The mother of all Department stores?

Advantages: Its a real experience
Disadvantages: Expensive, but it doesnt claim to be anything else!

.... Beds Bedding Furniture - a decent range of top end companies, not as comprehenive as John Lewis or Harrods Chilrens clothes and toys (really amzing layout here!) BARS AND RESTAURANTS So many! There are countless bars (eg Moet Bar), snack bars, full on restaurants and a department stylee buffet restaurant on the top floor. In the food hall there are numerous places to snack. These include Square Pie (excellent pie chain) EAT (sandwqiches) and Yo Sushi. There is also a Starbucks near the flower dept. You wont need to go hungry. OTEHR SERVICES / BITS YOU NEED TO KNOW They offer a delivery serivce (for a charge) There is a wedding list service (new) There is a twice yearly sale (which is very good) There is a male hair salon Dont miss the frequent themed events. The best I have seen was about 2 years ago when they had...

Dan_ep 12.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of Selfridges (Department Stores)

Britain?s most average department store

Advantages: Location, lots of selection
Disadvantages: The interior

...What is it? Debenhams advertises itself as Britain?s favourite department store. I would describe it as Britain?s most average department store. I am speaking from my experiences at the Swindon store; the other ones I visit tend to be slightly better. Debenhams has it?s own range of products and high street concessions in it. There are 104 stores. The Store Location: This is probably the best thing about it. It has a town centre location, which happens to be right by my bus stop, which is great when I have a 30-minute wait for the next bus. It is a 1960?s style building that has seen better days. A lot of town centre stores seem to be like this but the newer stores in out of town malls are much nicer. I remember going in when I was a little girl and back then I was kind of quaint. Now it just seems old-fashioned. When it first...

Katieshaz 25.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Debenhams (Department Stores)

One of the UK's best department stores

Advantages: Huge range of stock, cheap prices
Disadvantages: High interest rate on store card

...I first came across John Lewis in Liverpool where I began my university course in 1981. Later when I moved to London in 1986 I began shopping at the John Lewis store in Oxford Street. John Spedan Lewis founded the store I think in the late 19th century. The company is privately owned amongst its employees who are known as partners. It has resisted going public in the past but may do so in the future. The store has seven floors nicely linked by escalators and lifts. In the corridors are located toilets and telephone payphones. Its impressive kitchen equipment range takes up most of the lower ground floor. White goods, melon ballers, mug trees, lemon zesters, apple corers etc are found here. Really every type of kitchen utensil is found here. There is also a cleaner section where every type of detergent, cleaner, duster is sold...

mrpaella 16.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of John Lewis (Department Stores)

Debenhams - a department store with something for everyone!

Advantages: A wide choice of items, good sales with up to 70% off, friendly staff
Disadvantages: Can be expensive at full price - wait for the sales! No free parking.

...My review of Debenhams is based on the Barrow-in-Furness store, but the basics should apply to any branch - they can be found in most big towns and cities, including Manchester. The Barrow store is the biggest shop in town; a huge department store covering 2 big floors, with a car park on the roof so you don't have to carry your shopping too far! Unfortunately they do charge you to park there, which I personally think is a bit of a cheek when you're shopping in their store, but ho hum! As for what the store sells - it has everything from womenswear, childrenswear, menswear, cosmetics, accessories, sportswear, lingerie, home items, gifts, wedding list...the list goes on! It really is a one-stop shop for all the family. In Barrow, Debenhams has also brought Warehouse, Faith and Jane Norman clothes and shoes to the town in the form...

anna6735 01.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Debenhams (Department Stores)

If only every store could be like them

Advantages: Customer service, extensive range of goods, helpful staff
Disadvantages: Not enough of thier stores around the country

...When it comes to department stores this one stands 'head & shoulders' above many others. They don't have many stores around the country so I'm lucky that they have a four storey department store about 10 miles from where I live. What makes them better than most other department stores? Its simple, their customer service, before & after the sale. They are not cheap; although their motto is 'never knowingly undersold' they only sell premium brands. No cheapo electrical goods made in some far eastern 'sweat shop' here, only the big names like Sony, Panasonic, JVC etc. However they will try & compete with any local competition selling exactly the same brands & when it comes to electrical goods they can normally match another quote with an 'ace card' up their sleeve. They sometimes offer an extra year warranty on certain electrical goods...

ScottishWestie 04.12.2007 · Read review
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Review of John Lewis (Department Stores)

Harrods, The World Famous Store.

Advantages: Beautiful Store, An experience in itself
Disadvantages: Very Expensive and Do not go at sale/time unless you want to save lots of money.

...Harrods is the worlds premier Department Store. If you are rich and need to do your shopping and live in england then I can guarantee that you will shop at Harrods. Harrods started off as a family business in 1849 as a simple food store (It still incorporates this today)but soon became a much bigger store and branched out into a department store in 1902 with 80 departments and over 2000 staff. It grew even more and became the biggest and best departmental store in the world. In 1959 however it became subject to a takeover by scottish group House Of Fraser which was then inturn bought out by Mohamed Alfayed in 1986. In 1994 Alfayed floated The 54 House of Fraser Stores and Kept Harrods once again as a family run business. Harrods has always been known well for it's sales and its motto that it can supply anything that is demanded...

atlantis140 10.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Harrods (Department Stores)

Dunnes Stores Clothes, really?

Advantages: Nice clothes relatively cheap
Disadvantages: Fashion mood swings

...mix of thread. It had a pattern in the middle which gave it that pringle feel but kept it low profile. I tried it on and was very happy, and too my discovery, it was £10! I jumped with joy, almost. Jeans lay around the shelves too, however I didn't try these on but they did look decent, so too did the teeshirts, ranging from plain ones to more labelled ones. The hoodies they had in were all zipped with small designs, not the usual large 'class of 87' or something like that. The accessories to didn't dissapoint. Large, cool glasses. £3. Off season buying definatly is worth it. Hats and gloves, cheap too. The socks looked festive and thick along with boxers, the good old cheapies that everyone except rich kids and business men wear. The store also had an extensive kids department which looked really good. I didn't notice a female...

markcrymble 19.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Dunnes Stores (Department Store)

Best Department Store

Advantages: Good quality stock
Disadvantages: too pricey

...John Spedan Lewis founded the store I think in the late 19th century. The company is privately owned amongst its employees who are known as partners. John Lewis is a large chain of department stores throughout the country. Their prices are sometimes a little on the expensive side, but you pay for quality. The staff are friendly, they wear uniforms so are easy to spot, and there is always someone around. I have never had to queue at the checkout, and I have never had to fight my way through the store. I have to go to John Lewis to have my bras fitted as I have not found anywhere else who do my size and I have always found them very pleasant and polite and very sensitive about women issues. If the bra I wanted is not in stock they have always taken my name and address and contacted me when the stock has arrived. I have never...

jess1980 09.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of John Lewis (Department Stores)

BhS Bridal Range

Advantages: availability has improved
Disadvantages: for the money you can get better elsewhere

...ever. What makes the whole thing even worse is that they are not being sold for an "off-the-peg" price. If you want an off-the-peg dress I would suggest looking at some of the evening wear shops or try to shop around sale periods where department stores sell off thier samples - BHS is just not worth it, you will not get trained staff assisting you and the changing rooms are far too small to try on your dress comfortably. If you are spending a couple of hundred on a dress which you are only going to wear for a few hours you might as well get as much assistance and advice as possible. It's not all bad though... worth a look is their collection of headresses. Again not overly inspired but there are a couple of pretty pieces. Their bridesmaids dresses are better too provided your bridesmaid is under about 8yrs - any older and they...

CareBear 13.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of BhS (Department Stores)

Stores within stores

Advantages: stress free shopping
Disadvantages: none that i can think of

...Debenhams is a very good department store. I cant really fault it. Its an amazingly "stress free" way of shopping, with everything nicely laid out under one roof. How many times have you trudged from shop to shop amongst the crowds feeling yourself getting more and more stressed blisters starting to come, sweating hot, and just to land back at the first shop you visited to purchase that much wanted item! Its particulary good for me because im a petite size eight and they have at least three departments, Anne Brookes, Principles petites and Dorothy Perkins petites, oh and Wallis that cater just for my needs. I am sure this is true of the store no matter what your shape or size. The cosmetic counters are fascinating especially when you see the beautifully made up assistants standing behind them...

y2krosebuddie 29.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Debenhams (Department Stores)