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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Next are up their own arse

259 replies

Rawtinhail · 15/02/2022 08:58

I swear Next used to be pretty well rated, decent quality. Now it's just a load of over priced, cheaply made tat.
I have to shop in the petite section, which is a joke because at 5"2 (not that short I don't think), I still struggle to find any jeans/trousers that aren't a good few inches too long still. But it's so hit and miss because even in identical styles the sizing is all over the place. I can fit in a size 14 in one colour and the size 18 is too tight in another colour but has a saggy crotch chucked in for good measure or a waist so high I could tuck it under my tits.
This is the same even with their exclusive brands. Bought two identical Lipsy dresses in different colours. One fit ok but a little loose around the bum. I couldn't even get the other over my head for fear of ripping the waistband.
Their own clothing is so often just frumpy crap in horrible fabric with some big tacky sparkly star shoved on the front to "jazz it up". The stuff that is actually nice is horrendously overpriced.
Then you get to the furniture. It's all MDF and oak veneer. AKA cheap tat. But it's not cheap, it's expensive. You could literally buy the same quality of furniture for half the price in Argos.
And there are never any discount codes available or cash back affiliations like Quidco. (other than their quarterly sales where they roll out the extra crap crap). Even John Lewis isn't so stuck up that they aren't willing to chuck out some cash back offers or release little discount codes.
Oh, and you can't review anything, you have to be invited to leave reviews!
I get this is first world problems but Next happens to the be only department type shop anywhere near where I live and I keep trying with them, but I'm hacked off that I can't find a single pair of trousers that fits my dumpy ass properly.
Is it just me? Am I just being to unrealistic about what to expect from a major retailer?

OP posts:
AffIt · 15/02/2022 09:02

No, I think you're right - Next used to be my go-to for basic work stuff (when I wore formal clothes to work) and jeans, but now it's just a sea of poorly-designed and badly-made polyester.

Although I can't think of a single high street store that I like any more - Zara, River Island etc are all dreadful now.

Howshouldibehave · 15/02/2022 09:03

When I first joined Mumsnet about 12 years ago, I remember a post saying exactly what you are saying…that Next was nice ten years before but isn’t now and there were no discount codes. Clearly nothing has changed Grin

3peassuit · 15/02/2022 09:04

Not just you. Next is just stuffed full of garish, frumpy tat at the moment and their customer service has gone completely down the pan.

twominutesmore · 15/02/2022 09:06

I agree about their homeware. They are offering interest free credit on this now but I think have increased their prices to compensate. It really is very poor quality - similar to Argos or IKEA - but priced like solid wood.

I suppose we'll see whether their strategy worked when they release profits. If it did, they won't care what mn thinks.

Theworldisfullofgs · 15/02/2022 09:07

It's not you. I'm old enough to remember Next from the late 80s and early 90s when their stuff was great. I still have a pure wool jumper that I bought then.

AllOfUsAreDead · 15/02/2022 09:09

You're right, it is just full of crap now. It used to be so good but sadly not anymore.

TheKeatingFive · 15/02/2022 09:10

I loved their spring/summer collection last year actually. First time I'd shopped there in years. Their autumn winter stuff was a huge disappointment in comparison.

I'm short too and a feel your pain. I now buy most of my trousers in M&S. Not very exciting, but the short versions fit.

Crowdfundingforcake · 15/02/2022 09:10

I'm old enough to remember Next opening - to great excitement! It was quite expensive, but good quality, and great for office work wear. I stopped buying there almost twenty years ago because of the godawful fabrics and the poor quality of the make. Why slippery man made fabrics are so popular I have no idea. Well, I do, it's because they're cheap and encourage people to buy five things when one would do.

GrandRapids · 15/02/2022 09:11

It's really awful stuff, I never see anything I like apart from plain tank tops.

As for the homeware section, I bought a selection of candles at Xmas, they looked really good and smelled lovely in the box, but upon lighting them them up, burned a pathetically narrow hole all the way to the bottom leaving most of the wax unusable and they gave off no smell whatsoever! Won't be doing that again!

SartresSoul · 15/02/2022 09:12

You’re absolutely right, I haven’t bought anything from Next for years. I used to buy my DC clothes from there but the quality got shit and the prints even shitter.

Christmas1988 · 15/02/2022 09:14

You are 5”2 and wear the Pettit range I’m only 5”7 and have to wear the long range, who on earth is the ‘regular’ range aimed at?

scaredsadandstuck · 15/02/2022 09:15

Similar to you OP I'm short and I can't think of another clothing retailer that comes close to Next in terms of range of petite clothing so I do shop from them a lot for trousers, jeans and dresses. But the sizing is insane - although I think this has always been the case TBH - and the quality and style/fashionable-ness of their collections is highly variable.

Overandout1 · 15/02/2022 09:17

I agree, Next just seems to sell cheap tat these days. To be honest, I think the high street is a bit of a disaster and I don't really know where to shop anymore (suggestions welcome). I quite liked Warehouse and Oasis years ago but now they are just Boohoo in disguise (same as Karen Millen, Coast etc).

PeeAche · 15/02/2022 09:18

This summer, we bought 2 "new" (born second hand) sofas for our family room (the room we let the kids run wild in)

1 was a Next snuggle sofa and the other was a John Lewis 2 seater. Both would have been about the same price when new.

The Next sofa arrived first and I was a bit disappointed with the quality. After the JL sofa arrived, suddenly the Next sofa looked like cheap tat.

Made worse by a silly little label that it sports, so that the entire world knows it's "NEXT". Nothing says cheap like look-at-me branding.

How they can justify charging John Lewis prices is beyond me. I can feel the cheap wood in the arms, which won't last.

To summarise, I agree. Next have gone down the pan.

Icenii · 15/02/2022 09:20

Same here. Under 5 foot. The shape and material of many things is awful. My choices for good quality clothes is severely limited. I reordered some jeans I have had for about 5 years, exactly same name and size but they were not as nice. Material thinner, less sturdy.

Bagelsandbrie · 15/02/2022 09:22

Can’t stand Next now and it always used to be my favourite shop for jeans and nice tops! It’s become more like a generic department store full of crap since they started stocking brands other than their own. It used to be a sort of upmarket grown up shop for good quality office / smart casual stuff.

WindyState · 15/02/2022 09:25

Could it possibly be that 10 years later Next are now aimed at the demographic 10 years younger than you...?

Just a thought.

BoodleBug51 · 15/02/2022 09:26

I despair of most brands these days, selling cheaply made clothing from China and Indonesia yet branding and pricing it as better quality.

It's just Primark with a fancier label.

HaveToSaySomethingHere · 15/02/2022 09:27

Funny, I was in Next at weekend and had the exact same thought. Most of it looked like clothes you would get in a market stall 20 years ago, polyester and silly frilly bits.

annlee3817 · 15/02/2022 09:29

Let's not forget the hoody type material jumpers with shirt sleeves...... I find a lot of stuff on there totally bizarre, I'm probably not really someone who braves being fashion forward, but some of the stuff 😬

They've changed their lift, slim and shape skinny jeans to a rougher material, they were my favourite and now no where near as comfy

Aprilx · 15/02/2022 09:30

I would never have worn Next for workwear as I didn’t find the cut very good, similarly I always found the shoes poor quality and uncomfortable. But I always thought they were ok for decent casual wear and would still consider them, although I don’t think I have been in for a couple of years.

I would have expected the Petite range to be perfect length for somebody that is 5ft 2, so that is not very good.

scaredsadandstuck · 15/02/2022 09:31

@WindyState

Could it possibly be that 10 years later Next are now aimed at the demographic 10 years younger than you...?

Just a thought.

Haha - good point!!
borntobequiet · 15/02/2022 09:36

As others have pointed out, it started going downhill more years ago than I can remember.

Bunnyfuller · 15/02/2022 09:37

Agree - saw a draining rack in there the other day £28. Exact same one in Dunelm - £14. Next will go the way of many others if it carries on.

borntobequiet · 15/02/2022 09:38

And has always struck me as being aimed at the demographic ten years older than me rather than younger.