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

[OhDeari]

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?

I love Aldi and Lidl and can confirm that my local ones don't smell

LUSH because of how they treated the Police the other year. Absolutely scummy company in many respects.

Lush did not have an anti Police campaign generally. It was against certain police who pretended to have relationships/marriages with activists and even had kids with them etc. These women now feel they cant trust again because they have been deceived that badly.

Well someone should have had a word with the window dressers because it looked pretty fucking anti police to me and that's what people saw as they walked past. We don't all have the time or inclination to Google the details of whatever woke ass campaign a particular business is choosing to publicise at any given time for reasons best known to themselves. If I see police tape and luridly hostile and violent messages and images in a shop window my take home from that is that the commercial entity is using its visible presence to tell me it doesn't like the police and by extension to a degree invite my tacit agreement with that if I see it on my high street and don't object.

@Boysey45

I know what the campaign was supposed to be about but they put a uniformed officer in the window with derogatory slogans so it came across that they were having a go at all Police officers not just the under cover ones that the campaign was about.

Also, lots of mentions for Primark here when their suppliers are significantly better than many more higher priced high street chains in terms of conditions and contract rights plus they have been using paper bags for years rather than continuing to use plastic bags but just charging people for them.

Most high street shops, the majority are shite.

Lush. The smell makes me feel sick.

Currys.

They really don't want like to deal with after sales problems in my own personal experience.

Lush, smells wonderful but the instant nausea inducing headache isn't worth it.

Hollister, took me ages to convince OH that there wasn't a power cut!
Debenhams Norwich, like a disorganised market stall, except the market is much better.
Lush, never been in but I wish they would keep the door shut and the smell in.
Any shop that in Summer crows 'We have air conditioning' but keeps the doors wide open.

Amazon; decimating the high street, contributing hardly anything in taxes, full of fake reviews and cheap tat

Was that regarding the undercover cops sexually exploiting the people they were sent to investigate @Goodnightseamer? Why the fuck shouldn't there be a campaign against that? The police are as fallible as anyone else. Certainly not above the law they're supposed to enforce. I hate the blind alliegence anyone in a uniform provokes in some people. It's only because the people they were investigating were white MC that the story broke at all. Their treatment of people of colour is another matter entirely.

Never been in a Lidl (there just isn't one near us). However I've been in a rew branches of Aldi & they all smelled completely normal, no particular smell at all.

Fulton's foods, OTOH... I've been in a couple of those & they all seem to have a weird stale smell, like something a bit gone off. Very strange & offputting. I assume it must be all the freezers (but maybe not, as Iceland doesn't smell like that).

OMG curry’s. Never again. Never ever will I buy anything from them again. Worst shopping experience of my life with disinterested and uninformed staff coupled with a labyrinthine complaintsvprocess. Hate.

Any supermarkets that allows children to sit in the trolley while parents push it around. They have dirty shoes on/nappies and I think it's just gross that you have to put food in that then sits in your fridge. Trolleys 🛒 must be pretty filthy as it is... I've never seen any one hosing them down. Surely I can't be the only person to hate this! They are trolley seats for young kids and anyone that doesn't fit in a seat is old enough to walk surely!!

From now on, M and S because of their policy of welcoming men into women’s underwear fitting rooms.

Next because of their pro- Brexit stance - used to be a fairly frequent shopper there.

Primark gives me a migraine, it’s too bright and loud.

Have had very poor customer service in Curry’s.

Next are probrexit?

Oooh Like M&S, Primark also allow men to change alongside girls.

Marks and Spencer because they closed all the shops near where i live.

Oasis, because of that horrible perfume they pump through it. Oh and the polyester clothes!!

Wetherspoons - the owners pro brexit activities are nauseating.

Hobbycraft - after a recent incident where staff refused to sell me specialist spray paint (age limit is 16) because I didn't have ID. I'm in my late 20s. It was cheaper online anyway.

One particular branch of Tesco Extra, because the staff are awful. I was once told off by a member of staff for standing on the bottom shelf to reach something - my response was that if fully grown adults can't reach the top shelf, they need to modify their shelving, not treat customers like naughty school children (and no, I don't have the time or patience to source a member of staff every time I want something from the top shelf).

I've also been known to walk away from transactions, because they don't take cards and I don't have cash (no excuses for being too small - an iZettle machine is £19 upfront + 1.75% fees - and from experience in my own business I couldn't afford not to have it due to lost sales). Likewise, places that don't allow dogs when I've got mine with me.

I also boycotted The Range well into my 20s because they had a policy of not allowing in unaccompanied under 16s, and I was booted out along with some friends aged about 14, despite being perfectly well behaved!

Aldi/Lidl

Shitholes and shit food.

I don't find our Aldi has shit food but then I don't buy the shit processed gack from any supermarket.
Iceland isn't a place I shop in but can see why people who don't cook go there to buy food to reheat.

Wetherspoons is as grim as the owner so that’s on the avoid list.

Lush stores tend to be cramped and the staff are trained to pounce on you as soon as you step one foot into the store. I can’t be arsed with it, I just want to shop in peace.

Primark is too chaotic, I only go in there if I’m desperate which is almost never. It’s like a jumble sale and the quality of the clothing is naff too.

I generally avoid Greggs because I worked there a few years ago when I was a student and it was the worst place I have ever worked. I just feel sorry for the staff, especially at the weekend.

Also you will probably notice Greggs staff almost never smile. There’s a reason for that.