to not be surprised Mothercare are in trouble

[moogster1a]

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..

I hope ours stays. I use it lots as it's just so handy. The bf room is great and always has toys in it for DS1 to play with whilst I feed DS2. I agree it can be overpriced, especially the maternity jeans. I have to admit though to buying my stroller from John Lewis though after testing it in Mothercare. No stock and no idea when due in. JL delivery in 2 days and called me when 20mins away. Mamas and Papas were utterly dreadful when I was looking for a stroller type buggy. Felt like they just wanted me to give them my money without actually letting me compare the buggies I was looking at. Their baby furniture is good though! Bought for DS1 over five years ago, used in cotbed mode and then straight into use for DS2.

Went into a large store to buy a potty - only 2 in stock - Peppa Pig or Thomas... £7 a piece. I ws fuming and vowed NEVER to go there again.

I smiles when I heard the news...........

Kirsty I have been in numerous Mothercare stores, and most of them were awful. I will admit not all. THere is one near my Mum that is okay but even that one has disgusting toilets, which seems to be a theme.

Mothercare is not as good as it should be. Used to go to one in Kew which was massive and very convenient to walk to but some of the stock was random and so poorly laid out. They got complacent and seem to be so focussed on expanding abroad they've lost the competitive edge and don't train their staff to be helpful. Not sure they are rude, just clueless.

The staff as SO rude, unhelpful and snarly. The aisles are way too narrow, and like Jordannarikki ours always has boxes everywhere.

Although...if I had the money I would kit out my DS and his nursery in the Humphrey's Corner range from there, i have to but it all secondhand on Ebay instead but it is SO expensive.

Kirsty18 I have been to 19 Mothercare stores in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Gloucester, Hampshire and Essex; and I have found the rudeness/unhelpfulness of staff, filthy changing/feeding areas, Boxes of stock in aisles and OTT prices a consistant theme in each that I have been to. The only one I can say that has been reasonable the few times i've been is in Stratford-upon-avon, and that one is within BHS.

Kirsty18- it doesn't matter if you go into 1 or 100 stores. That member of staff or store is representing the entire company and the standards should be the same. Your colleagues are letting you down imo. Congratulations on your new baby btw!

Yeah I've been into loads of Mothercares and they've all been shit.

Kirsty, it's not as if you OWN Mothercare.

I, quite frankly, would rather shop in Baby Next . I'd rather order from Boots online and wait for it than step foot into a MC. I'm glad their closing down. Perhaps all the staff can go on some sort of training course before they apply for their next jobs.

Sovery, who said they were happy that people were losing their jobS?

ladyofthemanor it was actually you that implied they should all lose there jobs. my local mothercare store in preston is fantastic, if they havent got stock they order it online for me and are VERY VERY helpfull with carseats. they are only shutting the small stores down including some ELC as most towns now have 2 ELC 1 being in their mothercare stores and so theres no point in it especially in this reccession.

I've only had good experiences in Mothercare (in the UK). Used to have to shop there as lived overseas and this was one of the few options. Since being back in the UK would not choose to shop there often (DD too old for most of it now) as is more expensive but if I do go in I am tempted by girls clothes. Nice stuff, bold stripes etc. Also bought car seat as was cheapest and lady was very helpful.

The one in Bromley is shite. And there are sooooo many people livong in Bromley and no other competition - small baby section in Boots, and teh usual clothes shops, but thats it. They have a receptive market, but the shop is awful. So crowded, and really difficult to navigate with a pushchair, and full of absolute tat. I agree with otger posters that the boys clothes are absolutely awful - colours very drab or dark, far too much branded stuff (peppa/Thomas/spiderman etc) and too many slogans and cheap looking. I hate it.

OTOH, I think the boys clothes in Boots are really, really nice.

well, I'm sorry ladies you all feel like this, but where else would you be able to go to a high street store and get measured for a bra, advice on which is the best breastpump to use and get your car seat fitted to make sure it actually fits your car... (you certainly won't get it from your local supermarket, believe me, I've tried)... Mothercare in my experience has always been top notch, the clothes are far better than any supermarkets in the fact that they don't fall apart after 2 washes, I think the Mylene Klass range is a bit chavvy, but each to their own... and as far as the price is concerned, they are always having sales and promotions, plus they do a price matching service on the popular branded items... so come on girls, don't be so hard on the place, cos if you keep talking it down like this, you'll all miss it when it's gone... thank you and rant over...

I miss Woolworths.

I can never get a single pram up the aisles - too much crap and boxes

Last time I was in waited ten minutes in line to pay

i agree with some of you girls elc is absolutely shite wud never get the kids toys from ther overpriced and boring.toys r us wins hands down.but mothercare itself is fantastic ok some of the stuff admitingly is expensive but ther range is endless at least i kno if i need anything for my newborn i kno i can deffinately get it in mothercare if no where else.as for clothes i tend to go to next cos i love ther range of clothes for children but mothercare wins wen it comes to sleepsuits n baby bottles etc.for all 3 of my children i have done all my baby shopping at mothercare n the odd occasion mamas and papas now that is expensive makes mothercare look like poundland that place!.id recommend mothercare to any first time mothers u can get all u need under one roof which makes it easier.i spend no less than 90 mins everytime i go in ther i for one wud miss mothercare if it wer to close.

another one who used when pregnant and naive

got fitted for maternity bra by 10 year old (ugh)
had to wait years for buggy and they were on lunch (fxxk off!)
same for car seat

I really hope their CEO reads this, selling to first time parents is a piece of piss! they are missing out BIG TIME sadly

Missylippy, in my local mother I've had lacklustre carseat advice, and after waiting 30 minutes to have it fitted into my car I gave up and went to a local independent shop. They also claimed to have no breastfeeding tops, measured me incorrectly for a bra, and are twice the price of elsewhere. I've found the clothes to be OK quality, but no better than a supermarket, but I like very few of them. I've found the staff to be very friendly, but completely lacking in knowledge.
Honestly, I won't miss them, though I'm sad that peopple will lose their jobs.

there is a lot I hate about MC but I am a convert to their baby/toddler clothes (but not vests that never fit DD). Yes they are more expensive but they do wear very well, whereas I have been very disappointed in Sainsbury's and other supermarkers baby clothes. Now that they stock non-pink clothes I don't mind having a browse

I stopped shopping in Mothercare when mine were small and I discovered the local independant baby store. They were infinitely more helpful, gave a discount for paying in cash, would fit anyone's carseat into a car as "the safety of the child is more important than whether we sold it to you" etc etc. You couldn't buy maternity clothes there, but tbh the maternity clothes in Mothercare consisted of big baggy tops and 1980's dungarees neither of which I fancied!

I do think Mothercare is ridiculously expensive, but I will say the staff in the Mothercare in Watford have always been lovely and helpful. Especially when DS was born much smaller than expected and DH had to rush there to get smaller vest/babygros/nappies.

Only read page 1 but I love BHS, would be upset if it closed and yanbu about mothercare, very expensive low quality tat.