To hate Claire’s Accessories

[RumbleStrutt]

Special day for DD so she was allowed small amount of pocket money to spend in Claire’s. As soon as we get in there I immediately want to leave. Most of it is utter tat; ugly, overpriced environmental disaster that will end up in landfill. I can cope with some of the headbands and scrunchies but just hate the in-shop experience.

Manager gleefully reminds us it’s “buy 3 get 3 free” (what kind of economics is that?!). I’m thinking please don’t want 3 things as then I’ll have to stay here whilst you choose another 3 and have 6 items of crap in my house.

Luckily she only wanted 2 that were reasonable choices so we go to pay. Manager says I can do these 3 for 2 so choose something else if you like (very nice of her) so that takes another 5 mins.

Go to pay and asked for email address. I say just print the receipt it’s ok. Manager excitedly tells me all the coupons I’ll get and how her friend got £50 worth of stuff for £17. She meant well but I’m wanting to literally run out of the door at this point.

It’s nice seeing some of the groups of slightly older girls shopping together and having fun but I just can’t stand it and have boycotted Smiggle for a similar reason.

Anyone else?

It's awful and also hugely more expensive in the store. Next time use online, get discount codes, you can knock off lots of money. I have taken to taking DD to charity shops, she likes necklaces and there's always some old ones that need a bit of a clean but come up quite nicely.

You mention the manager a lot @RumbleStrutt . She's only doing her job. And she's probably sick of having to smile at stuck up mummies looking bored whilst their little darlings fanny about.

No one should be using those dirty, dangerous piercing guns that ram blunt studs through flesh and can't be autoclaved. They should be illegal.

Any shop or hairdressing salon that does this loses all points for me at that point, no matter what other services they offer or stock they carry. As for Claire's (is this a rebrand of the old 'Bow Bangles' chain?) theirs does seem a lot like Christmas cracker stuff.

I've hated it since I was young enough to shop there! It's ine of those really depressing shops where all I can see is future landfill. Awful.

I don't really think you're their target audience OP. If your DD likes it can't you just be happy she's happy? I hope you didn't let her know how fed up you were.
The manager sounds really nice and like she was trying to save you money.
I don't particularly like soft play or listening to coco melon songs on repeat in the car but my kids do so I pop a smile on my face and carry on!

So boycott it instead of doing the exact opposite and spending money there

Despise it. Luckily my daughter is too old for it now. Trying to steer her past it on the high street was always a battle

I really don't like the "Buy 3, get 3 free" thing as you know everything is twice the price it should be. However I have had some good deals in their sales.

You're not really their target market

I loved Claire's when I was a pre-teen/tween. As for the manager, she's just doing her job. Retail has ridiculous expectations for shop-floor staff.

I know what you mean op - when my dd was younger and we went there I’d feel irrationally trapped and I would irritably hiss at her in panic that she had 5 mins only to choose what she wanted. Or I’d send my DH who is infinitely more patient and soppy about his girls and happily spend hours in there with them!

However they are one of the few retailers propping up the high street right now and fulfilling a demand largely for girls so there are two positives! (Does not outweigh the distain for eco disaster Chinese tat though I know!)

I am only able to think of positives because my dds are Pandora age now which is a whole other tacky charade but at least they go on their own now!

The staff have high KPI targets to reach.

I don't like the 3 for 3 deals its hard to find 6 pieces of tat.

It's a bit overpriced but we only went as a special treat though overall it is one of the better children's accessories stores available.

There parties are reasonable too.

I love Claires even as an adult. As a kid/teen it was heaven, I absolutely adored it. Used to get butterflies going in! Something about just the place and the way it looked and how I could actually afford to buy one or two little things and the myriad little trinkets and whatnot was really appealing. Never buy anything in there now but totally see its appeal.

Anyone remember when it was Bows and Bangles? Loved it even more then!

Sounds like a good manager doing her job you mention OP. Letting people know about the offer to get them to spend more, doing what she's been asked to re getting an e-mail receipt, highlighting that your daughter was missing out on an extra 'free' thing with the three for two, all while being friendly. Retail is an incredibly difficult job, and I say that as someone who's worked in prisons, mental health, on a suicide line... retail is its own special brand of hell. It's very difficult to maintain a cheery disposition with the general public when you're on your feet all day dealing with idiots or aggressive customers and doing mind numbingly dull work.

It’s full of cheap, over priced crap. Of course you hate it. Any normal, sane adult would. But it’s not designed to attract you. It’s designed to attract pre teen girls, for which it is a place of beautiful things which make them feel very grown up.

My ADHD self is still tempted every time I walk past. All that small, cheap, fiddly, colourful crap 😍😍😍I have to go to IKEA now to get that same pleasure.

Either go into Claire's and put your revulsion to one side for twenty minutes or do something else as a special treat for dd.

Wanting to run out of the shop seems rather dramatic. Are you like this in every shop where you see wasteful plastic packaging or just Claire's?

Perhaps you could wait outside next time?

Awful shop. My daughter got a 15 quid voucher. So overpriced. Eventually after an hour decided on a teddy which wasn’t worth 15 quid. Went to the till, but the voucher didn’t work. Came up out of date? She only got it in March. Left without the teddy. Phoned the voucher number and was ok to use. Shambles. I work in retail so I know it’s challenging, but this girl couldn’t care less. Utter tat in the shop! 20 quid for a shit purse?

The snobbery and superiority complex on this thread is really something else. While you’re at it, please tell us how you love to shop at your local greengrocer and buy artisan bread from the baker as going to the supermarket is a environmentally unfriendly and the food isn’t good quality.

Try seeing things through your DD eyes.

I would have combusted with happiness as a DC shopping for 6 pretty items from my own birthday money in a shop full of lovely things.

You probably ruined the experience.

To be fair to the staff they have targets to meet and are told what to promote to the customer. I agree the stuff is tat and the piercing guns should be outlawed but at the end of the day the staff are just doing a job to pay their bills.

Applause 👏 word for word

I can’t believe the prices in there. Needed a crocodile clip for 9yo DD. Cheapest I could find was £12! Primark do them for £1.50

Would you give a shit if you were in her position?

The trick is dont go into Claire's if you are over 12. I loved that shop as a kid so I leave them to enjoy it.

I used to love Claire's as a kid, all my friends did. We were frequent buyers of their mystery goody bags that cost £2. Claire's and Tammy Girl in BHS! Wouldn't go in there now and have boys who have never wanted to go in. It appeals to pre-teens massively and the sales assistant was just doing her job.

T(w)een daughter has different tastes from middle-aged mother shocker.

But good on you for sucking the joy from the sidelines - bet she loves spending time with you.