I'm thinking the high street deserves to die?

[highstreetdiestreet]

Urgently need a black dress for a funeral, looked around the whole of York, nothing.

Utter dross.

Is it covid/brexit/mid-season/my being pregnant's fault?

I thought I'd go into town last week with a list of things I needed to get instead of shopping online. I got one thing from the list.
I've given up clothes shopping as the only places that cater for plus size women under the age of 50 have closed down. The shops that had a plus size department have made them available online only.
I struggle to get nice clothes for my sons. Everything has Marvel characters or is computer game related.
I'm not sure the high street deserves to die, but it is anyway.

@EastWestWhosBest

But the shop closes at 7. Not 6.30, 6.45 or even 6.55. 7pm. They can rush home at 7.

You’ve clearly never worked retail.
What’s your point? I responded to a poster who suggested it was okay for retail workers to be closing the shop early.

The point is that you generally stop being paid at closing time. It’s not a case of switching the lights off and going home at 7.

But again, that really isn’t relevant to what I was saying.

@132orbust

Hobbs - beautiful dresses in every colour you want, including black.

darling, im not paying over £149 for a polyester dress, even if it is lined, which is a rarity in itself.

I don't think this issue is particular the the high street, I think it is almost the entirety of clothing retain even online. I have been searching online for a silk or wool skirt of a certain length for months and just about given up.

Look for men's clothing and suddenly the natural fabrics come out of hiding. Curious isn't it?
Perhaps we have set the bar too low for ourselves over the years, I don't know.

I have fuck all in my wardrobe right now and refuse to pay a fortune for acrylic, polyester or that weird EVO crap. Will try ebay I guess, not that I want to..

Retail workers do the "We're closing in 15 minutes" warning because there are too many customers who take the piss and expect to be allowed to pay after closing or get shitty when they are rushed. It's not unreasonable to expect the last sale to be before closing time.

I know that there's no evidence that the poster who wanted to shop at 6:45 would take the piss but retail workers will have plenty of stories of nightmare customers who aren't just going to pick up a couple of things and pay immediately.

I agree with the OP that the high street is causing its own demise. Big chains clearly don't think that their online and offline businesses have to be different which is a shame because not everyone wants to or have the ability to shop online.

You might be able to get a smart black skirt, and suitable top, or jacket.

Look for men's clothing and suddenly the natural fabrics come out of hiding. Curious isn't it?
Perhaps we have set the bar too low for ourselves over the years, I don't know.

Absolutely, @Pheasantlysurprised - I've shopped in the men's section of places before because the fabrics are better and they last longer. Real wool, real cotton, sewn and finished properly.

They actually get more choice in pattern and colour throughout the seasons as well - even DH noticed that everything in oasis, warehouse, coast etc had bird patterns on them, every spring/summer for about 4 years. It became a running joke whenever my latest one fell to bits.

I got my plain black dress from boden

www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/amelie-jersey-dress/sty-j0326
I wear it for work, have worn it for a funeral with a black jacket. It's comfy as well

@LolaSmiles

it doesn't take a lot to realise that the shop is closing, staff are trying to shut up. With a shutter half down, it would be a big message that the store is letting people out - not in - but you'll always get a few that don't take the hint and then they'll be the type that will want to stay 10 minutes later than closing.

York centre is dire at the moment.

You'd probably find a black dress at the designer outlet tho ?

I really don't want our high streets to die - I do agree that finding something specific can be hard, but just browsing and finding something that you'd not take the risk of online, or having something catch your eye can't be replicated online. I find it much easier to buy gifts for others on the high street. Plus I feel sad for the teens. It was such a right of passage to go into town with your mates, try on clothes, get some food to eat on a bench and be annoyingly screechy and loud.

@2Two

Really? M&S has a number of styles of black dress, and I had no difficulty when I was on a similar mission recently to find something for a funeral.

Yeah really

@EastWestWhosBest

But the shop closes at 7. Not 6.30, 6.45 or even 6.55. 7pm. They can rush home at 7.

You’ve clearly never worked retail.
What’s your point? I responded to a poster who suggested it was okay for retail workers to be closing the shop early.

The point is that you generally stop being paid at closing time. It’s not a case of switching the lights off and going home at 7.

The idea is to discourage the "last minuters." Annoying bastards who wander in at 5 minutes to closing and then fuck about for half an hour before buying nothing.
Gits!

Oh. And politely telling them you're closing soon has no effect at all. Except maybe to make them stay longer so you miss your bus.

it doesn't take a lot to realise that the shop is closing, staff are trying to shut up. With a shutter half down, it would be a big message that the store is letting people out - not in - but you'll always get a few that don't take the hint and then they'll be the type that will want to stay 10 minutes later than closing
15 minutes before closing is ample time for someone to enter an open shop that is clearly within its opening hours, buy what they need and leave. Nobody is saying it's OK to be in shops 10 minutes past closing time.

If the shop staff wish to close their shop 15 minutes early, they need to change their opening times, not start putting the shutters down and being rude to customers for the crime of wanting to enter a shop within its opening hours.

The idea is to discourage the "last minuters." Annoying bastards who wander in at 5 minutes to closing and then fuck about for half an hour before buying nothing. Gits!

But this is precisely the point - physical retail needs to be encouraging custom! Pulling the shutters down 20 minutes before you’re due to shut sends a message that customers are simply an inconvenience, keeping you from getting to the pub while it’s still happy hour. God forbid someone working in a shop should actually have to deal with a customer!

@Maskless

Everyone should have a black dress, a black top and a black skirt, or a black trouser suit, precisely for this occasion.

Or navy, I never wear black next to my face

@WomanStanleyWoman

The idea is to discourage the "last minuters." Annoying bastards who wander in at 5 minutes to closing and then fuck about for half an hour before buying nothing. Gits!

But this is precisely the point - physical retail needs to be encouraging custom! Pulling the shutters down 20 minutes before you’re due to shut sends a message that customers are simply an inconvenience, keeping you from getting to the pub while it’s still happy hour. God forbid someone working in a shop should actually have to deal with a customer!

You know they don't get paid overtime when customers do this right? You understand that shop staff have lives outside of work? Kids to get home to etc? Retail hours are already longer than office hours usually and you're on your feet all day. Putting the shutters half down to discourage last minute shoppers is hardly the crime of the century. The shop isn't closed. It's closing

And trust me, shoppers mooching about 20 minutes after closing time ARE an inconvenience.

No one is asking them to work overtime! I’m saying close at the time you’re supposed to close! It isn’t asking for anything outlandish.

We’ve ALL got lived outside work. That doesn’t mean we can all knock off early because we feel like it.

@MistyGreenAndBlue

And trust me, shoppers mooching about 20 minutes after closing time ARE an inconvenience.

But why would anyone be there after closing time?

@SisterBeaverhausen

I've really struggled with maternity wear. Everything is casual (sports bra tops and joggers) or sports leggings and sheer tops.

I just want nice clothes that are work appropriate that don't cling or are too baggy and make me look frumpy. I think I'm just getting too old for modern fashion (I'm 30)

Isabella oliver and seraphine (££ but good quality, you can try ebay as lots of maternity clothes are barely worn) try next, topshop, H&M and in regular clothes you have to look for stretchy , smock or gathered empress styles, oversized shirts. A couple of decent pairs of maternity trousers and an open soft blazer means you can get away with more casual in the top department.

@WomanStanleyWoman

No one is asking them to work overtime! I’m saying close at the time you’re supposed to close! It isn’t asking for anything outlandish.

We’ve ALL got lived outside work. That doesn’t mean we can all knock off early because we feel like it.

But by going in when there isn’t adequate time to finish your purchase before closing time you are making them all work overtime, for free.

I’m sorry that they didn’t fall over themselves and worship at your feet because you came in.

But why would anyone be there after closing time?

Because they came in 15 minutes before closing time and then swanned about the place. I remember having someone ask me what time we closed, I told them we closed ten minutes ago. They just grunted and carried on mooching about.

But 15 minutes before closing time IS adequate time! Where have I ever, ever suggested that staff should keep stores open beyond closing time? Do you have trouble with comprehending simple statements?

@EastWestWhosBest

But why would anyone be there after closing time?

Because they came in 15 minutes before closing time and then swanned about the place. I remember having someone ask me what time we closed, I told them we closed ten minutes ago. They just grunted and carried on mooching about.

But why didn't you ask them to leave at closing time?