What’s going on with Paperchase?

[Lalallama]

I’d not been in for years, but went in recently to look for presents and they seem to be really going for the hard sell. I’d picked up a notebook which had bees on it and an assistant came up and noticed it and said ‘ooh are you buying for someone who likes bees? We have lots of others in this theme. If they like bees they might also like this one with flowers on, is it for a birthday, have you got a card? Why not buy them this one with bees on, etc, etc’.

Then when I got to the till they really pushed the loyalty card, which I ended up agreeing to because it got me £5 off my shop, but then ended up with a really long and convoluted talk about the fact that I really should go and get another notebook as that would bring me to the price total that will get me another discount, and I can get a free bag, and I should come back on my birthday because I will get another discount if I sign up to something or other.

I was so close to dropping all my purchases on the counter and walking out, it was making me so stressed.

Their shelves all seem a bit sparse as a well, are they struggling and making a last ditch attempt to cling on? I doubt it will work - I can’t face ever going back in again!

Went in to get pencil case for back to school teen and there was bugger all. So we just picked up some other boring bits from his list instead (highlighters etc) and it was astonishingly expensive. Properly taking the piss.

Ugh, do shops that employ this pushy sales approach honestly not realise how many potential customers they're putting off?? I avoid Lush for this very reason (and because of past dodgy marketing stunts, of course).

Definitely in administration
www.bbc.com/news/business-64307202

Most of the branches I used to go to have closed. There used to be one near the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Next Oxford Street has a concession.

Yes, read in the business news yesterday that they were on the brink of collapse and today they've collapsed.

Haven't bought anything from them for years. When they started they had such beautiful, unusual stock and it was all classy. I was happy to pay more for it. Over the years it got more mainstream and tacky and one day I walked in and was confronted by cartoon willies and some really vulgar sexual innuendo (cards, images) and that was that.

I used to use my local one fairly often, but it got to the stage where refusing all the upselling attempts took longer than both choosing what I wanted & finally managing to pay for it, so I stopped and told them why.

Ooh, thats interesting to know, thanks! I’m up in York with work later on in the week, if it’s still open (debatable, apparently), I’ll pop in, it’s nice to be served by someone whose face I can see, and I know there will be one less person in there to bump into who thinks others should wear masks, just because they want them to.

If you can let me know of any other shops you’re avoiding in York, that’d be really handy.

I’m sad to hear they’ve collapsed, I still really like paperchase for children’s cards and gift wrap. I only buy online so avoid the hard sell on the membership card.

You do realise that you are responding to a post that is a year old, when masks and social distancing were actually expected?

Does anyone on here work for any 'head office' as i'd like to know if they take any notice whatsoever when customers complain about getting the hard sell at the tills.
Im looking at you Superdrug, Lush, Savers etc.