Mosaic fashions (Karen Millen, Principles) in administration

vivatifosi

fc123 wrote: »

I personally find it a pretty grim shopping experience (compared to somewhere like Selfridges or Jon Lewis) but I know plenty who love it.

Thanks for the info fc123, I must be one of those who love it. In a town full of Primark, Peacock and Ethel Austin type shops, they are the only place locally you can buy something half decent. Not a patch on Selfridges though...

fc123

vivatifosi wrote: »

Thanks for the info fc123, I must be one of those who love it. In a town full of Primark, Peacock and Ethel Austin type shops, they are the only place locally you can buy something half decent. Not a patch on Selfridges though...

I guess it always depends on what else is around in a town and how much choice there is.
I have known some pretty poor Indie shops do a killing as they have zero competition but plonk them in an area loaded with all the chains and good indies, they'd just wither away.

I know what an Ethel Austin looks like but don't think we have one in town centre. Our Primark is now in a renovated Deco ex Littlewoods building and is really swishy and spacious.

Mind you, our local Peacocks is a classic 'White Box' store...hideous, bland, like shopping in communist Russia. Someone at HO obviously sussed this out and decide to give it 'A Boutique Feel'.....so they plonked a load of old (antique ...not) wardrobes in it....randomly placed..........then shoved a few styles in them. It's beyond an insult to call it 'boutique'.

Gossip was that they are a real pain for the security guard as shoplifters have found them very handy to hide behind whilst stashing their loot.

twirlypinky

Phirefly wrote: »

I think it may well be just another example of wheat-from-chaff. I used to work for a preferred supplier so know Mosaic well and there's nothing special about any of these brands that anyone'd really miss,

Not true, I love Oasis and would really miss it if it went, and Coast is also handy for an outfiit for a wedding or something. My friend loves Karen Millen and would dearly miss that. Don't make assumptions on our behalf please.

twirlypinky

fc123 wrote: »

K Millen and Coast could merge easily...they blend together.

Warehouse is a shadow of it's original concept back in the 80's when Jeff Banks set it up.

Oasis seems to have put up prices but the quality has stayed the same.

Warehouse and Oasis could merge quite easily too...no real distinction from each other productwise.

It's the google designing look coming to the end of it's time. Always room for some but not to have the whole of Real Life land shops flogging similar versions of several looks each season.

I disagree with most of that tbh.

Karen Millen clothes I gerenally dislike, Coast on the other hand, though poorer quality - I like. Warehouse and Oasis aren't alike either.

lizzie_dripping

Well I hope Principles doesn't go completely down the pan as a) I love their clothes and b) I have some stuff I ordered online to return to them!

Better get to the Post Office quick.

BlondeHeadOn

fc123 wrote: »

Sorry to hijack Blonde headons thread with posts but I am listening to this on R4, link in the article

P Green speaks a lot of sense. He's also consolidating a lot of his brands into larger units (like BHS sites) then will close the smaller outlets.

Please feel free to hijack away fc123, I always read your posts with interest, and it's great to have so much insight from an 'insider' in the trade!

Carry on Hijacking, please !!!

BlondeHeadOn

lizzie_dripping wrote: »

Well I hope Principles doesn't go completely down the pan as a) I love their clothes and b) I have some stuff I ordered online to return to them!

Better get to the Post Office quick.

I love Principles clothes too - for some reason they always fit me better then most of the other chains clothes do. Mind you I must admit that most of the Principles clothes I have bought recently have been from Ebay, not in-store.

lizzie_dripping

Same here, BlondeHeadOne.

I am larger than a size 16 but don't want to shop in Evans.

Principles is one of the few fashion chains that stock in my size.

SingleSue

I wouldn't miss any of them as I have never shopped (and very unlikely to anyway) in them!

I find that most of these stores are very overpriced and out of reach for the 'normal' (as in don't want to pay for than a tenner for an item) female.

But then I have never been a fashion horse, 'proper' female, make up is important type girl...give me sports, business and bikes and I am happy, happy, happy.

I blame my dad, he spent so much time trying to tell me I had to be a girly girl that it sort of backfired.

funkyfreddy9k

so who's bought principals then? debenhams or sir philip?