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Original poster

do you shop at Debenhams?

122 replies

HoraceCope · 14/04/2019 07:10

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?

OP posts:
SciFiRules · 14/04/2019 09:37

I buy trousers and shirts from them for work, it's the only place to buy good quality shirts at a sensible price. Dread to think what I'll end up with if we loose debenhams from the high street. It annoys me that people want to charge £30 for a shirt with a silly logo on it, and even more so that people do!

RaininSummer · 14/04/2019 09:44

I love debenhams. Its our only department store really as house if fraser is too expensive. I like all the different brands they stock esp mantaray, red herring, John rocha, phase eight....

Ohhellothereladyface · 14/04/2019 09:49

My local Debbers has some good women’s concessions (Oasis, Warehouse, a large Dorothy Perkins section) but the menswear is dire. OH isnt even particularly trendy (ok not at all) and he would never shop there. Kidswear there isn’t my thing, have found the odd cute item but generally speaking no I don’t shop there.

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General shopping
beenhereages1 · 14/04/2019 09:53

Only ever shop in Debenhams when I've been given a voucher

floribunda18 · 14/04/2019 09:55

The stores have been really dingy for the last 15 years at least. Seems like a business which has rested on its laurels and hasn't moved with the times.

Faster · 14/04/2019 09:56

I used to go in for the make up counter as they do Bare Minerals in there. But now I just order it online via Boots and get points on it as well.

IrishMamaMia · 14/04/2019 10:00

Bought my wedding and maternity underwear there, was pretty happy with it. There's always lots of bra fitters which makes it quick and easy to get seen.
However went back there with some gift vouchers to buy bedding and could find practically nothing that was 100 per cent cotton in their flagship Oxford St store. Surely a department store should offer that kind of thing?! Managed to get them in Primark!
I'm sorry to see them go as they are an institution but I just don't have the kind of money or need to regularly shop in department stores. It's really occasional for me and I imagine I'm not alone in that. There hasn't been much wage growth in the last decade.

Ronsters · 14/04/2019 10:10

I quite like Debenhams, and I would be sorry to see it go.
I think some of the clothes recently have been a bit questionable, not sure what their target audience is and it reminds me a bit of M&S when Per Una went a bit weird. Sort of frumpy trying to be trendy and failing.
I like the Red Herring t shirts, and Debs are good for every day sandals.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 14/04/2019 10:16

I used to buy lots of makeup from there (pre-dc...), but now I just go in for the kids clothes. The Bluezoo stuff is lovely- really bright and the girls stuff isn’t all pink frills.

Our local store used to be rammed every weekend, mainly because the beauty section was the only place you could buy MAC make up in NI. Now there’s a stand alone MAC store in the other shopping centre in town, it’s been noticeably less busy.

bumblingbovine49 · 14/04/2019 10:17

I went there this week to get DS (14) a formal suit type shirt for his grandmother's funeral. I had no idea what size he needed and as most of the shirts were packaged, I didn't know how to try them on.

I found a member of staff who could not have been more helpful, getting DS to try on different collar sizes and cuts hanging in the dressing room to see what worked best for him. We walked out with two shirts, a tie and a jacket that DS consented to wear over his plain black jeans

All in about 10-15 mins. I was overjoyed as DS has ASD and clothes shopping is often very very fraught, so I am a fan. I have shopped there before and have found quite a few gifts over the years so I am sad to see it go.

BertrandRussell · 14/04/2019 10:18

“I only use it when dd has grown and needs new bras. The women who do the measuring at our local Debenhams are lovely.”
Same here! Does the town begin with C?

Blankspace4 · 14/04/2019 10:23

It’s such a shame as one of the key reasons they are in difficulty is the selfish and irresponsible decisions made by prior Private Equity owners particularly with the sale of so many freeholds.

The money that raised was largely paid out to them and then the stores are left vulnerable to upward only rent reviews whilst the underlying concessions began to struggle, causing a squeeze.

If they had retained control of at least some of the freeholds they would have more flexibility or other options to raise cash now.

Blankspace4 · 14/04/2019 10:25

However from a ‘shoppers experience’ point of view I’d also say it’s poor (but also likely a feature of underinvestment).

The choice of concessions isn’t at all great esp their own brands, service often poor and everything in a mess.

Thesearmsofmine · 14/04/2019 10:30

I used to buy underwear and make up in there, also when ds1 was little we used to like the Blue Zoo clothes but our closest one slowly turned into a jumble sale mess with rude staff so I stopped.

I have fond memories of Debenhams growing up.

CurbsideProphet · 14/04/2019 10:30

The Debenhams in my hometown doesn't look like it's even been redecorated since it was first opened. It's a shame, but why would they expect shoppers to keep going there when it's airless, lacking natural light, and plain tatty?

TooBusyHavingFun · 14/04/2019 10:32

I buy double wear foundation and I like the Izabel clothing range, occasionally the Jasper Conran range and usually check out the handbags

TooBusyHavingFun · 14/04/2019 10:33

Service is ridiculously slow and the staff often aren't great in my local one.

MrsMoastyToasty · 14/04/2019 10:35

My local Debenhams (Bristol) hasn't had a refit since the 1980s and it's showing. It's been left behind by the flashier Cabot Circus development just along the road and John Lewis which used to be next door moved out to Cribbs Causeway years ago.
There's also no standard pricing structure. I've picked up 2 identical items from the sale rail in 2 sizes and they have different prices. Likewise I've looked online and their prices are different from in store.

Oblomov19 · 14/04/2019 12:09

I always wander round. Barely find anything to buy. It's my nearest big shop.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/04/2019 23:19

I probably buy more clothes in Debenhams than any other physical shop - MantaRay tops mostly. It's also good for petites because it has a few ranges - my DD found quite a few things she liked before she went to uni and when she wanted some slightly smarter things for her summer job.

And DH hardly goes anywhere else - in fact fear of losing Debenhams has caused him to stockpile chinos and a particular sort of shirt they do, in various colours.

Out store is good - maybe because it's the only department store within quite a large area, so I suppose its only competitor is M&S

StatisticallyChallenged · 15/04/2019 06:03

I don't get much for myself clothes wise but it's pretty much my go to for DH, and I buy a lot for dds too - mainly Ted baker which I know has stopped being debenhams only now.

Their guys stuff just works well for DH - he's not a shopper, I prised him out of ill fitting asda George about 13 years ago by taking him to a debenhams post xmas sale, luring him to the changing rooms to try on one thing then kept nipping back out for "oh just give this a quick try too" while he was occupied Grin. Pretty much bought him a new wardrobe that day and have done mini top up versions ever since. Not sure where to take him now!

Bodicea · 15/04/2019 06:44

It's the only department store in our town so I will be sad to see it go.

I like it for underwear and some clothes concession such as warehouse and oasis whose shops have already gone from our town. The shoes section is ok too. And occasionally I go to the makeup counters.

Thing is i have three young kids under five so the last few years have been hard to get to the shops for me. Feel like have contributed to the demise of be high street! But I do intend to go shopping again once they are older as I do prefer it to online. Doesnt feel like there will be any shops when I do emerge though!!!

toastfiend · 15/04/2019 06:58

Not really. We had £60 worth of vouchers that had amassed from various birthdays and Christmases. They have such a crap selection and I could never find anything I wanted to buy there even when I was looking for something specific, i.e. an outfit for a wedding or even something dull like a food processor. In the end I bought a load of baby clothes for my DS. They're quite nice. I never bought them before as felt they were hugely overpriced for what they were, but wanted to spend the voucher when I still could. I feel very sorry for anyone whose job is currently at risk due to their current difficulties, but I'm afraid I'm not surprised that they're in this position. Every store I've been in just seems to be a total jumble of overpriced tat and nothing that I would ever really want to buy and I say this as someone who used to buy from there frequently.

KatsutheClockworkOctopus · 15/04/2019 07:00

I like Mantaray. I also used to get loads of basic jersey dresses from the John Rocha bit but haven't found anything for a couple of years in there.

The toy section is very expensive.

PlatypusLeague · 15/04/2019 07:06

If I had a Debenhams voucher I would buy household stuff. Bedding, accessories, tableware, bath towels, kitchen items.