Why is Mothercare so expensive yet grotty?

[Two4One]

I was looking around my local Mothercare today and then again online when I got home. I have noticed that they are consistently more expensive than John Lewis, Boots etc for exactly the same items. Why does anyone still shop there? And the weird thing is, the stores are so horrid and everything "looks" so cheap and nasty (especially the clothes) you don't really want to buy there anyway. And as for the staff - they just look downtrodden and unhelpful.

This is my first time doing all this - I just always assumed Mothercare was a cheap shop. But everything I have bought so far has been significantly cheaper in John Lewis, Boots or any of the supermarkets. And the service is far better.

So how do they stay in business? I can see why a shop like, say, Selfridges, does well despite being a bit pricier for the same products than other dept. stores. They're offering a quality shopping experience that people enjoy. But Mothercare??? Who is shopping there?

I hate it too. Our local one is mess- groundfloor is so tightly packed you can't get a pram round. There is no lift so if you are pregnant or on your own it's a real faff to get upstairs, no space for breast feeding. The staff are so useless it's embarrassing: I have been ignored for 15 mins waiting to be shown pushchairs whilst she talked to a rep and then told she didn't know how to work tem. They were also all clueless about car seats.

The maternity clothes and boys clothes are awful.

But everytime I go it's packed. I must be missing something!!

Happened to be visiting Northampton last week and walked in and out of their Mothercare store in about 2mins after failing to find maternity clothes in my size (standard), 3+ clothes for dd that wasn't summer wear or a pair of plimsolls for ds. Think that's representative of most of their outoftown stores tbh. Online website is slow, unwieldy and has very, very limited stock. Only in major shopping centres like Bluewater, Brum, MK are Mothercare any good.

I've also wondered this - even more surprised to see them doing well at the moment . Am pregnant with my first and both of my local Mothercares (Holloway Road and Wood Green in London) are just grimsville. Crammed full of stuff, untidy looking, unhelpful staff...grim overall experience! I had just assumed that they'd be good as they're a specialist brand...

But I'm Irish and I must say I've found Mothercare in Ireland to be better in terms of range, service, etc. Especially when it comes to maternity clothes. Irish Mothercare shops stock a brand called Mamalicious that is lovely - fashionable without being cheap, wash well, great for work etc. Way nicer than the jogging bottoms type clothing on offer in my local mothercares in London!

Mothercare is fab!

The straps on DS car seat weren't working, so DP took it to Mothercare to get some help and they replaced it with a new one! Couldn't find receipt, they just did it! And installed it...

I have fallen out big time with John Lewis over our nursery furniture. The service has been pretty shocking (sales assistants standing round chatting rather than helping customers and when we wanted to try a pram in the boot of our car we weren't even allowed to try to fold it despite booking an appointment a week in advance). We are now on our 3rd change table as the wood had split on the first two. The most annoying thing has been trying to get a replacement as it was originally bought by my MIL. Admittedly the first delivery was cancelled due to snow, so not JL's fault, but it has proved nigh on impossible to actually communicate with someone who knows what they're talking about ever since. Last time I went in (Bluewater store) I was sent from pillar to post to try to sort it out, despite being quite clearly heavily pregnant.

Mothercare at Bluewater, by contrast, have so far been brilliant. The lady who gave us pram demos could not have been more helpful, well informed and pleasant. I got a 10% off voucher with the catalogue so used that for a bit of extra money off.

Having said that I did have a rubbish time at Lakeside Mcare and eventually walked out, so it definitely depends on the branch.

The big Mothercare near me is very good, staff are great. But I have to say I only really go there because its got a clarks concession, which is always really quiet, you don't have to wait for three hours for some harrassed assistant to measure tiny feet, and there's always lots of bargains in their sale!

But Mothercare in general is hideously overpriced for everything, and their maternity jeans are beyond crap. You need superglue to keep them up.

Oh yeah, and the car seat advice is shocking, if not downright dangerous. Dreadful.

In the defence of Mothercare, I've found the 'World' store in Leeds to be fine. Even in the middle of all the snow when a lot of other stores in the area were closed, they still had plenty of staff in - which either shows dedication or a slave-driving manager, I guess!

I got a wide selection of maternity clothes in their sale. Pretty much all of them have been fine, though I had to do some minor repair work to the inside of the waist band on one pair of jeans. But at the price I paid, I wasn't too worried. Might have been a different story if I'd paid the full cost, admittedly!

Can't comment on the style and stuff for the clothes, as I am a self certified tom boy and really don't notice that kinda thing! I just went for what felt comfortable and washed easily. I could well look horrendous and be an utter fashion disaster. ;) Makes no change from normal!

Lastly, I wandered in with my parents before Christmas and we made a poor member of staff demonstrate pretty much every single pram in the shop. They willingly did so and seemed pretty knowledgable about the topic, suggesting prams they don't stock and other places we could try to view them. They were happy and friendly the whole time too, which was nice.

So, I guess a lot of it depends on what you expect and which store you go to. Baby isn't coming until July, so I can't comment on kiddy clothes yet.

I think that Mothercare is damned expensive and I have not been impressed by the quality, look or feel of anything that's come from there. I have also had experience of a "couldn't care less" attitude from staff. I think that it's just a brand that's ubiquitous with being pregnant/ having kids so they always get trade.

On the other hand, John Lewis customer service is great. They are really good value with regard to the small stuff and will price match for big items (eg: prams)which can be a bit more expensive instore. Their own brand clothes etc are really nice as well. I am always pleased to spend my money there and support them as an organisation.

have to agree with OP.

every time i go in, I think, ok, give it a chance, and its always a bad experience.

the staff at our local one are always gossiping about each other. once i wanted to get to something behind where they were chatting, and they gave me the dirtiest look because i said excuse me, and dared to interrupt them!!!

i have never managed to find any clothes i like in there. Even basics, they never seem to have the right size i need.

I find better prices, quality and service elsewhere.

Totally agree about the quality and they fact they never ever have anything available online.my christmas order was 2 weeks late and even though they claim to have an online assistance is only a forward to FAQs list!impossible to find assistance either online or in shop.
its just I find it difficult to find cute things anywhere-most shops are so gender-neutral and minimalistic for me.any ideas?

Okay, John Lewis is my favourite shop. But, I have to say that I have found that Mothercare sleepsuits wash and wear a lot better than the John Lewis ones, and are worth the few extra pence. We also had a faulty bolt on the cotbed we bought from John Lewis and despite DH and I phoning multiple times (at least five between us), eventually I just had to give up on them and luckily was able to buy a replacement from ebay.

Mothercare locally does seem to suffer from having some very small stores, which don't lend themselves well to fitting in all the stock and still allowing room to get a pram around. But we have just got a lovely big new one at Colliers Wood, and the staff are extremely helpful.

Loads of the mothercare stuff I've bought has been really shit quality and overpriced. I stopped shopping there a long time ago. I've had to take 2 pushchairs back for repair and both times the woman treated me like I was trying to con them or being really awkward.

I'm always shocked at how expensive their stuff is, was looking at baby clothes, £18 for a dress for a 0-3 month old £16 for a little coat. Who can afford to pay these prices, seriously?

Panayiota, try Boots (mini mode online) for clothes - nice bright stuff, and not too much pink (only boys stuff seems to be either great and really funky or "here comes trouble" etc)

I think I have only ever bought mothercare clothes in a sale, only bought their sleepsuits/vests/pyjamas full price. Actually the baby stuff is nicer than the kids' stuff as it mainly seems to be a lot of character based things.

I think Mothercare are shite.

Haven't been in one for years luckily, but had 2 negative experiences that completely put me off:

1. Was astounded to discover our local MC store didn't even have a customer toilet. A large store catering primarily for pregnant women and small children with no loo.

1. I bought a maternity dress in their sale to wear to my brother's wedding. DD2 was born 6 weeks early (before the wedding) and when I took the unworn dress back as soon as I was able (complete with receipt) they said they wouldn't refund me because it was a sale item and they didn't offer refunds for items that customers decided they just didn't want to wear.

There are far better places to shop for baby items IMO.

I'm in Australia and have just started shopping for my first (due May). I am so missing the fab choice and value in the supermarkets and JL, Mothercare, etc. I look at these websites and they are just fab in comparison to what's available here. Everything is so expensive and I am having trouble finding the simplest things (like muslins!!!). Have even had to order stuff from Blooming Marvellous as maternity clothes are so crappy looking (and $$$$$$$$$) here!

Anyway, I'm babbling - just frustrated!! I never realised until I moved to the other side of the world that shopping in the UK is actually excellent Especially websites.... you would think it was still the 80's here ;)

ps. to hijack the thread slightly, if any Aussies are reading, tips for reasonably priced baby shops in Sydney gratefully received!

Hmm, I'm a bit of both here. I was always excited about going into Mothercare before I got pregnant. We used to have a huge store but now they have moved into our shopping centre and it is tiny! Not designed for prams, which I find very poor. And their range of boys clothes is poor too. However, after searching through the hideous character clothes, they do have some lovely stuff and I have found it to be good quality. Their vests are good quality too.

The maternity jeans I got were awful and very over priced, I haven't bothered to keep them for the next time as they were so uncomfortable, I gave up wearing them, and the elastic bit was fraying even though I had hardly used them.

The staff in mine seem very helpful. Nothing is too much trouble for them everytime I have been in there. I have also got some good stuff in the sale but like someone said, their online stuff is very annoying. Its always out of stock, so I've given up looking now.

I do think it is a bit overpriced too, but then I am used to being quite cheap anyway by shopping in the supermarkets.

Sidge - I thought it was pretty standard for places not to take sale goods back just because you changed your mind?

Plus that you weren't still in your maternity clothes for months after the birth.

I think it has good and bad points like everywhere. It often stocks bits and bobs that you might not get elsewhere, and good if you need a load of stuff at once - ours has an ELC and clarks too so handy really. And it does have good changing and toilet facilities. I've found there clothes to be good - but always get them in the sale...but i do that with most shops too.

I shop around online though and just compare with John Lewis, M&S, Boots and Kiddicare....

they just make money from first time parents who know no better! I remember waiting half an hour for assistance when we went to get a car seat cos the sales assistant was on his break!!! like fuck off! grim grim grim

IMHO Mothercare is full of crap. I found only 1 thing I wanted to buy in there which was a set of sleepsuits with kittens on them

Oh yes, and why does everything have to have some sort of stupid cartoon on it ? I mean, really ?