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.

I think there was just much less choice available before online shopping existed though.

@MsEmmeline

I think there was just much less choice available before online shopping existed though.

Agree, but there is room for both. One should complement the other, not destroy it

I've never been keen on shopping in store. Maybe because I'm not really a standard size, things seldom fit. I love online when I can search for all the relevant attributes and they appear.

In store retail is likely to need to change. One service which I think works really will is M&S's click and collect. You but on line, have things delivered to the store. Go in , try on and immediately return anything not suitable.

It's one way to be sure they will have the sizes and colours you will want to try on in the shop when you get there.

I'm only sorry it doesn't appear to be well publicised. Or used.

Completely agree and had this on a number of occasions recently. Went to shop to buy the thing, not in stock told you order online. Should have just done that online in the first place. And repeat.

Goodbye high street stores.

More and more people shopping online. COVID has accelerated the inevitable.

Hardly any staff in shops if you want help. Not enough staff serving so having to queue and wait longer to be served.

The time to shop around. The parking and fuel costs.

Online is King.

Look I am an Online Queen. I have been terrible with buying things online.

But it needs to stop.

The buying online at midnight, 9am.. 2pm. Just because we need a new spatula, jeans, bra.

Then we order more than we need, cause we can just send it all back.

It's utterly shit for the environment. The deliveries, packaging, couriers.

I want to shop! To pay for an item I can actually hold right there and then. I don't want to battle with our shite WiFi ordering online. Remembering my passwords and PayPal login... A joke ime.
Juggling dc and ddogs while ordering isn't a relaxing and enjoyable experience... Awaiting the delivery when you know it won't be the time or even day it promises... Then finding time to get to the parcel office when you pop to do the school run /take ddogs out and miss it when the parcel man has been. And he never fills the card in properly so you need a signed document from all 4 dgps as prove of your ID to get the parcel. Then it isn't what you ordered anyfrigginway...

@Santahatesbraisedcabbage

I want to shop! To pay for an item I can actually hold right there and then. I don't want to battle with our shite WiFi ordering online. Remembering my passwords and PayPal login... A joke ime. Juggling dc and ddogs while ordering isn't a relaxing and enjoyable experience... Awaiting the delivery when you know it won't be the time or even day it promises... Then finding time to get to the parcel office when you pop to do the school run /take ddogs out and miss it when the parcel man has been. And he never fills the card in properly so you need a signed document from all 4 dgps as prove of your ID to get the parcel. Then it isn't what you ordered anyfrigginway...

Yes ! But... at the same time you don't want to find you could have bought it for half the price online..........

You’re not wrong, but retail didn’t do this to themselves. We, the consumers did it. For all sorts of reasons, from lack of free time, a nose for a bargain, crap city centre parking arrangements, our perceived “right” for endless choice at rock bottom prices etc.

Retail is struggling because we’ve put them there. Your post should be aimed at customers, not retailers.

@Somebodylikeyew

You’re not wrong, but retail didn’t do this to themselves. We, the consumers did it. For all sorts of reasons, from lack of free time, a nose for a bargain, crap city centre parking arrangements, our perceived “right” for endless choice at rock bottom prices etc.

Retail is struggling because we’ve put them there. Your post should be aimed at customers, not retailers.

I think retail saw the signs and ignored them. The customer will always want to get value for their money. Retail should have provided that value by changing - by observing the changes instead of ignoring them.

The hight Street does not deserve to live as it is now. Zara have nailed both channels, as have H&M/stories/cos. But the classics - river island, m&s, HOF, have refused to move with the times and won't be here in 2 years time

Again, I realise this is semantics - but it is ALL retail. And actually, understanding that is key to the debate. The business model is selling stuff. Full stop.

I hate shopping. The experience of it is anathema to me. So being able to purchase online is a massive advantage to me. I may not be in the majority... but there are a lot of us.

... And you real life shop fans... You may just be collateral damage here. Your desired experience is expensive, and you don't spend as much as us online shoppers!

And then you shop online. But first you must search for a code, check cash back sites, sign up to get a discount code, download the app to get 20% off. It’s exhausting. I’ve given up buying stuff

@Somebodylikeyew

You’re not wrong, but retail didn’t do this to themselves. We, the consumers did it. For all sorts of reasons, from lack of free time, a nose for a bargain, crap city centre parking arrangements, our perceived “right” for endless choice at rock bottom prices etc.

Retail is struggling because we’ve put them there. Your post should be aimed at customers, not retailers.

Exactly this. We expect everything at the drop of a hat. We buy all sorts of shite in quantities that we've historically never bought before. Shops cannot match online- they're not big enough to carry all that stock for one, they have far higher operating costs (business rates, premises, staff) and they can't keep up with the rampant consumerism.

My DH works in retail in a "sales" role. He's made his company £100k in sales since June and comes home with minimum wage and an attitude off customers- this is a national company that used to pay commission but decided that they didn't need to do that anymore. Staff are routinely seen as fodder and expendable- it's got so bad in his store that they have not managed to recruit and retain a single worker since April this year. DH's staff discount has been slashed every year for the last 3 years- not that his store items are of use to us anyway.

Retail isn't a career anymore. The pursuit of matching online profit in-store has made sure of that. In the 15 years since I've been out of retail all of the small career progressions have vanished- no more senior sales/ bridging roles etc. Working rights and perks have been eroded- contracts offered to staff are pathetic now with zero hours or 8hour minimums worked over two days being routinely offered, with overtime on top to reduce their employer liabilities.

Retail is broken but it's not the workers breaking it. Consumers and owners are running it into the ground.

Teaandcakeordeath83

I was sorry to read about your husband's role.

But - you say -

Retail is broken but it's not the workers breaking it. Consumers and owners are running it into the ground.

I think it's the owners. We, the consumer go where the best deal is. The trouble is we don't know what the best deal is until it is gone.