Which shops do you never go in?

[Pseudonymity]

Especially if they are ones you used to shop in.

When I went shopping with my sister I realised that there are some shops that I just blank, as if they didn't exist.

Mine are:

Oasis
Warehouse
River Island
New Look
(these I used to shop in when I was a teenager)

Monsoon (too flouncy for me)
Next (not interested)
Barratts, Aldo

Very rarely go in the Body Shop these days.

Be interested to hear if I'm missing out on anything amazing.

What happened Debenhams? - cheap and nasty
Never see anything in TK max- even more 'jumble sale like' than Primark
New Look- ghastly

Shops I never go in;

Next - nothing ever fits me ever.
H&M - everything looks good for skinny women (so not me)
Miss Selfridge - too young
Top Shop - too young
Monsoon - too fancy/frilly
New Look - artificial fabric city
Body Shop - not for me

shops I do use;

Debenhams - like designers at Debenhams especially John Rocha - he makes clothes that actually fit my apple shape.
M&S - for basics
TK Maxx - I get it now and have found some fab clothes, that people always compliment me on
Primark - for kids clothes
Clarks - comfy shoes

TK Maxx is brilliant if you have the time to rummage. I'm amazed so many hate it.

For me it's avoid:

Next - boring mumsy office wear

River Island and Oasis - can't put my finger on why exactly

BHS - obvs

Bon Marche - even more obvs but my mum LOVES it

I hate:
Jane Norman - yy to tart-tastic!
Next - dull, dull, dull - WHY DO PEOPLE QUEUE FOR THEIR SALE????
Debenhams - as middle of the road as Next
Fat Face - boring
Boden - expensive and dull
French Connection - boring and expensive for what it is
Miss Selfridge - passed there the other day and thought it looked very 80's
East - too old
Hobbs - have bought from them in the past but sizing is too large and it's too expensive
Karen Millen - Footballer's Wives/TOWIE
Oasis - too suburban
BHS - just horrific
Body Shop - reminds me of being a teenager
Clarks - surprisingly uncomfortable shoes and too old lady

Love:
Numph - cool Danish brand
Hoss Intropia - Beautiful prints and colours
Zara - always find something I love here
Gap - when the sale is on, never full price
Topshop - search carefully and there's some good stuff
TK Maxx - going against the grain here - LOVE it
Adolfo Dominguez - very chic Spanish brand
matches.com
Primark - their jeans are the best fit on me

I love TKmaxx and have found my best buys in there for years always go at 9am after dropping dc off at school its nice and tidy at that time of day.
M&S only for kids school uniforms and tights
Monsoon when there a sale on find something good now and again.
House of fraser
Zara
Gap
fat face
white stuff
Kew
Shops I never go in
Primark
Bon marche
Peacocks
Lush

I never darken the door of :-

Jane Norman, I truly despise this place.
Ax Paris
Quiz
Republic
Bon marche
Marks and spencer, my mum said I always had a tantrum at the doorway as a child. Not sure why I hate it but I do.

White Company
Next- unless its for DC clothes
Hobbs
Monsoon
Accesorize (sp)
Miss Selfridge -even in my younger days
Dorothy Perkins
H&M -only for DC clothes
House of Fraser
Laura Asley
LK Bennett

Most of the clothes shops at Bluewater except M&S in fact

Hey, stop dissing TK Maxx here... great finds if you can be bothered to rummage.

My finds include a bargain Prada pencil skirt which I've worn to death, a lovely merino wool jumper and a Paul Costello jacket, also worn lots of times.

Monsoon - can't afford it ever, even in the sales.

Body shop - crap

Top shop - I ain't a prepubesant teen

Coffee Nero, Costa Coffee, Morellis etc etc. - Smell makes me want to heave.

Lush - smell makes me want to heave

TKMax - Gives me a headache. Like a jumble sale but with unaffordable clothes with brand names I've never heard of.

I don't go in most of the shops you have listed, but the ones I do go in are...

Oxfam
Barnados
Asda
Peacocks
Salvation Army
Primark
Scope

Comes with being skint and not a snob.

Oh, and I shop in Aldi for food.

John Lewis, because of their shameful online customer 'service'.

Next
Lipsey
Jane norman
Warehouse
Dorothy perkins
Wallis
River island
sports wear stores

Stores i go in ocasionally, wander round and leave empty handed

Monsoon
Debenhams
New look
Benetton
Phaae eight

Interesting thread.

Shops I'd never go in (to name a few):

BHS/Wallis/Dorothy Perkins - polyester nightmare
Next - office clothes from the 80's
Fat Face/White Stuff - No, I don't live in Cornwall and surf so why would I?
Mango - Poor quality but ££
Ted Baker/Karen Millen - WAG tastic
Cos - I just don't get it, but really want to!

Places I do like:

Selfridges/HoF with good concessions
Whistles
Topshop
Zara (On a good day)

Never go in:

New Look - hate the place, synthetic city
Wallis - same reason
DP - sensing a theme
Next - sometimes get bits for DS but womenswear shocking, and sale thing mystifies me!
Karen Millen - very WAG
Jane Norman - not surprised they're in trouble
Peacocks - ditto above
Debenhams - the skankiest department store in the world, sometimes walk in and have to walk straight out.

Always go in:

Selfridges - everything under one roof and nice feeding area
Bentalls - lovely dept store
Gap - great for basics
Uniqlo - ditto
Topshop- love it, but know my limits
Matches - for obvious reasons
Whistles - some lovely bits
Zara - v hit and miss though
Harvey Nics - not quite as good as Selfirdges, but probably a better accessories dept.

Don't mind a bit of TK, but have to be in the right mood, and while Primark drives me up the pole I like the fleecy PJs. Wouldn't buy clothes there though.

Oh god yeah, never Fatface or White stuff, as MiM says, not a surfer.

Also Monsoon, they almost get it right then ruin it with an unnecessary frill or bit of beading...

Oh yes, I forgot Debenhams, I am so surprised they are still going.

Crap concessions, ours always smells of dinners from the cafe.

Agree about Monsoon Amber, should be good but tips into 'frumpy' very easily.

As for Jane Norman...words fail me.

Next

load of rubbish

Shops I never go in:

• Next
• Debenhams
• Primark
• Many many others, but those are the worst offenders

Shops I go in/browse and buy online from:

• H&M
• Gap
• Brora
• My-Wardrobe, Matches and Net-a-Porter for special stuff
• Kettlewell for nice quality t-shirts etc
• Whistles
• Kew

i never shop in shops, only vintage and ebay

I don't have much time for going in actual shops, but I do go into most if the shops that people have listed below because I find they are good for specific things:

NL- Great bags (not for a lifetime but for a specific party- amazing collection of clutches etc)

Dotty Ps- Good selection of dresses, cut for hourglass. Particularly good in the summer for pure cotton dressed.

And so on. The ones I actively avoid now:

Next- The cut has never suited me.

Bon Marche- windows always look awful.
Primark- no time to wade through the stuff

Fat face/White Stuff- sludgy coloured and really big clothes.

Sorry- have probably insulted someone there! I think this thread is as much about people perceptions as anything, because of the shops that have repeatedly come up on the 'no go' lists will have something to offer if you are prepared to look. If you are short of time though, you have to use some sort of process of deciding where to go into.

Next. It just never enters my mind; even if I am desperate I just don't go there. My DH asked me about 10 years ago to not buy him anything else from there and I was a bit but I so get it now! Stopped buying for the children there ages ago - sick of seeing a gizzillion other DCs dressed the same as mine!

The shops I always forget about are Miss Selfridge, New Look, Gap and Zara. I have sometimes been surprised by Gap and Miss Selfridge. I also never go in places like Boden (do they even have shops?), Joules, Fat Face.

I pretty much live in Oasis. I am almost proud of the fact that I have items in every one of their sizes.

Never go in -

Next - grim fabrics, oddly shaped clothes, frumpy
New Look - grim fabrics, too 'teenager'
Dorothy Perkins - dull
Oasis - nothing is cut for my shape
Debenhams - I don't 'get' it. Prefer John Lewis.
BHS - grim
Jane Norman - who actually shops there?
Hobbs - main collection is a bit too old for me, NW3 nice but too expensive
Miss Selfridge - too 'teenager'
Primark - clothing quality, hate messy shops
Peacocks - see above
All Saints - boring and overpriced. Too monochrome.
Wallis - dull and THE FABRICS
Hollister - beloved of 12-year-olds round here. Too dark and crowded in store.

Sometimes -

Topshop - although increasingly too 'teenager' and not geared towards curvy body types or taller women AT ALL.
Kew - only really for knitwear
Jigsaw - most of it is too 'old'
Fat Face - bit too casual for me
Crew Clothing - knitwear and shirts
M&S - shoes for work
Monsoon - always look but rarely buy anything
River Island - disappointed 99% of the time though

Usually go in -

Zara
French Connection
Whistles - sale purchases only!
Joules
Gap - hit and miss
H & M - good for basic tops, not keen on anything else there
Jack Wills - avoiding the things that are too 'teenager'
Warehouse - hit and miss depending on the season
Urban Outfitters