Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it me or is 'Boots' going to be the next 'Woolworths'?

195 replies

GillyT · 02/01/2011 19:58

Just wondering if I'm the only person who wouldn't be surprised to see Boots 'go under' this year if they continue their policy of not spending Points & Gift Cards online.

I've got a total of £30 to spend at Boots (and have had for 3 months!) and simply haven't found a way to spend it. I looked at perfumes - cheaper to buy at The Perfume Shop though; I looked at hairdryers to no avail; I created a Photobook online - only to discover that I can't use my Points & Giftcards online to pay for it!

I've a feeling they have finally lost me as a customer altogether - 20 years ago, a week wouldn't have passed by without me buying something from Boots...not any more, I'm sad to say :(

OP posts:
Carnival · 03/01/2011 00:01

or posted

KangarooCaught · 03/01/2011 00:53

Nope, I liked Woolies for kitchen things & sewing stuff

confuddledDOTcom · 03/01/2011 01:10

Smiths will keep going, they supply the paper shops.

whethergirl · 03/01/2011 01:25

WHS smith is shit. Don't like their floor layouts and their books are not easy to find like in Waterstones where it's all shelved and labelled clearly. Having said that, I never EVER buy cd's OR books in a shop, why do that when you can always get it cheaper from Amazon, ebay or Play.com? Every now and again I wander into Waterstones for a peek and am absoloutely amazed at the prices people pay out for books!

And what is with all the chocolate pushing at the till? Is it really worth it, for the poor till assistants to have to ask every customer if they'd like half price chocolate and for nearly every customer to say no, for the profit they end up making on it? I remember Woolies used to do that before they went under so maybe it's not a good sign.

But in answer to the op, YABU, on my high st anyway, Boots have the best range. Going into Superdrug is like travelling back in time to the 1980's and local chemists - I've been in one once, and felt uncomfortable by the overpricing, the odd layout of stock, the fact that I was the only person in there, the odd shop assistant who stared at me the whole time, and that strange local chemist smell.

stressheaderic · 03/01/2011 01:43

I love Boots. I never, ever come out of there empty handed.
Their Christmas gifts, cards and wrap were all very high-quality this year.
The meal deals are brilliant.
They have a great range of baby equipment, nappies, food, plus extra points from Parenting Club.
Mini Club clothing is lovely and regularly on offer.
Ours has a pharmacy which is open until midnight.

Till-spits giving vouchers off haircare etc, I always use them too.
Assistants really friendly, shelves full, shop tidy - couldn't ask for more.

WHSmith, however. Surely, it must be the train station/airport stores keeping it going. Our local one is abysmal.
Another one here who badly misses Woolies and Borders.

mssoul · 03/01/2011 01:58

Nice Boots story (13 years ago)- I had a 2 wk old dd and some drunken knob chucked a brick through my car rear windsow, parked in the middle of Edinburgh outside a late opening pub, when we were upstairs asleep in our flat. Had to take my car to a windscreen place my insurance company instructed in Leith. I needed to feed screaming baby so went into Boots in a, then, v dodgy part of town (bottom of Leith Walk for locals) and asked if they had a parents room. They didn't, but they did show me up to their staff room, where everyone extinguished their cigarettes Grin and they all rallied round, bringing me a cup of tea, a sandwich and a magazine. She was my first baby (young single Mum aged 20) and I was rubbish at latching on etc, but they could not have neen nicer. I have loved Boots ever since and never been disappoionted with service or products. Their brunette shampoo is ace too!

scottishmummy · 03/01/2011 02:01

i ken exactly where you mean,nice story.though yours not a wean anymore

HollyBollyBooBoo · 03/01/2011 02:01

YABU...clearly a lot of us are shopping there as for the last 7 years they've announce that they've taken even more money over Christmas than the previous year and the UK made over a billion £ profit for the first time ever last year.

Seriously you can't spend £30 in Boots? I could spend that in a nanosecond in that store!

scottishmummy · 03/01/2011 02:05

love boots.love free online delivery to store too

mssoul · 03/01/2011 02:06

Had another a couple of years ago scottishmummy, so been earning points aplenty on nappies again. 'Spent' my most recent points on a mooncup and pleasantly surprised Grin

AlmightyCitrus · 03/01/2011 02:08

Went to the nearest big Boots today and all their Christmas gift boxes of smelly and make up stuff was half price. Bought quite a few things.

When my DC's were born there was no big supermarket nearby and neither of us drove, so I bought all my nappies and formula from there. Got a fortune in points and spent them on lovely things! However, my local nearest Boots is tiny so they don't have much more than the basic stuff.

I went in 2 WHSmiths today and both times nearly fell over a stack of books on the floor behind the door. I do agree that it has gone downhill somewhat, and is quite hard to navigate, books and magazine shelves are all intermingled.

I do really miss Woolies. I needed one of those metal co-ax thingys for the tv ariel and ended up having to buy (an expensive) kit with loads of stuff I didn't need. I know I'd of got one on it's own in Woolies. I quite often trawl the shops looking for something specific muttering to myself that "woolies would of had it".

mssoul · 03/01/2011 02:12

Woolies was a bad business - it didn't know what it was and didn't keep up with the changes in the market. They stocked a whole load of crap no one wanted from that type of store anymore. No comparison to be made so YABU

Cynthia32 · 03/01/2011 02:41

OP, it is you - I bloody hope anyway - as I work for Boots and so does my nephew. Therefore you even suggesting that Boots could go the same way as Woolworths frankly scares the living daylights out of me because I'd then be out of a job and so would many of my Friends. I've worked for the company for many years and am now of a fairly senior position. I am fairly happy with the rate of pay and get on really well with the people that work there. My nephew loves working for the company on Sundays and feels he gets great pay for his age and feels they are encouraged to work hard and give good customer service. And I'd like to hope that all you MN's do feel you receive good customer care when you shop in Boots! The points system is the most generous in the UK and yes you can use it for online shopping providing you order through the store - I doubt you can use storecards when shopping online for any store? Yes some of the prices are slightly more expensive than other places but you usually end up saving more than you would in other places because of the offers! Say you needed some toothpaste, you could buy two and get a bottle of mouthwash for free, you don't get that in many places! And in their bigger stores their christmas gifts and range of toys on 3 for 2 was really good - and without Woolies its hard to find good cheap stocking filler presents for children - well visit a big Boots and you will find what you need on 3 for 2!!! So no, use it well and it won't go, it doesn't deserve to. And for those wishing other companies go bust, think of all those who'd lose their jobs.

And yeah, I probably sound a bit biast Wink

HollyBollyBooBoo · 03/01/2011 02:55

Very well said Cynthia! Have to say though customer service is very store dependent, have received some fab and some shocking service, but guess that is the same with every retailer.

wannaBe · 03/01/2011 06:47

I don't get why anyone would want a shop to go under. If you don't like it, then don't shop there.

SparkleandShine · 03/01/2011 07:58

hmv is the next one tipped to go along with clinton cards and JJB

poogoestothailand · 03/01/2011 08:06

Clinton cards is appalling though.

I looked in there for a birthday card that said Uncle on it. NOTHING. A huge massive shop like that which just sells cards and they only had Auntie ones, no Uncle ones.

I got one in Tesco in the end Hmm

JeezyPeeps · 03/01/2011 08:17

Boots are great. I current have over £100 points on my advantage card - I placed a big order (over the period when there were lots of extra points on offer) that subsequently had to be cancelled and they let me keep the points!

alienbump · 03/01/2011 08:41

Is it just Boots in my town that now stocks Waitrose food - must admit it's the main reason I've started shopping in there again. Quite a good range too, even the £10 meal deal.

Tee2072 · 03/01/2011 08:56

Boots is not going to be the next Woolworths. Why? Because Boots sells what people want and Woolworths was stuck in 1952.

ProfYaffle · 03/01/2011 08:57

I live in a small town, our Boots is tiny and rubbish, doesn't even sell sandwiches. I only go in once a year for suncream on 3 for 2. I like the bigger stores though.

I still miss Woolies too.

SlightlyTubbyHali · 03/01/2011 09:05

Nah, Boots will do fine. They sell things people actually want and there is usually a queue in whichever one I go into and people each buy three or four things, so I'd imagine a fairly decent average spend.

WH Smith on the other hand I can well imagine folding. They don't sell much, a lot of what they sell is cheap (people go in for a £1 newspaper) and their shops are generally horrible to go into (like a jumble sale). I feel they are not long for this earth unless they pull their socks up.

Himalaya · 03/01/2011 09:10

WannaBe, Cynthyia32 - I don't think anyone is wishing for any retailer to go bust, just speculating on which might.

MsKLo · 03/01/2011 09:22

The points system is great but they can Do this because they Mark up everything else So we are nit really saving at all

Sly!

slartybartfast · 03/01/2011 09:24

but we do not want a high street empty with only out of town tesco/asda.
we need to support our retailers before they go

Swipe left for the next trending thread