Retailers you used to frequent or really like but now hardly buy from

[PoodlesRUs]

For me it's Amazon, Etsy, Next and Fat Face. Amazon and Etsy are filled with so much poor quality crap, stuff that bends or breaks after a few uses or electrical items without certifications and cosmetic and cleaning products without labels. I'm never sure if I'm buying 10 year old stock of a well-known brand, a fake or the real deal. Their pricing and "discounts" are wild too and so rarely are they as they appear. When it comes to Etsy it is swimming with mass-produced crap being resold by small businesses. Or should that be "small businesses". Handmade must be one of the most frequent mislabellings on that site. It's a shame because it used to have interesting products

Next is often way down my list of places to check when I'm searching for something as their prices have increased whilst their quality has dropped. They always had somewhat inconsistent sizing but now it's even worse. Boden and Fat Face are no longer high on my list of places to shop for the same reasons.

Which places have you moved on from?

Next when it first opened, was fabulous. So smart, good quality and affordable. I still have a suit (black, ribbed heavy jersey, Dior style jacket and straight skirt, but bit had a discreet ruffle at the back) DD wears it on occasion now, still looks great. And the catalogue! Bought so many kids clothes from there.

Please don’t give up on Etsy! Some of us are still trying so hard to sell our genuinely handmade products there.

I’ve been wondering about opening a Folksy shop. It’s far far smaller, UK only and (I think) are far stricter re handmade

Argos, eBay Amazon

I have ASOS premier delivery but they decided that I return too much stuff so they now charge me for returns. So I just don't buy anything 🤷‍♀️

Joe Browns - I got pissed off when they reduced the validity of their gift vouchers to 6 months.

Next - completely agree with other posters. I used to get really nicely fitted and tailored stuff from there, then the sizings and shape of the clothes just went bananas. I also refuse to buy from them online as you can only do it by their credit account.

So many places now are so expensive while the quality has really gone downhill.

Agree about the poor quality tat mostly made in China in most retail stores now.

Have given up on a lot of the brands mentioned above. Still some nice things in M&S, who’ve upped their game recently, if you know where to look - I like the Jaeger stuff but usually grab it in the sale - and I’ve got some nice quilted pieces for this season, denim waistcoat and green jacket from the Per Una range, which surprised me. Their Goodmove range is good too: thin merino base layers last well.

Shout-out to Community Clothing from both DH and me as well. Clothing is sensibly sized, designed and priced for both men and women. DH likes Hebtroco too. We like the idea of fewer clothes miles and skills and jobs being kept in the UK.

See I’ve always hated next. I don’t think I own one thing from there.

the fit was terrible on me. I remember my first job needing some “work” clothes and trying on every outfit in the place. The proportions are just wrong for me.

i hated the kids clothes as well. Rows of pink vs rows of tigers and dinosaurs. Slim fit trousers for girls which were a pain over nappies.

Many of the shops I did buy from are long gone. I really struggle now.

Boden
John Lewis
Fat face
M&s basic clothing/undewear

I buy from both stores, mainly Matalan though, I find them ok as they're very close to where I live so can go in whenever I'm passing by, which is fairly often.

I sometimes buy the occasional thing from Peacocks but was really pleasantly surprised recently to see what nice stuff they had in there for the summer. I bought three items and I'm really pleased with them.

The days of buying from Principles, Wallis, Next and Richard shops have long gone sadly. Had some lovely clothes in the past, well made, good quality and best of all they actually fitted.

The chinless wonder behind the counter looked at me

Is it any surprise you didn’t get amazing customer service if that’s how you treat retail staff?

White Stuff-quality shocking

Body Shop- no branch within miles

Amazon-it’s so often crap

So many... as above,
Boden
White Stuff
Clark's .., well occasionally because they do a women's size 9 in some styles (far fewer than they used to though).
George @ Asda used to be ok for the price, but just shrinks and bobbles after the first wash now
Gap - so ££££ not amazing quality. Before Next "rescued" them in the UK they were always sending out offer codes which made them affordable.
Joules - despite the Next rescue, not really my style any more.

Many of the shops previously mentioned. I was down to mostly just M&S and Sainsbury’s. Then Sainsbury’s removed their fitting rooms about 6 months ago so I won’t buy anything from there unless I’m sure it’ll fit, which isn’t much. It’s just maximum hassle for the customer which really irritates me.
I lived to shop as a teenager in the 90s, but now it’s so, so abysmal.

I’m considering drastically reducing my Amazon spending as well. Twice recently I’ve bought something on prime without realising that it was a third party seller and the item hasn’t shown up or was the wrong item. Amazon’s response is to take it up with seller. So again, maximum hassle for the customer. And I’ve noticed more and more that prices are higher than what it would be in a shop assuming I could find the item in a local shop.

I miss Jane Norman and Kookai.

I used to love the high street and spent plenty there.
Now I buy most of my clothes from EBay and charity shops - the quality is so much better.

I find my allegiance has changed, but that’s as much lifestyle as the retailer.

I was an original Next shopper in the 80’s when they also had Next Too. Lovely stuff, rarely seen on other people. I even had the Dior suit mentioned by a pp when I was 19.

20’s was all about Warehouse, Oasis, River Island and Karen Millen. Next became workwear and was at too much risk of someone rocking up in the same. Work switched to M&S when Autograph launched and they had fabulous Italian design suits/skirt/dress combos. Became a Ted fan, which also had Blue Baker. Gorgeous stuff.

30’s lots of weddings and bigger job so moved on to Coast, Hobbs, jigsaw, French connection and whistles. Would regularly ninja into Bluewater for something for Saturday night.

40’s still Fc, but also All Saints and love for Reiss began.

50’s am now Zara, phase 8, back to Next (Love and Roses), Hush

i also dislike Next and M&S’s websites with tonnes of brands that mean you see a top, get excited then realise it’s X brand and instead of being a Next price point it’s Reiss for ££££

it also irritates me that an item on next doesn’t reflect 20% days or sale in their brands.

Asos. I used to buy from there every month but something changed and now they seem to cater for 20 year olds that want their midriff out or want to wear really unique clothes.
I want normal tshirts, jeans, vest tops and a few holiday dresses and going out tops. All that has gone. I don't really know where to shop now. I tend to stick to very and next. Although my friend likes h&m so might try that. Otherwise it's shein and I want to avoid it if possible because it's so inconsistent with fit and quality.

It's been seven or eight years at least since I last shopped in John Lewis. They messed up a delivery from the furniture department and then when it came it was stained and damaged. The driver tried to get me to keep it for a 10% discount. Customer Services were unhelpful and I ended up escalating it to the CEO's office.

So far as I can tell they've just kept on going downhill and I don't even bother looking on their website any more. It's such a change as I used to go their first without question.

C&A

Cotton traders - they’ve been around for decades, started out as natural fibres (as the name suggests); now most of their tops, dresses, non-fitted trousers are viscose, which I hate - just the occasional cotton jumper and T shirt.

Matalan. I do not want to do the cashiers job and scan the clothes myself.

I once ordered a gift for DM from them. A teapot, weirdly. I’ve never shopped with them before or since and opted out of marketing. They now send me catalogues with frightening regularity. Straight to recycling, there’s nothing for me in them.

I used to buy tons of clothes from Boden and Seasalt, but find the Boden stuff so overpriced these days, and so many garish prints and colours. Seasalt has gone really boring, they used to have some unusual pieces, but not anymore.

I’ve ordered a few things from Free People recently…they look great on the website, but are crap quality, and expensive! So returned them. Nobody’s Child looks good but always too low cut for me.

Now I find I’m shopping with Sezane, Saint and Sofia, Zara, H&M, and Brora. I also found a stunning deep pink dress from Ro & Zo recently, which I love.

Some people here have been complaining about the Next website but I actually find it very good if you use the filters and you are looking for specific features eg “tall, navy , size 14, linen , flared trousers” but you have to tick all of the boxes to get to a choice of about eight items.

More and more nowadays I haunt Vinted and eBay for vintage (1990s) Next and Laura Ashley. The sweaters in particular are fabulous quality and actually have a weight to them.