Is there some kind of Debenhams secret mole on here?

[BrendaandEddie]

I have never heard as much chat about Debenhams - surely the SHITTEST shop in the world, as on here in the last few weeks

SO own up - who works for Debenhams social media company?

But the concessions are shit. Red herring , that god awful manta ray shit. Everything naff polyester. Dull shop fitting. Stroppy staff

I bought myself a pair of leather work brogues in their school wear range incredibly cheap in the sale -but otherwise I never have any luck there (Oxford St branch). Everything seems to be their rather naff own brand "designer label". DD used to like the Butterfly range when she was in the sparkly tat age range.

Children's wear in the Clapham Junction branch is particularly unexciting.

But it's an interesting point about undercover MNers. Spammers are often very obvious and get zapped at lightning speed but I do wonder if any firms manage to do something more subtle. I'm on here all the bloody time and I NC frequently so I'm sure I could drop the occasional plug for the surprising excellence of Debenham's shonky "designer" ranges without MNHQ or other posters clocking on. (PM me for my very reasonable rates ). And I have been known to plug mates' work on here though only when I genuinely believe it's the answer to the question someone has asked.

I think there is a undercover mooncup mumsnetter.

Undercover mooncup.

I only go to Debenhans to get Clinique stuff during bonus time.

I have 4 debenhams near where I live and used to work.

The one near my old work (wimbledon) I used to buy bras there until they reduced their range of bigger nicer bras eg Freya. I also bought sports bras from there. To be honest I wasn't impressed with the other departments but they did have a good menswear department. Oh I did buy perfumes and gift sets from there and also the old Arding and Hobbs (now Debenhams) at Clapham Junction. The other ones near me (Croydon and Bromley) I very occasionally go into for clothes concessions and makeup but it's once a year if that.

I always used to go into Elys and Morleys (Wimbledon and Brixton) as proximity but I also found better sales and ranges of goods generally.

I was in Oxford St Debs last month, picked up some nice home ware (duvet covers, kitchenware), a nice dress in Miss Selfridge concession and nice new nude bras (Curvy Kate and Freya and a Maidenform slip thing) plus Xmas presents.

The other ones to be honest I find a complete and utter mess and nothing I like! John Lewis and Elys/Morleys/bentalls even I find far tidier and easier to navigate and with ranges I actually buy. Bentalls has MAC and Bobbi brown, Morleys also has MAC (so does Arding and Hobbs though now I think of it).

80swaistcoast you're right about the Bath one being good - picked up a last minute Coast wedding outfit and shawl thing (as left my dress at home not brought on train don't ask!) and some great earrings and a jumper in there a few Xmases ago.

Is it because it's larger and in a newer shopping complex?

I'm not a Debenhams hater but I have also been noticing a lot of references to them on MN lately - and not the usual disparaging ones. It does look a bit like a covert advertising campaign.

Talking of shops smelling though (someone mentioned their local Debs smells of cabbage), my local 99p store always smells of urine - lovely!

I generally find it rubbish, but my local one has a topshop concession so I go and look there sometimes. Also occasionally get make up there.

It seems that everyone on mumsnet does t drive eats a chicken for twenty days and shops at debenhams

No sweeping generalisations there then

Loads. Love them

I get itchy just looking at all the nylon

I got myself a lovely new coat from Principles in Debenhams this year.

Don't all department store have some good bits and some shit bits?

I love Red Herring and dh wears loads of Mantaray plus Clinique bonus time is fab prob why I think Debenhams is ok

I never go into Debenhams as it is the wrong end of town for me. And it is shit.

Haven't seen it in the flesh, but the Savannah Miller range of clothes looked good...

I got this with my Debenhams vouchers

Cheap and cheerful and actually looks nicer on than in the pic

I feel like this about Next. I walk in and just want to put a match to the acrylic wonderland of fuss

I've worked in two Debenhams stores (you'd think I'd have learnt after one stint but nooooo....)

The staff in both stores were treated awfully while the managers got away with murder. I think well treated, looked after staff make shopping so much better. In both stores I worked in the staff turnover was significantly higher than the House of Fraser and M&S I worked in.

Thankfully I worked on a cosmetic concession so although the cosmetic department sales manager was "in charge" (utter mega bitch that she was) she hated my area manager and left us alone mostly.

It's like any shop though - there are some good finds in amongst the dross, but mainly I find the quality of the merchandise to be poor and overpriced for what it is.

I have never like Debenhams. Its like the dregs.

The York one is the worst. You keep waiting for the actual shop to start, but it never does. The whole place is just edges.

Debenhams: crap fabric, gaudy crap fabric.

Why bother getting designers to do stuff then make it in CRAP FABRIC that looks really cheap?

I saw a nice skirt in their Preen range once but the material was so crap that the static it generated had magnetised every piece of fluff in the shop.

Generally, crap plastic shoes and bags although I have found the odd online gem from the designer ranges, made of actual suede and leather.

It's as if they have said, "let's just do cheap and nasty stuff for people who don't care about quality".

Also, their beauty hall is my absolute last resort. Rude assistants who ignore you when a simple, "I'll be with you in a minute" would go a long way. Often they don't know what they are selling, either.

Underwear: hopeless. I tried to buy Spanx there last year for under a dress that was very fitted. It was the beginning of December, I.e. prime Spanx shopping season, and that section was a rag bag. It was like TK Maxx: one of every style in random sizes, haphazardly arranged and jumbled up with other stuff. I found a variant on what I wanted in BHS of all places!

The only good bit of Debo's is the homeware.