To feel so sorry for all the staff losing their jobs, but Cath Kidston was a load of over priced wank.

[blubberball]

Just read that Cath Kidston won't be opening up again after the lock down. My sympathies are with the people who will now be out of a job, but I really didn't get it.

I got a red coolbag with white spots from there, easily 15 years ago, and it’s like new. It’s seen us through many holidays and my grown-up kids refer to it as ‘the holiday bag.’

But the brand was never going to last forever. I hadn’t been in for two years. Tastes change. I’m rarely surprised when a shop goes under.

The staff in the York branch were always so lovely. What a shame for them.

@Sadie789 that's exactly what I thought.

I think they were very niche for the yummy mummies who don't really exist anymore and they don't seem to have altered their offering in two decades.

My friends are either working class (where I live) or professional (where I work). I have very rarely seen anything from Cath Kidson IRL, the bags etc almost look like toys to me.

Shame for the employees. It's never nice to hear of people losing their jobs. But I guess online only is the way lots of companies will go. We've asked for it so can't really complain.

I'm not a flowery person at all but do love their London prints. I'm a sucker for anything London related.

A bit like Orla Kiely, it was very ‘of its time’. The bags didn’t age well, and they were ripped off too much by cheaper brands and knock offs and began to feel cheap too. I still think a lot of her prints are lovely, I’m a sucker for a floral (although admittedly wouldn’t wear them). Find me a wash bag that beats the CK large ones, which I think they stopped selling actually, because I really need one!

They made a business error and expanded too fast and too widely
They have a very certain target market , and they ignored that when they opened their shops

Poor decision making by the investor

It’s as always awful for the retail staff , but business wise ..... that’s life surely ?

Agree on both counts, OP. Sorry for the staff, not sorry about the tat.

It would be good if the outcome of this crisis were that we stop producing and selling so much tat and new jobs are created in a more sustainable economy.

I don't like what they did more recently - the awful Disney stuff and things with postboxes or Big Ben. But when they started 15 or 20 years ago the stuff was great. We have a fabulous 100% cotton bedding set like the photo - Hippy Flowers print - which has been going strong for at least 15 years and is lovely quality. I really like their cross-body messenger bags in oilcloth, I had a red spot one and now have a blue spot one.

Not all the florals are my taste but the older ranges of homeware and bags were and I'll miss them. They offered something a bit different from what everyone else was doing.

I was a huge fan about 15 years ago. Then the shops were small and I remember the one in Bath was inside an antiques emporium. It was quirky and new. Cath sold it on a few years ago and that’s when it became different imo. I still love the prints and have a lot of it in my home. My kitchen is based on one of her prints. My favourite print is the cowboy. It’s not all flowers.

I think a lot of companies which fold now were going to be knocked overby the next storm anyway. Cath Kidston was probably nearing the end of its natural lifespan in its current form anyway.

High streets have been on the slide for a long time. The only big names on my high street have been Boots & Smiths for as long as I can remember. It is the small retailers I feel for but again I think many of them were only clinging on by their fingertips anyway.

The question which needs to be addressed is what is the high street for if most shopping is done online?

I quite liked the tweeness of it. Have been toying with the idea of a backpack for dd. Cant remember buying anything other than gifts though. I just didnt have that kind of money when it was v trendy.

Very sad for the staff but the company got too big their boots. Too many stores and the prices became ridiculous. I was, still am a fan so I'm sad but not surprised.

They never seemed to move with the times. Most retailers have buyers? Why did they not see changing tastes and adapt? The brand seemed stuck in the early naughties.

Definitely not all flowers, @DobbyTheHouseElk. DS's first "big boy" bedroom when he was about 3 had this wallpaper. Very nice it was too.

it was a bit of a one trick pony so it did well to last this long really. The stuff is great quality, but it never really changed, or not noticeably.

I had a couple of the fabric shoulder bags with the canvas straps. They were excellent quality and washed well - invaluable when my twins were tiny. I also gave MIL the knitting bags, my sewing box is from there are my 86 year old has their cross body bags. Good for the odd gift.

The thing is that twee 50s homespun look, along with cupcakes and bunting a bit old hat now. It was fun 15 years ago and maybe it will be again in another 15 years.

I’m not much of an online shopper, particularly for clothes, so this shift doesn’t please me at all.

I used to like it years ago, trends change.

I thought it had started as a kitchen table business from a magazine article, had a authentic vintage English style and was under impression it was British made. My business advisor thought the same and told me to read CK's book (hadn't read it herself) to inspire me , haha it only can inspire if your family friends are the likes of Laura Ashley and Lulu Guinness. Safe to say mine aren't. Interesting but disappointing to learn for a company that plays heavily on Englishness it was all made in the far East apart from one line. It's been in the hands of venture capitalists for years.

The online business will continue for fans though.

I loved the first shop, back in the 90s. It was all a bit over priced and "my granny could have made that" IMO, but I did love it. Lately it's just been mass produced tatt. Some of it was nice tatt, I do love a floral, but it just felt like a souvenir shop at the seaside (I do love a souvenir shop, maybe CK ice lollies were the way to go)

used to like it years ago, trends change.

Maybe that's why I am still a fan of a lot of their stuff - I really don't care about trends.

It’s terrible, chintzy , crap.
I too feel sorry for the staff but don’t think the brand will be much missed

I quite liked it for some things- sewing baskets, pretty mugs etc. I wouldn't have worn any of the fashionable items as they were too 'kitch' for me- always thought that was where Kirsty Allsop got her inspiration- maybe she'll disappear as well? [lives in hope]

It’s the shops that are closing not the brand so it will still operate online. I’m sad for the people losing their jobs who worked in the shops.

I liked their bags. Other goods were overpriced.