To wonder how clothing retail is ever going to recover....

[Loveden]

.... while the changing rooms are all closed?

So today I visited a large shopping mall with my teenage DD. While it wasn't the main purpose of the trip, neither of us have had any new clothes since lockdown so we also looked in a lot of the fashion stores, and saw loads of things we quite liked - BUT all the changing rooms were closed so we couldn't try anything on.
Given that the shopping mall is around an hour from home and we're unlikely to be back any time soon, returning any unwanted items would be a round trip of c.80miles - so despite money in our pockets to be spent, we didn't buy a thing.
(The only alternative would have been to buy the items, try them in on the mall's public toilets and then return them there and then if they were no good. But that wouldn't be very hygienic either!)

AIBU to think the policy of closed changing rooms is going to do more harm than good?

[PS Can anyone actually explain why they're still closed? If I wear a mask and gel my hands when I enter the store, what is going to happen if I try something on, that won't happen if it pick it off the rails, finger the fabric and hold it up against me? Is another just another one of these Covid "rules" which make no sense in the real world?]

Meant to add, it was scary and I won't be going shopping again for a while. Only went today because I needed to. That's worrying for the high street.

50% of people are outraged by the safety measures in place or find them so intolerable that they don't want to go shopping - reduced staff behind counters so longer queues, closed changing rooms, discouraging paper receipts, masks, being treated 'like a leper'.

50% of people are outraged that no one is enforcing social distancing or masks, retail staff not wearing masks, it's too busy, it doesn't feel safe.

I'm sure retailers are trying to tread a fine line between staff and customer safety, and welcoming the customers they need in order to survive all of this.

I'm sure they know that some measures are putting customers off but can't abandon those measures without risking staff and customer safety.

I went to a city for the first time yesterday and the whole experience left me thoroughly depressed. So many shops closed down and in those that were open there was the horrible feeling of being an inconvenience for being there - some places wanted you to queue to go in but it wasn’t made clear so then you got told off, there’s no consistency about what you should and shouldn’t be doing, no changing rooms, lack of stock (supply issues I assume) and unfortunately although I wore a mask all through because I’m not a dick it made the whole experience even more uncomfortable.

I really feel for the staff as I’m sure they’re only doing what they’re asked and it can’t be a nice environment to be in (probably rubbish money too). But I for one will be sticking to online or local stores for the foreseeable future and I’m sure I’m not alone.

The high street was on its arse before the virus, I dread to think what’s going to happen now 🙁

Luckily I live near my local shopping centre so going home to try things on isn't too much of a pain. Only problem is, my email address was clearly typed in wrong in one shop, so I haven't received the e-receipt and will now have fun trying to return the item 😖

I went into TK Max yesterday. Lady at the door explained their rules and said I couldn't try anything on. I did find a coat I liked but I didn't buy it because I wanted to see what it looked like on me. I don't understand why I'm allowed to pick up a coat, check the zip, hold the sleeves and feel the fabric yet I can't put my arms in it?

I think the problem is that the govt guidelines are exactly that - guidelines and they're open to interpretation...
So some shops may be happy to have fitting rooms available, others not so happy.

Was the same when hairdressers opened - some insisted that you had to have your hair washed in the salon, others allowed clients to come in with hair wet that had been washed at home.
No consistency is the most frustrating thing, I find.

We live 30 miles from nearest big town. Took my dd's last week. Was awful hated every minute of it. & won't be doing it again.
Saying that my teen has adapted to new way of shopping really well. & it's not a big deal for her at all

@Izzabellasasperella

I went into TK Max yesterday. Lady at the door explained their rules and said I couldn't try anything on. I did find a coat I liked but I didn't buy it because I wanted to see what it looked like on me. I don't understand why I'm allowed to pick up a coat, check the zip, hold the sleeves and feel the fabric yet I can't put my arms in it?

I think it probably comes down to not having the staffing to clean the fitting room after every customer.

And if they say it's ok to try stuff on on the shop floor, you know some people would take the piss or you could potentially have several groups blocking aisles while they 'just try a few things on.'

So, to avoid misinterpretation, it's a blanket ban - you can't try stuff on.

We tried Next: fitting rooms closed. Returning clothes is a 45 min round trip, plus potential queuing time, so I shan't be doing that very often.

OTOH, two retro shops we've been into recently just ask you return stuff you've tried on the cashier for quarantine. I spent £45 on something I wouldn't have bought otherwise.

I expect Next get more customers than the independent retro shops.

Plus staff in small independent shops are more invested in keeping the shop afloat, the owner might be on the shop floor.

I really don't think they'd be closing fitting rooms unless they felt that they had to, they'll be well aware of how much it's impacting footfall and sales.

@HoratiotheHorsefly

All this moaning.

Someone upthread has stated what they think might be the reason and they're correct. Lots of stores have made redundancies or still have staff furloughed, they can't afford to bring more staff back if the money isn't coming in to pay their wages, so who's going to manage the fitting rooms?

People taking 10 items into a fitting room and only buying 1 means that's 9 items that will need to be quarantined. Now times that by 100 customers. That's going to require extra staff members to manage a changing room properly and an awful lot of stock off the floor.

When people buy say 4 items in store and return three, it's usually done on different days so you won't have as much stock off the shop floor. Don't forget that supply chains have been disrupted hence stores having Avery light amount of stock.

Saying "just open the fitting rooms" is not quite a simple as it seems.

In that case I'd just buy the 10 items, try them on elsewhere and return the 9 I didn't want so they'll still have to quarantine them. I don't care if it means they don't have stock on the shop floor, I'm not making more visits than I have to (at my cost as I have to pay for parking each time) just because I can't try anything on

Most people wouldn't though. Customers are generally more selective when buying items and carrying them home than they are when they take them into the fitting room. They're also more likely to keep an item that isn't 100% right if they've taken it home. The business can also cope better with quarantining items you've tried on at home and returned, and don't have to worry about cleaning the fitting rooms.

Yes shopping is pants right now .

However , do you all want their not to be any high street at all ?

I think back to when I was a teenager and spent many a happy Saturday afternoon in town with my friends . Ours may not experience this , but maybe that’s so bad ?

If the high street disappears and we are left with supermarkets and chemists etc - that will be awful .

Where I live on a Saturday loads of women and families come into the city centre to shop, have lunch etc

Not going to the high street will have a knock on affect to lots of things we do in the free time . For some people going into town maybe the only human interaction they get .

I for one would be sad . I miss the high street of my child hood .

@Snog

Have other countries closed their changing rooms too does anyone know?

Personally I can't see any point in shops being open if you can't try things on and can't touch things.

I'm usually excited to buy some new autumn gear but not this year, I think I will make do with what I already have.

I did post upthread, but yes our fitting rooms are open to use...

BUT...

Not in 'international' stores. By this I mean the H&M's, Zara etc. All our normal stores which include department stores and clothing stores have the fitting rooms open.

They were closed during our highest level of lockdown (5) but then again most of those stores were not open for full sales anyway.

So many people whingeing about the changing rooms - not going to bother shopping if they can't try things on - I hope these same people are developing a few new interests or hobbies because if shopping is removed from our daily or weekly habits you need something else to fill that time......... oh, of course, there's Netflix

There's no need to be so judgemental MistressMounthaven

Bully for you that you are a standard size without awkward feet

Nowt wrong with Netflix, more enjoyable than trailing round the shops

I haven't been near a changing room in years. I just buy online. I don't see how lack of changing rooms will damage the industry.

There are some of us who still prefer to go shopping in actual shops and see and feel the clothes we want to buy, and want to try them on @Redwinestillfine.

We aren't all a standard shape and size

I was on Sheffield city centre on Sunday. It was quiet and calm. I didn't have to queue anywhere, and everyone was polite and considerate. Meadowhall car parks were rammed when I drove past, so I knew I had made the right decision.

I would far rather shop like this than queue for ages in our pokey post office to return clothes that don't fit.

I also just buy online from the same shops that I would shop on the high street so they are still getting my money, probably more of it as the stock levels and size choices are often lacking in shops.

I’m not a standard size either as I am tall and tall clothes disappeared from the high street long ago so some of us have never really had the luxury of going into shops to buy clothes.

It'll do the planet a lot of good if it doesn't revive. The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter after the oil industry.

And what will happen to the millions of people employed by this industry, dependant on their wages to live? People really need to think this stuff through.

I don’t bother anymore. I just buy online. It’s too much of a pain.

@enyemaka are you really suggesting it's ok for the fashion industry to go on polluting just so we can have fast fashion? Maybe the excess shop workers could retrain and work to supply goods and services that we actually need? Or should we bring back bear baiting and empire building because they also were great employers?

They’re not all closed are they? I was in town on Saturday and I’m sure John Lewis or Bentalls has their changing rooms open. They advertised it as such.