Dunelm Mill > Reviews (30)

Hello dear reader,

I was just scrolling through the new products and found the Dunelm Mill. First I have to confess two things. First I was never quite sure how to pronounce that name. I guess being german didn't help so I always ended up calling it the "dunno mill". And second. I loved that shop.

My experience will be based upon the Dunelm Mill shop in Coventry, Midlands.

Dunelm Mill is mainly found in the Midlands. But they do have over 75 stores nationwide. There is one in Northern Ireland, three in Scotland, three in Wales and the rest is spread through England.

Most of those stores provide free parking, and some also offer a coffee shop and late night as well as Sunday opening.
The Coventry store did not have a coffee shop so I won't be able to comment on that.

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STORY

Dunelm Mill was founded about 20 years ago in Leicester by Bill and Jean Adderley. They started of with small high street shops and have by now mainly superstores in out of town locations. The company's motto is "Simply Value for Money". The headquarter is still in Leicester. Since 1996 Will Adderley took over his father's company

History - timeline

1979 Home textiles business started by Bill and Jean Adderley
1984 First Dunelm store opened in Churchgate, Leicester
1991 First 20,000 sq ft out-of-town store opened, in
Rotherdam
1996 Will Adderley appointed as Managing Director
1999 Warehouse and head office established in Syston,
Leicester
2000 35th store opened
2001 Acquisition of Bellbird Ltd, custom-made curtain facility
2002 50th store opened in Walsall
2003 60th store opened
David Stead joins as Finance Director from Boots the
Chemists
2004 70th store opened

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WHAT DO THEY SELL?

They have a big variety on bedlinen with co-ordinated throws, quilts, cushions and curtains, but also simple bedlinen in many different colours. A lot of them are pure cotton, but you also find some more posh ones.
There is also a bit of choice for children bedlinen with co-ordinaten accessoires like blankets, cushions and other things.
You will find some beds and of course blankets and pillows in different sizes and with different fillings.
Cushions in a choice of colour, size and different fabrics, as well as bean bags. Including a pad or just a cover.

The next section is a big variety of ready made curtains and everything you need for that like different kind of rails, blackout curtains etc.
There is also a choice of different materials whith a made to measure curtain service.

Another part is a selection on bathroom things. From towels in different sizes and colours as well as designs and different qualities through to showercurtains and bathmats up to the little accessoirs like toothbrush-holder, soapdispenser and so on.

Now you probably think that must be it, but no.

You will also find a huge choice of fabrics, mainly suitable for all kind of home furnishing, cut to your requirement as well as all the things one might need for it. Different fillings like beans fand foam pads, threads and needles.

There is also a kitchen section with coordinated ovenmits, curtains and table clothes. You will also find a selection of chinaware, pots and little useful things for your kitchen. And to keep it clean.

Other things to find are lighting, rugs, little bits of furniture (like tables, benches, etc) and storage, pictures and frames, artifical flowers and fruits, candleholders and candles, vases and bowls, and a few other things for decorating around the house. As well as little things to help you to organise your wardrobe.

You will always find some gift ideas and seasonal products.

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MY OVERALL IMPRESSION ON SERVICE AND QUALITY

It was always tidy and the staff has always been friendly. Though sometimes I did have to wait quite a bit if I wanted some fabric cut to my requirement. But that was usually only when there was the sale on :o)

If I wanted to return something it was never a problem. But I always had my proof of purchase as well.

I found the value for money most of the times very good and have got me lots of good bargains.

One negative experience. Once I bought there 2 new pillows (feather filled). I did invest in some for 30 GBP each. At home I left them packed in our bedroom. When I came back a couple of hours later there was a nasty smell in the whole room. I went back the very same day and asked for a refund. And ended up buying one at a different department store.

It always says that the pillows or cushion will smell for a week or two. but when I had that smell in my bedroom I remembered that I bought a little cushion there couple of years earlier. After months of ventilating, even trying to wash it and using things like febreeze, it did not help to get that nasty smell out of it. So I ended up throwing it away. Not to bad with the cushion worth a fiver. but two pillows each for 30 GBP? Didn't want to take that risk!
So they took them back, but only because it was the same day. Usually you don't get to return things like pillows and blankets. But I have to say that I am not very sure of the quality of their cushions and pillows and would advise to buy those somewhere else.

The bedlinen I have from there are still nice after over 2 years of use. They are easy to wash and are fine without ironing. Which I would refuse anyway - not my thing! The pillowcases that are used most often show some little knots of the fabric. But only on the backside. So that does not bother me. And we have mainly the same bedlinen on. I just like it too much.

One downside in my opinion was that you can't see there sortiment on their website. I wanted to give my brother (who lives in Germany) a certain bedlinen as a present, but I wanted to have his consent at first. Was not possible. It is really a shame that I cannot use all those nice bedlines for myself.

But their website is going through some changes recently so you never know.

Hope you enjoyed reading my review and maybe it helped it a little bit, so it would be nice to receive a rating for it. Thank you!!!

Anne