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Original poster

Shops you are surprised are still going

782 replies

fajitaaaa · 03/01/2023 21:59

WHSMITHS - who is buying from them? Anything other than a emergency magazine for the train and maybe a bottle of water? But some of their stores are HUGE!

FAT FACE - always a massive sale on!

OP posts:
BadgerLovesMash · 03/01/2023 23:17

Totally agree with WHSmiths but I can see why it might do well in small villages/towns. We have one near my daughters school and there's usually several people in there. Maybe people who don't want to venture into town or who aren't confident with online shopping.

Game - overpriced, nearly every game is cheaper elsewhere.

Next - never any sizes in kidswear. And womens clothes are really random in our local store. Frumpy going out outfits, unflattering looking office wear mostly.

CEX - half the time the second hand games are nearly the same price as new. Its so full of stuff it's hard to find anything, usually just 20+ copies of the same DVD!

Holland and Barratt - you can get multivitamins in boots or supermarkets. And now free from/vegan is more popular and readily available in supermarkets I don't bother going in there anymore. Never looks busy either.

bizzywiththefizzy · 03/01/2023 23:17

UWhatNow · 03/01/2023 23:12

I buy from Boots! Make up and skin care. I’d be gutted if they closed.

Me too, regularly do an online order to collect .

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:17

"I don’t understand how Shoezone is still standing"

What makes you think there isn't a market for cheap shoes?

crackersforcrackers · 03/01/2023 23:18

Aw I love my local WHSmith! There's a huge Post Office upstairs and I sometimes buy the odd bit of stationary/drink or even photo albums for me and friends so we can look at actual photographs Grin There's usually a combination of over 50s and young kids with their parents in there.

Needmorelego · 03/01/2023 23:18

@Cuppasoupmonster you can get your Calpol, toiletries and piles cream for much cheaper than Boots in places like Wilko, B+M, Home Bargains, Poundland etc.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 03/01/2023 23:19

I worked for Argos as a student and my god, store management were thick as mince. I deal with their head office occasionally in my current job and they’re incompetent in there, too. They must have some brilliant people in there somewhere though cos it keeps going! The catalogues smelled amazing but of course they are no more.

CEX is my choice. No idea why anyone trades in as they offer you literal pennies sometimes.

the travel arm of WHSmith does very well, I know that much.

VeronicaFranklin · 03/01/2023 23:19

Body Shop - I mean who is wearing strawberry scented anything these days. Overpriced, lost its ethos and people are selling it online nowadays like Avon. Surprised there are any shops left, always empty when I pass.

WHSmith as others have said, overpriced, mainly selling sweets, bottled water, surely can't last?

River Island - still selling 90s fashion, cheap and tacky and overpriced.

In general lots of high street shops aren't well stocked these days, lack of sizes available - we live in the age of order online for home delivery or 'click and collect' not go in store to buy. Often I go to Next to find there's no sizes in store and their favourite line is 'I can order it next day to store for you' and I always answer, that's why I came into store to buy it, if I'd have wanted to order and come back tomorrow I could have just done it online in the first place!

I think shortly high street stores will be a think of the past...sad.

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:20

"Our Boots is huge, well stocked, spaciously laid out, and was absolutely heaving in the run up to Xmas."

Yes, I don't see how it's expensive either compared to local chemists'.

LeccyBillShill · 03/01/2023 23:21

Upper Crust. Minging!

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:22

"My daughter refused to shop there after age 11 because “why would I wear the same styles as a 3 year old”. Good point, they’d do much better having a decent teen range."

When I was growing up I don't remember anywhere having a teen range. From 11-12 you just bought ladieswear. Next has petite sizes as well.

ILoveTeeeeeea · 03/01/2023 23:24

Holland and Barrett, they’re always ginormous stores and seem expensive

Cuppasoupmonster · 03/01/2023 23:25

Needmorelego · 03/01/2023 23:18

@Cuppasoupmonster you can get your Calpol, toiletries and piles cream for much cheaper than Boots in places like Wilko, B+M, Home Bargains, Poundland etc.

But then I would have to go round multiple shops as they’re rarely all stocked in one - I can’t imagine any of those shops selling the specific things I want, maybe £1 replacements by dodgy brands 😂

Hellybelly84 · 03/01/2023 23:26

Bodyshop - I love the bath stuff when its bought for me as a pressie, but never think to go in there.

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:26

User1785498 · 03/01/2023 22:34

Shoe Zone stinks when you walk past of cheap plastic

Yes, but some people are looking for cheap plastic!

Womencanlift · 03/01/2023 23:26

I will be glad to see less Paperchase branches on the High Street after their “new company” refused to pay the artists of their cards even though they kept selling them. Awful company

I would say WH Smith on the high street is a different proposition to stations/airports. I will often get a meal deal in a station branch but wouldn’t think of getting stationary in there. Similarly I wouldn’t go into one on the high street for a meal deal. I expect the station/airport ones to stay a lot longer than the high street

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:27

Hellybelly84 · 03/01/2023 23:26

Bodyshop - I love the bath stuff when its bought for me as a pressie, but never think to go in there.

The Chamomile cleanser is good.
I used to use the body butters until I found some even richer stuff.

BradfordGirl · 03/01/2023 23:27

Bookmakers are still popular with middle aged and older people. I know someone who worked in one until very recently. People who started their gambling habit when young and have continued going into shops as they get older. My friend said there are a lot of men who come in who want to chat and place a bet, you do not get the chat part on the net.

Mañanarama · 03/01/2023 23:27

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:22

"My daughter refused to shop there after age 11 because “why would I wear the same styles as a 3 year old”. Good point, they’d do much better having a decent teen range."

When I was growing up I don't remember anywhere having a teen range. From 11-12 you just bought ladieswear. Next has petite sizes as well.

Yeah but we had the likes of Dorothy Perkins, Etam, Miss Selfridge and my personal favourite Bay Trading! They all catered for that awkward inbetweeny age group.

Sherrystrull · 03/01/2023 23:27

White stuff - I bought a couple of tops that were so expensive and literally fell apart after one wash:

Cuppasoupmonster · 03/01/2023 23:27

Agree about Next. Random sequins, insipid colours and a lot of navy coloured denim.

Mañanarama · 03/01/2023 23:29

ILoveTeeeeeea · 03/01/2023 23:24

Holland and Barrett, they’re always ginormous stores and seem expensive

I’ve two nearish me (one in a city centre, one in an out of town) and they’re both tiny!!

ChigedyJigHeeHawHeeHawItsDominicTheDonkey · 03/01/2023 23:29

DeePlume · 03/01/2023 22:14

When you live in a small town with rubbish shops peacocks is a life saver. Little bit of everything. Very handy!

This!! If I want decent shops other than the peacocks or new look that we have. I have to drive 42 miles to get to them.

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:30

"Good few snobs with too much surplus cash on this one. Nothing wrong with peacocks."

Yes, there's quite a lot of 'why would anyone want a cheap shop'. Well...

I really like Mango on the continent because it has classic clothes, but in the UK it's too trendy.

Peacocks is no.1 for PJs.

starfishmummy · 03/01/2023 23:31

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 03/01/2023 22:10

Argos, there’s never anything in stock and you can’t see anything before you buy it.

Can't see anything before buying on Amazon either but that's doing well

Gwenhwyfar · 03/01/2023 23:32

"Yeah but we had the likes of Dorothy Perkins, Etam, Miss Selfridge and my personal favourite Bay Trading! They all catered for that awkward inbetweeny age group."

Yes, but they were smaller women's sizes, not a separate teen or pre-teen range.
Tammy Girls as well.