Gosh I love Boots, spend between £45 and £80 a month stocking up on skin, hair and bath/body essentials. I do agree with a comment a few pages ago re the stark difference of city stores and town and more rural ones - my local one is often empty of both people and a lot of stock but the city centre ones are booming - so much so I find them quite overstimulating and shop online for what I can’t get in my local. I’ve got about £200 in points with no idea what I’m saving them for but they’re just so easy to rack up. Especially with the likes of beauty tech - regular offers that get you £40-£60 in points off a £250-£300 item to me makes the prices much cheaper then Sephora, spaceNK and the online ones ever offer. So I’m quite suprised at the comments re their prices. I wouldn’t be suprised or disappointed if the smaller ones did ever go, I also think that more people who shop in boots know what they’re going for. I would go to Sephora or SNK if I wanted to try something new and look around. Even with Sephora though I will always wait, make a list and shop in US stores due to their benefits programme and freebies. I would expect to see Superdrug go before Boots but I don’t base that on anything specific beyond persona opinion, just thought it’s always been a bit naff and poor quality.
Next and M&S have followed very similar change programmes on very similar timescales for me recently. They’ve really maximised what brands they’re stocking to appeal to a younger audience and even their own ranges (more M&S) I think are better than ever with nicer options. M&S have also recently got support from a lot of influencers, both ads and non-ads, and the ones who aren’t just doing it to try and get a deal. I’d say this is the case cross 25-45 age bracket on socials. I’m shopping there more than ever though and think they’ve really turned around for the better (mostly). Re M&S prices - I think they’re quite reasonable, especially when Primark is selling coats for £60.
JL I think are also appealing to a younger crowd too, I’ve started shopping there a lot more recently especially for more premium perfume etc. Also think if you shop in store for the likes of perfume you get so many freebies and samples like it used to be everywhere, I got a mid range perfume not long ago and got 7 2 ml samples in all different scents, a 5ml sample, mascara, make up bag etc etc. Then the benefit of their monthly rewards which usually covers a free make up item every month and I don’t spent a severe amount over the year. I also love their beauty masterclass events each year. In terms of clothes though I do agree they seem to be cramming all sorts in and can’t really decide what direction they want to go in - it is my shop of choice for your LK Bennett’s and such like though.
Whittards?? I know they went bust around the financial crash and then were saved again a few years later, but lately they seem to be closing stores in popular cities and opening ones elsewhere - they closed the one close to me but then the closest outlet one sells new stock that has long dates on so not really missing out. I think they have very similar operating model to Hotel Chocolat, no idea if they’re owned by the same people without googling and not aware of their actual financial status (I try to avoid looking due to previous work in tax investigation as I hate it all!).
Peacocks I’ve no idea how they’ve managed to survive after 2x administrations last time I was aware, no idea how they hold on with what they sell. They’d never get a penny off me for personal reasons (they pay redundancy @ 50p a week to a family member who was a manager for them around their first administration - no idea how they got away with it and I think she’ll be long gone before she ever sees it all).
Agree re the likes of some of the pound shops. To the Sayers question - still going strong in my small area, we’ve got a handful. Pound bakery as well though who I believe are the same people. And most things aren’t a pound.