Cotton Traders - A Good Source for Wardrobe Staples

Advantages: Easy to use. Good quality merchandise. Good service.
Disadvantages: Inconsistent fit. Clothing is functional and unexciting.

...INTRODUCTION Cotton Traders (CT) has become a staple source of clothes for me. In my darkest days, pushing almost 25 stone, it was my only reasonably priced, mainstream source of outsized clothes that did not carry the psychological baggage inherent in ?Big & Tall? and ?High & Mighty? type shops. With sizes up to 4XL for T-shirts and polo shirts, and waist sizes up to 52 inches, it was a godsend. The only downside was that ordering from them helped perpetuate the illusion that my size was OK. In fact, it was when I started struggling to get into CT?s biggest clothes that the penny finally dropped and I took decisive action to manage my health. The good news, for readers at least, is that I have ordered clothes from them for going on three years, in various sizes, and have built up enough experience ? both good and bad ? to be...

Hishyeness 27.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Cotton on to this

Advantages: User friendly brochures, quality leisurewear
Disadvantages: None so far

...When the Cotton Traders catalogue dropped through my letterbox my interest was captured by the front cover advertising His ‘n’ Hers Chino Trousers at less than half price. They were priced at just £11.99 instead of their usual price of £24.99. Turning to page 2 the offer for ladies included a choice of 5 colours. These were Navy, Oyster (neutral), Moss (dull green), Blue (light sky) and Sangria (crimson). The men’s range was in four colours which were Pewter, Khaki, Navy and Dark Green. The 100% cotton chinos were wrinkle free with pleated fronts and machine washable. The ladies were in sizes 10 to 20 with leg lengths 29 inch and 31 inch. The men’s chinos were in sizes 32 inch waist to 46 inch waist with inside leg measurements of 29 inch, 31 inch, 33 inch and 35 inch. The 35 inch leg was only...

gardenguru1 20.04.2003 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Cotton Off

Advantages: Good value
Disadvantages: No free returns

...Anybody else out there getting disenchanted with Cotton Traders? I have shopped with them for some years for basic stuff like t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, but recently have found myself returning many items. And this is the rub - no free returns policy. By the time you've paid for post and packing both ways, you can be £5 out of pocket with nothing to show for it. The last item I bought was a pair of stretch denims, a bargain at £12. You probably saw them advertised - they were an insert in practically every colour supplement. But the sizing was miles out, even though it was nominally the same size as a pair I already have, and which fit perfectly. The no free returns policy is to keep prices down, and they do offer good value on their stock. The range is not wide, the colours are not subtle, but as clothes essentially...

Chouchinciao 28.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Cotton by name and cotton by nature.

Advantages: Good quality clothes ,easy to buy.
Disadvantages: Returns policy could work out expensive.

...I?ve been using Cotton Traders for about three years now. They are called Cotton Traders because it is owned by ex England rugby captains, ?Fran Cotton and Steve Smith?. I used to think that they only sold clothes made of cotton- doh! ?It was founded in 1987 when the two players began working from a small room next to Altrincham Railway station. They sold rugby shirts by mail order using adverts in Sunday papers. The business grew to 2million pound turnover in 2years.? ( quote from Cotton Traders website.) See:- www.cottontraders.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ways to buy. Cotton Traders products are available through many different outlets. Their original method of selling , I think , was via a mail order catalogue. Not a great big hefty thing that you...

SueLiz 26.02.2003 (27.02.2003) · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Cotton Traders Website

Advantages: Durable Products
Disadvantages: Beware if using a Switch Card to pay.

...The Cotton Traders Website is easy to navigate and loads up pretty quickly. It's logically organised I quickly found the trainers I was looking for. A feature I found particularly useful was the stock indicator. In the shoe department, for example, you can see staight away which sizes they have available and in which colours. The ordering process, though, was a bit long winded. You have several pages to go through filling in postal details,payment details etc. I wanted to pay by switch and thought I had filled in all the boxes correctly only to recieve a letter (about a week later) telling me that my payment had not been authorised and could I ring the number given. When I duly rang I spoke to a very pleasant lady who informed me that the problem concerned the issue number on the switch card. Apparently they had forgotten...

CarolineK 21.02.2003 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Cotton Traders?

Advantages: Industrial Heritage museum, Excellent guides, Informative
Disadvantages: None

...Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate is a site of significant industrial importance, and has been a national trust property since 1939 when the great, great grandson of Samuel Greg, the original owner gifted it to the trust. The Mill itself is situated within a mile or two of Manchester Airport and close to the town of Macclesfield - obviously this whole area looked very different in 1784 when the mill was first opened and it was a world away from the drab cotton mills of Manchester and surrounding slum areas. Significantly, the mill was sited on the banks of the River Bollin, and the huge Water Wheel, which finally broke in the early 1900s, was used as a source of power. The damp climate was also suitable for storing cotton. Most visitors to the village of Styal and the area in general will be taken with the quaintness...

helencbradshaw 14.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Country Park

Comfortable Cotton and Much More

Advantages: quick delivery, easy to navigate website, great prices
Disadvantages: no free returns policy

...I was looking on the net for some t-shirts, jeans and a new coat for my holiday this year and wasn't having much luck. Many shopping sites such as Next, M&S, etc were expensive and didn't have what I was looking for. Then I had the idea of looking on the Cotton Traders site. They had exactly what i wanted and in the sale too. Their delivery time was excellent, I placed the order on the Sunday night and I received my goods on Wednesday afternoon. Everything I had ordered was there and all the items fitted perfectly. So a thumbs up for their sizing guide. Now I am a registed customer with Cotton Traders I can preview forthcoming clothing and shoes from their next catalogue. In fact their site is just like browsing the catalogues which come through the door which makes navigating the site simple. On the down side, they do not...

carbraxas 17.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Huge Disappointment

Advantages: None any more
Disadvantages: Dishonest "bargain" pricing, poor service when things go wrong.

...Note: any mention of prices are in round figures. I'm afraid my experience of this company is far from positive. Whilst not a customer myself, my Mother was. When things went well she was happy. Up until she bought a pair of Unisex Fleece Lined Boots, advertised at £40 and being warm and dry. Item AQ10065 Shortly after purchase they miraculously became "half price". This as we all know is a dishonest pricing tactic - charge a fake price for a short period to remain legal, then charge what the price should have been to begin with and call it a "bargain". I argued this with Cotton Traders who refused to acknowledge their dishonesty, but t offered a credit of £20 which Mother took to purchase more goods and other pair of these boots to give me. When they arrived, the stitching in the lining had come undone so a replacement was...

barnum42 11.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

Mrs D Sharman

Advantages: Advantages to what ? There are no advantages to this company if complaining
Disadvantages: Terrible customer service - could not care less

...I placed my first order on Monday, and was very pleased at the service as it was delivered to my home five days later. Being a first order I expected a possible size problem and when proved correct - quite happily rang customer relations to exchange the item for a size smaller. From then on my experience was terrible - to the point that I am now of the opinion that I should never place another order with them. Their customer relations is appalling and - with hindsight - having now checked their website with a view to complaining, I can only say that a website that deliberately hides how to complain to them by email says it all!!! In case you too are needing to know - you find the help tag, click on that, find Cotton Traders Information (??!!) and click on that and then scroll to the bottom for a button that you press - but what...

Zenasharman 22.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders

not just rugby shirts

Advantages: quality hardwearing products,reasonable prices
Disadvantages: none i have found

...have found to be very helpful redelivering the products when i have been out at a convenient time and they will also take returns for you. Whilst you are on their website check out the latest shops they are opening currently it stands at 34 there may be one quite near you obviously saving you the postage costs and you can get to feel the goods and see just how good quality the products are. I would wholeheartedly recommend this company and its fine products to you and in over 5 years have never had a problem at all with delivery,customer service,or the products . They can be found at~~ www.cottontraders.co.uk or by phone on 0870 3333441 or by post to~ Cotton Traders Direct 1~2 Atlantic Street Broadheath Altrincham Cheshire...

smudger1964 16.03.2004 · Read review
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Review of Cotton Traders