Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

littleme

250,000th poster!
I hate buying online clothes and shoes etc online. Id much rather go to the shop and try the item on.
But you can't at the moment, there's no trying on anywhere, most people aren't bothered about trying on, if they're not sure they buy 2 sizes and bring one back.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
But you can't at the moment, there's no trying on anywhere, most people aren't bothered about trying on, if they're not sure they buy 2 sizes and bring one back.

You can try on in Boundary Mill but only 3 items per visit.

I hate buying clothes online and much prefer visiting a shop.
Things are more often than not a disappointment when they arrive. Wrong fit, inferior quality, look nothing like the picture.
The time it takes bagging everything up to take back is such a hassle especially if you have to keep reordering to eventually get what you want.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
You can try on in Boundary Mill but only 3 items per visit."


Really? I'm shocked. Like, REALLY shocked.

Where I work, and most other places, no longer allow this. This is so they can be tried at home, and if brought back to the store can then be placed in quarantine for 72hrs.

I feel slightly sick now knowing this isn't happening in other places.

Another reason not to try on in stores, who knows whose skin cells & bodily fluids are on them.

I know online isn't for everyone, but there are still safety measures that should be taken, and it's obvious some aren't following them...
 
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kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
I think the secret to online shopping is to use the same brands repeatedly. So I know Heiko Clothing organic vegan Ts fit me perfectly in size medium. So that's my go to cotton top website. Daughter has Adidas or converse size 5, so she sticks to those brands. Once you've done this a few times you just have a handful of brands that can sort most items you'll need!

The rider to this is that I'd far rather browse stores for most things than shop online at all, but Stafford usually doesn't sell what we need. I do try and use ethical online retailers though and independent companies where possible and the tax evaders and avoided totally! Amazon..... The corporate devil in my eyes!
 
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Glam

Mad Cat Woman
I'm fairly certain you can try clothes on in Asda? Looked like the changing rooms were open other day.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
The problem with online shopping is clothes sizes. I'm a 36 inch waist. But not at Marks where some of their 34 inch trousers are baggy on my and some of their 36 are too tight. Same at Tesco or Arsda.

Then when it's the wrong size, because their manufacturing tolerances are so crap there's all the fuss of taking it back and I really can't be arsed with all of that.

On the other hand I can go to Black's or Numero Uno in Mill Street and know what I'm getting and if there is a problem there is zero fuss. In addition I know I'm putting money into the pockets of local business.

Little point in complaining that physical shops in the town are closing, if you don't actually use them in the first place.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
The problem with online shopping is clothes sizes. I'm a 36 inch waist. But not at Marks where some of their 34 inch trousers are baggy on my and some of their 36 are too tight. Same at Tesco or Arsda.

Then when it's the wrong size, because their manufacturing tolerances are so crap there's all the fuss of taking it back and I really can't be arsed with all of that.

On the other hand I can go to Black's or Numero Uno in Mill Street and know what I'm getting and if there is a problem there is zero fuss. In addition I know I'm putting money into the pockets of local business.

Little point in complaining that physical shops in the town are closing, if you don't actually use them in the first place.

I want to use the shops in town, but which ones sell organic and ethical cotton clothing, hoodies and trackies. Yep, that's none of them. It's fast fashion or no fashion in Stafford. Where can I buy vegan and ethical cosmetics and toiletries? Refillable organic foods?

Apart from Waterstones, the fruit and veg shop and Tranquility, which is nowhere near town really, I struggle to spend my money anywhere in Stafford Town centre even when I need things :(
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
I hate buying online clothes and shoes etc online. Id much rather go to the shop and try the item on.

I think it's fine if you know your size - kids stuff is even easier usually - but if I know what size I am in a shop is usually fine. At the moment trying on things is a bit difficult and if somewhere doesn't have a big range of sizes in its even trickier to just pop in and get something. I often use shops to get an idea of what they sell, what the quality is like but I only really buy clothes I need, and a lot of what I buy is second hand for both me and the boy.

I think generally people's attitudes to how they shop and what they need to buy are changing.
 
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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I wonder if there is even a niche for a certain type of 'shop' that doesn't actually sell anything on site, but merely acts as a display/conduit for delivered sales, keeping minimal stock in small premises with samples of sizes, materials, colours, etc, which are then ordered and delivered straight to the home? You could, subject to pandemic status at the time, have just a few samples in each size, and swatches of materials available, etc. You would need good control of the manufacturing.

Sometimes, you do need to see the actual thing - I remember my father buying a table that turned out to be a footstool.

For many years, I staked out the Moben/Dolphin shop, where Mothercare had been, and never actually saw a customer in there - presumably they did sell stuff to enough people, as a result of them perusing the displays and then availing of home survey visits.

To some extent, MFI worked like that, too. We had enough left from a bespoke wardrobe kit to make one more shelf, but only one extra support left, so we needed three more - they insisted on posting them, when the postage at the time was 19p, each support was 17p, and they didn't charge postage on the 'consignment'. I wanted to go back and order a single one. It would have been better for them if I had just stolen three from the displays.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Online shopping has obviously been around for a while now but Covid-19 is causing a real paradigm shift. I think the changes we are seeing in people's shopping habits was always going to happen. The pandemic has just compressed a decade's worth of change into 6 months.
We've had all sorts of shifts in the past, and might actually find it hard to go back to the "old ways".

Supermarkets, rather than trudging along to various shops.

Even Argos was a very 'new' thing in the 70s.

Of course, we did have Exchange & Mart, though, which contained the entire universe.
 

bunique

Well-Known Forumite
Not being able to try stuff on is a pain in the arse. Popped into H&M and bought a jumper and skirt. Sizes in H&M can be unreliable anyway and the Covid-19lbs have added a, ahem, layer of uncertainty. Try them on, jumper too big, skirt too meh, back we go tomorrow to return them :roll:
 

Studio Tan

Well-Known Forumite
This is probably breaking Covid rules - but might avoid a return trip : If you set off to buy a jumper for instance, take an existing one with you to quickly place over the one you’re buying to compare fit (?)
 

bunique

Well-Known Forumite
This is probably breaking Covid rules - but might avoid a return trip : If you set off to buy a jumper for instance, take an existing one with you to quickly place over the one you’re buying to compare fit (?)
I think there’s too many variables to the way clothes fit for that to work unfortunately!
 

PeterD

ST16 Represent.
H and M sizes are a different universe. I wear Levis as they are consistent with their sizing and fit, Next and H and M are a lottery. 36 in Levis could be anything up to 42 in them shops.
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
Yeah, H&M is just bonkers sizing and cut, I'm assuming their different lines have different sizing guidelines, all of which are based on willowy European ladies.

I've a general rule of thumb to not buy clothes from any shop that doesn't sell bras in my size...
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
I think it's fine if you know your size - kids stuff is even easier usually - but if I know what size I am in a shop is usually fine. At the moment trying on things is a bit difficult and if somewhere doesn't have a big range of sizes in its even trickier to just pop in and get something. I often use shops to get an idea of what they sell, what the quality is like but I only really buy clothes I need, and a lot of what I buy is second hand for both me and the boy.

I think generally people's attitudes to how they shop and what they need to buy are changing.

Daughter has got me on the secondhand path. Carboot, charity shops and vinted. Not only do we find genuine quality, we save a fortune and reduce our fast fashion demand which by association improves our environmental impact. I'm a convert! When we do buy new we buy better quality and less often. Haven't missed shopping on primark at all

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/what-fast-fashion-why-it-problem
 
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