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?

It's not the fabric, or the Costa as far as I'm concerned. It's the. Lordy fashion. I agree with other posters, it's the designs, they haven't changed in 20 plus years. Same shapes, same design, same cut, boring and dated.

*lordy fashion? Bloody fashion!

YANBU, a clothing/home store selling haircuts and cars....???? but that seems to be the way at the moment, shops thinking that the way forward is to do everything rather than doing one thing well.

I don't get Poundland now selling all sorts of stuff at different prices - the thing that made it unique "everything's a pound" is gone so now it's just...a shop, without anything unique about it all.

Agree with all the posters. Next should just read this thread and save money on paying people for stupid new ideas.

So much of their stuff is out of stock, delivery fees are too high & delivery is unreliable. I think you also have to have an account to order online which is a silly policy.

As others have said, too much shapeless synthetic tat. What I would like to see from Next & M&S (who are also constantly employing new people to rescue their clothing side) is good quality basic stuff that is fashionable but in a classic way - e.g. some basic soft wool jumpers in a good range of plain colours, not £15 acrylic jumpers in dayglo green that will last 3 months if you can bear to wear them that long. And good quality, well fitting t shirts, underwear, trousers, etc. It's so hard to get things like this - shops seem to focus on clothes being quirky, bright, 'ditsy', etc rather than wearable.

The kids' clothes are ok quality but need more plain stuff rather than all the sequins, prints, bright colours, diggers and comedy/cute slogans. And why the huge age ranges for many of the kids' clothes? There's no way most 16 year olds would want to wear something that is also available in age 4. Here's a classic example: www.next.co.uk/xo71034s12#180245 - my 16 year old would die of shame wearing a top with 'cute but crazy' written across the chest and knowing she might bump into a 3 year old wearing exactly the same thing.

The other thing that used to put me off their kids' tops was that so many of them came in packs of 3 or 5 when I only wanted 1. They should do the mix and match 3 for 2 offers that H&M do.

The sales are a mess - they clearly keep clothes for years and bring out all the old tat twice a year and turn the shops into jumble sales.

On the other hand, they do tall and petite - hopefully those won't be axed as part of their restructuring. I don't mind them having Costa branches, and the staff are generally very friendly.

Yes Laiste! It's just an all round unpleasant experience. I've hated it since my mum used to drag us there for the sales. If I didn't want to buy the crap clothes when they were full priced and looked okish I certainly don't want them after they've been pawed over by a million bargain hunters.

The only time I ever bought clothes from them was when I had a shitty temp to perm job in a posh office with a strict dress code. All the people on decent money looked beautiful in their sharp suits and I could just about afford those pretend shirt-under-jumper things with something passing for tailored trousers/suit. But they do that sort of thing in Primarni for half the price now, and I didn't even want those clothes, so I wouldn't have paid more than I had to for them back then.

good quality basic stuff that is fashionable but in a classic way - e.g. some basic soft wool jumpers in a good range of plain colours

Another really good point if you're listening, Next development people. I would cheerfully pay good money for proper superwash wool jumpers/cardies in a range of colours that were a couple of classic styles - a nice v neck, polos, round options. Even Gap doesn't do these well anymore because they always do something ~fashion~ to them.

M&S do these but only in cashmere at vast expense. I like cashmere, but a similar range in serviceable wool would be better.

Hermione, you need Arket or J Crew. A bit more expensive (not compared to cashmere though), but my best cardigans are from these two places.

Ours has an instore Costa.

I've had a £30 giftcard since Christmas which I struggled to spend, gave it my son for aftershave. Next lost their way years ago, cheap, gaudy fabrics, slogan mania and those baggy tops with an elasticated bottom are a particular horror! Even the dependable homeware has gone all naff.

I remember feeling so excited went I first visited their tiny shop in Manchester back in the eighties, everything was so fresh, well cut and stylish. Others do cheap looking clothing far cheaper so they really need to go back to how they were.

They have so lost their way. I read a few years ago they don't make their profit through selling clothes per se, but through the interest on the Next Directory Account, with people not paying it off in full every month and having to pay interest.

We have two in my town close by. Ridiculous..... cut it down to one.

Why it needs a Costa & Paperchase within the huge store is beyond me

Next used to have cafes in them years back. I used to work in one. I remember thinking the food was very expensive.

Our Next had a fabulous cafe when it opened in the 80s. I was sad when they closed it.

I’d quite like room to move around in the stores now.

I had a look last week. All I wanted was a top thay coveref my ass. Being 5foot 3 not impossible ask. But nope, zero, nothing.

One top liked had two tram
Lines of (what’s tencically fashion term for holes?) right across bra line. So either have bra on show or wear a top under your top. Great. Thanks.

In big Next stores back in the late 80s they had coffee bars with high stools. I remember being informed that an espresso was a small black coffee, did I mean the milky frothy one? Er, no.

They sell shite clothes for more than they are worth. Badly fitting polyester. I do, however, have the kudos of once spending the night with a guy from the very first next catalogue.

We have a Starbucks in ours, not a Costa. They are keeping their options open obviously!

I don’t mind the jeans and shoes but still rarely buy anything there, mainly because nothing fits me.

I have a small waist and hips and chunkier arms and thighs and everything there is cut the opposite. If I try on something it’s usually too tight on the limbs and drowns me everywhere else. They used to fit fine, I bought suits for work in there many a time but they have completely changed the cut.

Plus it’s usually garish old lady crap these days.

Purplegreen99 (On laptop can't italicise sorry) Next do lovely 2 for x amount, 3 for £15 children's dresses, leggings and tops and the quality is fantastic, they wash and wear excellently and are passed on to friends in great condition. Presumably the children's range extends to age 16 now due to supersized children? It also means I can buy the odd matching item for DD (4) and I (38) (Bit sad I know).
Their children's wear is on the whole very good. I also rate their bum shaping jeans (bootleg for me i'm afraid). Their children's cashmere is lovely especially if you pick it all up in the sale using their refer a friend money off online shopping deal! The girls' coats with fur collars are beautiful and seem to grow with my child.
But sod all that, I have come up with a bloody excellent Next Revival Plan; Screw coffee, cars and barbers and set up an instore glamp-site. The manic Next sale (mentalists) queuers would LOVE it and they could utilise it for other stuff too I am sure? Shopping mini breaks? Clothesfest Festival? Obviously the stock would need to be desirable though or all a bit pointless as is the coffee/car/barber plan and I do agree re. natural fabrics. I am like a sweating pig if I go man made so switch between high end high street/low end designer (why thank you Brandalley!) and charity shops.
NB. If you utilise my ingenious idea Next I am happy to take payment in children's clothing and bum lifting jeans please? You're welcome.

They need to look back to the 1980s and do that again

Next do lovely kids clothes and their Home stuff can be quite nice (and Menswear is ok) but the Womenswear is so overpriced and frumpy.

I like some of the trousers but I gave up when they stopped stocking extra long in store. Rows and rows of sizes except extra long.
They are too expensive and dull. I prefer Apricot.

I can quite believe they make their money on the Directory account, the interest rate is 22.9%, I rarely use mine apart for the odd tall item or Seasalt clearance items and always pay off in full, I do have a high limit on mine of 5K so imagine the interest on that if I kept spending and only paid off the minimum. They encourage people to take their credit account and make it one of the criteria for the VIP sale.

Oh my goodness that catalogue! They sent me a set of 2 last year which I didn't ask for and didn't want. They made a big thing about them being "free" (oooh what a treat) and then I had to walk them down to a public bin to get rid of them as they just tore straight through rubbish/recycling bags. It's just madness. They will go under and deservedly so.

Just googled their women's clothes, and yes, how boring. Dull colours, too-safe cuts and the who!e thing looks more like M and S than anything cutting-edge. I didn't realise they had lost their way so much. Typical of a once successful brand who just rested on their laurels.

The catalogue is like a brick, I always feel sorry for our poor Hermes courier who has to lug them around, I cancelled all my catalogues including the free ones.

Its like Prezzo closing restaurants. Every time I've been there I have had appallingly slow service so I vowed never to go back there again. I'm really amazed that big companies seem to have no clue why they start to do badly when it's blindingly obvious to their (former) customers.