AIBU to want to shop at John Lewis for buttons, not a Brazilian?

[Quandry]

OMG. Never mind Brexit. If anything is likely to drive me out of the UK it's this:
John Lewis to swap haberdashery for bikini waxes and prosecco bars under new boss

The last bastion of Middle England is to be RUINED by some new upstart boss who thinks we care more about our minge than our muslin!

I'm warning her - there will be rioting in the streets...

[SailingThroughTime]

I go in wanting to spend money in their Haberdashery dept but they rarely have what I want. On Saturday I wanted red Grosgrain ribbon, not too fussy about the width and a bit of funkiness wouldn't have gone amiss but I'd settle for plain. In none of the 392 places they had ribbon in their department, there was none to be had and it really wasn't a big ask.
It's like that every bloody time.
And their ok but middle of the road Christmas fabric was tucked away in a pile in the back corner doing nothing when it should have been front and centre and showing what it was capable of. There's just no passion.

[SailingThroughTime]

Oh
X post

[LittleMissMarker]

John Lewis is clearly going to the dogs.

emotion, engagement, fun and imagination

I don't want that. I want stuff. Nice stuff, even naice stuff, but stuff.

This also explains the disappointing cardboard "lifestlye" book they sent me last week when I was hoping for a shiny brochure full of sparkly ideas for Christmas presents and vouchers. Didn't mention bikini waxing but it did try to explain that water was quite a good thing.

If they want to engage me then they could show me lots of nice things I can buy in their shop.

Bah humbug.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

What do they want to be? Harvey Nicks? I think they do.

And no, I don't spend a lot of money in their haberdashery when I'm in London. But it is one of the reasons I go THERE rather than elsewhere.

This is what happens when people see the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

My DM, who does spend a fortune in haberdashery, will be heartbroken.

[Bluntness100]

As a previous poster said the article does not say they are removing haberdashery, simply reducing and including other offers, like prosecco bars, holiday outlets, and bikini waxes etc.

They certainly don't say they are killing haberdashery in favour of prosecco fuelled Brazilians as is being put forward. 😂😂😂

[kesstrel]

All the people who are saying they love the haberdashery departments - how many of you actually spend money in there on a regular basis?!

But sometimes "unprofitable" lines bring people into a department store who would otherwise go somewhere else, or shop on line, and then they spend money in other departments. I certainly used to spend a lot more money in JL when I knew I could get everything on my list there, including low-profit or niche items. Now I tend not to bother, because I know I'll just end up frustrated and disappointed.

[katiekrafter]

consumers do want more emotion, engagement, fun and imagination

No we don't - we want good products, reasonably priced, sold by knowledgeable staff, and in one place. Oh dear.

[Bluntness100]

So then that's probably why they are reducing , not removing and including other things then.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I love that their new strategy is essentially based on 15 year old episodes of Sex and The City

JL stop trying to be Harvey Nick's from the 00's. Be JL for the 2020s. I'd no more get a Brazilian than I would a Mohican (for my head obvs).

[CrotchetQuaverMinim]

but the more they reduce, the less choice there is and people will end up going elsewhere; the less chance they have of having decent knowledgeable salespeople, especially for a dept like haberdashery, etc - then they really will end up closing them because they're unprofitable. But not because people don't want to buy the stuff, but because they can't get what they need there, or with good advice.

Already they tend to sell only packets of things that they used to sell by the metre, for example, or individually, because it's just easier to stock and display, and nobody has to be able to answer questions, just read the packets to you - but that's not much help if you only wanted small quantities or wanted not exactly what the big brand packets have, but more choice. You end up going online now. But it was much more helpful to be there in store and feel/see the quality, size, colour etc.

[VeryPunny]

Can we also stop with the (frankly anti-woman, someone has called her a silly bitch on this thread) bashing of the new CEO? She started off in the JL haberdashery department so has presumably spent more time amongst buttons than anyone on this thread, and you know, might have actually got the CEO job because she knows what she is talking about?

John Lewis are one of the most successful brands in the country. I presume they are moving away from selling £2.50 curtain hooks and the like because a) people who buy that sort of thing may buy other things in store, but obviously not enough to make stocking buttons worthwhile and b) you can't pay the rent of the JL city centre locations on haberdashery. As a PP mentioned, take a look at their Christmas catalogue - full of gifts costing hundreds of pounds.

If in two years' time John Lewis is circling the drain of bankruptcy then I will eat my words, of course

[PurpleDaisies]

Can we also stop with the (frankly anti-woman, someone has called her a silly bitch on this thread) bashing of the new CEO?

I can't speak for everyone but I'm guessing most people on the thread would have disagreed with the change regardless of whether the new CEO was a man or a woman.

[GloriaGaynor]

I don't think anyone would argue that haberdashery is likely to be their biggest money spinner.

I'm not just not sure waxing and holidays is the answer.

I love JL improvements since the 80s. The fashion is much better, I always buy electrical stuff there because of the tech support and length of guarantee. They have good beauty stuff, good furniture, home accessories etc. Great duvets. Their home delivery is very fast.

But I will never go to JL in Kingston to be pampered - it looks like a warehouse with Waitrose underneath. No amount of Prosecco can change that.

[PoppyPicklesPenguin]

She needs to keep her mits of the haberdashery department! It is not the sort of thing you can just buy of amazon (unless you know the specific colour) fabric is to be touched before purchase and colours of cotton matched. I want more of it not less!

If she wants to downsize anything she can downsize the TV bit as i swear most people only go to look at them before buying them somewhere else!

And to answer the question about the fact she is a woman, couldn't care less just want her to leave my buttons alone!

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

Wonder what the JL Christmas advert will be. Prosecco fuelled Brazillians...

[DorotheaHomeAlone]

I don't care about haberdashery and I won't be getting a Brazilian there either. But I disagree with all the comments about them going downhill. I'm in Oxford Circus branch regularly and the staff are incredibly polite and helpful, the range on offer is better than ever and it's always packed.

[GloriaGaynor]

I don't agree it's going downhill at all. In the last 10 years it's really come into its own - I find myself buying more and more stuff there.

JL and Amazon are my two go to shops.

[GloriaGaynor]

They really got their heads round distribution, in stark contrast to M&S.

I just bought a silver birch LED Christmas tree and it arrived the next day. I didn't pay for next day delivery, in fact it was free as it is over £50.

[GloriaGaynor]

I think they need to keep their eye on competition with Amazon rather than offering new services that it's more convenient to get elsewhere.

[SailingThroughTime]

It was me who called her a silly bitch. I'm not really that bothered whether you think it's anti woman.

The £2.50 curtain hooks argument is exactly my point. I can pick that kind of stuff up in Tesco. I think they need to go upmarket in what they're offering in Haberdashery. There is plenty of interest in more expensive, aspirational fabrics, patterns and machines but I think they're just not interested in taking that forward. People are prepared to pay for their hobby but at that level, they're not fools so currently JL is falling between 2 stools without managing to get its arse sat on either.

[SailingThroughTime]

Gloria enjoy your tree. I bought a similar one last year and half the lights on it don't work now.

[justwanttoweeinpeace]

I have a crazy idea for JL that might just work...

Get your personal shoppers to wear clothes that make them look like normal individuals.

Get your staff to cheer up. Waitrose manage it so it can't be that hard.

Get your prices in line with the rest of the high street. You're not Selfridges.

Teach your Milton Keynes kitchen dept staff how to design and order kitchens properly.

That is all.

[Rrross1ges]

It used to be that there was a trinity of shops: Marks, John Lewis and Lakeland. We all know how Marks is going (apart from the food), John Lewis started to go down hill when they made it so dark it's like a trip to Superdry, which only leaves Lakeland. Perhaps they should expand in to haberdashery. BTW If anyone from Lakeland is reading this was MY idea

[SailingThroughTime]

[MsFloraPoste]

Where I live we are getting a new JL next year. I was very excited. It was a ray of light in a dark world. I am slightly less excited now.

Their Christmas ad this year is going to have to be bloody good to make up for this I can tell you.