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...

We live in the US now but went back to York this summer for a visit. I was so happy to see that Duttons was still there.

If Duttons closes the Minster will fall down!

Yes, you just pop them in the button tin. I can barely sew a button on but am fold of haberdashery. Look at the buttons!

Noooo!! YANBU op.

I feel a need to visit that button shop even though I have four tins groaning with buttons.

To answer the question about how recently I've bought haberdashery in JL: within the last four days but I no longer buy fabric there because the choice is so limited. Back in the day, my entire working wardrobe was little numbers I had run up from fabric, buttons, zips and other gubbins from JL.

it becomes a vicious circle, doesn't it Maud? Last time I went into JL haberdashery I was looking for curtain material for our bedroom, some ribbon to wrap up a wedding present and some fabric for a dress for DD. Nothing vaguely suitable for curtains (and an assistant who couldn't care less); I didn't want to buy a whole roll of ribbon, I wanted a couple of metres so went to the market instead to spend my 75p . I did get some lovely fabric for a dress for DD, but they didn't have the right zip (again, the market provided it). Next time I may as well go straight to the market to get the bits and pieces and possibly some fabric. Ikea is increasingly good for fabric, especially as you can buy however much or little you want. The really expensive bit (my bedroom curtains) came from House of Fraser in the end - cheaper to buy ready made in the sale than make them myself.

Guilty as charged 2Kids

It's such a shame - they can't shrink their haberdashery section any further on Oxford Street without getting rid of it. Only a few weeks ago my mother spied some rather fantastic fabric for a hallowe'en cape (for ds), and the next thing I knew was purchasing said material, a pattern, etc... and most importantly I got advice from one of the lovely 'partners'. At least that hadn't changed.
If they shut it down any further I'm going to have to go to Liberty, then I'll weep at the cost of things! There are no haberdashery shops where I am - the one that tried to open fell flat on its face after a few months, but it was a tiny shop with only 16 buttons to choose from......
Why don't they have sewing classes akin to the cookery school? Liberty used to have classes I'm sure......

As for customer service I don't know how they're training some of their staff but try this whilst I was standing in their women's Barbour section:
"Do you have any Barbour wax?"
"Barber wax?"
"No, Barbour wax."
Blank look
"The tin for re-waxing the Barbour jacket."
Blank look then goes to get colleague
"You can send your jacket back to them to get fixed and re-waxed you know".
"Yes thank you, I haven't any time for that unfortunately, do you sell the tin?"
"No we don't." After a pause: "Have you tried the men's section?"
For the love of God. So I went to the men's section. Got it straight away with a helpful attitude until I mentioned that his colleagues upstairs...... oh, the look I got!

If I were the new head of JL I'd start by sorting out their terrible customer service. That's the reason I no longer shop there, not the absence of wine bars

There is a petition

After reading this thread. I am now abandoning my housework to go to the local haberdashery and run my hands through the trays of bargain buttons.

Yes, it's exactly that, OlennasWimple. I want a one stop shop for sewing supplies and JL no longer provides that.

Liberty has now been mentioned, but even Liberty has not been immune from this sad decay. Aeons ago, when making my wedding dress, I bought the beads there (until a helpful assistant pointed out I could buy them cheaper in bulk from Ells and Farrer around the corner). These days, they have far less haberdashery, fewer bits and pieces for home sewing and even their selection of fabric has dwindled. Far more space seems to be given over to giftware and knick-knacks in their (admittedly gorgeous) prints.

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.

I am going to embroider these wonderful words onto a sampler and hang it on my wall for all to read!

No - wait!

There is nowhere for me to buy embroidery silks . . .

If Newcastle John Lewis loses all its fluff and findings, I hope Fenwick doesn't follow suit. I still mourn the loss of kings fabrics.

Though I usually go to Durham indoor market for buttons. There's a wonderful stall with a big wall of them.

And we still have Boyeses!

New slogan: Never knowingly Underwaxed

PickAChew I was just about to say the same thing. We should tweet Mr Boyes with the sad news of JL haberdashery demise, and encourage him to start opening stores in the south!

I went at the weekend because I needed cashmere yarn which you definitely don't get in the market and I don't trust the colours online. I wanted to spend £30 but fell in love with the feel of a wool and spent £60 (my Mum is spoiled). But critically I also browsed and got birthday cards, cookery presents, replaced my clippers, treated myself to a hand cream and got an extra for a present. I spent over £150 because I went in expecting to buy £30 of wool.

Now admittedly it's coming up to lots of birthdays and Christmas otherwise I wouldn't have spent that much but I can't be the only person who goes through the store, picking up things I didn't actually plan on getting.

I used to be a regular customer at the haberdashery department in my local JL in Peterborough. However, in recent years the department has shrunk and shrunk. As has the expertise of the staff.

On my last visit I asked for 2 items that they had previously stocked, but no longer had. They suggested a couple of websites that other customers had used.

I no longer bother. What is the point of spending money on petrol and parking to have a website recommendation. I now buy fabric from a German website. It has an enormous choice, the delivery is really quick and the postage far less than cost of petrol etc.

So all in all I am not surprised that they are doing away with haberdashery but the cause of this must have been decisions taken years ago. It is ironic because there seems to be much more interest now in sewing and knitting than there has been for many years.

As a highly lucrative customer segment we are served very badly by retailers. M&S now crap, Zara too small if your are over 5'5", House Of Fraser just loads of brands etc
Every high st is bursting with bars and beauty salons.
It's as if John Lewis is giving up and showing zilch empathy for their core customer, and consequently could follow M&S down the pan.
I've spent £100's in JL because I had to get a zip, or some Christmas/Halloween Fabric and ended up buying everything else too.
Have JLP picked up on this thread yet? What a satisfying pun.

Dial it up, JL. We have disposable income, and want convenience, soft fabrics, yarn, and real service.

(What does "dial it up" mean in this context?)

JL refused me a credit card. Don't know why. I have a perfect credit history, a professional career, I firmly believe I am their target demographic. Perhaps I'm not, though, and actually their target is alcoholic minge waxers with bad credit histories?

actually their target is alcoholic minge waxers with bad credit histories

I'm disgusted by my own cynicism but is this all a marketing ploy to get people into the Haberdashery Department on a use it or lose it basis?

What really makes me cross about not having enough space for haberdashery, is that they seem to have enough space to design their handbag, shoe and accessories department like it's a bloody art museum, with lots of empty space and the "art" displayed on pedestals....(Newcastle store)

But surely everyone up this way just uses Boyes for haberdashery?

YABU and need to get out of "Middle England" and down to your local Asian market.

I paid £12 a metre for a cotton lawn fabric in JL and saw exactly the same thing on Longsight market for £2 a metre just a few days later.

Never again. JL haberdashery has been metaphorically stripping us bare for years.