How can clothes stores survive (and thrive)?

[thisenglishlife]

Especially as bricks and mortar shops

• Better quality and less man made fabrics, especially with wardrobe essentials/basics
• Not charging too much for polyester
• Designing more for that store's typical customer - for example, the young and trendy Zara/Topshop crowd aren't going to switch to M&S
• More stock and range of sizes (and re-ordering popular sizes)
• More consistent sizing
• Fewer over embellished items and items that don't suit anyone but the very young and thin
• Keeping seasonal stock (but also out of season for those going on holiday). I've seen coats in August and in Jan/February, coats disappearing and warm weather taking over.
• Taking on board feedback from long term staff (especially those on the floor and those who I have worked their way up) and customers
• Fewer graduates going straight into management without real life/retail experience
• How effective is advertising and marketing? Would the money be spent well elsewhere?
• More manufacturing in the UK/Western Europe (not possible in the cheap and cheerful shops but could be for department stores and higher end of the High Street)

I don't find online shopping that convenient. I return 99% of what I order so it's a PITA - finding a Hermes/Collect+ place or queuing in the post office. I'm out at work 11 hours a day so have to have everything delivered to work and then take it home on a crowded train.

This year I plan to have a couple of shopping trips with my local shopping centre stylists and cut out all the fannying about!

I’ve really gone off shopping online. You can’t gauge quality, or feel of the fabric. Sizing can be all over the place, and I’m very reluctant to order two sizes to try since hearing that a lot of returns get binned automatically even if there’s nothing wrong with them. It isn’t even more convenient when you factor in having to wait for a delivery, or retrieve one from a warehouse somewhere, and then fanny about packaging up returns and dropping them somewhere. It’s far more convenient to go to a shop, pick something, try it on, buy it and have it instantly. We all seem to have been duped into believing that getting something the next day is some kind of huge innovative leap forward compared to having it right now ten minutes after you first see it.

I think asos is pretty good with details about items. They say what size the model is wearing what the material is, if it stretches ir not. and they have the catwalk function where there is a short video if the model wearing the item so you can see how it moves and fits. Ive sent hardly anything back recently after always checking that. Usually just shoes which have never seen wide fit regardless of how they're advertised.

Is it Asos that's now styling clothes for a slim model and a much curvier one, so you can see what a piece of clothing looks like across a range of sizes?

We all seem to have been duped into believing that getting something the next day is some kind of huge innovative leap forward compared to having it right now ten minutes after you first see it.

haha, this is one reason I love my local Argos. the ability to buy something instantly because I fancy it, how novel!

They can do as many close ups and include as much fabric and size information as they like - it is still no substitute for being able to pick a garment up, look at it, feel it, hold it up against you and then try it on without having to pay first.

It’s worth beating in mind that not everyone lives close to towns and cities with a decent selection of shops, or has the time to get there.

The shops I mostly buy from have no high street presence ( in Yorkshire at least....) - Boden, Uniqlo, Thought and Gap

Floisme

True. I guess because I've always been mostly excluded from the high street thanks to size I have to take what scraps I can get.

Although I have discovered that British heart foundation is the best charity shop for size 20+ so I've been making purposeful visits to places with one so I can look.

I've already said I don't live anywhere fashionable. Our local high street is a shocker. The shops I've been talking about are local, independent shops and markets. But I agree time is a factor, especially if you have caring responsibilities.

That's interesting about BHF Frida. If you can get to know the volunteers and they're into what they do, then you may find they'll start looking out for stuff for you.

I don't find online shopping that convenient. I return 99% of what I order so it's a PITA - finding a Hermes/Collect+ place or queuing in the post office.

I’ve really gone off shopping online. You can’t gauge quality, or feel of the fabric.

Agreed! The returns are just another job for the weekend if you don’t work near a post office or a parcel shop. Plus, you really cannot tell what an item is like online. I sent back a Me&Em top that looked like a delicate pink in the website picture but in real life was like over-chewed gum. Even expensive cashmere can feel thin and cheap when it arrives. I much prefer to see the garment in real life before I buy.

I buy stuff online from higher end retailers that don’t have a presence near where I live. Even in Manchester you wouldn’t find a good range of Aquazzurra shoes in bricks and mortar shops, but they are a few clicks away from Netaporter, MyTheresa etc.

Or where there is a presence but the store doesn’t always carry the full range of stock. I really rate M&S Autograph but you can’t bank on the item you want being in store. Online, you bag it straight away even if you have to wait for it to be delivered.

I also want to try things on and feel the fabric and quality. But the shops need to provide good changing rooms that aren't unisex with little curtains for privacy only.

Shoe shopping online doesn't really work well at all.

To be honest, I can't imagine going back to only shopping in bricks and mortar shops. I work full-time. My weekend family time is precious to me and I don't want to spend it trudging around shops. There are very few clothing shops in my town, certainly in my price bracket, so for a decent selection I need at least a 30 minute drive. For me, all the lovely lighting, music, customer service in the world isn't going to match up to the convenience of shopping from home.

I agree the returning items is a PITA though and sometimes I waste money by keeping things as I don't get around to returning them. If I had a good range of physical shops closer to me, I would spend time browsing online but then go into the shops to purchase the item so I could see it in person. It would be good if all stores had a stock-checker online so you can see if the item you want is in stock in the branch closest to you.

Shoe shopping online doesn't really work well at all.

Agreed. But size 8/9 wide feet means it's basically my only option. Most high street "wide fit" shoes are anything but.

Most of the sites I shop from have no physical presence in the U.K. at all - so ...

What everyone else has said about making the building comfortable, quiet, clean, functional, ordered and with bright, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Making sure that there’s always a good range of sizes (I only ever see size 8 and size 16 on the rails).

Shops need to offer more. Most look dirty and tired.

They also need to stop stocking polyester unless its a very high quality mix. Nobody wants it.

Honestly, I’d just rather shop online these days. More choice, cheaper, less faff.