Joules clothing has gone bust!

[Zrt]

I just heard on the radio. Don't know what others think but I used to love their brightly coloured pyjamas.

I’m afraid that it is our fault, although nobody wants to hear that. Much more comfortable to blame the businesses with their quest for huge profits so that the ‘fat cats’ (can’t stand that phrase) can bathe in champagne etc.

Shops sell what people are buying. Why did M&S stop manufacturing in the U.K., 20 years ago? That cost a load of U.K. jobs. It’s because people could buy a pair of jeans for £5 in Tesco and couldn’t see why they should pay £20 for a pair stitched in the U.K. M&S had to change their business model or they would have been extinct. That’s obvious.

Unless you are one of the surprising number of people who think that bricks and mortar retailers should pay their staff top dollar AND keep a load of unprofitable stores open AND sell stuff cheaper than anyone else, including online (that’s the John Lewis conundrum, by the way). Subsidising a suicidal business model using these mythical ‘massive profits’.

As for ‘letting their own workers suffer’: I doubt that anyone rejoicing over a Shein or Boohoo ‘haul’ gives much thought to the poor sods in China and Bangladesh slaving away for pennies.

That’s the environment that Joules etc operate in. They had their angle - wear this and look posh, like you belong! - but they have lost that. They can’t compete with super cheap so there is nowhere for them to go.

Shops sell what people are buying

But they don't. The reason I barely buy anything on the high street any more is because it's rare to find anything I'm looking for.

Oh I’m sure that there are underserved markets, in which case the products aren’t there for people to buy. You make a good point about petites.

I’m talking about price, where things are available, but at different price points. If people expect cheap clothes, they’ll go to the shops selling them. Hence more shops sell cheap, because that’s where the demand is. Witness the queues when a new Primark branch opens. It’s because the people shopping there would sooner have cheap clothes and more of them.

Well, I think people often want quality clothing at a cheap price. That's why Boden, although they are expensive, almost always have discount codes available, and now we've come to expect them. I can't even remember the last time I paid full price for anything there. One the few occasions where no code is available, I'll just wait a few days and know that one will appear soon.

I've also noticed that Black Friday is early this year. Sales are down not just because of electricity bills, but also because everyone's just sitting there waiting for a discount, so they just start the discount early. Then it merges into the January sales which actually start in mid-December half the time.

Yes, everyone wants quality for cheap. It was ever thus. I remember the (then) chairman of M&S, years ago, being interviewed on TV and saying, “everyone in a job like mine knows that the public always want something for nothing”. Not many people want to pay quality prices, though. That’s why there’s so little silk, wool and cotton on the high street. Just endless, miserable acrylic, polyester etc

Or, the perception of what ‘quality’ means shifts. I’ve seen polyester garments being described as ‘good quality’ on this site. It now appears to mean, ‘the hem isn’t falling down and the armholes are at the same level’.

White Stuff and The White Company are very different style-wise - about as far apart as you can get! The White Company may have started out selling white things - they do a lot of bed linen - but their clothing tends to be block neutrals -
black, navy, grey, beige with a bit of pink and white thrown in. I very much like the look of White Company clothing .

Isn't/wasn't the White Company started by the wife of founder of Charles Tyrwhitt? I'm still sad the latter stopped making womenswear.

The White Stuff name came about as it used to be an apres ski brand for blokes.

I agree largely with this. But I also think, at some point, every business decides whether they look to grow or look to consolidate. Abd it "looks" like Joules wanted growth and it's backfired. Because it compromised the brand. I haven't seen their finances and wasn't privy to that meeting, obviously! It may well have been grow or die.
Either way, sad to see a brand go.

@Iamthewombat and @howaboutchocolate totally agree with you
Case point shopping with my mother recently buying a winter coat (something she will wear every day) refused to spend more than 40e. Delighted with herself buying one for 20e in Asda. She says sure i will wear it this winter and when it falls apart just buy a new one and not paying more than that . As i stood there in my few years old and very warm north face jacket. I used to be a fast fashion shopper and now a total convert only buy when need, will look at second hand, mend when can and examine every detail of what the product is made off. REFUSE to shop from Bohoo, PLT and Shein. Cant buy any brand bought by them too.

Didn’t hunters make their boots?

they did make nice swimsuits (I love a blue and white swimsuit, me). So that’s a shame.

otherwise, I can understand this…. They are expensive and also…. It was very same and quite easily identifiable as Joules. And not in a good way. Was ok 10 years ago but it certainly outlived its popularity

Not really surprised. It's the tip of the iceberg, many more will go once Christmas is over (I could name a few likely ones but won't). Clothes have gone up in price like everything else and for a lot of us, simply become unaffordable. I'm mostly shopping on Vinted and wondering if it's worth buying new anymore have

I saw quite a few yellow Joules coats today. Very rainy here. ☔️ You know once you’re aware of something you see it all over the place?

I always fancied one of those coats but then saw a really funny post on here from a woman who had one and was heckled for looking like a fisherman. Sort of put me off.

Well I'm frumpy too I guess but who cares. I'm still in my 30s and loads of my clothes come from Jules and Seasalt. I have the Jules trainers with the bees on an I love them!

Thank goodness for vinted! X

They are very trawler chic. I don't know why they have to be bright yellow.

They were a physical store copy of Boden but a bit late getting on that gravy train. Ok for kids stuff, quite fun, but not to my taste for adult clothing. Not surprised, overpriced and dated.

I used to like their polo shirts, though I only ever bought them pre-owned. And their fluffy socks were lovely, everyone used to get a new pair at Christmas. Nothing else seemed to fit me comfortably. Another brand that was always that bit too expensive, even the sale rail. Sad for the people losing their jobs.

Would you risk an online order today? My daughter wanted the unicorn wellies…

Why did they stop selling polo shirts?!

If somebody can find me a tailored(ish) brand without lots of bling logos (and a bit cheaper than Musto sunblocks) I would be dead chuffed.

I think the administrators (have they been appointed?) will try to trade through until near Xmas because there ought to be lots of stock in warehouses or on its way. I'd use a credit card to buy, though.

I got my order today which I placed on Sunday. Don't know if it makes a difference that it was placed day before they went into administration though

I love mine and I have a blue one as well. DH won't let me near the lifeboat station if I'm wearing the yellow one in case the flares go up and they think I'm crew!

So if you fall in the sea you will be visible!

Is that likely while you are at the supermarket. 🤔😂

I have found as I get older I am happier to spend more on clothes which I love, are good quality, stylish, long lasting and have been manufactured well/ ethically (ie. Not shein)
I would rather spend £100+ on a single, beautiful quality piece that I love and will wear to death - than 15 primark items. I am aiming to build a curated wardrobe that will last and stand the test of time.

i think a lot of the problems with joules stemmed from the clothes being too similar to cheaper brands, poorer quality than before, too twee in design and far to expensive for what it was.
as PPs have mentioned- the product offering was too broad and vague, so the target customer wasn’t clear, no one really knew who it was for.

if I’m spending a lot on an item of clothing, it needs to look and feel expensive and unique.

the power of branding was also lost on joules, it was no longer aspirational - so to wear a joules piece didn’t feel special enough to warrant the price tag.