Oasis/warehouse going under- end of the high street?

[littleblackdress04]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52285231

Am actually gutted as they are my favourite clothes shops - aibu to think this is going to be the end of the highstreet? Can’t imagine Dorothy Perkins/ new look etc are far behind them. The end of fast fashion is no bad thing but it’s really shocking too

This doesn’t spell the end of the high street. It’s exactly the same as Debenhams going under - two more businesses that just weren’t fit for purpose.
Both Warehouse and Oasis had huge issues with in-store stock levels meaning you had to order online, pay for delivery, and fuss about with returns. Often ordering multiple sizes due to inconsistent sizing. So much easier - and cheaper - to go to H and M or Primark.
I do feel sorry for the staff losing their jobs - although my personal experience of in-store surly disinterested assistants suggests they weren’t happy places to work.
Cath Kidston - another store that couldn’t seem to stock the products that people actually wanted to buy. Seemed to perversely discontinue anything that was desirable.

I'm gutted to hear this. Years ago I went into an Oasis store while out on a day trip and I loved their clothes so much I ended up working for them. After leaving I remained a very loyal customer and even now most of the clothes I wear from there. But, I'm not surprised. My local branch closed just after Christmas. I don't know whether to buy loads of stuff on line now while I can? Will it be delivered? If it doesn't fit I guess I won't be able to return it?

Oasis has been trading online for the last few years, that's why they are still around when the actual shops have closed.

I have a lot of stuff from there. All washes well and sizes are just right. Their style really suits me too and jeans are great quality. I do tend to wait for offers/sales though as they are expensive.

H&M and Zara have always been shit quality and you cannot compare them.

I bought a couple of Oasis cardigans and they both shrunk so I was glad I only paid Next clearance prices, they certainly weren’t worth the original price.

I wish it were Primark going under. Horrible business

The high street is being culled. If we are ever going to be allowed out of our caves there will be some sales and then closures. Is it the end of the high street? No, but it will typically be a bit emptier and in some places desolated. There are only so many hairdressers, nail bars and charity shops to fill the void?

Decisive government action , through local government, can help to reconfigure high streets. Managed contraction to a sustainable size with services that it would be helpful to have there can be encouraged and thought given to the advantages online delivery has over the smaller fixed location. It hasn't happened much in recent years, but we have seen what can be done in getting rough sleepers off the streets and writing off NHS debt, so you never know, there might be some hope.

Warehouse was the shop of my youth. The black stretchy trousers and crop tops were my signature look. Sad times 😞

Hopeclearwater so am I, it doesn't mean I have to wear the seasalt / joules uniform

Well that probably explains why in the last couple of months I've purchased about 15 jumpers from Warehouse for under £200.

And I can't remember the last time I went shopping into an actual store... ASOS is my go to online store.

I'm sad about warehouse as I love the quality of their jumpers, they wash really well & some I've had years & they still look in fab condition when they are washed with care

Oasis - I've never bought anything from there, found it all too dated.

But primark do very well and are genuinely high street (no online merchandising platform at all). Because actually wages are pretty low compared to cost of living and this is what people can afford to buy.

Neither shop did a tall range. I loved some Warehouse dresses,but could never buy any due to being tall. Never got why they wouldn't do that.

With Debenhams gone, our town centre going to be deader than ever. Practically ghost town with £1 stores crawling out of every nook and cranny.☹️

I’ll be completely honest, I had no idea either of those shops were still going. I haven’t bought anything from there or from places like Dorothy Perkins for at least a decade.

Umnoway, same here. Shopped in all of the high street stores in the 90s / 00s, but now I tend to hit TK Maxx / charity shops / designer outlet. The problem is that anyone over 40 has moved on, and younger women shop online / at newer brands. There was no clear market for Oasis / Warehouse / DP etc...
You have to pay a premium for quality these days (I bought a Zara coat six months ago that’s gone in the bin, too wrecked to donate. Never again!), whereas there used to be good stuff that was worth the price. Anyone who used to shop in these stores won’t downgrade to polyester tat...

@Cattenberg - try Hell Bunny for 40s tea dresses. A bit pricier than Lindy Bop but they tend to have a lot of sales.

People moan about primark being shit quality but to be honest, it seems about the same standard as many high street shops. I've had primark leggings and tees that have lasted as well as M&S stuff. It all comes from the same place anyway.

The clothes are just massively overpriced and not current enough. Boring, samey etc
The ones near me are a constant jumble sale of reductions

I cannot get why people buy clothes online I can’t stand all the messing about with returns and it’s impossible to gauge fit and quality online

Can't find anything they want to try on in store is the main reason I expect.

Most recent clothes purchases have been online for nursing clothes (barely stocked in stores).

Have had very little success even travelling to big shopping destinations looking for what I want. I'm an hourglass 12/14 which means high fashion and copies are useless, M&S is frumpy and matronly and there's the odd piece that suits me...

There's very little in the shops I'd even bother to try on so why travel to browse. Most of my staples come from the supermarket as if it's a compromise it might as well be a cheap compromise! Fabrics haven't felt much better when I have been shopping in "better" shops and I find cheaper trousers much more hard wearing than "good" fabrics- no thigh gap!

I really liked Oasis, especially because they did dresses in longer length. Is anywhere else vaguely similar?

I don't like oasis but I get lots of stuff from warehouse. It's a shame

Such a Shane as these were huge brands in the 90s but as a pp said, we all grew up and tastes, needs, disposable cash changed. Today’s youth go to boo hoo etc, fast cheap fashion
My worry on the high street that now I’m plus size the choices are even more limited and the quality is often poor
Something needs to change or there will be no high street left

Asos is becoming my go to online store as well. Their own brand stuff is good quality.

I always liked Oasis from the late 90s as I reached adulthood. The problem is that through my 30s, I just have little need for new clothes. I still fit in clothes from 20 years ago and they haven't dated heavily and were well made, so I tend to just replace worn out staples, often from the supermarkets. I just need comfortable clothes for the school run/ house. I rarely wear anything fancy for going out and my work wardrobe is currently mothballed.

If I do need something, I don't want to piss about with ordering umpteen sizes before concluding they are all a crap fit and having to make time to package them and post them around. I want to go into an attractive shop, find things I like and try them on.

The middle market seems to have died in the last 15 years for just about anything. It's either cheap, cheerful and has the lifespan of a washing up sponge, or is crazy money and a serious investment. No middle ground.

I cannot get why people buy clothes online I can’t stand all the messing about with returns and it’s impossible to gauge fit and quality online

With ASOS, I can order it and receive it at my home the next day if I order before 8pm for £9.95 a year. I can try the clothes on at home and in different lightings vs being inside a fitting room. I don’t have to try to make it to a shop that shuts at 5/5:30pm with kids in tow or go on the weekends where it’s usually crowded. I can also ship it back free using Royal Mail vs having to trek it back to the shop where again I would have to make time to return it. It has more brands and variety than most high street shops (some that I can’t get without going to London) with ranges for petite and tall. I’m not petite nor tall, but I like being able to purchase a maxi dress in petite because it doesn’t drag on the floor. I can also use klarna vs using my debit card. They also show video of models walking in the clothes and the shoes as well as a description of the fit, material, height of the model etc..

Even Endource (another online company) I can schedule a free collection to pick up my returns.

I'm devastated (alright, mildly sad). Nearly all my wardrobe is Oasis and I love my clothes. I don't find them boring or samey at all and I always felt good wearing them. Got compliments too! To be fair though, I always bought in the sales so if I'm typical of their customer then that's why they have not survived. I think it's OK to be sad when our favourite brands stop producing something; having other people comment things about all their clothes being shit etc just makes me feel a bit worse. There clearly is still a market for differing tastes. I hope the staff find rewarding jobs elsewhere.