Decided to go to local shops a) to return jumper to M & S b) to look for black and blue jeans - in Debenhams and M&S - these are the only shops close by that would have jeans for me.
Debenhams - no suitable jeans. Tried on 5 jumpers instead. The sleeves on all were ridiculously long, I would have had to have folded them over 2-3 times so that they were wrist length. Mentioned to changing room woman,just by way of conversation, and she said she has noticed the same. We both agreed our arms were not freakishly short.
Got sidetracked by a bag for commute. Went to pay for it. Lovely sales assistant. I waited for the script - the one pushing the Debenhams card. It duly came. Except she kept on going. When she made her fourth attempt (I am not exaggerating) I said politely, I have said no 3 times already. She smiled sadly at me and said she was only trying to do her job. I said do they make you say this stuff, she nodded. She then said she understood why I would be annoyed at this, she felt the same. I said that I had complained to Debenhams before about this , she just smiled and raised her eyebrows. I said that neither of us got anything positive out of this transaction and was not fair on either of us. This was cordial and friendly. She then did the other newer script about if you lose your paper receipt you cannot get a refund, can I take your email details. As this is an attempt by Debenhams to get your email address to get around GDPR I said no. As I left I said I am sorry if I sounded off at you, I know it is not your fault. She said she agreed with everything I said, she felt the same. Debenhams are clearing pushing their staff to do this - I feel so sorry for them. Pushing this on me has pushed me away from their store. I am only going in there again only if I am desperate.
On to M & S. I had selected Sparks offers before I left and my card is on my phone.
Saw a pile of jumpers - all folder with ribbon round them and with a card insert. Only one was unfolded in a size 12. Looked too big (I am a large size 12) so had to take a folded size 10. Looked for jeans. Usual cramped display, the black ones all looked dusty. I took a blue size 12 ones. Went to changing room. Nobody there, waited a bit and decided to go in. Whilst changing I could hear that the M & S person was now there. She was directing somebody to a changing room - the person said it is full of stock. The M & S SA said, you can squeeze yourself in! Customer refused, and said that’s ridiculous. Why would I want to do that? I think she left.
Meanwhile my size 10 jumper was too big, size 12 jeans too small. Left changing rooms leaving the unwanted items at desk. Went back to jumper stand, had to take a folded size 6 and 8 as I still could not guage the size - assume the are folded up for Christmas presents. Pretty but not very convenient if you want to look at the sizing. Onto jeans - took size 14 in, and another style in blackness in size 12. Got sidetracked by their active range - they had a warm zippy which I liked. My sparks offers included 20 % off active wear/5 pounds off jeans. They only had a couple of zippys - took in size 14.
Size 8 jumper fitted (no way am I an 8), size 14 jeans too big, size 12 black jean a bit tight and not flattering, but desperate, size 14 zippy perfect. So, to the till. Lovely SA. She has worked there a while, always helpful and smiley. Money came off jeans, she swapped over the jumper I was returning for the new one, but no money came off zippy. I queried that, she said it must not be in the 20 % offer even though it was badged as activewear. She did not understand that my card was on my phone rather than a physical one. I think she expected me to pay full price or leave it. I asked her to get somebody else to help. Someone came and after a while agreed that the activewear offer was loaded on my card and the zippy was activewear. I asked if she could manually take off 20%. She said no. I said, then what do we do. She said the manager could help. Called manager and they told her to take 20 percent off. People being held up in a queue all the while. So, endlessly long trying on session where I am 3 different sizes and a kerfuffle at the till.
Sorry for the length of this post. I really miss the old High Street. The one where you were a consistent size in the shops, where they did not push you to take out exorbitantly expensive charge cards, where the changing rooms were staffed properly and in a fit state for the customer, where the clothes did not look like they had been dragged through a hedge backwards and then put on a hanger for somebody to buy, where the clothes were presented in a tidy manner and not over reliant on manmade fabrics. Do you think any of the chains and multiples actually care about any of this?
I was born near Oxford Street (but shopped locally today). I used to love a mooch around the shops. It was a pleasurable thing to do but now it is the complete opposite. My dying affair with the High Street is now over. I am going to try and get everything online. I tasked myself with saving a big amount of money between Oct-March so I was not going to buy any more clothes after today until Spring. I thought I going to find that hard. It won’t be after today’s final nail in the coffin.