Which popular shops DON'T you shop in?

[Bearpawk]

Saw some pics of the inevitable Next boring day sale queues in the press today and it struck me that I've never bought anything there. I'm 40 so probably their target demographic ? It's a store I'd never think to go in, these days, it's just not for me.

I guess I buy a lot of H&M, Cos, Uniqlo, Arket and Vinted for LF markey/ Ganni /
toast etc. Undies and thermals from M&S.

TK Max! I don't get it at all - it's like a huge jumble sale, I've never bought anything from one.
Same as everyone else with Next. Used to buy my basic jeans / tops etc from there many years ago, but find the sizing weird and quality awful now.

Superdry, River Island, Hotel Chocolat, New Look, Zara, H&M, those fragrance shops/kiosks, Timberland, Fat Face, Seasalt, Sketchers, Office, Accesorize, Schuh, Next, Whittards I could go on - would probably be easier to list where I do shop! 😀

I went clothes shopping for the first time in ages recently. Every single shop just had the same pattern/styles the only difference was the quality. I gave up after an hour as I was just so bored of seeing the same thing in every shop, so from now on I won't be shopping in any of them.

Can I ask where do you shop, if all theses shops you don't like, I must admit this year I have been less shopping in the city, I used to go everyweek sometimes twice a week, more online now, mainly next brands, john lewis brands, m &s but this year under 5 items from them, they used to be my main shop, luckily I have too many clothes so could go a year or two without buying a thing, but I do love clothes so like to treat myself now and then.

I also rarely shop in Next - I just don't like their stuff these days. Tons of polyester.

Have gone off Monsoon a lot too. It used to be one of my staple shops but they went for frilly and fussy prints in a big way about 6 or 7 years back and I looked truly dreadful in pretty much everything they sold.

Have returned to M&S recently though. Lots of classically cut, nicely made wardrobe staples. (And thankfully veering away from their frilly 'Per Una' decade.) Bought a beautiful velvet jacket from them recently.

@happyshineyperson same as you nothing appeals at all in the cheaper fast fashion or the Toast, Lucy and Yak etc type of shops.

I’ve also gone off Zara, Primark, Next, Uniqlo, Arket, &otherstories, Cos and a few of those shops were places I did used to shop in. Some of the items are overpriced or if I do see something it’s out of stock.

I’m also similar to @IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle where a few of those shops I’ve never been in or been in but not bought from. I was in Battersea Power Station which has a lot of shops before Christmas and they have a few of those shops and I didn’t go in any. I have bought from eg Whistles snd Hush in the past but mostly on sale or in sample sales.

I hardly buy any clothes now as I work from home.

When I do, it's from J Lewis and that includes their own brand for basics, And/Or and Anyday.

I have some Boden (plain basics) , some older Mint Velvet (jumpers and tops) Uniqlo (T shirts and a jumper), The White Company (knits - only in the sale), used to buy Jigsaw but prices are silly, occasional Whistles in the sale.

Never shop in Boots, prefer Superdrug.
Never shopped in Next, New Look, H&M etc - prefer supermarkets, and a few bits from M&S

If out and about I will visit most shops and have a quick look and would never say never to a shop but some are just not the quality (anymore for brands like Next where I miss their origin days) or style that I wear, so in the last few years no purchases at Temu, Shein, Amazon (rather not keep filling any of their coffers), Next, Fatface, Jigsaw, Whistles, Boden (although I have old items going strong), New Look, White Stuff, Zara, Monsoon, TK Maxx - but have been impressed and purchased from M&S, Mango, River Island jacket via Vinted which was a real surprise, ASDA (Premium range they did early this year and bought a great dress), Mint Velvet (first purchase in their store) and Uniqlo for my basics. I think all retailers can have the odd gem as they purchase and produce widely and often in the same factories, but I have focused on quality of item and how it works in my existing wardrobe and some retailers have really failed in quality, but some seem to still want to hike the price!

H&M, poor quality tat.
M &S, am pushed to find anything I like in there.
PLT...awful, same with Shein and Temu.
River Island, and New Look is overpriced poor quality tat.
I used to love Zara, but not been impressed lately. I used to buy their jeans, but they don't last how they used to.
George at Asda, I utterly detest.

I tend to shop at Next ( occasionally), Mango, John Lewis, Primark ( for their jumpers and teeshirts)
Absolutely love TU. They have some
great stuff. Their sales are fabulous
Tesco have gone downhill lately.

I used to buy a lot from Next in the 80s, it was good for work wear and blouses, and really nice knitwear (proper wool). Then the quality went right down. I only buy the odd pair of jeans in there now, and all the synthetic fabrics are awful. Not to mention the vanity sizing, really irritating 😕

Haven’t bought from Next since 2011 and that was only because I had some vouchers. Forced myself to buy something!

my shops have changed since the pandemic…used to love Reiss for workwear. Now never bother.

recently My clothes have been from Oliver Bonas, Nobody’s child, Whistles, Scamp and Dude, And other stories, but wfh has really halved the amount I buy!

Primark. Not even because of the clothes, i just find the stores so overwhelming and stressful that i don't go in.
Also Next... used to get my smart work stuff from there maybe 10 years ago, they did nice tailored womenswear, now the quality is right down... everything is man made materials in garish colours. Awful.

Primark, Asda.

Agree with others I don't shop at Next anymore for clothes - garish colours and styles! Their furniture is much better !

I'm trying to buy better, just received a hobbs jacket, in the john lewis sale , but at £129. It's 100% polyester, so not sure if to keep, the fit is perfect, but I have now found it £30 less on the hobbs website, it's just 100% polyester is putting me off.

@Tiddlywinkly where are you finding good quality clothing please? I want to prioritise too - funds permitting.

I'm plus size so most high street shops (such as Zara and Arket) are off limits already. Haven't bought at M&S other than underwear in quite some time; have occasionally bought some nice accessories at COS. White Stuff and Fat Face are all very samey and just don't grab me. Used to buy Seasalt but nothing with patterns so that reduced the options there quite a lot. Have had some luck with very occasional basics from ASOS, such as athletic aka WFH wear. Otherwise don't shop hardly any high street because most stuff is crap, overpriced, or not in my size. Thank heavens for eBay, Vinted, and such.

Have to defend River Island though. The vast majority of it is not my style at all, blingy endless polyester. But they do have some excellent basics for plus size and it's worth looking past the bling, especially if you're a plus size without many good options. I bought a blue denim shirt from them that turned out to be very well made and fit perfectly, and some black heavy duty leggings/skinny trousers with a high cotton content that wash and wear beautifully. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Next used to be so good - back in the 1990s but it’s just not the same now. Monsoon used to be good too. I saw a young tik tokker call it an “old ladies shop” and, well, she’s not wrong I think.

Monsoon is aimed at the older woman, it is also fairly cheap.

Zara, god I hate them.

I hate clothes shopping, being only 4ft 11, it has always been a disappointment. I have managed to get to nearly 60 without setting foot in the majority of clothes shops. It’s even worse these days with the 25 inch extra short trouser length being almost extinct and M&S amongst others deciding that a 29 inch length is now a short. I buy cropped leggings from Sainsburys, tunic tops from Seasalt and dresses I tend to make myself now. Did I tell you I hated clothes shopping😡

Next is one of those shops I don’t think to look in, even online- but I think that’s partly because their website is so vast it seems hard work. But I have bought a few things from them over the last few years, always from a link on here that some other MNer have put up.

I buy more brands from M&S and Next than from the actual brand shops as I get free M&S nominated day delivery with my credit card and have the Next delivery subscription, also it is very easy for me to return things to these two stores. I also use JL a lot with the Waitrose click and collect. I'm not sure many people use the actual brand shops much nowadays

Anywhere that thinks size 12 or 14 is Mahoosive /xxxxxxl territory. I am a 20 so you know.........