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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:
Leicestershiremum · 06/01/2023 17:57

I am on a paperchase boycot...they did fold, but never closed, if that makes sense, and they have swindled small businesses and artists out of thousands of pounds by doing it

lieselotte · 06/01/2023 18:03

There is a M&Co in our town which is closing. I did buy a duvet set and a Christmas jumper there. It would be quite useful if Lidl took over the unit and gave people a reason to go into the shopping centre, but I doubt they will :(

inappropriateraspberry · 06/01/2023 18:04

Leicestershiremum · 06/01/2023 17:57

I am on a paperchase boycot...they did fold, but never closed, if that makes sense, and they have swindled small businesses and artists out of thousands of pounds by doing it

That's the problem with paper, it's easy to fold but it also unfolds pretty quickly!

LouisCatorze · 07/01/2023 17:40

So what's the issue with Paperchase? Went in before Christmas and it seemed a shadow of its former self. Wasn't impressed.

Moonlightdust · 07/01/2023 18:59

inappropriateraspberry · 05/01/2023 22:50

Our WHSmiths closed last year. Peacocks can and went, as did New Look. Shoezone though is somehow clinging on, maybe because there is nowhere else to buy shoes in town apart from Tesco!
We are a small market town and high street chains don't seem to last. M&Co is closing. Boots is not much more than a pharmacy. Superdrug is still going.
Shoezone is on a very small retail park with B&M, Poundland, Iceland, Pets at Home and M&S food. Go Outdoors has just replaced Peacocks there. Don't know if that will last.
Of course for a tiny town there are 3 Costa coffees!

Tesco no longer sell shoes so that’s probably why!

OffToThatPlace · 07/01/2023 19:02

Bon Marche and Peacocks.

Needmorelego · 07/01/2023 19:33

@OffToThatPlace Bon Marche is pretty much one of the only places older ladies can get reasonably priced clothes. I get my jeans from there because they are a rare shop that does shorter length ones (I'm 5ft) and they are comfy.
Peacocks clothes are also reasonably priced and a decent fit.
Their children's clothing is great.
They are both now owned by the same company because they have struggled in the past and went up for sale. I really hope they manage to keep going.
In small towns they are often the only clothes shops.
People seem to get quite snobby about Peacocks. I really don't understand why.

DatasCat · 07/01/2023 19:35

RampantIvy · 04/01/2023 20:06

Also agree about Clarks shoes. Overpriced and pointless.

Not if you have a child with narrow feet @PurpleButterflyWings. When DD was little I couldn't buy shoes from the supermarket because they didn't fit her. I ahd to buy from Clarks or Clinkards.

Not my experience with Clarks. It is unbelievably frustrating when they go through the ceremony of measuring your 14 year old DD’s feet, announcing she’s a 5 and a half D, then saying ‘we don’t stock them that narrow, shall we try an F with insoles…?’ NO we will bloody well not. I gave the assistant a look and a cold ‘Thank you but no’ and went to the nearest independent shoe shop.

Scurryfunge12 · 07/01/2023 19:39

Needmorelego · 07/01/2023 19:33

@OffToThatPlace Bon Marche is pretty much one of the only places older ladies can get reasonably priced clothes. I get my jeans from there because they are a rare shop that does shorter length ones (I'm 5ft) and they are comfy.
Peacocks clothes are also reasonably priced and a decent fit.
Their children's clothing is great.
They are both now owned by the same company because they have struggled in the past and went up for sale. I really hope they manage to keep going.
In small towns they are often the only clothes shops.
People seem to get quite snobby about Peacocks. I really don't understand why.

Because their clothes are shockingly bad quality. You can get better and cheaper in primark.

A couple of times I’ve bought things in a hurry from there and they’ve literally started falling apart within hours. Worst quality I’ve ever seen and I’m no clothes snob! 😂

OffToThatPlace · 07/01/2023 19:50

Scurryfunge12 · 07/01/2023 19:39

Because their clothes are shockingly bad quality. You can get better and cheaper in primark.

A couple of times I’ve bought things in a hurry from there and they’ve literally started falling apart within hours. Worst quality I’ve ever seen and I’m no clothes snob! 😂

Show quote history

Completely agree @Scurryfunge12 - often terrible quality, cheap polyester things, and like you, I am no clothes snob.

Needmorelego · 07/01/2023 20:08

@Scurryfunge12 that's not the experience I have had with Peacocks or Bon Marche clothes. The quality is perfectly fine. I have never had anything from there "falling apart within hours". I had a winter coat from Peacocks that I only stopped wearing because I put on weight - I wore it for about 5 or 6 years and it was in the same condition as when I bought it when I retired it.
Primark is hit and miss - men's and children's pretty good but women's is poor (as they want stock in and out quickly).
Clothes I have bought (for myself) from Peacocks and Bon Marche are definitely better quality than Primark.
I have Peacocks and Bon Marche tops that I have worn constantly for several years.

inappropriateraspberry · 08/01/2023 09:00

@Moonlightdust I forgot they'd stopped doing shoes! Bugger, I hate Shoezone!

gawditswindy · 08/01/2023 22:19

Not my experience with Clarks. It is unbelievably frustrating when they go through the ceremony of measuring your 14 year old DD’s feet, announcing she’s a 5 and a half D, then saying ‘we don’t stock them that narrow, shall we try an F with insoles…?’ NO we will bloody well not. I gave the assistant a look and a cold ‘Thank you but no’ and went to the nearest independent shoe shop.

I doubt the assistant is in charge of stock ordering for Clarks. No need for the 'look'.

PurpleButterflyWings · 08/01/2023 22:42

DatasCat · 07/01/2023 19:35

Not my experience with Clarks. It is unbelievably frustrating when they go through the ceremony of measuring your 14 year old DD’s feet, announcing she’s a 5 and a half D, then saying ‘we don’t stock them that narrow, shall we try an F with insoles…?’ NO we will bloody well not. I gave the assistant a look and a cold ‘Thank you but no’ and went to the nearest independent shoe shop.

Show quote history

EXACTLY! No, I am not fucking paying £50 for a pair of shoes for my child that do not FIT unless you stick fucking insoles in. One of many reasons why I never used this overrated shop 'Clarks.' I am utterly amazed THEY are still going. They are shit. Hmm

PurpleButterflyWings · 08/01/2023 22:43

gawditswindy · 08/01/2023 22:19

Not my experience with Clarks. It is unbelievably frustrating when they go through the ceremony of measuring your 14 year old DD’s feet, announcing she’s a 5 and a half D, then saying ‘we don’t stock them that narrow, shall we try an F with insoles…?’ NO we will bloody well not. I gave the assistant a look and a cold ‘Thank you but no’ and went to the nearest independent shoe shop.

I doubt the assistant is in charge of stock ordering for Clarks. No need for the 'look'.

She is quite entitled to give the 'look' when she is being palmed off with a pair of expensive shoes that don't actually FIT her child's feet, and have to have insoles shoved inside, in an attempt to sell the overpriced overrated shoes!

RampantIvy · 08/01/2023 23:08

Goodness, you are angry @PurpleButterflyWings!

Clarks and Kids at Clinks were the only two shoe shops that sold shoes that fitted DD when she was at school. The staff were always helpful and didn't try to sell me shoes that didn't fit. The shoes were good quality and always lasted until she outgrew them.

Cuppasoupmonster · 08/01/2023 23:27

PurpleButterflyWings · 08/01/2023 22:43

She is quite entitled to give the 'look' when she is being palmed off with a pair of expensive shoes that don't actually FIT her child's feet, and have to have insoles shoved inside, in an attempt to sell the overpriced overrated shoes!

Show quote history

I agree, this happened to me as well! DD has narrow (E) feet. Now, Clark’s stock average width (F) and wide (G) in virtually all their shoes, but never fucking E. Why not?! Why are unusually wide feet so well catered for but not narrow? If F is average it stands to reason that a fair few kids have feet slightly narrower than this, so why don’t they make the shoes to reflect this? It drives me wild!

Cuppasoupmonster · 08/01/2023 23:29

@RampantIvy I’m boiling mad! They’ve parked themselves up as the main shoe stop for kids yet their selection is piss poor. I’ve always said if I win the lottery I will be opening children’s clothes shops which don’t cost the Earth, stock good shoes in narrow as well as regular and wide, and sell nice clothes for baby boys without a ‘dino dude’ or fluorescent orange digger in sight.

RosesAndHellebores · 08/01/2023 23:34

At least if child hS very narrow feet there is the option of an insole. DD was off the Start-rite H at one point. No options at all, except to size up or get friends ro bring back shoes from Germany

Cuppasoupmonster · 08/01/2023 23:38

But insoles don’t fix the issue. They don’t make the shoe more narrow they just squash the feet towards the top to keep them on a bit more.

Cuppasoupmonster · 08/01/2023 23:39

Just had a look and they stock more shoes in not just wide but extra wide, than they do in narrow!

Shops you are surprised are still going
LouisCatorze · 09/01/2023 07:29

Surely the USP of Clarks and Startrite has always been that they sell properly fitting shoes for growing feet! If Clarks start encouraging parents to buy shoes that don't properly fit, when they cost upwards of £40, they're on a hiding to nowhere really. Shop loses mass market and goes into decline.

Obviously stock control is one issue but the other is that many of their staff these days are youngsters who do not have the required expertise.

RampantIvy · 09/01/2023 07:59

Obviously stock control is one issue but the other is that many of their staff these days are youngsters who do not have the required expertise.

I agree.

Clarks is often complained about on MN, but my experience of Clarks has never been negative. When DD was little I have taken her into their shop in Meadowhall to be measured on several occasions, and have more then once been told that she didn't need new shoes.

It would appear that staff training has been inconsistent across all of the stores.

She took a D fitting when she was small BTW, and they could almost always find something that fitted her.

Sandybeaches56 · 09/01/2023 08:56

House of Fraser, our huge local one is always empty.
clintons, so expensive compared to places like card factory.
poundland, as not much is a pound anymore and it’s all poor quality.
Next, very overpriced.

Needmorelego · 09/01/2023 09:07

@Sandybeaches56 the stuff in Poundland that actually costs £1 like their toys are usually fairly poor quality but most of their products are actually pretty good. Stuff like stationary is often branded products (Crayola etc).
I buy the vast majority of my toiletries and cleaning products there. Food products are the same price (or cheaper) than supermarkets and in many places it is often more convenient for people to pop to Poundland than a supermarket.
Every Poundland I ever go in is always packed.
(I am surprised they haven't changed the name to Dealz like it is called in Ireland so you don't get the "I thought everything was a quid" crowd)