? They seem to do some things so well and then pack the rest of the store with tat. Maybe smaller stores with a much reduced range would be the way forward.

Same with their online store, if you search for tops you get over 1000 to choose from. Too much to search through to find the good stuff.

Just checked, over 6000 women’s tops available online.Wow.

Yes, the designers weere fantastic plus Edition - I have Preen before it went weird, Roksanda Ilincic, Jonathan Saunders. But that's from 10 years ago now and they dumped it and haven't replaced it.

Designers at Debenhams has been left to fester - it used to be amazing. Principles when Ben de Lisi took it over was fab but I wouldn't buy it now.

It's just so bloody sad.