So here's the thing

[Anordinarymum]

We went Christmas shopping today. We went into 'town' (Leeds City centre)

My daughter wants a handbag. We know which one. We went to the shops that still exist that sell handbags - and the one she wants..

I will not mention the handbag. It's not actually about 'the handbag'.. it could be about anything.
House of Fraser which is still open but looks like a charity shop does not sell it. However they did sell us a perfume we wanted. The girl who sold us the perfume had to physically remove the sticky security tag from the box. She had to return to the display to find one that was not stuck on too stickily so the wrapping paper was not spoiled if you get me.

John Lewis also does not sell the bag we wanted. They have it online but not in the shop. So we swerved them
Harvey Nichols does. It was £335.
We came home and found the same bag online for £165.

So here is the thing...

For £165 the bag is making someone a profit or they would not be selling it would they ??

Harvey Nicks selling it for £335 is also making a profit.

No other shop in Leeds was selling this bag so Harvey Nicks has the edge if you want to part with an extortionate amount of money.
The people who shop there do not mind parting with vast amounts or the shop would not be in business would it.

Online is King.
Shops sell online. Why can't they sell in the bloody shop??

We went into Vivienne Westwood In the Victoria Quarter to look at a jewellery item. It was out of stock 'because it is Christmas' we were told. We know it is Christmas... that's why we were there in the shop ! No guarantee it would be back in stock either
It is only the 17th December. If it was in stock I would have bought it.
If I want this item I am going to have to buy it online. I have no choice given what she said...

Is online actually King or is retaiI too lazy?

We went in to River Island. There are clothes on racks - on display for sale.
I wanted a blouse. They did not have it in my size.
Oh - I can get it online they said.
I bought something else in my size as I wanted something today. If there had not been anything in my size I would have left it completely.

Retail is lazy. Retail does not value the shopper who comes to look. Retail does not have enough staff in the shops so you end up leaving because waiting in a long line when there is only one till working is not the way to serve your customer and make profit.
I enjoy shopping. I like to look and touch and try on.
There is room for retail. Online is great but retail is better.

Why don't the shops realise this?
M&S are advetising a bra online for £20.

I wanted it.

It was not in the shop. The shop was full of bras but not the one I wanted. The one they advertise online to draw you into the shop.
I was fed up. I'll get it online but I really wanted to look at it and perhaps try it on. I might have bought two who knows?
Their loss.

No it's our loss. It's time they realised that the 'eye' is important. One day there will be no high street left and that will be a shame.

Stores can't afford to hold the stock this is why they're like this. I discovered this with CurrysPCWorld when I wanted a couple of bog standard items they told me they'd order them in and it would take a week. Went next door to Argos and got items straight away.

I know this isn't IABU but you are definitely not BU and I agree with everything in your eloquent post.

I don't really understand your post TBH - physical stores can't stock everything and in all sizes.

I couldn't agree more with everything you've said regarding retail and how it's not the same experience as it was 10+ years ago, walking into a shop, being able to touch and feel and try on the product or item of clothing you're buying. At the end of the day, it's your hard-earned money that they're getting and making a profit from you, the customer. I even feel the same way about food shopping. I absolutely hate online shopping for food and takes twice the time when I could just drive up the road, grab a trolley, walk around the store with DC in the seat, and then she gets to benefit from the experience too. Might I add that online shopping will only grow in its popularity what with COVID wreaking havoc worldwide.

I must say though, how old is your DD? I think I'd have given my mother a heart attack if I'd asked for a £335 bag as a teenager! She would have laughed in my face! Lucky girl!

I agree Op , M and S on our high street seemed very sparse compared to a couple of years ago, New Look was the same . I like going into the shop and actually looking at an item I want and maybe trying it on but so many things are available online only.
I just can’t buy shoes online either, I really need to try them on.
Also, It’s good to get out of the house, maybe shop with a friend, make it into a nice day out.

I agree.

Had this with glass coffee glasses the other week, tried 8 stores ....ended up ordering online.

Happens all the time with so much. Apart from 2 bottles of local wine, everything has been ordered online for Xmas.

Retail worker for a small business.

Retail is not lazy. They have limited buying power, limited stock, limited space to store stock. It drives me crazy sometimes when we miss sales because we no longer have the size a customer wants. But there’s only so much stock we can afford to and have space to hold. We transfer stock in between shops at customers request, which takes a week at the most.

However there’s so much we offer as a physical shop that in my opinion you cannot get online.

I don't really understand your post TBH - physical stores can't stock everything and in all sizes

They used to before the internet, although I guess online means they can offer a wider range but back in the olden days if it wasn’t in a shop we couldn’t buy it and were none the wiser.

@rocky1914

I couldn't agree more with everything you've said regarding retail and how it's not the same experience as it was 10+ years ago, walking into a shop, being able to touch and feel and try on the product or item of clothing you're buying. At the end of the day, it's your hard-earned money that they're getting and making a profit from you, the customer. I even feel the same way about food shopping. I absolutely hate online shopping for food and takes twice the time when I could just drive up the road, grab a trolley, walk around the store with DC in the seat, and then she gets to benefit from the experience too. Might I add that online shopping will only grow in its popularity what with COVID wreaking havoc worldwide.

I must say though, how old is your DD? I think I'd have given my mother a heart attack if I'd asked for a £335 bag as a teenager! She would have laughed in my face! Lucky girl!

She 30 ! We had already looked at the bag online. Seen it advertised between £230 and £300 and she wanted to actually look at it and wear it. If it was a decent price I would have bought it. Online should support retail.

There is room for both.

There has to be room for people to interact with people. For socialising, for mental health and personal wellbeing.

One day way into the future when there is no high street left and people are fed up of being sold shoddy goods, someone will come up with a new concept. A shop where you can go and see and buy and feel good.

Tbh, I prefer shopping online for most things.
If I'm after a 'nice' top to wear with jeans, I can filter all the clothes by product, size, sleeve length, neck style, colour etc. In shops I have to wander around digging into all the rails as most of them don't put all the tops together in one place. They are dotted in between dresses, jackets, skirts, trousers etc.

The amount of times I've left something a bit too late to shop online and end up in a shop I end up with either something I didn't really want, or nothing.

I find stores are only worth the hassle if I need something right now.

If I'm buying clothes I want to be able to feel the fabric. I want to try on a few different pairs of shoes in a couple of sizes and have to walk all (or all but one of them) back to the post office. Ive been looking for a pair of nice comfy PJs for my partner. So many of them are soft on the outside and scratchy on the inside. They'd all have to go back if I'd ordered online.

I'd be happy to check stuff out in store and then order online so they don't have to keep all the stock. Just one of each size would be enough!

You tell a good story!

I think you make very telling points.

retail is struggling with staff off ill/covid/isolating.....are they expected to 'magic' up extra staff then?

@Anordinarymum There has to be room for people to interact with people. For socialising, for mental health and personal wellbeing.

Never a truer word spoken. My greatest fear is that my DC who is a toddler now, 10 years from now, will just be sat in front of a screen and not actually want to go out with friends and do what I would deem "normal" activities. Interacting face to face, socialising, shopping, etc. Of course I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that doesn't turn out to be the case but sadly, what with the current climate, the way things are going with COVID, it's going to be tough.

Please accept my apologies for assuming your DD was a teenager! Lol! Oh, we all love an expensive handbag 😍 I remember when DH bought me a Kate Spade bag a few years ago when we went to Paris. It was £220 and I was over the moon. That same bag now resides somewhere at the back of the airing cupboard! Lol! 😩 I'm terrible, I know.

Anyway, I digress. I really hope for better days in terms of the restrictions in regards to socialising but I think we're all in a bit of a limbo right now. It's difficult to plan anything and remotely enjoy anything when we don't know if tomorrow the PM will announce yet another lockdown.

I totally agree, we have so few shops left in Sheffield city centre.
I was in Marks and Spencer last week as I needed to buy a mens suit. They not stock them (understandable as so few wear them now) so I went to Meadowhall where there were random jackets and trousers but none that matched and more importantly no guidance at all to help with buying online. It was really difficult to work out which trousers online would match the jacket in my hand. So much so that when I eventually found an assistant they couldn't work it out either.
The rest of their stock was jumbled with a really poor selection of sizes.

Here here! I wanted a popcorn maker from curry’s ,told sorry only online. How much room do they take up,their only small. This is also in Leeds in a big store today.

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

retail is struggling with staff off ill/covid/isolating.....are they expected to 'magic' up extra staff then?

I actually think retail has been struggling for many years before COVID. Literally everything is online now. People prefer to use Uber than to call their local cab office. People prefer to use Deliveroo or UberEats rather than order the takeaway directly. It's all about convenience I suppose, since all of the aforementioned can be done from our handsets. God knows how things will be 10 years from now.

I think you've nearly summarised all the reasons why I don't like shopping on high streets and prefer to shop online. I didn't even realise this was why I prefer not to bother.
I think it's been like this for years.

I see physical stores as a literal shop windown these days. So you get tolook at some of the stuff they sell, you look qt it in the shop, then order online.

Also retail parks need more punlic.toilets.

Gah, I hear you! Try living in the arse end of nowhere though- I.e northern Scotland. We had nothing like the larger cities did even pre covid and now we have even less. We don't have any high street left. I cannot stand online shopping for clothes but have virtually no choice now due to covid closing what little stores we had.

A) it's all 'retail'
B) if you are selling online, it is much easier to manage your customer experience; and your actual stock can be in a featureless warehouse. Physical stores, clearly, cannot hold a similar level of stock. And the customer experience is dependent on staff, who are expensive at minimum wage (compared with dev - where the salary is massively higher, but the to-customer ratio is even bigger.

Really not sure what is surprising about any of this tbh..

I agree OP and its sad to think that one day physishops won't exist. I like to try things on, not have to order numerous sizes. I like to see the actual colour of the thing I'm buying and maybe see if it will go with whatever I need it to.
I suppose online can stock more without the need for displays etc. Is the bag online genuine and not fake? Thats a huge difference in price.

@multivac

A) it's all 'retail' B) if you are selling online, it is much easier to manage your customer experience; and your actual stock can be in a featureless warehouse. Physical stores, clearly, cannot hold a similar level of stock. And the customer experience is dependent on staff, who are expensive at minimum wage (compared with dev - where the salary is massively higher, but the to-customer ratio is even bigger.

Really not sure what is surprising about any of this tbh..

I wish there was an answer. I think retail has to reinvest in itself to keep shopping alive. When it is gone we will have lost something more than just shopping. We will have lost a way of life.

@RhubarbCustardy

I agree OP and its sad to think that one day physishops won't exist. I like to try things on, not have to order numerous sizes. I like to see the actual colour of the thing I'm buying and maybe see if it will go with whatever I need it to. I suppose online can stock more without the need for displays etc. Is the bag online genuine and not fake? Thats a huge difference in price.

Seller says yes. Seller says we can return if not happy. Seller is in UK. Seller has feedback and reviews which we have to decide are genuine. The bag is made in China. The bag in Harvey Nicks is also made in China. The difference is price is the difference in profit IMHO If it was more widely sold I would have felt more confident buying in a shop and would have preferred to do so.

I agree. I stopped shopping at a couple stores because I got the 'you can get that online' too often. As for people saying they can't stick all sizes - we are talking about bog standard size 12. And what did shops do before online? I'm pretty sure you could walk in and buy it. I could never buy long grey socks in the school department- online online online!
What really hit me was M&S had a dress on a mannequin - part of the central display as you walked in. I couldn't find it so asked an assistant who said 'we don't have it in store but you can get it online'!!! I suggested they take it off the display.
If you want people to shop in store than carry at least what you advertise.