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 will miss my Debenhams. It was a place I always found clothes, got my holiday money from and had a nice little cafe.

I’m surprised the chain survived as long as it did. I’m sad for the staff who will lose their jobs, of course.

@LindyLou2020

I live in the North West, and have very happy memories of Debenhams in Chester. I was last there 18 months ago, looking for an occasion dress. A quirky store, the structural layout was a bit cramped and higgledy-piggledy due to the design of the building, but to me that was a big part of its charm. The womens' clothing floor was great, with concessions such as Karen Millen, Coast, Jaeger, etc. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. I'm no retail expert but I think it's a real shame and it will be missed. Up to 12,000 jobs could go - more redundancies - where are all these people going to find jobs? Feel so sorry for them.

Debenhams (Browns of Chester) is a fantastic store. I buy loads of stuff from there and I don’t even live in Chester (but dh works there). It’s a sad, sad loss.

Sad for the staff not for losing Debenhams at all, actually, good riddance but then again I feel sorry for the staff.

A lot of these companies buying up the brands are headed up by spivvy men. They are not interested in raising the game and quality of the brands they have hoovered up, they want to milk them until the original brands are no longer recognisable as a distinct brand. That guy who owns Sports Direct is busy ruining House of Fraser, even though it looks on paper he saved them from demise. Interesting to see what M & S now that they have bought the Jaegar brand. Will they keep the quality associated with Jaegar or just water it down to a cheaper price point?

I'm a bit sad as Debenhams was the only place I could ever buy a bikini tops that fitted along with the matching different bottoms, sarongs and kaftans. Although in the last few years, they'd already discontinued that range, so I was scrabbling around for old stock (Gorgeous Range).

Debenhams used to hard sell their storecard at the tills. You could say no 5 times and they still asked. I told a sales assistant that it put me off shopping there, she said she didn't blame me, management made them do it and they were set targets. She hated doing it.

It’s a terrible shame for the thousands of job losses.

The two big Debenhams in my area are huge , one is the anchor in a shopping centre and takes up loads of room and was super modern. The town centre one was huge , multi level and in old lovely building. Both these locations will look really weird and bare with these empty stores.

I’m late 30’s and haven’t bought any clothes for myself there since about 2004 when I bought a Coast dress for a wedding.
The stock and brands like mantaray etc seemed really middle aged and dowdy to me. Lots of patterned jersey smock tops etc.
It’s just not been a place I would think to buy from for years.
Even the kids range although nice with Bluezoo funky babygros and Ted Baker floral snowsuits , it was all too expensive for my budget.

So all through my thirties as a mum of young kids , I didn’t buy a thing.

Debenhams used to hard sell their storecard at the tills. You could say no 5 times and they still asked. I told a sales assistant that it put me off shopping there, she said she didn't blame me, management made them do it and they were set targets. She hated doing it.

They used to say would you like a receipt emailed and I used to say no. Then it progressed to "if you can just give me your email address so I can send you the receipt" I politely declined but they didn't make it easy.

There was definitely pressure from management to get emails under the guise of sending an emailed receipt then they would use it for marketing. Totally surprised they didnt get done under GDPR law.

I did feel sorry for the staff

Not the only store who do this @BonnieDundee. Some of the tills just point blank say, give me your email for the receipt. Not even, do you want an email receipt. Or if you say no, a paper one please, they say you might lose it. They stepped this up massively after GDPR as you say.

When I worked there we were told you must ask every customer about a store card. I was usually quite relieved when someone said no, the form took a ridiculous time to fill out, and then all the other customers would get annoyed because they had to wait longer.

Most shops seem to have them though in some guise, even if theyre not credit cards. The last time I was in Debenhams they asked if I wanted my receipt emailed. I asked if they had stopped doing paper ones and she said no you get that as well. Why would I give them my email address to be bombarded with (alleged) special offers for the continuous next sale?

@Fizbosshoes

When I worked there we were told you must ask every customer about a store card. I was usually quite relieved when someone said no, the form took a ridiculous time to fill out, and then all the other customers would get annoyed because they had to wait longer.

Most shops seem to have them though in some guise, even if theyre not credit cards. The last time I was in Debenhams they asked if I wanted my receipt emailed. I asked if they had stopped doing paper ones and she said no you get that as well. Why would I give them my email address to be bombarded with (alleged) special offers for the continuous next sale?

I worked at House of Fraser as a teen and it was the same then. Literally had to fill in a tonne of information just so they could get 10% off some Carvela shoes 😆 they would target your department to open as many Fraser cards as possible. Literally selling debt.

I worked in hosiery at HOF. It was incredibly difficult to get soneone to take out a card when they were buying a pair of Wolford tights.