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?

Primark Quality, BHS styling and Marks and Spencer's pricing. It's a total mystery why they are struggling. 🤷‍♀️

Not surprised, their quality has gone to the dogs. Same as M & S.

Why would you put a car showroom in there though? I mean really. What was the thought process there?

I used to love the styles of Next shoes in the 80s.
Come to think of it their clothes were original too. They didn't use cheap fabrics then either.

I agree with you OP, YANBU.

They are stuck in the past, do they still try to flog the brick of a directory for about 4 quid, who wants that nowadays, does anyone remember when the directory was really posh and had material swatches in it, someone at work used to bring it in and we all used to look through it.

The clothes are a bit Per Una with all the frills and wonky hemlines and the only good thing about the Clearance section online is the half price Seasalt clothes which I bought from there, I did see the bit about a car showroom and thought WTF

Yanbu...there’s a big branch of Next close to where I live...it’s got a Paperchase and a cafe and what not. I’d willingly buy clothes from there except for the the fact that they are all absolutely revolting. The fabrics are nasty while the design element has lost the plot. You can’t pull out a single item that doesn’t feature some sort of a design monstrosity on it. If it’s not tasteless appliqué, it’s bits missing from clothes such as cold shoulder tops or backless t-shirts, or it’s those ghastly fake shirt collars and cuffs sewn to jumpers or whatever. All shit. That’s why they’re losing money. It’s pretty simple.

I disagree that the children's stuff is good.

I've got quite a few vouchers for next and still can't find anything that I would be happy for toddler DD to wear even if it doesn't cost me anything.

Last time I went in all the girls stuff was either really bizarre patterns that wouldn't go with anything else or covered in sequins, frills and/or fecking unicorns. The most ridiculous thing I saw was a turtle neck in the baby/toddler range, who on earth is going to squeeze a toddler into a turtle neck!!

Looks like the voucher will be going on socks for the whole family instead.

When I think of Next clothes, I think of ‘workwear’ consisting of ill-fitting polyester black trousers and a frumpy nylon top in a sort of cream and black swirly pattern. It’s just the image I have and it’s not a good one.

This in spades. Frump wear. I get slightly offended when my mum buys stuff for me from there. Save your money!

Says a lot the last thing I got from Next was a funeral dress.

They are going the way Marks and Spencer went, trying to be everything to everyone. Online is a smorgasbord of clothing suppliers, Boden, Joules etc often more expensive than the brand's own website.

The shops are laid out okay, however, sizing & cut is way off- even between 2 items the same. If your size is available.

Everything has got a weirdness about it- random frill, bow or cut out. I got a pair of skinny jeans just before Christmas, only worn them couple of times and they are coming unstiched already. It's expensive.

Everything smells of coffee and greasy toasted sandwiches.

They used to be a reliable source of simple, well cut at a budget price, clothes. I went round one last week and there was nothing at all that appealed. Reminded me of the late, unlamented Littlewoods shops - - a sea of polyester. Who are theŷ aimed at ? X

Next sale clothes need binning end of story. Theyve been in the sale for at least 10 years.

I had a great suit from Next for many years. Wool that fitted well. It had really good petite clothing. Haven't bought women's clothes there for years. The cut is wrong for me and I'm not slim enough for their jeans. As with rest of high street frills all the way. I'm looking for new trousers and they have petite but not in any of the more interesting colours - normal has reds, greens etc - petite has black, blue and gray.

As I don't have children I don't go in. Haven't been into the large new one just opened at Metrocentre. It's taken over the BHS shop so it must be massive.

QueenlaBedfah

Primarj Quality, BHS styling and Marks and Spencer's pricing. It's a total mystery why they are struggling. 🤷‍♀️

Perfectly put!
I don’t shop in Next much because:
It’s all synthetic fabrics.
The clothes are a poor fit on me - too narrow at the shoulders.

They don’t stock anything in our shop for my 13 year old.
The petite section is tiny, in a huge shop. This is lunacy as I live in Scotland where most of us are short!
I Like their girls clothes, but they are often expensive for what they are.
The men’s clothes are shocking. I am not stylish, so this makes me worry that my choices from women’s might be in poor taste also!

awful clothes even when i was slimmer i only got trousers from there

Stop using the same designs - sleeveless blouses with silly ties hanging down from neckline , block print and so much suity work wear.
Oh and blouses with a patterned scarf they are the women's version of shirt and matching tie set.
Same patterns different design year in year out - like fat face and salt rock.

There are some good things from Next but I can only find the nice stuff online. Their signature shoes range is good as are their denim leggings and longline vests. Also good are their perfumes and make up range. I buy most of my jeans/ leggings etc from them.

Everytime I visit their stores I leave empty handed. I think the hole they could plug in the market is for the quality basics that The White Company used to sell in great fibres. Do that for half the price Next.

I like the kids stuff and homeware, but the clothes are rubbish. Having said that I did buy a nice pair of workout leggings the other day. Not cheap though.

Their chief acknowledges that they’ve lost their way with clothes, but they are still stuck in the floral, synthetic, frilly vibe and their sizing is somehow too big and too small at the same time.

Our local one is only a couple of years old. When I went past today they had illuminated signs advertising the sale. Unfortunately, there were unlit letters in all of the four signs. Shoddy! About sums them up really.

The clothes in store are horrid. I want to laugh when I see some of the stuff, synthetic and hideous. And I used to look up to Next as the place I would shop if I had money (although that was the early ninieties...)

And if you DO want to buy something you have to wait ages as staff seem to spend most of their time going backwards and forwards to the store-room to collect deliveries for other customers! They used to have a separate till area for collections but have cut their staff levels so much that the same staff have to do everything now. Drive

I do buy kids clothes from there but not much as it's overpriced and there isn't an awful lot that I like (lots of garish patterns). I like admiring their homeware but, again, too expensive. I wouldn't even consider looking at the womenswear, it's frumpy and not even slightly fashionable.

The whole thing is just dreadful. The lack of size options, the styles, the awful material, the poor quality of the construction (fit and finish are both just hopeless). And the experience of being in the shops is just tawdry. The fixtures and fitting are cheap stuff failing to look posh, and it's all just so banal. Like The Office was put in a blender and reconstituted into peasant tops and pretend wood floors.

Yes, they should/could concentrate on basics. Slip in and become what everyone wants M&S to be. Somewhere to get reliably sized, reasonable quality, mid price range basic stuff.

the experience of being in the shops is just tawdry.

I don't know if it's just me but i find next shops really hard to get through! Their racks seem quite high and there's never a clear route to the back. (The back is where the kids section is usually.) I find i'm frustrated before i even start looking at the clothes.

I don’t get next at all.

Clothes are like the clothes you get in Sainsburys. BUT triple the price. Average clothing premium prices. Same with the home ware.

The sales are always like some sweaty marketplace with people sitting on the floor sifting through bags and bags of crap, I have never seen this in any other shop when a sale is on. Some people have about 6 or 7 large plastic bags of stuff.