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...

WTAF does that mean?

Rhinestones.

John Lewis lie with their towel displays, though. I always thought that they were carefully folded in neat towers, not tucked into some crappy display thingy

I have to admit, the first time I went in a John Lewis (I live near one, I just never bothered as I thought it was a Debenhams/Selfridges sort of department store... which it is) I thought "Oh, this is quite nice and normal" and the haberdashery section seemed completely random, like stepping into a timewarp. I figured these days if people wanted buttons they went to, I dunno, button shops? Basically actual haberdashery shops. To see it plonked in the middle of homewares and clothing seemed strange, like shoving a butcher's in the middle just because, well, olden days.

OK, I get it, it's been like that since the year dot, but times move on and that's got to be valuable floor space they're making very little money off.

I would love them to upgrade the habidashery to higher end habidashery. They might not be able to compete with sales of gingham and fake fur but a luxury fabric needs to be seen and felt

Absolutely. It's one of the few things that needs a physical shop.

I bought a similar one last year and half the lights on it don't work now

I know my sister has the same experience, but at least I get out of decorating it this year. (I had a £25 voucher as I have a JL card so it was basically the price of a normal tree).

Oh dear. No. This is simply not on.

Come on John Lewis, buck your ideas up. Decent customer service and buttons aplenty. That's all we ask.

Movingon
I'd no more get a Brazilian than I would a Mohican (for my head obvs).

No "obviously" about it these prosecco-fuelleddays . .

Movingon
I'd no more get a Brazilian than I would a Mohican (for my head obvs).

No "obviously" about it in these prosecco-fuelled days . .

I note that many of you here just want to paw over the sparkly buttons

Y
ou make it sound so dirty . . .

Yes- I do stroke stuff, and there are few things that delight me more than a box of Teddy Bear Noses, but I buy stuff, too.

One of life's great pleasures is caressing fabrics - I have bought yards of stuff because it is sooooo beautiful, and then worried about what to do with it later.

()

time amongst buttons

Why is this not a comedy show with Sarah Lancashire?

Olenna
John Lewis lie with their towel displays,

Can you not leave me a single illusion?

Just ONE?

No 2kids, if I have had my illusions shattered so must you all

(I used to want to work as a towel folder in JL. I spend so much time picking towels up off the bathroom floor and getting annoyed by it that I realise that it probably wasn't the career for me anyway)

"Cruel to be kind", eh, Olenna?

You tell yourself that . . .

. . . I bet you would kick Bambi if you got the chance . . .

You are just cruel - just because your towel-folding aspirations didn't pan out and you Just Didn't Make The Grade . . .

The towel thing

Huge, huge mistake. By all means add services (although they aren't generally a big money maker) but for the love of God leave the haberdashery. No, extend the haberdashery! There's a huge craft revival at the moment - lots of luxury British yarns etc which could be showcased. I see they've had a few TOFT kits for example. Expand it! The market is there.

I consider myself one of JLs core customers - disposable income, like to browse, want discreet but competent customer service. I do not want my sodding fanny waxed, I want to be able to buy some invisible zippers, squish the yarns and rummage in the remnant bin before impulse buying some ludicrously expensive Japanese silk and random sewing accoutrements. And possibly a handbag.

Please don't get rid of haberdashery!

In my local John Lewis the towels are displayed like this (photo) and are lots.and lots of real.towels, all folded (I have bought from display)

I can't count the number of times I've got to John Lewis for a small bit of habidashery and come out with another far more expensive product.

The haberdashery in the new John Lewis in Birmingham is pitch bloody black, so maybe that's lined up for the Brazilian counter. I was really disappointed by it, this could explain why.

Has anyone else ever been to Duttons for Buttons in York?

Here's my radical idea for JL: ditch the "never knowingly undersold". A department store can't compete with cheap as chips online-only stores like ao.com in this day and age. It was fine until the 90s but it won't work anymore. They can keep prices modest and reasonable but they can't expect to be the cheapest.

Keep the haberdashery as a PP said, having gone upmarket.

BusStopBetty - no, but I have been to the one in Harrogate. My favourite shop is The Remnant House in Harrogate though - hope it never closes down!

I would happily pay more for a more ethical, well sourced product, and good customer service.

That is what JL should be doing. Similar to Waitrose!

For all you lovers of haberdashery

I love Duttons. I spent about an hour in the one in Harrogate last time we were up that way.

Dh kept asking "what do you need all those buttons for?" He clearly does not understand that you buy buttons because they are pretty.