Commando AD awareness for donut bum dogs

[InsaneInTheViralMembrane]

Phew!

To be honest it would probably make me start shopping for second hand stuff more too, which is much better for the planet anyway. This week I’ve made over £300 selling baby equipment online and bagged myself a mint condition stroller for £45 (£300 brand new) so I’m a convert

I wonder what planet he’s on?

It's becoming depressingly clear to me that the front bench politicians don't live the same lives as us. I think we'd have seen a very different response to the entire pandemic if they themselves were ever going to have to live under the ridiculously contradictory roolz and public judgement that they heaped on us plebs.

@NannyPhlegm

I wonder what planet he’s on?

It's becoming depressingly clear to me that the front bench politicians don't live the same lives as us. I think we'd have seen a very different response to the entire pandemic if they themselves were ever going to have to live under the ridiculously contradictory roolz and public judgement that they heaped on us plebs.

Agreed. Don’t get me wrong I think the furlough scheme was fabulous, but when it comes to actually getting people out there again, they seem to be completely floundering. Forcing up prices online isn’t going to make the vast majority of people get back out on to the miserable high street with its ridiculous roolz.

Nicola Sturgeon is facing opposition demands to withdraw branded face coverings from the SNP’s official store amid claims the party is trying to “make money from a global pandemic”.

Anyone who pays between £8 and £14 can buy official Covid-19 merchandise from Scotland’s party of government. A banner advert on the online store directs shoppers to the products.

Coronavirus in Scotland: SNP accused of cashing in on Covid-19 with branded face masks

www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/coronavirus-in-scotland-snp-accused-of-cashing-in-on-covid-19-with-branded-face-masks-rtzphsz78

The furlough scheme and the Bounce Back Loans were quite literally the only bit of genius to come out from that shower of fools (and I am grateful for them, don't get me wrong)

A more sensible option to level the playing field might be to reduce business rates on high street shops.

Yes, it would reduce tax take from individual shops, but if it meant more shops were actually in use, then the net change might not be so much.

Also landlords need to be less greedy. Lower rents from individual shops might just mean that all your properties are actually rented out, which has got to be better for everyone.

An online tax would only drive me back to the high street if (a) I could try things on - I'm not wasting time & money on 2 trips and (b) shops had better in-store availability, or you could "order" online and collect, try on, and pay in store if you wanted the item - so it was essentially an in-store transaction, you were just making sure that they had the sizes & styles etc in stock that you wanted. Nothing more annoying than going into town to look at something you've seen online, only to find out it isn't there!

And yes, of course, all the ridiculous rules need to be eased as well... I was thinking more longer term in my previous post

I'm not going back to the high street in its current guise - not with the rules, the not touching stock, the masks. DH went to Game to buy a videogame at the weekend and you are not allowed to touch anything - you have to tell them what you want and they'll go look to see if they have it in. Totally joyless and totally eliminates finding something new by just browsing the shelves.

I'm just doing the school uniform stock up for September - and most of DD1's stuff is immaculate and just outgrown (my kids normally destroy uniform) because it's just not had the wear this year. And yes, I'm ordering online because there's no way I'm trying to do it in store midst panic attacks and fogged up glasses.

I have summer dresses for DD2 that have literally never been worn as I bought them reduced at the end of the previous year big thinking they'd be used for summer term 2020 which obviously never bloody happened and now she's changed schools!

I don't buy many clothes for myself, partly because I don't have a great need. I still wear stuff up to 20 years old in good nick. But:
Petites and other specialist ranges were taken out of store and put on line only. I want to know how things sit on me and try them on.

Stock control is very poor.

Sloppy customer service. Too much faux help in some stores, upselling etc. Some stores under staffed. Staff chatting over customer's head at the tills with little acknowledgement.

Stick to what you do well e.g. M& S, forget high fashion, stick with classic basics. Be the shop where 5 different women can walk in and buy well cut black work trousers/ jeans. Keep it simple and reliable. Improve the bra sizing and fitting (it's surprisingly tough being below 34 back, small cup and the Angel bras are too thin on a fully fledged woman) Too many shops trying to be evetything to everyone and doing it badly.

Sell decent quality. My stuff from the late 90s lasts much better than stuff from the last 5 years. I now get impulse buys in Sainsburys because they have a reasonable life and good price ratio.

Keep layouts simple. Let people see what is on display. Let them walk in a straight line from one end to the other. Make features like changing rooms obvious.

Most of the "shopping psychology" bolleaux is counter productive to a lot of people and off putting because it's stressful.

Nicola Sturgeon is facing opposition demands to withdraw branded face coverings from the SNP’s official store

Just urgh. Why would you want to brand yourself in that way? And of course they're cashing in.

@SockYarn

Nicola Sturgeon is facing opposition demands to withdraw branded face coverings from the SNP’s official store

Just urgh. Why would you want to brand yourself in that way? And of course they're cashing in.

Nice free advertising if they can get their logos emblazoned all over your face which is now a walking billboard. Can forsee schools insisting on logoed bloody masks before long.

I have a friend with an Etsy shop who does lovely personalised stuff. We've bought presents from her a few times. It's not a business model which would work with a physical shop because of the personalisation. What's she meant to do if they bring in an online tax?

And I bet Amazon would find a way to avoid it.

Another thing that is pissing me off today (I’m in a bad mood, DH snored all night ) is the online versions of big events.
Longleat festival of light online? No thanks. I don’t just want to sit staring at things on a computer. I want to go out and actually do them! It’s a shit alternative. I’d rather just wait until real life resumes.

Petites and other specialist ranges were taken out of store and put on line only. I want to know how things sit on me and try them on

Yep. I‘ve been unable to buy shoes on the high street for a few years now as I’m a size 9. All but Doc Marten shops don’t have them in stock, even our local Next are online only at that size. Most shops don’t have what I want to buy so I usually shop online.

But I also have 2 teen dds who can usually shop and browse for England. Neither of them are interested in going under the current rules . Friday night at a retail park was a nightmare, neither want to repeat it. We did Primark in the town centre a couple of weeks ago and it was hell. Neither have been back but the couriers are doing well out of them. I’m now getting flagged down by Hermes guy and coming back from dog walks with parcels

Can forsee schools insisting on logoed bloody masks before long

Don’t give the academies round here ideas! I can just see it, masks embroidered with the school logo and pupils name, just to make sure they don’t swap them and extract maximum money from parents

Trying to get some medical attention for DD2's arm. You would think I'd asked to walk into the GP and shit on the receptionist's head.

This is a kid with about a 20cm wide area of inflammation from an insect bite that happened days ago - and it's that wide AFTER treatment. No fucking joy - even with me offering to send them a photo to look at.

"Go to the pharmacy"

@Drivingdownthe101 totally agree with this online recreation malarkey. Keep getting emails about attending an online Foodie Festival when the whole blinking point of a food festival is to snarfle up the samples of food and drink.

What are GP surgeries doing at the moment.

There is little to no Covid in most communities. I occasionally hear of a good one but some of them. What am I missing? They must be doing something but what?

What is their rationale?

[quote rookiemere]@Drivingdownthe101 totally agree with this online recreation malarkey. Keep getting emails about attending an online Foodie Festival when the whole blinking point of a food festival is to snarfle up the samples of food and drink.

[/quote]
Yes! The online bloody Good Food Show?! Just bloody give it up.

It's a bit like outdoor markets.

We visited the Ludlow one when we were there and without the free samples, it's a bit glum. I did get to try some under the counter fudge though and then obviously bought a bag, and a kindly stall holder let me try on an item of clothing over my existing clothing.

that's really poor, @DominaShantotto - DS had similar earlier in lockdown and we emailed in pics, GP called us back, agreed it might need antibiotics and all we needed to do was collect a prescription.

@BlackberryViolet

Can forsee schools insisting on logoed bloody masks before long

Don’t give the academies round here ideas! I can just see it, masks embroidered with the school logo and pupils name, just to make sure they don’t swap them and extract maximum money from parents

Already happening - saw this the other day, a school in crewe is making them mandatory as part of the uniform, to be purchased from the school uniform suppliers. They are only £3 each (at the moment), but how many would you need IF you made sure they were worn and washed properly.

Meant to attach a pic

Oh - I did

@IAintentDead

What are GP surgeries doing at the moment.

There is little to no Covid in most communities. I occasionally hear of a good one but some of them. What am I missing? They must be doing something but what?

What is their rationale?

My GP got totally floundered when I contacted them due to a cough and from the off they told me I needed to go to the walk in for a covid test. When I advised I had just had a negative test they didnt know what to do.

It was clear I needed to be treated, I may have had a chest infection or my asthma may have gotten worse. But all they could think was coughs = covid and therefore not allowed in the surgery.

After much umming, arring and sputtering they still wouldnt see me but prescribed me treatment for both asthma and a chest infection (and I still have the cough a month on).

Now I want to see them about my restless legs which has gotten much worse and developed into a restless bladder too. I've filled in the online form, not sure when I'll hear from them though.