To think Debenhams and WHSmith are the worst shops on the High St

[Shekinah1]

Read an article this week saying that the owner of JD is negotiating to buy the chain.

The article is paywalled (FT) but it’s speculates whether this is an attempt to revitalise or slim down the group or move it to an online store.
However I’m shocked that it has been able to keep going as a business.

Beyond the Standard department store makeup section it has nothing worthwhile to buy. The brands are usually dated and unfashionable. The shoe section is chaotic.

The bra section is ok but not as good as M&S and other places and then there is just the weird sweet stuff that seems to be randomly doted around the store. The cafe section always seems a bit dead of life. It’s sad because these stores have potential but it just seems like whoever has run Debenhams is stuck in 1991.

WHSmith is overpriced on stationary. It has morphed into this shop that excels in nothing. It’s book section is not as good as Waterstones with less range, it’s food and drinks (meal deal) is overpriced and not as good as the supermarkets and boots for that matter. The only thing it seems to excel in is huge bars of Galaxy and huge 1l bottles of water.

I’m sad staff in these chains might lose their jobs but really what are these two shops offering to the High st?

People keep saying the High St is dead but I disagree I think that once shops like these either reform and improve or disappear it will become a lot better.

I like Debenhams. The one in my town closed for covid and never reopened 🙁 I liked the kids clothes, especially in the sale, and the underwear and some of the women’s clothes. If John Lewis closes too my town will have very little left. What’s going on with house of Fraser? Thought they’d gone under ages ago, pre covid, but they still seemed to be open when I went in to town in October

Debenhams oxford st is great for shoes and has a great warehouse section.

I haven’t been in Debenhams since our local city centre invested in better public toilets..

I used to shop there for makeup etc in my late teens early twenties, but only because my bus stop home was outside it..

WH Smith’s, I only shop there in airports and train stations. But with online subscriptions and kindles I tend to only pop in if I am on train platform and fancy a can of pop or something now...

It’s a shame but I do buy physical books, but I enjoy the experience in Waterstones.. all my local smiths are grotty

I remember in the 1980s and 90s where I grew up there was nowhere to buy books or stationary other than WHS, so they had pretty much a monopoly on that. Everyone bought their folders, paper, dividers etc for school from there, ditto pens, pencils etc. Nowadays you can get all that cheaper from supermarkets, pound shops and Wilko/ Home Bargains. Books are all on Amazon, or again supermarkets and other retailers. The only thing I see people using WHS for is the post office. I got a gift card for there from a relative a few years ago and struggled to spend it, even though it was only £15.

Debenhams has sadly had its day, in fact it's been going downhill for at least 15 years. I bought a dress for Ascot in there about 10 years ago (on the 70% off rail) but I don't think I've bought from there since tbh.

Others I don't know how they are still in business - Rymans. I don't see they sell anything that can't be bought cheaper elsewhere.

They are dated but not the worst.

Sports Direct and Primark are a national shame.

Others I don't know how they are still in business - Rymans. I don't see they sell anything that can't be bought cheaper elsewhere.

Agreed, I'd love to know how they keep going.

W H Smith seems far too diverse for my liking. It used to be a good bookshop years ago if I remember rightly.

Nah, that's just nostalgia. It used to have an OK book shop occupying about half the space; if there was no Waterstones, Borders or basically any other bookshop in your town.

It's been at least 15 years since The Works was a better 'book shop' than Smith's.

I love Debenhams, agree with PP that the one on Oxford street is really good.

WH Smith though, agreed I have no idea how they are still going. Never my go-to for any of the stuff there, overpriced and more convenient to go to the supermarket 🤷‍♀️ Not even the Terry’s Chocolate orange for a quid at the checkout makes me want to go!!

Yanbu, both been shite for a decade or decades in the case of WH Smith. Both always really dusty too.

I'm still disgusted with WH Smith for selling Playboy stationery for children to take into school.

Wh Smith
As pp have said you could buy almost everything cheaper elsewhere
Cards - cheaper in supermarket, indie card shop, card factory, possibly Clinton's
Newspapers - same price everywhere
Stationery - cheaper in supermarket the works or wilkos
Printer ink - cheaper in supermarket or online
Toys - cheaper in supermarkets, toy shops, wilkos
Meal deals - cheaper in supermarkets and boots
Books - standard price but better selection in waterstones or (rare) indie bookshops.
And dont get me started on their fake offers. Surely no one has ever paid £25 for a pack of sharpie?
I think their only thing is more variety, and more obscure magazines, having the post office, and having a captive audience at service stations, mainline stations and airports. I'm equally bemused at Rymans still going (although a few of them also have post offices inside)
I have a soft spot for Debenhams as I started my first saturday job there but I feel they contradict themselves by having so called designer or high quality ranges, but a permanent sale. With Sports direct, you know it's cheap and (hopefully) cheerful.
Debenhams seems to want to portray a more quality type of shop with brands like clarins or clinique, and designers... but then undermines that by having sale upon sale.

Today I saw a snappy snaps open....
a) I had no idea they still existed at all and thought they must have closed down at least 10 years ago
b) what essential service are they offering (since 99% of people either store photos digitally or print from their phone) ?

Whsmiths is only good for two things. Latest Lego figures and magazine.

Everything else is overpriced and uninspired. Recycled parcel tape £4.99 I can get that much cheaper else where.
The books. They never have a good selection.
Diaries and calendars all overpriced.

I have a real issue with the layout of most WHSmiths I go in. No clear paths for buggies and wheelchair users. Our local one got better once post office was relocated there but the crap has crept back in!

@Fizbosshoes interesting about the photos.

The local photography shop that is only place you could get drivers licence or passport photos is closed but was willing to have photo emailed and collected by arrangement. Maybe snappy are doing that?

I like the mantaray clothes from Debenhams

Diaries and calendars all overpriced.

I (cheapskate that I am) usually wait, if I havent been given one for xmas, until mid january to get a calendar or diary, when they are often half price. (In most places) WH Smith doesnt reduce their diaries and calendars until at least March!

Debenhams I can agree with. I once walked up to the makeup counter to be met with a snooty assistant, until I plonked my designer handbag on the counter, she changed her tune. I order from JL now.
WHSmith is way above its station and is far too expensive for what it is.

I used to love going in to WH Smith when I was at school, but it feels as if it hasn't changed since the 90s. Just feels very dated and overpriced. I have never liked Debenhams, the few times I've ordered from them online the delivery service was awful and took forever.

How has this thread got so far without someone pointing out that Lush is worse than either of them?

I’d rather shop in either Debenhams or WHSmith than Primark, Home Bargains, Poundland or B&M. Primark is probably the worst for disposable rubbish.

Debenhams randomly has some quite good kids stuff.

I would add though that despite our complaints I'm glad they're (at the moment) still standing as both must be pretty huge employers. I know Debenhams has cut alot of jobs though. They blamed covid but I'm pretty sure they were in trouble before xmas last year.

I agree. Debenhams has been dire for years. It used to sell decent homeware but now it's all cheap looking, "shuntly" (my mum would call it who wants sequins and glitter on their bedding 😂)
I used to love WHSmiths when I was a pre teen, loved their stationery.
It's a shame.
The city I live in has now just been taken over with low end retail. We have a small John Lewis which is very tired, as is the M&S which is just about the only shop left on the original pedestrianised shopping area, the rest are just mobile phone shops and tat.

I used to work for WHS and it had almost the national monopoly on news distribution, so behind the scenes stuff that gave it its clout. It also was the biggest retailer of greetings cards. You could get stationery there that you couldn't get anywhere else.
Now, with the demise of the print press and I imagine people buying and sending fewer cards, together with far more high street and online competition, they're on a hide into nothing.
Their airport and station shops are way over-priced and IMO should be investigated for price hikes.

I was wandering past WHSmith the other day , I only ever go in there for the Post Office . I used to go in there loads when my DC were school aged but not now .

I would also add that several times Ive used the Self Service till it has never given me my 3 for 2 , so I've cancelled , gone to the staffed till and even then it sometimes doesn;t .
When they check ( and yes it is on the 3 for 2 , I'm not trying to con them) they laugh and say "Oh its the till"

So if I was buying several special offers , I'd need to double check everything and make sure they'd gone through. ?

The shop is overdue an overhaul.

Yanbu...BUT I still love the nostalgic smell of WHSmith

My local WHS is dark and dingy and I couldn't tell you how expensive it is because nothing has a price on it. Always at least three staff despite no one apart from me having ventured in, and those staff couldn't care less about my presence. Honestly don't know how it's still open.