I buy a few things from BHS - plain trousers for work are only £12-15 compared with over £20 in M&S, night wear is good quality and cheaper than other places, the cafe at the one in our retail park has been overhauled and it's nice and clean - you often get a voucher for a free tea and cake with a purchase. I bought a decent set of cutlery for half price just before Christmas and a nice touch lamp. Maybe we're just lucky that we have one of the better stores.
I've been to the Birmingham New Street and Coventry stores and I can't say I'm impressed with them. The Bham store is unfortunate to be based "underground" in that is has very little shop windows so it makes it look dark and dingy, this however isn't uncommon for stores yet BHS is on of the few that are very unappealing to be in.
I can't say I've tried their clothes or furnishings but I do pop in to see their Xmas gift selections which has been reasonably vast in previous, although somewhat over priced.
Will I miss it? Probably not but of course if it does go under I feel sorry for the staff losing their jobs
Awful shop. Who buys stuff there, and who does it cater for?
Far too drab and fusty for young people.
And older people would go for M&S or Debenhams surely?
Last time I bought anything in BHS was about 2011 when I got a novelty gift there for someone's 'secret santa.'
This.
Going into my local BHS is like going back in time 20 years. I went in there recently, for the same reason most people go in there these days, to use the loo! It was a Saturday afternoon and it was dead. There must have been about ten to fifteen people in the whole store, and it's a very big space.
I disagree about the quality of their clothing - I think they are very good.
I agree, some of their clothing is very good, and very competitively priced. I only started shopping online regularly with them last year, after being unimpressed with what M&S had to offer. Nightwear, t-shirts and tops were all very good quality and modern, and at a fraction of the price of M&S. I joked with my sister that we used to refer to BHS as the poor man's M&S... now we both think BHS is superior.
However, I do agree with those who have said that the shops look a bit dated and badly organised. Hence why I shop online.
The only time I go in BHS is because it's a quick cut through from the multi storey car park to the high street. I think it was St Albans (may have been Sutton) where I last used this route. Very old fashioned and badly laid out - but a good short cut.
Going into my local BHS is like going back in time 20 years. I went in there recently, for the same reason most people go in there these days, to use the loo! It was a Saturday afternoon and it was dead. There must have been about ten to fifteen people in the whole store, and it's a very big space.
I'm amazed it's lasted this long.
So am I. Debenhams will be next without some work.
I don't think the one nearest to me in Tunbridge Wells is too bad. It's got some good children's clothes and shoes in there. Although it's nowhere near as busy as M&S
I'm amazed it hasn't gone under yet. Overpriced, poor quality clothing, and shabby, outdated stores. The one in Manchester is like a sad relic of the early 90s.
I'm surprised the one in Derby hasn't closed yet, for similar reasons..
My local BHS never looks like it has as many customers as it should. I love the homeware section in BHS. I bought a beautiful chandelier and duvet set last year from there. I can't say I'm a regular customer, mind,
Hard to be sympathetic for the dumbass idiots who work for that vile company, last time I was in a BHS the staff were the most ignorant clueless morons ever to grace retail, if a few get made redundant then tough.
It's shit like BHS that drives people away from the high street.
You have rather a lot of anger inside that needs an outlet. I think the Greens are a more appropriate vessel.
I'm sure there are many perfectly decent folk working for BHS that would be devastated to lose their jobs should it go under. As for "driving people from the high street" - I think retail parks and lazy-arsed internet shopping are for more guilty than a shop who's time has undoubtedly passed.
I remember as a kid in my Midlands town, BHS sat next to M&S in the prime spots in the High Street. In those days they were similar, with BHS slightly downmarket. Those were the days when all of M&S clothes were made in the UK, can you imagine?
BHS came to my town for less than a year and then closed.
I have also been an outside contracted security guard for them in a prestigious city site and whilst it's all glam and high end in the shop, behind the scenes it is rusty and a shithole of a tiny room for the staff to eat their lunch. Only a coke machine is provided which you have to pay for and the food you bring yourself. Old staff told of many years ago when they had a fully running canteen.
Management's attitude to staff was very bad as well. They are still trading on a high quality image but underneath that went years ago.
This! I used to work for House of Fraser and we all know what the prices are like there with their big brand names and fancy shiny store fronts and everything, but the staff area was a right dump. Old holey sofas, vending machines that broke all the time - we had a great canteen for a bit and then they scrapped it.
I worked in Debenhams for a bit when I was at University, it was the same. Depressing places to work (I worked in two different stores as well).
Working, or attempting to, in retail, as I do, one gets to see quite a range of 'staff areas', and dependent on the size of the site these have ranged from a couple picnic chairs and a sink, to whopping great halls - Primark in Bromley, for instance, has a large staff canteen area inherited from its past life as an Allders, though I'm not sure whether the kitchen is still staffed or store staff pack their own lunches...
As regards BHS, it'll be interesting to see what this does to Arcadia's wider strategy, given that recently the firm's moved some of their brands from standalone stores to BHS concessions - if BHS were sold, would, say, Evans in Bexleyheath or Burton/DP in Lewisham, previously moved from their own slots to BHS, need to look for new homes? Teaming up with another firm's not out of the question for Arcadia, mind, in Croydon Miss Selfridge moved from its own store to trade within House of Fraser...
If BHS is broken up, some of the High Street and standalone sites could be hoovered up by other players. It'll be particularly interesting to see what the impact is on centres where BHS is a key anchor - Surrey Quays, for instance, where it and Tesco are the largest stores, Lewisham where H&M and TK Maxx have already replaced Woolworths and Littlewoods, or Bexleyheath where BHS and M&S anchor the main shopping mall, some of the possible replacements including Primark are already represented elsewhere in town, and there's a large development site waiting to be filled now Tesco's pulled out...
I hear the ones that haven't closed yet but will do soon are selling the Abba Gold CD for just £1.99. Steal at that price.
If it's anything like the shop I worked in that closed down most people did steal things, and I didn't try to stop them. Or for that matter even bother to watch them.
Its a shame i have fond memories of going into bhs with my grandma as a boy.
They were a good store loved by their customers who were often loyal to the brand, and just like the place I worked which had been in business for 113 years it was ruined by the management who refused to listen to customers or see where there retail world was heading.
Unfortunately BHS just like my employer were stuck in a 1970's mindset. We saw quality goods reasonably priced disappear to be replaced with cheap goods priced at the same or higher than before with other services removed that customers wanted.
They were a good store loved by their customers who were often loyal to the brand, and just like the place I worked which had been in business for 113 years it was ruined by the management who refused to listen to customers or see where there retail world was heading.
we used to always buy our christmas decorations from there. The tinsel was excellent quality.
Went into my local BHS today. 80% off, mostly. They even had loads of shop fittings, mannequins etc. marked for sale. Unfortunately, they only had four staff on the checkouts, and there was a constant queue of about forty people waiting to get served when I was there. A horrible place to shop, anyway, because it's always been far too hot (and humid).
BHS won't be the last to go. I think the upcoming recession will wipe a few more well known names off the already dying High Street.
I can certainly see some more contractions, for example more Outfit stores, rather than separate Burtons, separate Dorothy Perkins, Topshop stores may still stand alone. Also more out of town stores for clothing brands.
I dont know what big chain could be next to go, because we have lost so much already, Argos stores are destined to closed / moved into larger Sainsburys.
The local "high street" Marks and Spencers moved into a shopping centre months ago, and that unit just sits empty, the BHS unit sits empty (within the same shopping centre), alot of smaller stores are becoming restaurants / desert cafe things. Obviously smaller stores have called "Taking Shape" a store selling large size clothing has closed recently, cant say if that due to the market generally, or the market for those kinds of clothes.
Comments
I can't say I've tried their clothes or furnishings but I do pop in to see their Xmas gift selections which has been reasonably vast in previous, although somewhat over priced.
Will I miss it? Probably not but of course if it does go under I feel sorry for the staff losing their jobs
This.
Going into my local BHS is like going back in time 20 years. I went in there recently, for the same reason most people go in there these days, to use the loo! It was a Saturday afternoon and it was dead. There must have been about ten to fifteen people in the whole store, and it's a very big space.
I'm amazed it's lasted this long.
However, I do agree with those who have said that the shops look a bit dated and badly organised. Hence why I shop online.
Will be a sad day if BHS goes.
So am I. Debenhams will be next without some work.
I'm surprised the one in Derby hasn't closed yet, for similar reasons..
The cafe hasn't been improved for twenty years..
You have rather a lot of anger inside that needs an outlet. I think the Greens are a more appropriate vessel.
I'm sure there are many perfectly decent folk working for BHS that would be devastated to lose their jobs should it go under. As for "driving people from the high street" - I think retail parks and lazy-arsed internet shopping are for more guilty than a shop who's time has undoubtedly passed.
I remember as a kid in my Midlands town, BHS sat next to M&S in the prime spots in the High Street. In those days they were similar, with BHS slightly downmarket. Those were the days when all of M&S clothes were made in the UK, can you imagine?
I worked in Debenhams for a bit when I was at University, it was the same. Depressing places to work (I worked in two different stores as well).
As regards BHS, it'll be interesting to see what this does to Arcadia's wider strategy, given that recently the firm's moved some of their brands from standalone stores to BHS concessions - if BHS were sold, would, say, Evans in Bexleyheath or Burton/DP in Lewisham, previously moved from their own slots to BHS, need to look for new homes? Teaming up with another firm's not out of the question for Arcadia, mind, in Croydon Miss Selfridge moved from its own store to trade within House of Fraser...
If BHS is broken up, some of the High Street and standalone sites could be hoovered up by other players. It'll be particularly interesting to see what the impact is on centres where BHS is a key anchor - Surrey Quays, for instance, where it and Tesco are the largest stores, Lewisham where H&M and TK Maxx have already replaced Woolworths and Littlewoods, or Bexleyheath where BHS and M&S anchor the main shopping mall, some of the possible replacements including Primark are already represented elsewhere in town, and there's a large development site waiting to be filled now Tesco's pulled out...
If it's anything like the shop I worked in that closed down most people did steal things, and I didn't try to stop them. Or for that matter even bother to watch them.
They were a good store loved by their customers who were often loyal to the brand, and just like the place I worked which had been in business for 113 years it was ruined by the management who refused to listen to customers or see where there retail world was heading.
Unfortunately BHS just like my employer were stuck in a 1970's mindset. We saw quality goods reasonably priced disappear to be replaced with cheap goods priced at the same or higher than before with other services removed that customers wanted.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-37031309
I dont know what big chain could be next to go, because we have lost so much already, Argos stores are destined to closed / moved into larger Sainsburys.
The local "high street" Marks and Spencers moved into a shopping centre months ago, and that unit just sits empty, the BHS unit sits empty (within the same shopping centre), alot of smaller stores are becoming restaurants / desert cafe things. Obviously smaller stores have called "Taking Shape" a store selling large size clothing has closed recently, cant say if that due to the market generally, or the market for those kinds of clothes.