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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is a bit short sighted of John Lewis?

84 replies

mycatlikestwiglets · 03/09/2015 14:00

I was about to order some bits and pieces from JL just now, for collection from my local Waitrose (there isn't a JL particularly nearby). However, they seem to have ditched the free collection and now charge £2! I for one will be buying much less as a result - I often buy things from there as it's so convenient to be able to collect locally, but from now on I'll only be shopping there if I'm spending enough to qualify for free delivery. AIBU to think this is a bad move by John Lewis?

OP posts:

Stillunexpected · 03/09/2015 20:45

Now I simply order it from Amazon. JL's loss. Except Amazon are charging for delivery now far more often than used to be the case - and all those little bits and pieces which the OP is ordering were often chargeable from Amazon anyway.

I think £2 is a bargain price to pay to avoid having to go to an actual store to buy something like a coffee machine or Lego or something that you really don't need to see in real life before purchasing. I also think that JL are only slightly ahead of the curve on this and many other companies which offer free delivery at the moment are going to start charging as online takes over from real life shopping.

WoodleyPixie · 03/09/2015 20:57

Our local wait rose charge for parking as it's not a car park for sole use.
They lose out here as well as I'd often order, say school trousers or a pack of polo shirts, then when I collected I would end up spending £30-40 on groceries while I was there.
Now I buy elsewhere especially as m&s currently don't charge for click and collect. Although I'm sure ive read that they will soon and m&s parking is free and has a cafe
Same happened with the free coffee and cake in John Lewis stores. I used to pop in once a month get a coffee, did had the cake and buy her a drink, then we'd browse and often spend £50, £100 on clothes or homewares. Now I just use it as cut through to the main high street from the shopping centre as its men's clothing downstairs and make up so I rarely stop to browse, whereas the cafe is upstairs and through children's wear and women's so I'd often see something and then end up shopping.

EddieStobbart · 03/09/2015 21:10

Am surprised retailers don't like click and collect. The cost of failed attempts at home delivery with people not in and returned goods is very expensive, C&C reduces the cost of that. Of course, now the delivery people just lob parcels in mega secure locations like your wheelie bin so perhaps that doesn't matter any more.

Original poster

mycatlikestwiglets · 03/09/2015 22:43

Those talking about stinginess are missing the point a bit, albeit I appreciate that's because I didn't really make it very well . I would often buy things from JL because they did click and collect - they aren't cheaper so it's not that, I like JL goods so the click and collect encouraged me to buy when I don't have a local store. Now, I'll be getting all those random things elsewhere - either from places which do have stores in my town (or near where I work in the City, where there is also no JL), or from places which don't charge for delivery/click and collect. Plus Waitrose will be missing out on all the ancillary shopping which took place while "popping in to collect a parcel".

If JL really want to cut their costs, they could do worse than look at their ridiculously excessive packaging. I've started emptying things out in store so as not to take the enormous boxes and wodges of bubble wrap home each time.

OP posts:

tiggytape · 03/09/2015 23:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

redskybynight · 04/09/2015 08:12

In our case certain items of school uniform are only available though JL (i.e. no one else stocks them) and they are not held in stock in store. I begrudge having to pay to order something I have to buy which the store is choosing not to stock for their own convenience. I would be perfectly happy to get items from the shop.

southeastastra · 04/09/2015 08:14

still alot cheaper than the majority of online retailers. Esprit is the best so far with free delivery and returns.

AsTimeGoesBy · 04/09/2015 08:28

I've never used it but if it means the queues at the customer service desk at ours go dien a bit (you also have to go there for your coffee cup if you use self-scan) then that's no bad thing.

I don't think it's unreasonable, the order still has to be picked, packed, labelled and delivered, it must cost something to do all that.

OooooohMissDiane · 04/09/2015 09:14

Redsky, I'd imagine space isn't available for all uniforms. If the school makes it only available from JL, it's surely the school's fault!

OooooohMissDiane · 04/09/2015 09:18

I also must say, Click & collect costs: Picking, packing, the lorry to get it to the store, admin at the store when it arrives, storing it in order instore, then staff to deal with collections, returns, yards yada....These things don't just 'happen' - So those of you ordering extra only to return it will probably be instrumental in rising future charges, if there are to be any.

LurkingHusband · 04/09/2015 09:18

It isn't about being tight, it is more about availability

True that. It's hard to feel hopeful for retailers when going to visit one, and not finding what you want get's the answer "have you tried our website ?".

Er, well no. I came into store. And if I do have to buy it on the web, I wouldn't necessarily start with your website. How do you spell "Amazon" ?

OooooohMissDiane · 04/09/2015 09:26

Asking if you've looked at a certain store's website is just another tool to help you find what you're looking for. In the past you'd just have to lump it, it just another option in this 'have it now' world we live in - it's always been the case shops don't stock everything we need.

ArcheryAnnie · 04/09/2015 09:40

Agreed that it's still cheaper that travelling to a John Lewis.

I didn't know this was an option at all - I will start using it!

mummytime · 04/09/2015 09:46

I live in a very nice area - but it would cost more than £2 to drive to my nearest JL, never mind the parking cost (town centre).
Waitrose is far more convenient, and for next day delivery, if I need it I'd be prepared to pay more than £2 anyway.

Deux · 04/09/2015 09:49

Interesting thread. I live a couple of miles away from a large John Lewis and shop there a lot and use their car park.

I do use click and collect but it tends to only be for clothing as I'm never sure if they'll have the size I want in stock.

One of my gripes with them is that they always seem to run out of essential bits of school uniform so, say, they'll only have long sleeved white shirts in Age 3 size or something.

So I order to click and collect. I wasn't aware of the charge till a recent order and found myself getting a bit grumpy. However instead of paying the charge I ended up buying another 2 school shirts to be up the order. Though on reading the thread I should have bought a Jo Malone candle instead.

The ironic thing is that at my JLP you get one hour's parking refunded if you use C &C which is 1.40 so the effective charge would have been 60p.

Interestingly, when they first started C&C they promoted heavily the one hour parking refund and would ask if you were parked in the car park. They no longer promote it but it's still available.

BeverlyGoldberg · 04/09/2015 11:05

My point was when I order online to collect in store the goods are the same price. For me, it's about availability of the stock, not price.

If you want a pair of jeans from Topshop that your local Topshop doesn't stock, buy them online and have them delivered to store - they're the same price and while you're collecting the parcel you're more likely to pick up other times while you're there.

redskybynight · 04/09/2015 11:15

MissDiane I agree that it's the school that choose to only stock items at JL. I'm expecting a potential backlash from parents now they have introduced this fee. In our case, we went into shop and physically bought several uniform items that they did hold in the shop. We were then told we would have to order the rest and pay the delivery charge. Strangely enough we then decided not to physically buy the items from shop but order them as well to avoid paying the delivery!! Can't believe this was helpful to JL ...

OooooohMissDiane · 04/09/2015 11:41

I doubt it's unhelpful JL either, for bespoke items such as specific uniform I'd imagine there's a certain amount made, as requested by the school & any unsold is just carried onto the next year. Doesn't really matter where it comes from, it's all the same stock, IYSWIM.

OooooohMissDiane · 04/09/2015 11:43

As for generic shirts, blazers etc, they're always going to sell so if you've left them on the shop floor then all the better for someone coming in off the street, so to speak.

EddieStobbart · 04/09/2015 12:32

Holding stock in a warehouse prior to collection and never needing to display it in high street retail space which requires far higher rent to be paid per square metre is also a saving for the retailer.

tiggytape · 04/09/2015 12:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

soloula · 04/09/2015 12:49

I've only ordered from JL a couple of times. Both times I was close to the free delivery to my home threshold and it worked out cheaper to buy something to bump me over than pay the postage. Both times the items were sent in two different packages and brought by two separate couriers - one of them was a £1 wooden spoon which must have cost them significantly more to deliver than they made from selling it. Bonkers!

Not surprised they're charging for JL/Waitrose collections as they're obviously not making as much as they should on deliveries if they're sending couriers with £1 wooden spoons. Does seem like a step back as so many retailers are moving towards free collection at stores. I'd imagine those collecting at Waitrose probably spent a wee bit on picking up some messages while they're in so they'll be losing that business too.

Squooshed · 04/09/2015 12:50

Is M&S still free for click and collect?

FrancesOldhamKelseyRIP · 04/09/2015 13:00

Yes. I imagine they're waiting to see how it works out for JL.

JennyTails · 04/09/2015 13:08

Retailers hate click and collect - it means they have to pay a lot of money keeping real-world stores open, just so stingy shoppers can buy at the cheapest price online.

My employer doesn't (retailer)

We make lots more money by people buying extra things while they're in store collecting their online order!

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