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?

Oh yes, I have bought luggage from there at a heavily discounted price in the sale and it was good quality for the price.

I've had some vouchers for ages, but I can't find anything to buy in store. I've found things to buy on their website, but they won't let me spend the paper vouchers - they only accept gift cards. I asked if I could exchange the vouchers for a gift card if I went to the store, but they said no. Not very helpful.

I've had lovely stuff from there in the past. Really gods, hard wearing. Lately, looks like someone's returns have been stuffed in another bag and sent out. Shame.

I have a love/hate thing about Debenhams.

Bad things: many of the stores are so tired-looking, with so many sales and clearances that I feel cheated if I have to pay full-price for anything. The shoes are pretty dire, as is the beauty department. Some of the clothing is frumpsville - Mantaray springs to mind. A bit like M&S, they have fallen into the trap of trying to do all things for all people, so you find garish neon Henry Holland teenage tat right next to the elasticated waistbands and jaunty blouses of the Classics range.

Good things: Some of the "designers" aren't too bad - I have found a few decent things for my work wardrobe in John Rocha, Jasper Conran and Betty Jackson Black. They sell Warehouse and Oasis, which I like. Homeware is good. Decent PJs, lingerie and swimwear. And DH loves the Menswear, and probably buys most of his clothing there, as he finds Top Man etc too young for him.

I think thru are uniformly dreadful. Tacky, style free .Even the Oxford St one no better. Wouldn't dream of setting foot in any again .

'they'

Debenhams always feels like hard work.
Nothing is easy to find, or appealing.

My local store is grotty and needs a refurb. The changing rooms are dusty.

That said I did find a nice swimming costume there last year.

I like some of the children's wear - especially the jasper conran stuff as it has blues , greys, neutrals rather than endless sparkly pink crap.

Their profits reflect it. They didn't do very well over Christmas.

It pisses me off always having to queue at the one open cash desk for ages on the rare occasion I can find something I want to buy.

Oh god, I love debenhams! Mind you don't have a John Lewis here

It's the only place that does bras in my size
Decent make up / perfume dept
Have bought luggage there
Always get bargains in the sales - winter coats for 20 quid etc

Yes it is dire. My local one is small and carries a small range. The bigger ones are better.

festive I'd kick up a stink if I were you. Did you actually approach the till and ask to buy a gift card? At Next we used to sell new vouchers for old ones approaching their expiry date.
Debenhams is dire. Our local store manager is a condescending twat and beware their returns policy for sale items.

I don't mind Debenhams but I only really buy stuff from the Homeware section. Or if it's really busy in town, I'll go to the cafe as it's always dead and I can easily get my pram in there The one in Leeds looks tired and dusty too. But they have announced plans to build a John Lewis here and I am STOKED.

I used to work there when I was a student, years ago, it used to be a decent shop and with the staff discount I'd spend most of my wages in there!

I felt it started going downhill when they introduced the 'in store radio' (after I left thankfully) it makes it feel really downmarket, which must be what they are going for? Not cheap though.

I still buy lingerie and nightwear there, beauty is good with the points card too, hats, scarves and swimwear are worth a look, never find any shoes or handbags anymore. DH quite likes some ranges.

We struggled to spend our wedding vouchers in there. The homeware is good but they used to be the first port of call for bedding and they don't do any of the 'quality' brands anymore, Sainsburys has better quality bedding now imo.

I don't mind getting stuff from their website but the little departments inside are too annoying for me to bother going in store. I want all the alike things together, I'm not fussed who designed/made them if I like them I'll buy them.,

I boycotted Debenhams for a number of years, because the quality of the stock plummeted. I ended up working there (for Clinique) a couple of years back. I lasted 9 months.

The managers at the store where I worked were awful, the Cosmetics Sales Manager was the nastiest, laziest person I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. The Store Manager would only speak to you if she liked you (she didn't like me - was I bothered? not really ) and would constantly bitch about people she disliked. This sounds as though I am being really quite childish, but believe me, I am being quite diplomatic. The two of them in action was quite something, they were untouchable, despite a number of complaints made against them corporately, nothing was ever done.

In the end, for the sake of my sanity I left. I thought I had left behind playground days at school. Unfortunately it seems as though at that particular store playground mentality ruled.

Nowadays I go in to have a look at the home stuff or cosmetics once in a blue moon, but it is way way down my list of shops I like!

'garish neon Henry Holland teenage tat...'

Oi! I own quite a few Henry Holland items, all lovely, and not garish or neon etc. I'm not going to jump on the hating Debenhams bandwagon because of that fact, and also because I get most of my makeup in there.

Thanks Brie. Their website 'help' section was no help at all so I emailed HQ to ask if I could exchange them for a giftcard in store & they said
Thank you for your email. I regret to inform you that Gift Vouchers cannot be exchanged (converted) to Gift Cards. I am sorry as I am unable to assist you on this occasion.
I did wonder whether to just innocently try in store anyway. I just don't go to that area much. I can't see the big deal with exchanging them. They will physically see the actual vouchers and they have the money anyway.

festive yes give it an innocent try next time you're there. Hopefully they'll not bat an eyelid or if they do they'll see common sense and do it as a gesture of goodwill. I didn't get one when I needed it but I'd not let that put me off trying again! Except I wouldn't ever need one as I'm not buying from there again....I'm good at holding a grudge!

There are some days where I really dislike ny job but who doesn't, I work at one of the flagship debenhams stores and have done for the past 4 years. The reason why you have to wait in queues for the till and fitting rooms for so long is due to cut in staff across the company. But we went through a recession and are only just coming out of it and debenhams didn't want to be a other brand on the high street that went into liquidation like so many did over the past couple of years. This is why you'll find most of the debs stores havnt had the renovation done yet and some if the stores are looking pretty tired. Being on the other side of the counter gives you a different perspective - people are awful. The customer is mostly never right and treat shop staff like dirt because they think they have the right to. Over the past few months I've had numerous people swear at me, threaton me and make me feel like the smallest person in the world simply for doing my job. In not saying that all shop staff give the best customer service but the majority do but still have to suffer dealing with rude people.
With regard to the lack of 100% cotton products, with the market being like it is the price of cotton has gone up quite substantially and this reflects prices of goods so again to keep the brand trading it uses a lot of man made materials to make the products.
At the end of the day it is a business trying to make money and keep itself afloat.
And like so many of you ladies have pointed out - if you don't like don't shop there. If you don't like it but still go in don't feel like you can have a good old moan about it.