To think Next are up their own arse

[Rawtinhail]

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?

They are only doing well due to their delivery system.
Stores are shit and never have basics in.
Clothes are tat
Furniture is expensive for what it is.

They used to be style setters for homeware and you could always tell a next house

The clothes have held their price though, they’ve done it by dropping by quality. But where all the middle class shops have completely hiked up their price next haven’t.

Only thing I buy from there is 600tc white bedding as it is lovely. Everything else is just not for me. 5’2 with long legs so standard waistbands up to my boobs - petite are ankle biters!

I'm 31 and every couple of years I have a look at Next to see if I'm old enough for their clothes yet - so far, I'm not

I've never found a single thing in Next I would wear and I'm truly not fussy or "out there" in terms of fashion - I'm very much a jeans-and-a-blouse person. Every time I look it's bland, boxy and frumpy. Cheap fabrics, poor sizing, shockingly overpriced.

I know people who are diehard fans and would get up at 4am to queue for the sale, then spend hundreds kitting out the family for the whole year. The last couple of times I've looked at their sale, it has been utterly shite.

There is a small next on a retail park that sometimes has some lovely bits, or you can go to a destination store and be completely underwhelmed. I quite like some of the kids clothing, some children’s trainers and their organic cotton sleepsuits and baby grows.
I disliked the scented candles and the shoes seem cheap and cheerful. Sometimes good leisure/sleepwear but is very random.

Bought a small sofa from next a few months back.
The seat pad is already saggy and uncomfortable, despite turning.
Our large Laura Ashley sofa , at least 10 years old, is still as good as new although the covers could do with renewing .

I agree it's crap quality, nothing ever fits nicely. You buy the next size up or down and it's then far too tight or swamps you.

However M&S is cheaper but the quality is better. They've got much better at basics over the last couple of years. Stay clear from their patterned clothes though.

Oh and I'm not too sure about their women's clothing. Seem really garish and dated and the quality seems very cheap. Poorly stitched too .

I quite like the home stuff - not furniture but bedding and accessories really. Clothes for the kids my sons jacket is usually a next one but I don’t buy any own brand next clothing for myself as i rarely find anything I really like or it shrinks or just sits funny. The shops are very dull.

I’m pissed off with their linen mix trousers. They were a staple of my summer wardrobe for years - navy, black, white, zip and button fastening with tie, pockets, smart enough (just) for work on hot days etc. Then a few years ago they switched to just elasticated waistbands and they became scruffy, saggy and unwearable with a crotch that dangled around the knees. The reviews were enthusiastic - perhaps they were mostly bought by people who spend their days lying down, looking like a pile of laundry themselves. They have been absolutely shit ever since.

Next has sold nothing but fucking ugly clothes for at least 15 years. I don’t know how they are still going? Who is wearing garishly patterned and over embellished polyester shit? No-one that I know.

@Crowdfundingforcake

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.

Same. I can remember late 80's early 90's era for Next and it was so amazing. Really good quality clothes. I actually got suits for work/weddings etc. I can remember buying a powder blue skirt and jacket for a wedding and being so chuffed with it.

Now Next is like primark, really cheap clothes in horrible fabrics. I put on a lot of weight (medical reasons) and few years back and was going to florida so got loads of T-shirts etc from there just for the holiday. All the armpits went grey within about two wears, holes seem to appear literally overnight, they are a one season disposable type of clothing range now.

I love their kids clothes; but I’m usually a 12 in most clothes and 5ft in heigh.. I brought some soft jogging a in a petite 14 as I find petite often run a bit smaller as well as shorter.. they are ridiculously tight and won’t even go over my thighs! I was so disappointed..

@TheKeatingFive

Where do people in their late 30s/early 40s buy clothes nowadays?

I'm not talking about the boden/joules crew, but if (like me) you used to buy a lot from Oasis/Warehouse, where do you buy from now?

Obviously Zara will come up, but I only occasionally get on with Zara. I like H&M but sometimes want something a bit less basic.

I buy quite a bit from H&M but online as the local store - even though it's big - doesn't have the same ranges and is almost always out of the size I want. Other than that, Gap (although you do need to look carefully to make sure it hasn't got a little ruffle/pointless buttons/a hole in the back or something, and Uniqlo. I do like some things from Toast but the budget doesn't always stretch that far!

I worked for Next circa 2000-2003 and they were up their own arse then too.

Now that I'm mostly WFH I buy most of my clothes from outdoor brands. Moon, alpkit, arcteryx, north face, black Diamond, even some Berghaus, prana. Black Diamond forge are great slim but not skinny jeans. I buy my work clothes from Phase Eight . Went off Hobbs after it also went down the higher price, lower quality tunnel.

**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.

I was on next at the weekend and while I was looking at something a member of staff stepped in front of me almost barging me so i had to step back into another rail. She stated moving stuff, tutted and huffed and then stormed off. Probably in a bad mood or having a rough day but come on ffs how rude. I didn't buy anything anyway as it was crap but even if it wasn't I felt uncomfortable so left.

I haven't shopped in there in a long time, but I had exactly the same issue as OP. I'm 5'1" and I remember having four or five pairs of Next branded size 12 petite trousers and they were all completely different waist sizes and leg lengths!

They also used to let their clothes on the shop floor get scruffy and marked and didn't seem to care. When I lived in London I often went into the Oxford St store and noticed marked clothes. On one occasion I was looking at some pale fabric work jackets and one of them had what looked like black biro marks all over one sleeve. It was so bad that I took it to a member of staff. The following week I went in there again and it was back on the rail.

Never shop there - cannot remember buying something for me from there in tears. Used to get kids stuff. Yet, they do pretty well as a retail company. So someone must shop there

Agree.

The men's stuff is OK though. Funny that .....

I used to buy loads in there. I’ve got some of their basic jersey tops. The older ones are a nice thick jersey. Newer ones are much thinner and don’t feel as nice.

No idea where to shop now, virtually everything where I live has closed down!

Next is for school uniform only and even then M&S will do

I agree. I posted at Christmas about how I'd gone in for presents for dsis and dm and couldn't find anything at all. I was horrified at the cheap quality - the shoes looked especially naff. The clothing all seemed to be itchy looking huge cable-knit rollneck jumpers in man made fibres or the T-shirt's with tacky slogans or embellishments as you described in your OP.

I put it down to the fact I have more money now compared to in my 20's and can afford more expensive things so Next looks cheap in comparison.

I can usually at least find a top for my dm in there though - but not this year!

I went to a Sainsbury's the other day (somewhere I never usually shop) and was quite impressed by the TU clothing range - I would say Next is very similar quality and style to this but Sainsbo's is cheaper.

I hardly ever shop there any more! Also cannot stand their sales where you have to book an online slot in advance, but the only things to buy are items I’ve never seen before (why can’t they have proper sales!).

@WindyState

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

Just a thought.

Yy I think this. You notice sizing, seams, etc, more when you're 10 years older It's odd to me when people complain about shops - just don't shop there. Everywhere has websites nowadays so you're not held hostage to the shops closest to you.

Why would they give discount codes if they have enough people willing to pay full price? Makes zero sense.

DD works part time at Next (she's still at school so only 6 hours a week). They pay her more than the minimum wage for her age, she gets a huge discount on clothes to buy for work.

Next were one of the strongest performers in the pandemic too.