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Covid

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Original poster

Changing rooms that are open.

124 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/04/2021 08:00

I thought starting a thread where we can say whether changing rooms are open or not in stores. Government guidelines allow for them to be open now.

I tried to buy a bra yesterday in House of Fraser (don't ask). Changing rooms were closed. I cant buy the hundreds of bras online I need to try on while trying to work out what fits me now. So I gave up.

So. Please add to this list.

House of Fraser - closed.

OP posts:

saltychoc · 15/04/2021 22:49

H&M open yesterday (London - but not central)
Tkmax - closed
Zara - closed

CovidCorvid · 15/04/2021 22:56

I think in a week or two the shops will be so clogged up with people returning stuff they will have a rethink. I see primark have already changed from only do refunds at customer service desk to now doing refund at any till. So they must be expecting more.

boon · 15/04/2021 23:55

River Island open today

PinkElephant7 · 16/04/2021 15:39

John Lewis and Fat Face changing rooms open!

mooonstone · 17/04/2021 18:00

@CovidCorvid

Doubt it considering we already experienced this last year, it’s nothing new.

Also refunds being accepted at any till is completely normal. Dedicated refund tills help to detect and prevent fraud etc as the staff are more trained. But if the store is too busy, it’s in the interests of good customer service to accept refund anywhere to process customers faster. I used to work at Topshop whilst at university (pre-pandemic) and I did the same thing when queues were too long

CovidCorvid · 17/04/2021 18:16

@moonstone. Yes but having the refunds at any till is new at primark. Maybe unrelated to covid...I always thought it was unusual. Doesn’t matter how long the queues were previously you had to go to customer service.

I’ve found out how to get free deliveries from next all the time so will shop online, don’t see the point in actual shops anymore. It’s easier to do returns by post as well rather than make a trip into town to buy stuff and then another trip to return stuff.

Eaumyword · 17/04/2021 19:24

Nottingham here..
John Lewis - open and great.
Schuh - able to try on any shoes you want. Airy store and they ask you sit apart from others trying on shoes. Super service. I bought from there.
JD and Foot Locker - only able to try on shoes sitting on the floor! Foot Locker chap was lovely and said it was bonkers the benches were removed! Neither shop felt safe with too many folks milling around, getting a bit close and sitting on the floor so I left swiftly! (Not bendy enough to sit on the floor either!)
M&S - closed and I bought nothing.
I think shops are short sighted if they don't open changing rooms with some safety measures in place.

Eaumyword · 17/04/2021 19:30

Beg your pardon, I mean Foot Asylum not Foot Locker with benches removed and folks sitting on the floor trying shoes on.

Neron · 17/04/2021 21:37

benches removed and folks sitting on the floor trying shoes on
That's bonkers!

Eaumyword · 17/04/2021 22:25

It honestly was! Feel sorry for the staff, it's not their fault! Customers were just shrugging and getting on with it (youngsters) but I wasn't supple enough to be up for it, lol!
Schuh was a much nicer, airier environment with spaced seating, so they got my arthritically challenged business.

Badgerstmary · 17/04/2021 22:56

White Stuff & Fat Face were both open. Next, Primark & Superdry were closed. In Sainsbury’s I bought the clothes, tried them on in the toilet & returned the clothes that didn’t fit straight away. I’m sure a changing room would have been far more hygienic. As I live about 30mins away from Sainsbury’s I was not going to take them home to try them on.

ssd · 18/04/2021 00:28

@Eaumyword

Nottingham here.. John Lewis - open and great. Schuh - able to try on any shoes you want. Airy store and they ask you sit apart from others trying on shoes. Super service. I bought from there. JD and Foot Locker - only able to try on shoes sitting on the floor! Foot Locker chap was lovely and said it was bonkers the benches were removed! Neither shop felt safe with too many folks milling around, getting a bit close and sitting on the floor so I left swiftly! (Not bendy enough to sit on the floor either!) M&S - closed

and I bought nothing. I think shops are short sighted if they don't open changing rooms with some safety measures in place.

What made john Lewis great then?

BatshitCrazyWoman · 18/04/2021 08:13

Monsoon and Phase Eight changing rooms were open.

Eaumyword · 18/04/2021 09:00

Hi @ssd, we went in the morning and it was quiet so no queuing. The JL changing rooms had gel going in and they placed customers with one spare cubicle in between, so you weren't close to anyone else inside. It was well manned with 1 person on the door and 1 person taking any unwanted clothes back I think to steam them.

ssd · 18/04/2021 09:26

@Eaumyword, sounds good. But how did they block off the fitting rooms that weren't to be used?

Eaumyword · 18/04/2021 10:06

The person on the door just said please go to number 4, but also explained they were leaving a cubicle between each customer. So it was managed very well between the 2 members of staff.
Well done JL!

ichundich · 18/04/2021 10:18

This drives me mad! Is there still much science behind them being closed and quarantining things that people have touched? I thought that Covid spreads primarily via aerosol particles? Can't see many high street clothes shops surviving if they don't let you try on clothes in store. You might as well just order them online.

ssd · 18/04/2021 10:49

@Eaumyword

The person on the door just said please go to number 4, but also explained they were leaving a cubicle between each customer. So it was managed very well between the 2 members of staff. Well done JL!

That sounds great, but id expect jl to be well organised.

WhiteChocTwix · 19/04/2021 23:22

Mint Velvet changing rooms were open today!

RampantIvy · 20/04/2021 07:08

I now take a tape measure with me when going shopping. For clothes that have a loose fit like a baggy T-shirt this has worked well. There is no way that I would buy shoes or jeans/trousers without trying them on first though.

I can confirm that Seasalt changing rooms are open.

mdh2020 · 20/04/2021 07:39

The changing rooms in our local Matalan were closed. The shop was fairly busy and when I asked the chap on the door he said they were allowed 172 people in the store which would have been ridiculous at any time. They calculate by floor space, regardless of the fact that they have an upstairs where no one goes and most of the floor space is taken up with racks of clothes.

ifonly4 · 20/04/2021 07:40

White Stuff open here. They asked me to use sanitizer beforehand - only two cubicles can be used at a time and you have to remain in your cubicle while trying on clothes.

RampantIvy · 20/04/2021 07:45

I reckon it is easier for smaller shops with fewer customers to monitor changing rooms, which is why shops like Seasalt, Fatface and Joules can now open their changing rooms.

LovingBob · 20/04/2021 09:14

@RampantIvy

I reckon it is easier for smaller shops with fewer customers to monitor changing rooms, which is why shops like Seasalt, Fatface and Joules can now open their changing rooms.

Yes, in Seasalt there were about 4 or 5 customers, 1 in 1 out for fitting room. I just waited while 1 person in there then went into a different cubicle. I imagine in somewhere like Next it would be much more difficult because of more customers, Primark would be extremely difficult because of amount of customers.

RampantIvy · 21/04/2021 06:49

Spent an age with DD in Urban Outfitters yesterday as she was trying on half the jeans in the shop.

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