Debenhams is dire isn't it?

[Orangeanddemons]

Who buys their shit?

Wandered in today. Totally deserted. Aisles and aisles of polyester shit. And the so called designers........Yet bizarrely there is always a queue for the changing rooms, despite no one being in the shop.

The girlswear is trash, just trash. Ted Baker, Blue Zoo. It's all nasty. Why is it full of such horribleness?

It's the only dept store where I live. I like a lot of the home stuff and the endless discounts . Jasper Conran girls clothes are fab - not a bit of pink in sight.
Went to try to spend a voucher in the woman's section though and couldn't find anything , it has all gone a big weird.

The homeward department is good. Also, their baby clothes were lovely, much nicer than Next. Also, I like the Mataray, joe brown and Maine clothes.

I go there for bras as they stock my size and are much cheaperthan bravissimo. I sometimes get basics from their website when they have a sale on, you can get stuff delivered to the store for free, try it on in the fitting room there and then, and take it straight back if it doesn't fit

Luggage and they had a fab 70% toy sale in January. Sadly, that's it.

Some of the stuff is ok (Jasper Conran girls stuff, bed linen, Christmassy table linen) but the stores are grim

Ours always looks dusty/ jumble saley with rows of revolting discounted static-y fabric.

The Red Herring super skinny jeans are unsung heroes - a really good fit for me so I buy those. Online, so I don't need to set foot in there.

Ive got £80 vouchers to spend and am really struggling. No nice pure 100% cotton bedding and no nice clothes. Cant really justify blowing it all at the Clinique counter. May persuade DH to get some nice shoes for himself.

"Who buys their shit?"

I buy from there, but I don't buy shit.

I have bought a bikini and two dinner services this year - because they were nicer than anywhere else.

If you don't like it don't shop there.

Although I agree about the depressing quantity of polyester and other man made fibre clothes, and the fact that good quality thick cotton clothes are as rare as hen's teeth. But that applies to all shops, not just Debenhams.

I shop in the Meadowhall store and it never looks grim/dirty/jumble saley.

The bras are good, but only if you fit them yourself. I went in with my mum, who is convinced against all evidence she can't possibly be bigger than a C cup, and they tried to fit her into a 42C. And told her 'we might need a bigger one but I'm not sure we stock them'. I have previously managed to get her (kicking and screaming!) to try on a 38E and she admitted it 'did seem to look better', but now she is just convinced she's fat and is back to trying C or D cups in massive back sizes. She isn't a small woman but they treated her like a freak.

why on earth would you not spend 80 on cosmetics?? that's the best part of debenhams isn't it!

i don't think it's that bad, they need to work on their shop fittings to make it more appealing though. john lewis also has it's grannyish ranges

I also sometimes shop in the Meadowhall Debenhams store and agree that it really never has looked grim or like a jumble sale. It can be cluttered and a bit too nightmarish for me in sale time - but then so does every sale shop to me, so I just avoid sales. But rest of time it looks clean and tidy and no different to any other department store tbh.

£80 in vouchers? Can you persuade them to refund them? I had a voucher too, had to spend it on Benefit, wasn't as much as £80 though .

The one in Sheffield itself I like far less - it seems a little more run down generally ime.

It's been a while since I was in there.

Do they still blast that god awful annoying 'this is your life, this is your life' song at you over and over and over again?

Like most labels and shops, including many that others 'rave' about, it has good and bad items. A couple of the items in my wardrobe are from there and do not fit the descriptions above and, if I say so myself (and from compliments received) they are lovely to wear, wash brilliantly and fit me perfectly. I visited Debenhams in Bath today and I have to say that store was clean and tidy, bright, carried ranges my local Debs doesn't and the changing rooms were large and clean, with the staff being friendly and communicative, unlike the HofF staff I recently encountered that obviously hated their job! I didn't buy the item as it was not in stock, in my size, but found it online, on their recommendation, so also made a purchase. I don't ignore any shop, as you never know what you might find.

Weirdly, I complained to Debenhams the other day as couldn't spend my voucher on clothes, as they don't really cater for us tall ladies. So I threw off an email to them asking when they're gonna stock longer trousers, and longer lengths in dresses.

I doubt they'll listen, like M&S.

Also, the girls in the Debenhams beauty hall are the rudest and worst-trained of any of the major department stores. They won't even acknowledge you if you go in and they are talking another customer; fair enough, the other person was there first, but what's wrong with, "I'll be with you in a minute"?

I attempted to buy some Lancôme perfume at my local (big) Debo's last year. The girl on the counter had never heard of the scent, despite it being heavily promoted in mags at the time. She opened a drawer and said, "can you see it here?". I said, "I think I'll just go to House of Fraser", upon which another assistant shouted at me because the other girl was new. Who needs that? I resolved there and then never to buy make up from Debenhams again.

The staff in general are really badly trained even in the flagship store on Oxford Street. Seems to be all college students with little experience. Really big contrast with John Lewis. The discounts make it seem bargain basement and as if they don't know where to position themselves. Their click and collect service lags behind JL and HoF. I shop in there sometimes but it does have shades of Woolworths about it and we know how that ended

I don't go in anymore, clothes are awful, cheap looking and frumpy. The store feels grubby, chaotic and depressing. Children's wear is hideous. Homeware dept isn't great either.

Yup, it is woeful.

Their shops always look a bit junk...as if no one cares about them.

"Also, the girls in the Debenhams beauty hall are the rudest and worst-trained of any of the major department stores"

That has never been my experience in Debenhams, or in any store. Maybe it is because I am nice to shop staff.

When they have a clerance sale ypu can often get the sale bras on buy one get one half price a d if ypu are lucky you can get fantasie amd freya.

It could be so much better if they spent less on advertising on TV and investing it on their storea

I was going to come on and say that I don't mind it but actually, thinking about it, I don't end up buying much from there. We're poorly served in my town for shops so that's probably why I am ever optimistic, looking in Debenhams but even when I try on 20 items, I often buy nothing. I must stop this waste of time.

I never buy anything at full price, I wait for a sale. It is over-priced and don't like any of the children's clothes beyond age 7.

I hope they improve. They are usually massive statement stores in town centres. If they go bust who is going to take over that space?