To ask which shops are on the verge of failure

[curiousbeak]

I'm so depressed with the uk high street. Specifically British companies. The likes of Arcadia group, new look (already on its way out), next, oasis , Debenhams etc etc

The clothes are just terrible quality and most stores and staff and just tired, uninspiring and lacking any kind of chicness.

The wave of European brands seem to be killing our home grown business with their beautiful stores and chic offerings.

Who do you think is on the way out?

AnnaMagnani - There's an Edinburgh Woollen Mill in the small country town I live near. DH and I went in for a laugh.

There's a little franchise of EWM in the Wyvale Garden Center near us. Not on my radar AT ALL. But i ran through it trying to catch DD walked through it last Autumn and saw a tunic dress with leaves in lovely rusty colours on it. I did a double take. I looked around. I went back and felt it. So soft! I picked it up and held it against me. I loved it. I put it back. I walked away. I looked at it over my shoulder. I went home and looked at it online. I still could not bring myself to buy it! Shop snobbery pure an simple. Stupid :(

There's lots of misinformation on this thread. M&S won't be going bust anytime soon - it still makes huge profits, it's profits have fallen though. It's a plc which means it's share price is public and it gets more scrutiny than privately owned companies do. Poundland is in trouble as is Mothercare, which has been struggling for a number of years.

The warehouse close to me has closed and I preferred it to Oasis.

Next have got great service with next day delivery and I find returns very easy but I have been struggling for the last three years to find anything to buy, the kids clothes in particular are all too try hard for my liking.

Having not bought anything from Debenhams for years I recently put in a large order for my 4 year and I am really impressed with the quality so I am going to try it out for myself too. They need to improve their online store though, it’s not the best.

Shops opening near me Fatface, superdry, smiggle and lots of chain restaurants.

Oh and Bodyshop I owned by L'Oreal - so no longer run under the same ethos as Anita Roddick.

Next had amazing girls' clothes when dd1 was small (not that long ago) which was surprising as their adult clothes were so dull, but now their kids' range has gone off as well.

I used to love Mothercare. It was a lifesaver when we were living in the Middle East decades ago, with hardly any shops selling anything you actually wanted to buy. (Frankincense wasn't a problem though!).
Used to love the catalogue and would order everything from first little sandals to just about every last item of clothing and toys.

I thought they first began going downhill in the 80s, when they started including rather patronising parenting advice in the catalogue - and neglected to tell you how to know which sock size to order.

Our local WHS is a big one, and not dirty at all, at least not that I've noticed. Was in there the other day for colouring books - found particularly nice ones - for amusing very little Gdcs at a lunch out soon. Don't know where else I'd easily have found them, or at least any so nice, and I have a big shopping centre on the doorstep.

Also at Christmas, it was the only place I found 500 piece (not too big) jigsaws, and a good selection, for a couple of relatives who like doing them on long dark winter evenings.

Useless info alert - WHS started as a 'newswalk' in the late 1700s, where they sold and also rented out newspapers by the hour - in the days when paper was v expensive and buying newspapers was beyond the reach of most people.

As for M&S, for some years I have failed to understand what on earth their buyers are thinking of. I'm sure they wouldn't be seen dead in 98% of the stuff. They must hear this over and over and just don't listen. Having said that, I do still find the odd thing that's both nice and well,priced - and at least you know it won't go out of shape after the first wash. Their summer pure linen is usually still very good - no tacky 'bits' added, and no vile garish patterns. And you can tumble dry it (if you want to) which is more than you can say for equivalent much more expensive linen from elsewhere. In particular I remember a relatively expensive white linen skirt from Gap (a colleague's) which FGS said Dry Clean Only - she hand washed it and it still shrank!

I like Joules and do find it good quality, but usually only buy in the sales.

I was in Debenhams for the Christmas sales - I remember when it was rammed and it was a ghostown. Hardly anything on sale either and wouldn't want to buy anything from there anyway and I LOVED Debenhams.
Who are they showing their clothes to?

I have a Next voucher from xmas - not sure what I am meant to spend it on. The clothes for me are horrible quality and I wouldn't dare dress DD in their clothes.

I buy my crafts stuff from Amazon as hobbycraft is frankly ridiculous most of the time (except when they have threads on offer).

I want to know where you buy work clothes from at a reasonable price that aren't just polyester. I've had a few bits from Sainsbury's lately.

Victoria's Secret. Absolute rip off, horrible jumble style style set out, awful staff just terrible

Another vote for The Range over Hobbycraft here.

eggz Next home stuff is quite nice.

Boots is appalling. Not only is it expensive but the layout makes it impossible to find anything. I’m a big fan of Superdrug though

Expensive car parking is a contributing factor in the decline of the High Street. I want to spend time trying on jeans in my local town but find that I'm checking on the time in order to avoid getting a fine if I overstay.
Result= I give up and make do with my old rags or do without!
I haven't tried on clothes in my local high street for years.
Another vote for the dreaded WHS here.

I agree about Body Shop, it's overpriced and the staff are pushy.
It seems to have lost out to Lush.

I like Debenhams. The cafe is good and i bought a dress from there in the Christmas sale.

I think Boots are ropey which is a shame, although I do but perfume from there or Denenhams.
Mothercare, far to expensive.

Primark i use for cheap stuff and kids stuff.

I like bookshops though and don't want to see them close.
I
I'm amazed that people buy things from papechase and Clintons, I always by from the card factory.I

I wasn't sorry to see ToysRUs go.

I vowed never to use them again may years go.I
They blatantly flouted trading laws and i was treated with utter contempt by the staff.

Laura Ashley - constant sales because everything is over-priced and they are generally quite a snotty company who act as if they are doing consumers a favour by deigning to sell stuff to them.
The branch near us (Morpeth) is always almost empty, of customers has rails of sale clothes at the front that are still over-priced and never sell and I never see anyone buying their home stuff. Usually more staff than customers in the shop.

My first thought was WHS the stores are awful, so much stuff. Our local one is really grotty.

The Body Shop, i love certain products but never shop in store, always online with one of the discounts, usually 40% plus free delivery and free gift. I don't buy so much since they discontinued my favourite range.

I rarely shop in Boots. The baby clothes have some nice bits but my youngest has grown out of those now. Superdrug are generally cheaper and do some good make up ranges.

GAP must be in trouble, nearly everyday i receive an em ma il with 35-50% discount off new in items. Same with DP.

I wouldn't be sad to see Poundland go, i have avoided aince the awful elf thing at Christmas and i used to be in there every other week.

M&S need to change somehow.
I buy a load of my clothes there because I can rely on their fit and the washability (is that a word?). I know that a 12R fits my lower half .
The shoes are good (half sizes, a lot of non leather and I don't need to wait till someone brings me the other shoe)

I'm 51 , have some disposable income and don't mind seeing 5 other people in the same thing.
There have been some really good things (I bought a nice holiday dress, with pockets, well made £20, a couple of years ago) And that leopard coat I had been coveting.
They do a good range of toiletries, (many Cruelty Free) .
And the 20% off last weekend

Game have had their problems and are still struggling as far as I am aware. Their games also tend to be more expensive than anywhere else.

They went totally into my bad books last year when DS having saved pocket money, done jobs and saved birthday money finally had enough to buy the new Nintendo Switch. At the time they were like gold dust so when game announced they had some in I took him to town. They refused to sell it without an additional bundle of two games, a case holder thing and something else which took the price from £279 to over £400. DS being autistic didn't understand why his money wasn't good enough for them. He's a teenager but young in his ways and I had a full on sobbing teen on my hands for around 20 mins while I explained and then explained again.
I will never shop in there again. We do go in but only to browse and then I go elsewhere to find the goods cheaper.

Laura Ashley must be losing money hand over fist....never see anyone in our local stores. What a waste paying staff and rental costs.

M and S clothes must be on the verge of failure. Food can be all that keeps M and S afloat.
Debenhams - awful. Piles of clothes junked together. Attitude of store rude - Metrocentre.
House of Fraser - over-extended. Can not compete with John Lewis which is better at absolutely everything and 100x better customer service.
Claire's - piles of tat.
Boots - has gone down the drain it is so shoddy now. Too many small, scruffy branches. Will close stores soon.
Next - used to have style. Is now just a small step up from Primark. Can see big issues ahead.
Fenwicks - I think only the fact that there are so few is what keeps it going. That and its high end designer stuff - eg The French Salon - which is pretty hard to find elsewhere. (Not that I buy it).

I did hear that as their leases are coming up Dorothy Perkins aren't renewing them. They will likely end up as a consession in Debenhams (unless that goes to) as they are already in some of them.

Oh and Bodyshop I owned by L'Oreal - so no longer run under the same ethos as Anita Roddick

They're owned by Natura now. The ethos has taken a huge swing back to the original.
Hence all the huge photos of rabbits in the windows ..

WHSmith is in every airport, hospital and major train station in the UK, their travel business subsidises the high street so I don’t imagine they’ll be going anywhere soon.

I don't mind body shop for cheap and cheerful everyday shower gels etc. I go to an outlet store where there always seems to be a decent discount. Something like 25% off if you buy a certain number of items and the more you buy, the bigger discount, up to about 60% last time I went. They sell huge sizes of shower gel, body butter etc. I wouldn't pay hight St shop prices though.
Thornton's sell so many boxes through supermarkets now, as well as their online shop that I wouldn't be surprised if they went. There's better chocolate out there now. The problem seems to be that so many shops are confused about who is their target market and consequently fail on many counts. It seems ridiculous that so many of us are only using these huge stores for one or two niche items. And certainly, for me, those one or two items are available online at a similar price, do it wouldn't exactly break my heart if those stores did disappear.
Stores need to really look at what their customers want and heed the suggestions. Otherwise I think many more will go.

Well I have just managed to spend nearly £100 in the Sparks preview on M&S

We had a 99p store for a bit which Iiked. It changed to a Poundland which was rubbish, it’s only been there a year & changing to something else now.

I like Boots but that’s because my high street doesn’t have any alternatives & I’ve always shopped there.

Shocked about Jones Bootmakers! They're my first port of call when I'm looking for shoes as they seem to fit my weird (narrow, high instep) feet.

This may actually be my fault. I haven't bought any boots or shoes for ages. May take a trip to the nearest big town tomorrow and rectify this.

I can't see Accessorize lasting long. Cheap plastic handbags at leather prices and nasty jewellery.