Joules

[cremedelacardi]

I've read today that joules are getting advisors in to help boost profits. So where in your opinion is joules going wrong? I still buy pieces there but they often end up in my wardrobe unworn.

I'm sorry but this made me laugh, how very rude of 'friend' of Joules. Would you care to share which earrings? I can't believe they thought back chatting to a cuter in this way was a smart move 😂

back chatting to a customer

It's too instantly recognisable for my liking and I prefer to buy from retailers who have better environmental and humanitarian accountability.

The things I have bought from there that are decent quality are things I wouldn't need to replace regularly like coats, capes,and knitware, so I only shop there occasionally as their day to day clothes quality can be a bit hit and miss.

Too townie and poor quality. I have a few bits which must be about 15 years old and are still holding up well, but nowadays you might as well go to Primark as their clothes are so cheap and flimsy. As someone above said, they now market to people who think they are country as they walk the dog at the weekend.

I love their children's range and their cargo shorts. However, DS (12) has outgrown the kids' sizes and the shorts I just bought for me are a completely different size to the same shorts I already have in a different colour. I bought a couple of tops from them but they shrank immediately and are now too short in the body. I don't like the flowers over stripes patterns that haven't changed for years. So for me: the range and quality aren't what I want.

Isn't their usp the e whole horse and dog thing?

I thought it was originally aimed at the horsey set and their kids.

I don't think the quality is what it was. I still have some old Joules clothes and the detail and quality is better. Knitwear and a poncho, of more recent purchases, (waterproof poncho) scarcely lasted. Their polo tops are, I think, still fine, but isn't that how they started out?

I think they've branched out a lot with their children's clothes. And their home and artisan or artist collaboration range, whatever it was, was the last I heard of them doing. Perhaps they tried to do too much. I'm not sure.

I found the customer service poor (online purchases - telephone).

Positive is that I still buy their plain navy wellies and they wear well.

I don't buy from Joules but I think they're colourful, whimsical take on 'country' has a place. It is a refreshing alternative to other brands in a similar price range, but they lost me a few years ago suggesting fox hunting in their advertising - no chance, and fuck that.

Contrary to many of the usual, hive mind responses, I don't think there is anything wrong with 'mumsy' or middle class. Some social groups have a uniform, who cares? I think that the low quality 'fashion' items from Joules are what has driven many customers away. People chose joules for raincoats, gilets, tweed, what have you, and the thin, crappy floral tiered dresses just swamp the site now. Like Fatface, it should have stuck with what it did best - and carried on doing that.
And if you are reading Joules, quit with the 'British' crap, we all know you outsource, and we understand why, the market is troubled.

Also, the Joules ethical rating as 'very poor'. Some attention there wouldn't go amiss as we move forward.

15 years ago their prints and materials were better. Much more wearable and decent quality. But now their materials are cheap and their finish is poor, prints just look shoddy.

I have a few clichéd harbour tops in the plain stripe, but that's it. Oh, and a pair of denim shorts from an outlet.

I think they have diluted themselves with too much cheap crap made for outlets and eBay tbh.

I think they have diluted themselves with too much cheap crap made for outlets and eBay tbh.

That's a big part of it I think. Especially children's clothes.

So true

I often have a look at Joules, and sometimes order, but I don't think I've ever kept anything. I'm short and they don't seem to offer (much of) a petite range.
The items that I've liked have just swamped me.

The quality of anything jersey made is where Joules have gone wrong - everything shrinks. The dresses are where they win, however, there are only so many dresses anyone needs in their wardrobe when they're not an instagrammer 😏

1.They moved production to china

1. They use too much polyester and man made fibres

Oh and 3. Their customer service is dire (at least it is at the Ashborne shop). When trying to return a child's coat with a broken zip the staff member was incredibly rude and dismissive.

The adult clothes aren’t my look, but I often bought things from there for DD — they always used to do very pretty girls’ dresses that were lovely quality, like lined cotton summer dresses with a lovely finish. Recently though I haven’t bought from there very often because the quality of the children’s clothes has markedly decreased. I also think they suit a specific age - 2-8 ish - and there’s not so much for older girls that looks classic and not too branded. I still buy the odd thing on eBay for DD from their old ranges that is really good quality though.

I think they did better when the ranges were smaller but more classic generally. Last time I was visiting my mum I saw the stripes and flowers Bretons being heavily sold on a shopping channel — now that’s when you know the brand is heading down. If I were then I’m I’d try to rein back, reinvent the brand as more classic and minimalist (fashion’s heading that way at the moment anyway), cut out the big busy prints and heavy branding, and reduce the range down, aim it more at the Jigsaw/Boden market.

I also agree that using the website, now they’ve turned it into basically a third party broker site, is really annoying. I just want to see their range, not a million other retailers as well. If I want to shop at Cox & Cox I go to their website! I’ve stopped looking at Joules because of this. Oh and also because their website always reloads everything from the top every time you look at an item - too much scrolling down to find where you’d got to. Annoying.

Agree too that this is great free market research. They should listen!

Looks like Joules will quite soon be no more! Another brand swallowed up by retail giant Next

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/08/next-buy-stake-joules

This! Occasionally I'll see a nice piece in the shop, pick it up and find it has been ruined by some gold buttons or some bone/dog/horse print or other random shit strategically placed somewhere that ruins it.

Their clothing hasn't embraced any change. There is nothing fresh about their styles and its all stripes and flowers. I used to buy odds and ends. Now, its all a bit samey.

It is all just a bit naff. I think the same about Boden.
I also don’t think it is horsey anymore- my daughter and I ride and my 10 year old refuses to believe it used to do equestrian type stuff as too ‘babyish’ and all this things with horses on the horses have clothes on! She much prefers Le Mieux and Aubrion.

@Janedoe82 agree Joules was the uniform of the horsey 10-15 years ago. The polos, blouses, knitwear and jackets/gilets for adults and dc were often in the polos and jackets too plus the little shirt dresses they did were adoreable . I actually wish it was still the case as although it's not the cheapest it's a whole lot cheaper than le mieux, Pikeur, Ariat, Holland Cooper that my 2 are asking for now 😭😆

Ha same. I also have a DD with an expensive Le Mieux habit.
In the meantime, having been very critical of Joules upthread I must confess I popped in and bought quite a lot in the sale. That said, it's cheap and cheerful now, not an upmarket brand. I would never have bought them for full price.

Well quality is unlikely to improve then. Next have been downgrading for years.