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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if there's any shop you avoid for a particular reason?

539 replies

OhDeari · 30/10/2019 09:08

For me, it's Tescos.

Simple reason - I was on my way home from work last winter (office job, so well dressed) and popped into local large Tesco to pick up something. Was innocently wandering around when I got a tap on the shoulder - it appeared to be a staff member (so having my headphones in) didn't hear what he said, so just replied, 'No, I'm fine thanks'. He taps again and I took headphones out and he said 'We have a NO HOODS POLICY in the store'. I took my hood down but was secretly seething - FFS, it was sub zero outside and I'd just come inside.

So I'll do everything I can to avoid Tescos.

Any others?

OP posts:
BeanBag7 · 30/10/2019 12:26

New Look
When I was a teenager, New Look had reasonable quality clothes quite cheap. Now its poor quality clothes and more expensive.

Hollister or any other shop where it's too dark to see what colour the clothes are.

One KFC local to me where there is always some problem- run out of wraps, run out of straws, no ketchup etc.

ErrolTheDragon · 30/10/2019 12:27

Lush.
I have to take a deep breath and walk by quickly.

Ive no issues with perfumes in general, wtf is it they use that's so powerful it stinks up the street outside?

Yoohoo16 · 30/10/2019 12:27

House of Fraser.
I had a gift voucher they wouldn’t honour when it all went tits up.

jackparlabane · 30/10/2019 12:28

Carphone Warehouse for screwing up my number transfer so I lost the number I'd had for 10 years, just before giving birth and very ill. They eventually decided I was entitled to £10 compo.
Which they sent to my old address.
Five times, me asking for it to be sent to where I'd actually lived for 5 years, each time...

I like TKMaxx even though it's not real bargains any more. I want trousers, I go to the women's trouser section, look at the size 16 bit, and don't have to run round a huge store sifting through a zillion outfits.

SachaStark · 30/10/2019 12:31

I think with Lush it’s the overpowering sensation of a hundred strong scents all at once.

I don’t mind it when I’m running in to grab my preferred shampoo bar, but I cannot browse at all!

moominmammy · 30/10/2019 12:32

I hate lush, because migraines. Ì hate Primark and Poundland, because I'm a snob and expect to be pickpocketed. They literally have signs outside both of the ones in my town saying watch your purse! .

easyandy101 · 30/10/2019 12:32

For me, it's Tescos

Same and for the same reason. It didn't matter that i went in there every day and was only queuing for cigs

SistersOfPercy · 30/10/2019 12:32

Oh, forgot KFC and Pizza Hut, due to them no longer selling any drinks or juices that don't contain aspartame.

Sotiredbutcannotsleep · 30/10/2019 12:32

Topshop. The excessively loud music in there used to give me an ear-splitting headache -and that was when I was a teenager!

Nolie100 · 30/10/2019 12:33

@KeepYourCup

Exactly the same happened to my disabled brother at Aldi. Security Guard grabbed him by the shoulder for walking in with a loaf from bread he wanted to return for being out of date. Thankfully the till assistant remembered he had bought it only minutes ago. The Security Guard did not apologise.

Tequilamockinbird · 30/10/2019 12:34

Aldi. Never enough tills on, you need a couple of cans of red bull to pack your shopping as quick as they scan it, and they insist on stacking the shelves at peak times which means you can't get down half of the aisles.

Awful.

Pinkarsedfly · 30/10/2019 12:36

IKEA. It’s like entering the seventh circle of hell.

JaceLancs · 30/10/2019 12:37

Far too many to mention!
Just a selection:
Any charity shop that sorts clothes by colour
My local Asda because it always looks grubby
Fat face, Boden, joules etc - not my style
Garden centre near me who accused me of stealing a plant once (I couldn’t find anyone to serve at till after waiting 10-15 minutes left the money with a note by the till - as I had no change I’d even overpaid!) they chased me into car park and didn’t apologise even when I took them back to the till and pointed out the note and the cash

Hydrogenbeatsoxygen · 30/10/2019 12:39

Tesco, due to very poor customer service.

Terribleusername · 30/10/2019 12:41

Sephora. The assistants looked at me like I was dirt.

I haven’t been near a Clinque counter for over twenty years due to the attitude of the assistant towards me.

hiredandsqueak · 30/10/2019 12:43

I don't use our local co op because there is only ever one till open whilst the rest of the staff congregate in a corner to discuss their social life. It really annoys me that you end up in a long queue whilst there are up to five other staff members gossiping. If it was a one off I would have persevered but it was the same on the last three times I went there. I now walk twice as far to use the little independent shop and probably pay higher prices as well.

WhatchaMaCalllit · 30/10/2019 12:43

Benetton - I disagreed with an ad campaign that they ran in the past so I refuse to shop or wear any of their products.

spiderlight · 30/10/2019 12:44

Morrisons. Every one I've ever been into has smelt really strongly of fish.

DimensionalShambler · 30/10/2019 12:45

I didn’t realise Lush supported transgender rights and hunt saboteurs. I like my toiletries a bit more high-end but maybe I’ll have a look and see if they have anything useful so I can support them. Thanks for the info!

easyandy101 · 30/10/2019 12:46

Oh, forgot KFC and Pizza Hut, due to them no longer selling any drinks or juices that don't contain aspartame.

KFC sells full fat Pepsi, they just don't advertise it and charge you 20-30p extra on your meal price

Ursaminor · 30/10/2019 12:47

Sport Direct - awful owner / poor treatment of staff.

Subway - smell of their cheese permeates the whole of our small shopping centre so much that I hate going in there at all.

Dapplegrey · 30/10/2019 12:51

Lush - for reasons mentioned in thread.

keepingbees · 30/10/2019 12:57

I usually bypass Card Factory even when I want to go in. Bad layout and everything squashed in which means you can't look at anything properly and there's always a queue round the shop. They also go overboard at Christmas, you can get a Christmas card from the cat, dog, second cousin and cats mother, but you can't get a basic birthday card.
I avoid my local Dorothy Perkins as the staff and manager are really rude.
My high street M&S has now closed but I was followed round by their security guard when I was heavily pregnant and trying to find nursing bras and nightwear. He repeatedly stood a foot away from me whatever I stopped to look at. I walked out and never went back.
I've boycotted an independent charity shop that opened about 18 months ago near me. I supported it regularly until I heard the woman running it slagging off my DH when she didn't know I was in the shop.

Jupiters · 30/10/2019 12:59

Pretty sad that pp don’t like Lush because they support hunt sabs, hunting is illegal, don’t believe the BS it’s drag hunts, foxes are being hunted and killed every week. MN can be disappointingly naive
To be fair I didn't specify which of their ethics I disagreed with, it's wasn't actually this one...

Overthinker1988 · 30/10/2019 13:00

Iceland - bought some frozen stuff from there once and after taking it out of the oven it had all shrunk to half its original size. Tasted crap too. I also refuse to go to places like Farmfoods as it's just depressing. Don't mind Aldi or Lidl though.

Has anyone noticed that shops in general have gone downhill over the past 10-20 years? I remember years ago there used to always be a good selection of things, reasonable quality, and the shopping experience in general was fun. Now it feels like lots of shops are stuck in a time warp, the decor looks dated, the goods too (Next, M&S, Debenhams spring to mind) and there's a general dismal atmosphere of decline to the whole thing, like no one can be bothered. Maybe it's because high streets themselves are in decline?