HIGH STREET HIT OR MISS
COVENTRY EDITION AUTUMN/WINTER 2014 WORDS BY LOUISE BULLOCK
Christmas is just round the corner and with this
wonderful season full of parties and get togethers comes the outfits we adorn for it, retailers are already packing their window displays with the hottest trends of the season so I went out in Coventry as a secret shopper to investigate what these trends are and which mainstream high street store has executed them best. I decided to visit the stores I find myself rummaging in the most frequently; Topshop, River Island, H&M and Select. I love each of these store for different reasons but I went in to each with an indifferent opinion so I could judge them honestly and thoroughly, I awarded points for aspects including customer service, visual merchandising, product offer, value for money, fit, and fabric and condensed these down in to three categories: Value, Product and Experience.
Each shop visited had a focus on party wear, sequins and faux fur dominated overall with a few glimpses of festive embellishment and faux leather. Trims focus on high impact materials and decorative style, while embellishments are mostly oversized gemstones arranged in clusters across blouses and dresses. Outerwear has a formal feel to it with subtle textures, wool and tweed with classic colour combinations. It was good to see retailers producing such wide ranging collections and experimenting with fun fabrics and textures appropriate for the season and appealing to their target customers. All market research was collected on the 14th October 2014.
Value: Topshop is certainly not as cheap and cheerful as H&M or
Primark but it’s a slightly cheaper alternative to Zara, Urban Outfitters and American Apparel. In terms of value for money, customers are happy to pay Topshop prices for the quality of clothing they’re getting (but it’s still worth using your student status to get a 10% discount) as it is very rare for Topshop clothing to fray or go out of shape shortly after purchasing. The most noticeable trend Topshop are stocking is the furry coats and gilets, you’ll find multiple variations of these products which range in price from £65 up to £79.
Product: The faux fur feels divine to touch, all dyed pretty col-
ours, black, pastel pink and warm brown all of which would be easy to style with other items sold in the store. The silhouettes are simple, but boxy coats are still on trend so this isn’t a problem, the only thing which may bother customers is the fact that the bigger coats appear to have pockets, but when you reach your hand in to see how deep they are, you’ll be disappointed to discover that the pockets are stitched up, if you were to wear one of these enormous fluffy coats you’d probably be wearing it because it would be horribly cold outside, and you would want to also keep your hands warm by burying them deep inside the pockets of your furry coat, is the lack of pockets a clever ploy to get us to buy matching Topshop gloves? Probably.
Atmosphere: Topshop are consistent with the glossy, mono-
chrome interior they apply to every one of their stores; and although it’s not visually stimulating in the same way Hollister and Urban Outfitter’s interiors are, it certainly works for the brand and reminds customers that they’re sleek and sophisticated. The mannequins and window displays are somewhat inspiring, the outfits are always well put together and clearly have the intention of persuading customers to pick up items which work well together on the displays. The only negatives about the layout of Topshop stores is that everything about the shop is very narrow, a parent with a buggy would struggle to navigate through the maze of rails without knocking items over.
9
/10
Value: River Island is also known for being affordable and acces-
sible so it attracts women who are maybe not quite ready to splash out in more pricey stores like Zara and Mango. What you get for your money in River Island is reasonable, their products are usually on trend and easy to style, however, when it comes to quality, RI falters, it’s all very hit and miss, you could buy a pair of jeans there one day and have absolutely no problems then buy a shirt the next day and find that the buttons fall off the first time you try it on, and it goes out of shape after one wash, it’s this problem which convinces shoppers to invest their money in a more expensive but much better made garment from River Islands competitors, customers realise that they will get more wear out of the outfit they spend more money on.
Product: Despite being a highly popular high street retailor
providing clothes for generally very trendy customers, River Island aren’t currently stocking some of this season’s biggest trends; if you pop down there this weekend to stock up on seasonal essentials you’ll struggle. Fluffy coats and metallic party dresses are nowhere to be seen in contrast to Topshop which seems to be over flowing with them. The one trend RI is hot on it is the faux-leather trend, their mannequins and other visual merchandising platforms are fully clad from head to toe in leather look trousers, leggings, party dresses featuring on trend silhouettes and lengths right down to the accessories, so if you’re feeling rebellious and fancy rocking a slightly bondage look this autumn, get yourself down to River Island on your lunch break.
Experience: The service you get in River Island really depends
on which branch you visit, it’s another thing which isn’t consistent. Although the window displays are very glamourous and appealing the same unfortunately can’t be said for the stores interior, the aisles of clothes and shoes aren’t spaced out very well so it can be quite infuriating getting elbowed in the ribs by other shoppers on a busy Saturday afternoon and there’s nothing unique about the monochrome décor they’ve been sporting for years now. The only quirk the interior has which I do really like is the sign above the door as you leave which says “See you again soon . . .” which leaves customers thinking about what they’ll purchase on their next visit to the
6
/10
Value: H&M’s price range is similar to that of Select and Primark Value: Select offers products similar in design to other high street
but is know as a much more fashionable brand than both, what retailers but varies massively when it comes to quality and price, puts H&M ahead despite similarities in price? Dedicated customers their products are dead cheap and its easy to see why, the fact of the would probably say that it’s the laid back approach H&M takes to matter is a pair of jeans from Select will rarely last you more than retail, even the most inexperienced consumers would feel comfort- 3 months before they start to sagg and, fray and fade; you get what able shopping there, unlike shops like Urban Outfitters and Zara you pay for but Select is great if you’re on a budget (and if you’re where there seems to be a kind of elitist feel which can feel intimireally strapped for cash dont forget about their 10% student disdating at times, H&M is wecoming and casual in comparison. count!) Product: H&M’s rails are overflowing with desirable trends this season, furry coats, knee high boots, Christmas – party dresses, elongated cardigans and turtle neck jumpers drape the shelves make it impossible to just go in and have a browse, money WILL be spent. The quality of H&M clothing is very good in relation to the price you pay, their items can easily last a few years if you look after them. A great aspect of H&M is their Basics range, which supplies women with bank canvases to paint their outfit upon, leggings, vest and t-shirts come in multiple colours, the most useful colour being black and white because they go with anything and everything.
Experience: The best aspect of H&M stores is the space, almost
every store is spacious enough to wheel a push chair around, and even if you don’t have a push chair it’s nice to not have your personal space invaded by strangers whilst you’re shopping. Window displays are always inspiring and offer outfit ideas which are easy to imitate for less imaginative shoppers. The only thing which lets H&M down in terms of experience is how messy the store can get and how long it is left messy for before an assistant finally notices and tidies up before a customer slips on the discarded clothes scattered about the floor and lands on their bottom. Sales assistants tend to be approachable H&M, they’re chatty and willing to help, it always leaves you feeling content when receiving service feels like shopping with a friend and H&M staff seem to know this.
8
/10
Product: When it comes to this
seasons must-haves, Select ticks all the boxes; faux fur gilets, faux leather, tartan, grid print, monochrome and shawls, Select stocks all of them in a variety of styles and colours. Their products may not last, but they’ll keep you looking bang on trend for at least a few months. Select also helps out customers placing and merchandising matching accessories next to relevant product. In terms of up to date trends. Select is the shop to compete with and we predict a good season for them.
Experience: Don’t expect to be greeted by a chirpy sales assistant
offering help when you enter Select, because chances are there will be no staff in sight, they’ll most likely be in the stock room gossiping, you probably shouldn’t expect polite small talk while your shopping is being scanned either, it’ll just be “beep . . . beep . . . beep . . . £20 please”. An appropriate word to describe Selects windows displays would be rudimentary. There’s mannequins, there’s outfits and there’s a pane of glass . . . far from exciting, but enough to inform customers of what they’ll find inside. Whilst the interior is tidy and organized, it’s hardly inspiring, shoppers like to feel like they’re entering a luxury world where their fashion idols would shop, it’s fair to say that unless your idol is faceless with the personality of a bowl of porridge, you won’t feel this way stepping in to Select.
4
/10