to think that children's clothes retailers should still be stocking summer clothes in July, not winter coats?!

[bethylou]

I thought I was going to be able to reuse DS1's baby clothes as he and DS2 are nearly exactly two years apart. DS2 had other plans and, at nearly 5 months, is going into 9-12 month clothes, thus requiring us to spend a small fortune on some new outfits for him.

Cue a trip to Mothercare (having already checked out the rails in Sainsburys earlier in the week). Both have a lovely stock of winter clothes/coats/hats etc.. The only summer clothes left are in the sales (in random assorted, and yet completely unsorted sizes). Mothercare had no romper suits in size 9-12 months at all in store and have none left that I can order either! DS2 is destined to spend the summer wearing vests or just a nappy (shorts are no good as, due to his severe reflux, we have been told not to put tight things around his ridiculously large waist!)

I understand the whole 'next season stock' thing in relation to adults' clothing, but surely children's clothes retailers should realise that you don't necessarily know what sex the baby is going to be or how fast they are going to grow in order to purchase their clothes a season in advance?! Can we on Mumsnet do anything about this or should I just retreat to my red wine and find something more important to be narked off with on this warm Saturday evening?!

Completely agree and falls into same catagory as having school uniform for sale bfore kids have even finished for the summer!

Yes, yes and yes.

It does tend to mean you get some great summer clothes in the sales whilst its still summer - so you can't have it both ways - but it is a bit ridiculous that you can't buy summer stuff when its effing hot out.

The stuff is bought a year in advance, once it's sold it's sold. It's a difficult balance between over stocking and having the stock last for the 10 week season. If you are left with "terminal stock" at the end of a season you basically get bollocked - big time. It's very difficult to get back into stock once something has sold out - very much so if it's very high season stuff eg swimwear.

It's the balance between having cheap clothes from India or China - you have to book production so far in advance to reach your sales targets.

They have to put Autumn in otherwise the shelves would be empty and stock doesn't sell from the warehouse.

I've been doing it for 17 years and it's a bloody hard job.

bethy- that's industry standard and really is unfeasible to change. As Kevn said, stock is ordered a year in advance.

Have you looked on the web?

Thank you for replying - I'm actually slightly happier to hear why it happens. I have looked on the web and may see what's on ebay - someone somewhere must have some rompers for my huge baby!!

p.s. sorry if I've ruined your Saturday evening Kevin!

lol, no worries. you've got to have a tough skin to work in buying and merchandising

...and to write on a few posts on AIBU. Am getting slayed for telling a woman on another post not to call her staff a "houseboy". lol!

But, I can honestly say that it is worse than it used to be!

Back to School items did not used to go on sale until the summer holidays had started, wheras now if they have a growth spurt over the summer as lots do, do, your screwed because everything is sold out and there is NO NEED for it to start so early. The stores are entirely dictating the time scale for this as we all need to buy the items regardless of what time they appear!

LOL, but try buying wellies in the summer...

was over in Scotland last summer, with my Middle East dwelling sandal clad children; decided that the best option for footwear to cover all non-sandal situations would be wellies. It took practically all the shops in local town before I found some; and even then the only ones in DS's size were pink and sparkly. Fortunately (he was just turning 3) he loved them, though I did feel a little odd occasionally while out with him in them

Now surely in Scotland of all places they should just sell such things all year round???