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

amcluesent

>it's important to look smart<

The shoes are the give-away IMHO. I potter about Whitehall/Westminster and the number of very senior civil servants who appear to shop in Brantano is amazing.

neverdespairgirl

GracieP wrote: »

You aren't looking at it right. If you purchase yourself just the right, expensive looking, slutty yet classy dress you could bag yourself a premiership footballer to bankroll all of your wildest dreams.:cool:

nightmares, more like.

Kez100

When we went on holiday last year I popped into Boots to buy a lip gloss. My young daughter said something which pretty much sums up our High Street.

"Mum, why do we need a thousand different red lipsticks?"

I think some High Street stores will do OK, although no doubt there will eb a drop for even them.

Places like Primark which provide affordable basics and those stores that price their higher quality clothes at an acceptable higher margin. Many brand names will fail if all they offered was the brand name but if the product actually worked better than others as well, then they will hopefully survive. We may end up with a choice of 10, 50, 100 red lipsticks. Will be really be any worse off?

The other thing is, lots people have been buying stuff they don't really need so they can live with wearing that while they pay of debt.

treliac

GracieP wrote: »

slutty yet classy dress :cool:

Bit of a contradiction there

lynzpower

Kez100 wrote: »

When we went on holiday last year I popped into Boots to buy a lip gloss. My young daughter said something which pretty much sums up our High Street.

"Mum, why do we need a thousand different red lipsticks?"

I think some High Street stores will do OK, although no doubt there will eb a drop for even them.

Places like Primark which provide affordable basics and those stores that price their higher quality clothes at an acceptable higher margin. Many brand names will fail if all they offered was the brand name but if the product actually worked better than others as well, then they will hopefully survive. We may end up with a choice of 10, 50, 100 red lipsticks. Will be really be any worse off?

The other thing is, lots people have been buying stuff they don't really need so they can live with wearing that while they pay of debt.

Agree.

The other aspect is that whole swathes of people have no other hobbies rather than consumption. My mother being one of them for example.

Further to what someone said on here about high sts being rammed "what credit crunch" I was on Oxford st yesterday. Sure enough Oxford St was packed out at 4 pm yesterday, but as the prev poster had said- those with any bags were v much few& far between.Did not think the "sales" that are meant to be on were holding much appeal not just for me but clearly for loads of others on the same rd. ( although I did pick up some good food bargains in M&S :j)

My sister, who had not been to Oxford st for a while said " why do you need 5 river islands on one road" Good queestion. I think there is also 4 nexts on the same rd. 3 dorothy perkins. 3 monsoons, Etc.

This isnt choice its monopoly and Ive said this for a long time. Its my view that commercial rents are the problem here, and its devastated our high streets to the point where resiliance in the sector must be poor.

lostinrates

Actually, DH got an amazing suit on the high street. He's not tall or broad, finding a good cut of suit in a 'good' of the peg place is not easy, bespoke too expensive. Best fit for him of the peg with alterations was a talior chain who used to be in Selfridges but who are no t any more. Other problem with this sort of second best is they rarely sell extra pairs of trousers. DH has muscley thighs and needs extra pairs of trousers for wear. Having been struggling with this for a long while: when you pay a few hundred for a nice wool suit its annoying when the trousers wear and the jacket is still super. Anyway, he lost half a stone this week through over work and had to wear a normal suit to something yesterday and his hung off him. He went and bought one that even to my eye doesn't look to bad, needed no alterations and he could buy as many spare trousers as he wanted, lol. For around £100 quid! He'd rather spend more for a good wool suit with same fit and and the option to buy mire wretched trousers, but the option is not there for him that he has found!

Re investment pieces, like fc123 my sister has sold some 'investment pieces' and made profit, and sold in the past on ebay for no loss, sometimes profit, for well worn but taken care of clothes. I have mine, I don't tend to keep photos, but my clothes (none of which fit at all) have memories and assosiations that are worth more to me than anyone else.

GracieP

treliac wrote: »

Bit of a contradiction there

No, a slutty but classy dress says "I will do just about anything, but I'm picky about who I do it with.";)

GracieP

lynzpower wrote: »

My sister, who had not been to Oxford st for a while said " why do you need 5 river islands on one road" Good queestion. I think there is also 4 nexts on the same rd. 3 dorothy perkins. 3 monsoons, Etc.

I always think walking down Oxford St is a bit like a 1960's cartoon, where the character keeps walking past the same background.

izzybusy23

Apologies if this has already been posted, but this in the mindless sheeple attitude that shocks me all the time.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/16/bargain-hunters-cause-chaos-as-they-swarm-on-newly-opened-currys-megastore-115875-20810561/

Fight for water and food etc if we have a shortage, but not for bloody lcd tv's etc.

Idiots. I also couldn't get my head around 75,000 flocking to the opening of Cabot Circus in Bristol and jamming up the M5. These people are so sad.

Kez100

Of their head!

Goes to show at the right price there is still a market for shopping market out there.