Credit crunch hits Britain's high streets as major shop chains struggle for business

tomstickland

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1078551/Credit-crunch-hits-Britains-high-streets-major-shop-chains-struggle-business.html

Max_Headroom_3

Interesting article and I'm really not at all surprised.

fc123

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2008/10/15/efsales115.xml
includes Hilary Alexander vid on how good the 'sales' actually are.

Doe agrees. "It's not like normal sale times, in that there aren't loads of people out there primed to pick up bargains. It's a total buyer's market. If you've got the money you should really try and get some investment pieces from higher-end high-street stores such as Whistles and Kurt Geiger. The key is to be sensible and not buy things just for the sake of it."
That is, after all, what we have been doing for the past few years. Shoppers are more demanding than ever, expecting new collections every couple of weeks - but for how long can that continue?
"You do have to wonder just how healthy our constant need to refresh and renew our wardrobes is," says Doe. "Manufacturing has hotted up massively in the past 10 years to meet that need, but when stuff has to be remaindered four weeks after it has gone onto the shelf, it does seem a bit extreme. Perhaps this is a sign that shopping needs to slow down."

How much stuff do we really need? The saminess of some of the shops she goes into is also key to the slowdown.

PasturesNew

Not surprised. Every time I try to look to buy things, all I find is a load of old tat. Shops have never got what I am looking for.

I went shopping yesterday. Couldn't even buy lunch as the pub said they were only doing sandwiches and chips today... so ended up walking along with a pasty.

neverdespairgirl

fc123 wrote: »

If you've got the money you should really try and get some investment pieces from higher-end high-street stores such as Whistles and Kurt Geiger.

I appreciate, don't worry, that this is from the article, not your own words.

As you are in the rag trade, what do you think of the phrase, "investment pieces"?

Sounds like rubbish to me. They are just more expensive clothes, hardly an "investment" of any description.

jamescredmond

PasturesNew wrote: »

Not surprised. Every time I try to look to buy things, all I find is a load of old tat. Shops have never got what I am looking for.

I went shopping yesterday. Couldn't even buy lunch as the pub said they were only doing sandwiches and chips today... so ended up walking along with a pasty.

so what was wrong with a bag of chips?

ailuro2

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

As you are in the rag trade, what do you think of the phrase, "investment pieces"?

Sounds like rubbish to me. They are just more expensive clothes, hardly an "investment" of any description.

For people who work in offices and need to dress smartly, it can pay to buy a few very good quality jackets,trousers and skirts, then change the blouses and accessories from year to year (or season to season if you're that sad!) by buying them from cheap/High street stores. The jackets and skirts will last for years, the other clothes are almost disposable, hence the name 'investment' pieces.


I'm glad I don't work in an office, and only dressing decision I have to make is to choose which trousers I'm wearing with the company supplied polo shirt and steel toecaps today.;) It's a choice of two, which keeps it simple.:p

p.s. I agree with the sameiness of the shops - it's all the same as when I was a teen- I spotted a blue and black checked shirt yesterday, all it needed was black ski pants on the next rail. That isn't a problem for 15 year olds, but I'm 38 now, fgs! Since I don't do much clothes shopping it's infuriating to find trends have changed and there's nothing I like in the shops. On sale or otherwise.

PasturesNew

Whistles and Kurt Geiger

I had never heard of them, didn't even know it was talking about clothes until NDG tied the two together!

The poshest clothes I've ever had was I once had an Alexon jacket for work from Street Shopping Village.

I couldn't name 5 designers if it were the £1million question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Davesnave

I've got a pair of drawers as an 'investment piece,' but they come with a few plate racks and the rest of the antique Welsh dresser!

lynzpower

I like whistles, however, usually im too tight to go in there

Popped into one the other day to have a look, practically 2.3rd of the collection was on sale. Thier cotton stretch "everyday" type tops were from 35 to 15, so I didnt think that was bad, as the quality is pretty good. Saying that, I prefer to by these in M&S due to the fairtrade logo, plus they are a bit cheaper.

Davesnave

PasturesNew wrote: »

I couldn't name 5 designers if it were the £1million question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Leonardo da Vinci
Alec Issigonis
James Dyson
Phillipe Starck
Edwin Lutyens/Gertrude Jekyll

(As Ben Elton would say, a bit of a blokey-bloke's list!)