Mary Portas take on dying High St's

lostinrates

Was it cheaper than high street really? Did you travel far, was it worth it?

bo_drinker

lostinrates wrote: »

Was it cheaper than high street really? Did you travel far, was it worth it?

Yes it was cheaper, 30 miles, didn't realise all units were not occupied so probably not worth it yet t b h. It won't be easy for them now and they had a tv campaign and posters to pay for with a half empty venue. No one had a crystal ball but I would say all a bit late in the day, will be a slog from here There has been talk of similar place here but it may have been shelved until later??

bo_drinker

We went back to the Quays today (was in the area), no better. M and S and Next outlets resemble a sort of tidier TK Max (just) Lots of shops again had more staff than punters, not good. Only bought a poncey coffee and made tracks.

fc123

bo_drinker wrote: »

We went back to the Quays today (was in the area), no better. M and S and Next outlets resemble a sort of tidier TK Max (just) Lots of shops again had more staff than punters, not good. Only bought a poncey coffee and made tracks.

You went shopping twice in 2 weeks? :eek:
Not very MSE..only kidding.

I am living the theory at the moment.

The massive overconsumption of the past few years (mainly due to price deflation with easy debt/credit as the second factor IMO) is denting sales big time.
People are definately re-assessing what they 'need', want and are able to afford.
Even my 15 yr old female DD is moaning she has 'too much stuff'...OK in the context of she would like more of 'The right stuff'', but the cheapness of clothing just makes it so 'unwanted' some of the time.
Not special anymore.

bo_drinker

We weren't actually shopping but as we were near by and OH was with me I said we would take a look. T b h if that's as good as it's going to get it has run out of steam in my books. Just shifting tat the main shops struggle with I reckon ??( some folk don't realise this and think they are getting a bargain??) They would probably be better off at Primark, you know where you are with them. You are right people are re assessing things.

lostinrates

fc123 wrote: »

Not special anymore.

And thats it.

I think particularly with women its part of the have it a culture: to have it all we have to be it all, and in Barbie fashion, that means we have to be dressed right for each occasion,rather than dressing right for us. Which has meant, for th greaterpart, dressing ''cheaply'' and feeling that things are unspecial...stained a top...who cares, 3 for £10 quidto replace. I truely believe in a surface deep culture we hav a number of people who have trouble disassociating who they are with what they wear. When things are so...replacable, what does that add to our lives, to our value of the skin deep. Of course, nothing is assimple as that, but its, IMO,part of the compliction that is the mess we are in now.:o

fc123

bo_drinker wrote: »

We weren't actually shopping but as we were near by and OH was with me I said we would take a look. T b h if that's as good as it's going to get it has run out of steam in my books. Just shifting tat the main shops struggle with I reckon ??( some folk don't realise this and think they are getting a bargain??) They would probably be better off at Primark, you know where you are with them. You are right people are re assessing things.

Dam m Dam..I wanna share some stuff but can't...how can I put this?

Some markdowns aren't what they seem. They seem to offer a bargain (as they are reduced) but they were always going to be reduced in the first place. There's a 28 day rule from Trading Standards.

The sheer glut of stuff is really throwing me at the moment...much more than usual.

OH needs some decent bits and bobs and, due to the environment he has to 'potter' about in Primark or end of season M + S item isn't going to cut it. Needs to be a bit edgy suitable for his age but affordable.

He does well in sample sales (serious genuine bargains to be had) but has put on a bit of tummy during the past 6 months (when stressed, he eats chocolate on the sly) so @ 44'' chest, 38 waist (not 36) and designer (proper, not branded) stuff is too tight across shoulders.

I get up the asossale mens section and it's just too much to wade through...he glazes over.

dopester

fc123 wrote: »

An Indie trader works on far lower margins to a chain also, so the rent they can support is even lower.

wageslave wrote: »

It really is adapt or die.

bo_drinker wrote: »

It's the same with everything, it all eventually gets done to death or runs out of steam. Right place at the right time and preferably at the beginning. If not it needs to be different than the main stream

I read this story the other day (below) - and knowing fc likes alternative approaches (Max with his blog / Liz Jones' approach ), am posting the link.

A worldwide sensation, her online make-up demonstrations - all filmed from her bedroom in the modest flat in South Shields she shares with her son Jordan, 11, and her partner Ken Taylor, 40 - have had 56 million hits.

Lauren has 250,000 subscribers in 70 countries around the world, and is Britain's most viewed YouTube user.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/beauty/article-1220472/I-Little-Miss-No-Mates--I-ve-250-000-friends-showing-lippy-on.html

She seems to have done quite well out of it, with her own make-up range, a book, and lots of contracts with big companies.

fc has told us lots of captivating fashion stories. However I guess it would be harder in fashion (rather than makeup) to translate to revenue some YouTube Blue-Peter style make-your-own latest fashion item on the cheap using some of fc's tricks and knowledge of the trade. Unless it led to direct orders or "the fc123 fashion insight/experience book." Maybe it's been done already on YouTube, by some indy fashion person.. I don't know.

vivatifosi

dopester wrote: »

She seems to have done quite well out of it, with her own make-up range, a book, and lots of contracts with big companies.

On the fashion front I think there's a gap for a good book on clothes remaking. I've had a look and couldn't find anything, but in these times of thrift it could be a good idea. For example, how to take a jumper made of good wool, unravel it into hanks, wash the kinks out and reknit the wool as something more stylish. How to take to bits large panels of fabric (from older clothes or from household textiles) and turn them into fantastic clothes. How to use old washed tights as cushion stuffing etc. How to take an old shrunken jumper and turn it into a felted handbag. And it MUST have a chapter on invisible mending - the greatest skill ever known to needlecraft and sadly almost dead.

There are books out there telling you how to do basic stuff - like sew flower corsages onto a hole in a jumper, but I want to do more than that (and I'm not a big fan of flower corsages).

lemonjelly

lostinrates wrote: »

And thats it.

I think particularly with women its part of the have it a culture: to have it all we have to be it all, and in Barbie fashion, that means we have to be dressed right for each occasion,rather than dressing right for us. Which has meant, for th greaterpart, dressing ''cheaply'' and feeling that things are unspecial...stained a top...who cares, 3 for £10 quidto replace. I truely believe in a surface deep culture we hav a number of people who have trouble disassociating who they are with what they wear. When things are so...replacable, what does that add to our lives, to our value of the skin deep. Of course, nothing is assimple as that, but its, IMO,part of the compliction that is the mess we are in now.:o

Great post lir.
I think it has been slightly different for male/female clothing. Females can have a lot more variety & styles (trousers/skirt/dress/blouse/tshirt/top etc etc) Blokes have jeans or trousers, shirt or tshirt.
With the range of different types of clothes, ladies can create a number of different styles/looks for themselves. Blokes tend to be smart or casual (or slob!;))
It has been compounded by what you describe in your post - friends of mine have gone out & bought 16 different items of clothing on 1 day, but only spent £20-30. They'll try em all on, swap em, wear em once, get a little mark & bin it.

We've become too much of a throwaway society. Viva's point highlights this very well too.