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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not be surprised Mothercare are in trouble

130 replies

moogster1a · 18/05/2011 09:04

Apparently they're shutting over 100 of their shops.
TBH I'm not surprised people are shunning them. Overpriced compared to tthe same quality in ASDA Tesco etc..

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 18/05/2011 09:08

And their staff are horrible. I avoid mine like the plague.

dingdongmrs · 18/05/2011 09:13

I have been in mothercare just once, too expensive, i bought one maternity bra for about £35! which lasted only a few weeks lol

I am surprised they are closing but purely because i have heard so many people say they do all their baby shopping there, personally i have always gone to babies r us or kiddicare for my baby items, even sometimes argos!

CoffeeDodger · 18/05/2011 09:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jordannarikki · 18/05/2011 09:16

Not surprised either.

A woman in there was hideously rude to me when I went in to find a coat I had seen on the website (had vouchers so couldn''t buy it online).

She was so patronising - "no, no, no, that's our online stock, we wouldn't have THAT in store." as if I would bleeding well know what they do and don't stock in store.

I had to go to another store in the end who found it and managed to order it in even though they didn't have it in stock Hmm

Icelollycraving · 18/05/2011 09:16

The big stores are ok but the smaller shops always look grimy,too much stock so as soon as you turn around you knock items onto floor & too expensive for what you get in comparison to the rest of the high street.

Bucharest · 18/05/2011 09:16

I think they are very outdated, 30 yrs ago they were the only thing around, and had a USP. Now, babies are big business and there's no USP anymore for Mothercare. I think they are a bit of a Little Chef albatross in some ways, and it certainly didn't do them any favours going into the back end of BHS as they did in some towns. The BHS customer is a granny who wants a nice winter coat or a pair of slacks. Nothing to do with a baby shop.

I do think the quality is good though. (and when in the UK am lucky enough to live near a factory shop) (which based on this thread might also be in trouble)

Lisatheonewhoeatsdrytoast · 18/05/2011 09:18

hate them, Staff are extremely rude and non interested, no customer service whatsoever, in the three i have been into, and it's completely overpriced, compared to other stores and online outlets! grrr

WorzselMaamage · 18/05/2011 09:19

I'm always surprised to read on here how much people hate BHS. Ours is a lovely shop with nice clothes and a fab homeware section. better than m&s.

Mothercare is shit though.

jordannarikki · 18/05/2011 09:20

And has anyone mentioned how difficult it is to manoeuvre a buggy round there yet? Ours is always full of boxes making it impossible to navigate the (too small) aisles.

dingdongmrs · 18/05/2011 09:20

I love BHS, i could spend all day shopping in there, if i had the money, i dont get to treat myself very often at the moment!

Tee2072 · 18/05/2011 09:21

USP?

I was in mine not long ago as I had exhausted all other local resources for something that I can't remember.

In any case, I couldn't get my buggy around and made that comment to a staff
member who replied 'yes, I wish we had a bigger store' to which I replied 'perhaps less stock?' turned and walked out.

I will never go back.

Bucharest · 18/05/2011 09:21

Oh, I don't hate BHS. I just don't think it fits with Mothercare, it's like having a New Look at the back of a Jaeger or something. (dd had some clothes from BHS and they were really nice)

Original poster
moogster1a · 18/05/2011 09:23

They're keeping all the big out of town stores

OP posts:
Threaders · 18/05/2011 09:23

The staff in Mothercare Warrington are lovely

Eglu · 18/05/2011 09:24

Mothercare has appallling customer service. I think the only reason they have lasted so long is that first time mothers often think that is where you need to go to get everything for your baby. I know I was like that as a first timer.

WobblyWidgetOnTheScooper · 18/05/2011 09:26

I didn't realise. I hardly ever go in them because until recently DH worked for Boots - awesome staff discount there! And clothes I'd just get from Asda etc as well.

I actually need to complain to mothercare though - when we got DDs new bed I bought duvet covers from there, and the blue dye has run really badly. Happened once in the washing machine, and then again last night when DD wet the bed (first time since using new covers) - somehow the blue dye has spread over half of the bedsheet! Angry

That's not normal is it?

BootyMum · 18/05/2011 09:29

Maternity/nursing clothes at Mothercare are hideous and overpriced imo.

I went into my local store recently wanting to buy a nice nursing top but could find nothing I liked. Horrible colours that went with nothing or polka dots Hmm, and only £18 - £25 for this hideousness... Too expensive for what they were.

chubbly · 18/05/2011 09:30

Staff are not trained properly plus I've found the CUSTOMERS rude! Mums that won't move their buggies to one side to let you pass, the ones in my local one normally have a cats arse face on. I wouldn't shop in there - the only time I went in was to buy premature baby clothes for dd2 as it was so hard to find tiny clothes. And after all that - they were impractical and we ended up using hospital stock clothes.

Cattleprod · 18/05/2011 09:31

Ours closed a couple of years ago and was replaced by a Poundland. Much more useful!

The Mothercare World near my parents house closed even longer ago. Things must be bad if they have closed all these stores and are still struggling. Maybe if their stock wasn't so overpriced.....

SkyNewsAddict · 18/05/2011 09:31

Is there a list of which ones will close? We have a small one near us and a small Boots, between the two we can normally get what we want, even if there is no choice (colour, style etc) but without them I'd have to travel miles to get to another baby shop.

Asda and Tesco are fine for clothes but not so great for everything else, unless you have a big one near you, which like Mothercare and Boots, we don't. Whilst I think its overpriced, I'll be gutted if our little one closes.

bupcakesandcunting · 18/05/2011 09:32

Not surprised either.

I went there to buy DS's nursery bedding when I was pregnant (and naive). £15 for ONE cellular blanket. I returned them when I saw packs of two in Matalan for £6.

StewieGriffinsMom · 18/05/2011 09:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SmethwickBelle · 18/05/2011 09:33

I've used mothercare online stacks and had pretty good experiences for bits and bobs like swimming cossies, breast pads, specific bottles and teats, potties, babygros, sleep suits etc. We got the cot and mattress there too, and the moses basket, at the right sort of price and good quality. Being able to choose from a range of bouncy chairs or high chairs in the shop was great when I was pregnant and overwhelmed with choices.

I don't like the toys or Baby K range very much, very grey and boring for boys and a small romper I bought had tight elastic around the legs which chafed DS2. So I use it for baby basics. Or used to. Got a loft full now that is all outgrown!

Flowerista · 18/05/2011 09:33

Not surprised. I'd recommend babies r us anytime.

SherlockMoans · 18/05/2011 09:34

We went in a few weeks ago looking for a gift for someone, we eventually bought what we wanted in Boots and Tesco, I commented to my sister at the time "I used to come here all the time, did I have too much money or has it got WAY more expensive" (I think her response was I had too much money!!)

They just havent moved with the times have they though, in the past when they had less competition they could charge whatever they wanted as it was more or less the only place you could find ALL those products together - thats not the case now is it.

I also found in the past that perhaps they werent the cheapest for clothes but the quality was really good but there was a point at which the quality dropped substantially but the prices didnt.