Is it too much to ask that Boden aren't sold out of stuff all the time?

[GrumpyOldHorsewoman]

Every year it's the same story - if you wait longer than a few weeks after catalogue publication, you're pretty much screwed with being able to get what you want.
It happens to me every season and this year was even more infuriating.
So, Winter 'special' catalogue comes out in Oct, Grumpy is skint so waits a few weeks until my money comes in. Go online (november 11th) to buy the following:
Girl's sparkly party dress, pearl, aged 7-8...sold out.
Girl's zebra print cardi, aged 7-8...sold out
Girl's pink stripy skull & crossbones sweater, aged 7-8...sold out
Girl's 2 pk Long johns, pink Santa design, aged 7-8...sold out
Are we noticing a pattern yet?
If I wanted a hotchpotch bloody skirt in orange and brown I'd be able to buy it. FGS, this stuff only went on sale a few weeks ago! . I'm only trying to get organised for christmas, but evidently not early enough.
Alright, Grump over - just wanted a rant.

It's because they just finished their 25% off mini boden offer yesterday, so everything was being snapped up. If you wait a bit things might come back as available.

I usually wait until last minute to get largest amount of money off and end up not getting the sizes I want (have various tops for the DSs that wont fit them until next year at earliest!).

oooh I know! they send me a catalogue every week but when I go on the website there is NOTHING.

thank god for Gap online

I don't think they've had the sparkly dress for a few weeks now. The first time I looked online (a couple of weeks ago) it was sold out, but I just thought 'oh well, keep checking'. All the reviews (from smug buggers who snapped them up) were posted between 1-23 October. Wouldn't you think they'd order a leeetle bit more stock, seeing as though they are really popular and sold out in under 3 weeks and still 2 months before Christmas?

I think they operate on pretty tight margins so don't hold loads of stock. I live near the shop and the woman there told me things don't tend to take as long to come as they indicate but agree it is annoying.

Have been quite lucky with things for DD this year. But missed out on the boyfriend cardigan in silver for myself - it was sold out in October FGS!!!

tell me about it - i buy alot of boden in the previews, sales and when theres a good code.....but why do they get so many catalogues printed? when it sells out so fast, quite often i see things in the catalogue that i just hadnt noticed online, probably the way the style things helps too only to go to order and its all sold out.

I'm fed up of buying so far in advance, i'm now thinking i should be ordering the summer shorts before they all sell out but i struggle to choose the right sizes.

My eldest has suddenly grown and needs trousers badly but theres nothing in his size.

agreed, Miche. I end up panic buying in the previews. DH thinks I am crazy when summer stuff arrives in January!

Ditto - but if, like me, you buy size 22 stuff, Boden sell out of that even more quickly. Great that they now do it and it's so successful, but why don't they order a few more items now they know this ?? A/W has been just as bad as last spring from this point of view.

This really annoys me too - Boden are total buggers for selling out of absolutely everything. They really should not be running out of winter clothes in mid-November - it really pees me off. It is freezing in this country until at least April. Grrrrrrrrrrr

I got the catalogue recently and thought I'd give it a go, but when most things had at least a 7 week waiting list I gave up!

I hope Johnnie is reading this.....

Got a catalogue this morning and not too happy that three things in it are sold out in my size and most sizes on line.

Have been waiting 4 weeks for DSs winter coat too which was a bit miffed about considering it is winter and you would think they would stock lots of them. Have been promised will be here by Thursday of this week - am going to have an almighty go at them if it isn't as poor little sod is wandering about in last years which is a bit snug!

They totally change their stuff season to season don't they - come January, their aim is to have everything from Winter gone isn't it? So the website is only the spring collection with a few odds and ends from Winter in the sale?

I don't really see the problem?!? If you want a dress for your DD, you can get one elsewhere?

If they had a load of Winter stock left when they started their spring stuff, they'd have to sell it cheap in the sale and not make much money from it.

Have completely given up on Boden now after suffering this for the last three or four seasons. Yet they still send me a catalogue practically every week, stuffed full of things that I know for a fact I'm not going to be able to buy - infuriating!

I'm prepared to go with it because I understand they're operating as runmeragged described and, most crucially, because they have a few nice things each season and you just don't find nice things easily if you're a size 22!

But please Johnny, if you or one of your minions are reading this, do recognise the demand for 22s a bit more - and do stop sending out catalogues like the one that came today,in which I know many of the best things are gone.

rummeragged - but they aren't meeting demand and they could be making so much more money!

Was on to Boden just now re an order and cheekily asked when the sale was starting - the very nice customer services lady said that they hadn't been given the exact date yet but that it would be "early next month"!

This happened to me last year and I complained and they wrote a long letter back, explaining how they buy in stock and estimate demand etc. Can't remember all the details now but it did make sense at the time.

I now dutifully put all my orders in for winter clothes in August and summer clothes in March (or before).

I agree it's infuriating when you want to put in the odd order for Christmas presents though (they've sold out of the pyjamas I wanted for my niece)!

You can always look out for the previews too - usually flagged up by some kind Mnsnetter in the Style and Beauty threads - which can act as a reminder to order in advance.

Cath Kidston and loads of other websites have the same problem btw.