AIBU to think that Next shops need better ideas than this?

[CrazyDaze1]

I’ve been listening to the radio (the Ian Dale show on www.lbc.com) and they always have a finance/market report on ‘Drivetime’.

It was stated that ‘Next’ stores have had a poor financial outcome, losing 8% in sales. Apparently they have plans to revamp some of their stores, including having in-store cafes, barber shops and possibly even a car showroom!

I can imagine that no women at executive level suggested the latter two (do they even have women in top positions at Next?)....but honestly AIBU to think that all they need to do to increase their sales - and this seems to go for all retail clothing stores these days - is to to have clothes made from natural fibres and to get rid of all the acrylic and polyester fabrics?

YABU as not everyone wants just natural fibres, but YANBU about car showrooms and barbershops
Are they trying to appeal to men more do you think?

Next doesn't appeal because it is stuck in the 90s. Awful cuts, colours and patterns which are too expensive for what they are. They need a total redesign. Car showrooms are a ridiculous idea.

They are a clothing shop.

They need to get their clothing offering right not crap around with other ideas.

Ugh next drives me mad! Why is it that every next needs to have a Costa? Both of my local nexts have a costa upstairs and both are two doors down from another bloody costa! Their problem is that they aren't competitive enough with their prices IMO.

Jesus wept. Sort the clothing. Get new designers with a clue. Get the quality of the kids stuff back up. And ditch all the damn synthetic fabric. Who wants to sweat in polyester?

Next has now become (or always was) over-priced, cheap-looking clothes.

These new ideas sound awful. They're headed towards administration if they continue down this path.

Next doesn't appeal because 90% of their womens clothing looks like office wear. I see it as some kind of school wear shop for grown ups.

Next do brilliant kids clothes, but I'd never give the adults section a second glance.

I kind of like the idea of the cafe's, but cars and barbers....erm no.
I don't think it's so much about the natural fabrics (for me anyway) more that they are overpriced for what they are and I've very rarely found anything I like. I've bought their coats for my kids as they tend to be well made and warm, but their kids clothes are too expensive for everyday wear. Their sales are usually rubbish, and the online buying system, especially on sale items, is very annoying.

We don't need more cafes.

I can't see the car showroom working - what sort of person would go to Next to buy work trousers and come home with a Ford Fiesta instead?

I think the one in manchester has a prosecci bar. Would tempt me more than a Costa.

I used to love Next but now only the work wear really takes my fancy.

Next is awful. Every single thing has the same issues: wrong fabric, wrong cut, wrong colour.

It is hideous for th price. Every time I go in there I just imagine it all in landfill within the next year.

Next need to sort their dated clothes out first, I’d never shop in there it’s like a 90s officewear throwback & dull at that

Our local one has just been revamped, with a costa, a barber, a flower shop, an Italian restaurant and a Paperchase. The flower shop has a branch 5 mins away that sells the same flowers for 30% less (Next obvs thinks it's shoppers are stupid). The clothes are still shit. So I might get a coffee but I won't be buying anything with Next on the label.

The one in Manchester town centre Arndale Centre has a barbers shop which was empty whenever I have been in there.

Clothes used to be nice (about 30 years ago).

Manchester Next has a barbers, Paperchase and Gino's as well as Costa.

Ours just has really poor availability of the sizes we need, both in women’s and children’s clothing. They’re not unusual sizes- 10 for me, 12-18 months for DS. We live a short walk away, so I’m usually happy to order to the store and collect another day, but I can imagine it would put a lot of people off.

Next originally had cafes in. I remember having hot choc with cream and choc sprinkles on for the first time in one 30 odd years ago. I thought I was well posh.

I don't think that would work now though as too many cafes on high street.

Would be nice if the clothes were all less 'samey'. Almost all the tops last summer were cold shoulder ones in gaudy prints. Yuck.

I really don't think the majority of the public gaf about natural / synthetic fibres.

Hi Birds, we must live in the same area.

Love the kids’ stuff, love the home stuff but find it way overpriced for the quality. Usually find something decent in the ladies’ clothes section and then remember that the small sizes tend to be cut on the large side and don’t fit.

It's like a 90s office wear throwback and dull at that

I used to get some of my office wear from there back in the 90s. I hated it even then!

The one I went to yesterday had a Patisserie Valerie in the middle of the Home section.

AIBU to think that all they need to do to increase their sales - and this seems to go for all retail clothing stores these days - is to to have clothes made from natural fibres and to get rid of all the acrylic and polyester fabrics?

Nice clothes mind, but YES! Bloody sick of man made fibres.

YES I agree YANBU, to be clear