John Lewis

[Pettytom]

11 minutes ago, makapaka said:

 There’s nothing inverted about questioning people who make statements like “the lower classes don’t use John Lewis”

 

 

I didn’t say there was.

 

Indeed, that was one of the statements that I was referring to. There are plenty of other, similar comments in the thread.

[kaytie]

Well, I for one am overjoyed to hear that John Lewis will be remaining as it's my favourite store, together with Marks and Spencer.   If the Council is helping,  then well done Sheffield Council.   I don't consider myself wealthy, but I do know that often buying quality items is the best, and in the long run most economical, choice.

[Baron99]

6 hours ago, kaytie said:

Well, I for one am overjoyed to hear that John Lewis will be remaining as it's my favourite store, together with Marks and Spencer.   If the Council is helping,  then well done Sheffield Council.   I don't consider myself wealthy, but I do know that often buying quality items is the best, and in the long run most economical, choice.

Agree.  You know what they say, buy cheap, buy twice. 

 

And before people say, people have to buy cheap as that's all they can afford, what we're mainly talking about are actually high end, aspirational, non necessary products, tv's, laptops, white goods, etc.  People also shop there for the high end brands that you can't get anywhere else in Sheffield.   Saying that, I've bought a couple of suits over the years from JL that were roughly the same price as something I also looked at in Debenhams but appeared to me to be of better quality. 

 

Simple answer.  If you can't afford the products at JL, save up. 

Edited July 13, 2020 by Baron99

[Guest busdriver1]

I find it interesting that the council find it appropriate in these difficult times to be spending our money propping up a failing business model unless there is something here I have missed.

[Baron99]

2 hours ago, busdriver1 said:

I find it interesting that the council find it appropriate in these difficult times to be spending our money propping up a failing business model unless there is something here I have missed.

Just like a few years ago when SCC spent a small fortune in doing up shops & businesses in areas like Darnall & London Rd, for owners of the properties who had let them fall into disrepair in the first place. 

 

The figures for each property ran to something like £5,000 per business with the total cost being around £1 million for the two areas. 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Baron99

[catmiss]

I don’t use JL for browsing as much as I used to mainly because they are out of the way and isolated from either of the two disjointed city centre areas, Fargate and the Moor. 

[ECCOnoob]

1 hour ago, catmiss said:

I don’t use JL for browsing as much as I used to mainly because they are out of the way and isolated from either of the two disjointed city centre areas, Fargate and the Moor. 

Out of the way??   It's main entrance is literally 1 minute walk from the top of fargate.     It's secondary entrance is literally around the corner from Moorhead.

 

Of all the stores in the city I would say that JL has one of the best and most central of locations.   

Edited July 16, 2020 by ECCOnoob

[Lex Luthor]

On 09/07/2020 at 22:22, prince al said:

I disagree. JL has a style that is contemporary with a good old fashioned service ethic. That’s why it’s outlasted it’s competitors. It’s the building that’s dilapidated.

By the way, isn’t that the brand logo “ Never knowingly undersold”.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the "good old-fashioned service ethic".  I used to love JL because when you went there you got to speak with someone on top of their game, who knew each of their products inside and out, and took time to find out about the needs and wants of their customers.

 

They sold products for people looking for something with smaller budgets as well as those with larger budgets but you knew you weren't knowingly going to be sold garbage.

 

Nowadays, much of this seems to have gone out of the window.

 

I've seen sales staff on the cosmetics counters ignore people dressed casually, in favour of trying to hook the more finely dressed clientele.  As Julia Roberts said, "Big mistake....huge".  Big clue - you never see staff in Harrods or Selfridge's doing that!

 

My last three purchases from John Lewis were:. A sewing machine, a vacuum cleaner and a large freezer suitable for use in outbuildings.

 

I bought the sewing machine against my better judgement because anyone who knows sewing machines will tell you never to buy one without trying it.  You used to be able to trial any sewing machine out and that's why I went to JL but I was told they no longer do this.  I ended up with a clever machine but one I would have perhaps not purchased if I had been able to see how flimsy some of the parts were.  My subsequent two machines were bought elsewhere!

 

When I went to purchase the vacuum cleaner, I wanted a specific release of the model that had a function I required.  Some with the same model number had this feature, some didn't.  It was quite a big detail.  Despite selling these products for years, no one in that department knew anything about this and no one could tell me whether the model they had in stock had the feature or not.  I was basically told I had to take my chance and lump it because it wouldn't be an acceptable reason for a return.  The vacuum cleaner gave up the ghost a week after the two year guarantee ran out, and it wasn't cheap.

 

The freezer, I took the extra warranty out on.  After owning it for three months, it decided not to click back on, after it had de-iced itself and cost me over £100 in food.  They refused to replace it, after I had said repeatedly it was of no further use to me because if it had done this after three months it could never be relied upon.  I had to wait over a month for it to be fixed, which was the only option they gave me.  JL told me they only give you the money back if it fails within one month of purchase.  I told JL that I could get the same promise from any independent second hand freezer retailer, at a fraction of the price I had paid JL!  I was constantly chasing up the part and the repair with the manufacturer, which should have been John Lewis's job, not mine.  After being given the run around for so long I demanded that JL ring the manufacturer on their priority line.  I was party to the call.  After waiting an hour on the priority line with the JL rep, the manufacturer hung up.  "Now do you see what your customers are having to put up with?" I said to the JL rep.  "Why are you dealing with manufacturers with such shoddy customer service, as this reflects on YOU, JL!" I said.  The rep had no answer.

 

I have since purchased products from Currys and Argos and have been far more impressed with their customer service and after care.  I didn't mind paying more for good old-fashioned service, but I'm not going to pay more for a less than mediocre service.

 

I've already mourned the loss of the good old-fashioned JL.  It departed a long time ago.

 

 

[Baron99]

6 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

Out of the way??   It's main entrance is literally 1 minute walk from the top of fargate.     It's secondary entrance is literally around the corner from Moorhead.

 

Of all the stores in the city I would say that JL has one of the best and most central of locations.   

I'm sure catmiss can speak for themselves but you might be doing them a disservice?  Perhaps they don't drive?  Perhaps catmiss has mobility issues & previously relied public transport which used to serve Leopold St / Pinstone St but has recently been all removed from the area? 

[the_bloke]

It's fascinating to see people think that product A sold in John Lewis is some how of better quality or a better deal than buying the same product for the same price elsewhere.

 

In the 90's I had a summer job working in the St Ivel factory in Chichester; one of the major product lines made on site was yoghurts and desserts. The same goo was used for an entire night's run of desserts, all that changed for each 30 or so pallets worth was the plastic pot and the label. The Waitrose stuff was exactly the same as the Kwik Save stuff.  The Kiwk Save stuff just didn't give you the same sense of smug self satisfaction buying it.