To feel sad Debenhams is going?

[CrotchBurn]

Don't know why but it just makes me feel nostalgic
www.bbc.com/news/business-55793411

I was looking for a particular watch and they had it in the Oxford Street branch of Debenhams. To say the service was lacklustre was an understatement. This was pre-Covid but not much more before. The assistant showed no interest in me, the product, the sale. As I wanted the watch and it was sold out most places I said I would take it. She said she would get me a new boxed one. When she found it I said could I just check it is the right one/all okay etc, she said aggressively what for? I just walked away, I had enough.

I know retail staff have it hard, their management can be horrible, their terms and conditions poor, but it isn't the customers fault. One bright side for me about online shopping is not having to deal with poor human customer service. I don't mean petty stuff but out and out rudeness. I can deal with incompetence when it is once removed but rude behaviour to customers is not on, in the same way that customers behaving like dicks isn't. (I used to work in retail, the public are horrible, I disliked my job but never took it out on customers.)

Even places that used to treat customers well have declined massively- John Lewis with their partners model is not so customer focused these days for instance.

I think its sad for the people but the one in my town..my goodness..it was one up from a jumble sale with poorer quality clothes.

Old fashioned isn't the right word, it was completely and utterly mediocre.

I worry about where wee old wimmin will go now. People like my mum and MIL, who used to get the train into town and have a cup of tea in BHS cafe, places where older people felt comfortable and could always meets someone to have a chat with. These places are dying out but the people will always be there.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale

I hated the physical building. Too hot, stuffy and the perfumes were so overwhelming. Fun christmas presents.

I really liked designers at debenhams. Got dh a really lovely coat and my dress for grad ball.

I'm laughing at it being hot and stuffy. When I worked there as a teen, our till was under the aircon unit and it was absolutely freezing. In the summer customers woud comment how lovely and cool it was, I was desperate for my lunch break so I could go outside and warm up!

I feel really sad, OP.

Our local Debenhams is great, on three floors, the staff are lovely, I feel so sorry for them.

I've never shopped at Debenhams but do feel sorry for those who have lost jobs

I like Debenhams- I like the FrostFrench undies and I’d often find a nice top on the Star but by Julian McDonald.

@Iamthewombat, I am the poster you are sneering at and if you'd read my post properly, you would know that I said I felt that the current approach to instore cafes, which IME are like grubby Soviet era canteens do feel expensive. If they did the things I wrote about in my post, I believe that more people would shop in person rather than online. I guess those chips on your shoulders make it hard to read...

and be happy to pay for it!

Iamthewombat, I am the poster you are sneering at and if you'd read my post properly, you would know that I said I felt that the current approach to instore cafes, which IME are like grubby Soviet era canteens do feel expensive. If they did the things I wrote about in my post, I believe that more people would shop in person rather than online. I guess those chips on your shoulders make it hard to read...

Oh, YOU’RE the one who thought that shop assistants should thank you for shopping at the store and who was complaining that department store cafes are too expensive?

The one who wanted luxury on the cheap?

Do you genuinely think that anybody laughing at you must have ‘a chip on their shoulder’? Do you know what the phrase means?

I know, why not contact Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Liberty and Selfridges and run your unique ideas past them. See what they say. Then you can tell them that they have got chips on their shoulders because they won’t do you a champagne cream tea for £5.99 and genuflect to you at the till. The customer is always right, after all!

That's not what I said in my original post or the subsequent ones, but you are clearly up for a ruck and I am not going to give you one. I shop where I shop and you shop where you shop that is fine. You are writing your own story with £5.99 teas, where can you get that?! SA's saying thank you, is not from them, but from the company acknowledging and valuing their customers, who are the root of their profits. Nevermind though, you just keep on....

Won't miss it. Used to do a lot of shopping there 20+ years ago, particularly giftware, homeware, but also quite of bit of clothing (coats etc). We virtually kitted out our kitchen/dining room when we bought our home 23 years ago! OH used to buy his winter coats from there every couple of years.

Went massively downhill over the past 20 years and I can't remember the last time we went in - must be more than 5 years ago. One of the last times was when I wanted plain black jeans - I must have spent an hour trailing from one franchise area to another, asking staff as I went (none really had a clue), and I finally lost the will to live and on my way out noticed a rack of plain black jeans in a dark corner behind a pillar.

People don't have time to spent hours - they want to be in and out of an easy to navigate shop. Life's too short to be browsing an entire store looking for what you want.

I also think the older stores were worse as they were often over multiple floors, going from room to room through door openings, so you couldn't even see what was on each floor, but had no choice but to "explore" everywhere to find what you're looking for. The more modern stores were better in that you would get a better view of an entire floor from the escalator, but even then, they had a tendency to put in artificial dividers blocking your view, meaning you had to walk round them to see what was behind.

Completely impractical for the modern way of shopping.

I've always had a soft spot for Debenhams as I remember visiting my grandmother when she was at work there.

I didn't often get to visit a store but I used the online service lots and never had any problems.

I'm so sorry for all the staff that will lose their jobs and I'll be sad to see the name disappear.

I think it's really interesting what will happen and i hope it's something positive. There are so many enormous buildings intended for department stores- what else could they be used for? We've already got a previously local one sitting empty, and now we'll have a massive three floor Debenhams including cafe just... there.

I'll be sad to see the name disappear.

It won’t. Pound to a penny Boohoo use it to launch a site selling perfume and make up etc., as a rival to Lookfantastic and similar sites.

My local store was very run down and shabby. I wandered around before Covid and there were no customers. The House of Fraser was also turned into a discount store.

I'm not, I worked there at 16 and they're so badly ventilated in some locations you'd feel faint in summer.

I remember feeling faint in there as a shopper, even in winter! I'd have to take my coat off as I went in! I often, wondered how people coped working all day in there and how the make-up counter ladies kept their make-up on!

@SinisterBumFacedCat

I’m sad about this for the staff who have lost their jobs. I fucking hate Boohoo, their dominance, the way they treated their staff during the pandemic, no one is making them accountable. Plus the clothes are cheap and nasty. I only shop online now out of necessity but I get none of the joy that I used to when shopping. Click, buy, yawn. None of the pleasure of a day out, browsing in shops, seeing what colours and textures actually look and feel like, not too mention actually being able to try clothes, rather than ordering several sizes and then sending them back, which is ridiculously time consuming and expensive. I think if the high street goes we will lose more than just shops, but employment (largely women), community and exercise.

Yes, I liked Debenhams and it will leave a hole in some local shopping centres - this store did draw people in.

It did used to be a lot better in the 90s.

Don't like Boohoo or whatever it is

I worked in a large city centre Debenhams. A lot of the floor space was taken by concession brands, with their own staff. This used to cause tension between the staff about working on the fitting rooms. There was a staff canteen and we used to have to walk up 3 floors of escalators after cashing up to take the money to the cash office. The escalators were turned off at closing time ! . We got paid until closing . So cashing up was unpaid time (15 minutes a day). To get to the canteen for lunch or break took 10 mins off your time. We often used to find the morning cleaners in the bridal fitting room, sitting on the floor. Had some fun times in the bar nextdoor after work though

I feel sad for the employees, not the shop. They've been overpriced for their product for a long time.

Next to go: marks and spencer probably, given their reputation.

M&S food hall is thriving isn’t it?

Debenhams was really decent for bras, but otherwise I never really went there. The age of the department store is gone. I hope John Lewis survives.... although I can't say I buy clothes from them..,

I will really miss Debenhams. I have loads of great clothes (petite), home-ware and toys from there; most are still in use. And their cafe/restaurant served brilliant food. I used to make a 'day' of it.

I do agree in the last 3-5 years it went a bit down hill, less staff. Although I appreciate the Blue Cross Sales, there were far too many.
As for those who didn't like their stuff, (as they never shopped there) but knew that the clothes were mediocre/over-priced and boring; despite all the different concessions. How do they know? ESP!

Yes, not all the staff were great, but most were and long-standing.

So many are going to lose their jobs and careers, not just cos' of the dastard 'Covid'; but due to the blasted top management and owners didn't seem committed to investing in the company.

It is a great loss to the High Street; that is the commercial hub of most towns & communities. Lack of parking hasn't helped and the out of town shopping centres (Westfield I am looking at you); and cheap clothing (at what cost?).

I hate their website, it's boring and tedious. Too many pages and tiring on the eyes. But, to me real shopping is preferable, where I have the chance to touch, try and physically compare my choices before making a decision. And maybe get the opinion of others/friends or DH.

Well, the new world is here, and I don't really like it.

As for those who didn't like their stuff, (as they never shopped there) but knew that the clothes were mediocre/over-priced and boring; despite all the different concessions. How do they know? ESP!

Can’t speak for others but I used Debenhams as a cut through, or very occasionally I went to one of the makeup stalls if John Lewis didn’t have the specific item I was after.

I should imagine M&S will be alright - their food offering keeps them afloat, and a reasonable amount of what they do is quite good (homewares, children’s stuff etc). I wish they’d sort out their clothes though - it can’t be that bloody difficult to bring in some decent basics while carting the Per Una (formerly the Suburban Drag Queen Of A Certain Age range but recently it seems to have morphed into Depressed Bohemian ) and crimplene slack rubbish out to a skip, but that’s a whole other thread.

John Lewis get it spot on, IMO. Really nice places to shop, quality offering without everything being eyewateringly expensive (but plenty on which to spend your money if you want) and really good brands. Essentially everything dear old Debenhams wasn’t.

I wish they’d sort out their clothes though - it can’t be that bloody difficult to bring in some decent basics while carting the Per Una (formerly the Suburban Drag Queen Of A Certain Age range but recently it seems to have morphed into Depressed Bohemian ) and crimplene slack rubbish out to a skip, but that’s a whole other thread.

Suburban drag queen 😆😆😆