Tie Rack (Shop)

An international brand name that offers quality products at reasonable prices, Tie Rack is a shopping chain that does not get the recognition that it deserves.

You may think of Tie Rack as being a shop for the more mature customers, but you are wrong. They strike a very good balance in catering for everyone's taste regardless of age.

Tie Rack is a great place to find gifts for men and women of all ages and the stores are conveniently placed in locations where you may need to find a last-minute present. You would usually find them located in Airports, Underground Stations and City Centres in stores slightly bigger than a shoe box. However there is a lot of stock on offer in such small units.

Dont be decieved by the name either, Tie Rack is not just about ties! Tie Rack sells a whole range of products ranging from ladies/mens neckwear, mens boxer shorts, accessories such as belts, cufflinks, scarf clips, wallets, etc.. to more sophisticated garments such as ladies clothing and pashminas.

Ties and bow ties are made of quality Italian silk and there is a good variety of ties for men of all ages. The £9.99 twill bosani ties are conservative in design and aimed at the older businessmen.

At the other end of the spectrum there are the more 'trendy' ties that are associated with City workers. These are the woven ties priced at £17.50 which are definately value for money. They are the most expensive ties stocked and the reason being is that they are made from silk designs woven into the tie itself, making it more thicker and longer lasting than the others. The woven ties come in all the latest fashionable prints and colours.

The perfect gifts for male relations or work colleagues would be the accessories that Tie Rack have to offer. These include jewellery such as cufflinks, arm bands and tie bars which are priced from £3.99-£25. They have some really innovative designs ranging from cufflink clocks that tell the time, to spirit level Tie bars. Another good gift idea would be the Tie racks which hold and display ties in a neat and organised way. Ladies wishing to buy their partner a gift may want to buy them some silk boxer shorts which come in plain colours and also fun designs such as Bart Simpson or Winnie the Pooh! From personal experience I must add that they are very comfortable too!;-)

There is no shortage of gift ideas for ladies either, the most popular being the pashmina. Pashminas are hand made shawls from India that can add sophistication and glamour to any outfit. Tie Rack offers a broad variety of pashminas made from different materials and are priced from £20 to £89! The cheapest pashminas are made from pure wool and come in a variety of colours for all seasons. They also have silk/wool pashminas priced at £30 which are more lighter and finer than the pure wool ones. The most expensive pashminas are the Silk/Cashmere ones priced between £59-£89. They come in a wide assortment of colours and the £89 pashminas are more unique because they have different shades of a colour merging together, allowing flexibility in matching it with one's own clothes. They are a great gift idea for ladies and you can get £5 off if you buy two pashminas from any price range.

Tie Rack has many other in-store promotions and multi-buys so make sure you ask about them before you depart with your hard-earned money! The best value for money promotions would have to be the polyester scarves promotion of 3 for £12 and the 2 for £18 tie multibuys.

And it doesn't stop there! Make sure you take advantage of Tie Rack's free gift wrapping service! They have boxes and trendy bags tailored for many products.

So there you have it! It is a shop that has something for everyone priced at reasonable prices and offering variety and quality for all ages.

My only critisicm is the layout and general designs of the shops. Most of them are quite small shops and try to cram a lot of merchandise in to them. The other thing I have noticed is that they generally tend to be dull in terms of lighting and the old wooden furnishings. I feel that this makes them seem more closed in and less inviting for potential customers. I personally think that they should aim for brighter lighting and opt for the minimal effect to bring it into the 21st century.

Nevertheless, the products are definately moving with the times and I am sure when more people discover the convenience of Tie Rack, it will become more of a mainstream chain. So, I strongly recommend you take a look inside next time you pass by a Tie Rack. I think you will be surprised by how many things they have to offer and at affordable prices too! :-)