I went to Manchester on a shopping trip this week, and I have never really noticed the difference between cheap and cheerful, highstreet and designer before. So I have done a little experiment, I am going to compare 3 shops. I am compareing them on their garments/ accessories, customer care labels, general customer service and the shop its self.
The three shops I have choosen to compare are Primark (Value Market), River Island (Middle Market) and Henry Holland (Premium). I have choosen to look at 2 items from each shop, one of them being a standard pair of skinny jeans and the other is a classic pair of black heels.
Primark is a Value Market shop, this means that the clothes are cheap from production and manufacture so that the consumer can buy fashion at a very low cost. Primark in manchester is in Piccadilly gardens, you can see it from quiet a distance; as its a tall building and has Primark written right at the top of the buildings, over everything else. Although saying this I thought it was very strang that Primark cheapest of the cheap was standing right next to Debenhams where all the designer labels are.
The general sense in the shop, as everyone knows, is busy so, so busy. And this particular Primark is huge and was overwhelmed and just felt lost. There was a lot of shopping noise, no background music jus the sound of people hurling and clothes, talking and metal handers clacking on the rigs. I was quiet suprised to see that it was tidy and there wasn't many clothes on the floor like other Primarks. I did notice that it was hard to shop because of thhe lack of movability and the rigs were chunky and rammed with clothes.
When I found a pair of basic skinny jeans, I started to anaylise. The jeans were clearly marked ontop of the rig £11, they were quiet near a till and buy and entrace. There was five sixway rigs; meaning each rig had 6 arms, the maximum to get jeans on. The rigs weren't tidy but for Primark they were! I picked up a pair of skinny jeans size 16, regular; on the wrong hanger.
I don't know if you know but Primark is quiet enviromentally friendly, infact probable the most eco friendly store on the highstreet. Knowing this I began to notice all there swing tags were cardboard on a string tie: 100% recycleable.
Other than that I can't find much else good with Primark. The quality isn't amazing but i supose if you want clothes for 6 weeks than £11 for a pair of jeans isn't bad. Take a look at these photos though. There were threads sticking out of seams, the seams weren't neat and you could tell no care had been taken over the presentation of the garment. Cheap material: 75% cotton 23% polyester and 2% elastane thin material in the pockets.
A few things that really worried me about Primark was, one the care label didn't say were the clothes were made, this raises suspision for me about the BBC documentary and sweat shops. The other thing that worried me was that four members of staff walked past as I was analysing there jeans surely one of them should of asked if i was okay, or does this say that they have a bad costumer service.
I would also like to say that the customers in Primark are so rude, well one lady, I shouldn't group all Primark shoppers but I just wanted to ask her what she thought of the quality of jeans for the price so I could right it on my blog but she ignored me...!
Moving on swiftly, I took a gander at the shoe, my gosh they have a huge shoe department in manchester! Concidering this there were no stools to try the stock on and no mirrors to gorp at the huge heels on your feet! They do have a wide range of shoes from dollies to 7 inch platformed glitter shoes, all coming in from sizes 4 to 8.
I found a black classic shoe, they were £8 in the sale down from £16. The shoes came in 4 differnt colours they had a five and a half inch heel with a platform. The care label said the material was man made(swade look-a-like) and the soles were plastic. I tried the shoes on and they were so stiff, light shoes but would be hard for them to mold to your feet, so I presume that they are really uncomfortable. The majority of the shoes did unfortunatly have manufactureing marks all over them, and again you could see that they were made in a rush and no time taken over to make them look the part.
River Island is a Middle Market shop. Middle Market is classed as your average Highstreet stores, made to quality and last longer, more expencive than value shops but you will get more quality for your money. River Isand Is on the top level of the Arndale shopping centre, a huge shop with a sky to floor window, the window its self attracted me.
Walking into River Island, it looked the same as any other of its stores, printed wall paper, a punk rocky style. And the other thing is there is more space to shop, the rigs are fourways and sixways but theres more space to manouver with your pram rammed with shopping bags. I noticed as you do go up the market levels from value to premium this is one thing that increases! It was easy to get to each part of the shop with wall graphics and signs saying "Shoes", "Accessories" etc.
As I found the jeans the first thing I saw was the security dye tag, the jeans were hung so that it was on display. A deterant for thieves, and at £40 a pair that would be a huge stock loss.The jeans were basic with a faded effect on them and the buttons and stud details definatly werent as cheap as the primark ones.
Time was taken ove the manufacturing of the jeans, okay so they weren't extremely neat but looking at primark and then these jeans there is a huge differnce, more quality and time taken on the presentation. There were a few design features on these jeans which I think makes them the price they are; the belt loops on the waist band were diagonal, the faded effect, interesting back pocket detail, and most of all the River Island logo on the jeans. There were a few lose threads like Primark. The material isn't cheap either, 98% cotton and 2% elastane. It clearly states on the care label that they were made in Turkey and not to tumble dry these jeans.
The shoe department, like primark, was huge, this one was manned though. It had three members of staff on serving the customers. The department portrayed the River Island customer well with an interesting faded checkered table. The sale was more like a pile of random shoes it was that messy!
Anyway when I found my classic black heel I measured the heel to be five and a half inches and one inch platform. They had cross straps around the ankle in the same material as the rest of the shoe, leather. To be expected from River Island and also at £65! The shoe was in mint condition, no manufacture scuffs and sewn together with precision. The care label on the bottom of the shoe said that the outside of the shoe is leather and the sole inside and out is plastic/ manmade, and it also clearly stated that they were made in Brazil. I decided to try them on, as well I am comparing! The shoes were quiet tight, I felt a huge exageration in the heel angle, as though I was tiptoeing although the angle shouldnt be that bad, mmm?
Henry Holland is a designer label, therefore it is classed as a Premium buy. The quality should be bettter because high class seamstresses make the garments and the clothes are "Designed to Care" as it said on the customer care label.
His jeans made me go crazy, £25 for a pair of designer jeans! and they were nothing like River Islands jeans, there is a clear distinction between highstreet and designer, I just can't believe these are better but are £15 cheaper!
These Skinny jeans alike the RI ones have a faded effect on them. And just like Primark they have and eco friendly swing tag, cardboard so recylcable. You can tell when you look at these jeans everything was taken into concideration, and especially the presentation which we havent seen in the other two stores. The over locking is so neat and tidy, the treads are thick so has that cowboy denim look with double top stitching around the pockets and seams. The pockets are a thick cotton and the rest of the jeans are 98% cotton and 2% elastane. They were made in Pakistan and it also says that you can tumbledry them on a cool!
Because there weren't many shoes, I had to go for a brown chealse boot, it had a bit of a heel! They were a thick soft leather, looked strong and sturrdy. Shame that there were scuffs all over them, I do think theres scuff on them because of store movement and customer fumbleing. The boots are £65, so the same price as the RI shoes. Brougue detailing on the shoes and leather finished shine, the sizes come up a bit small, but that might be because they are made with a thick leather and they are a boot.
I would say that the target market for Henry Holland is an unconformed fashionista, interested in preppy and vintage styles, aged between 16 to 26.
I think that there is a diffinate differnce between the three sections, even looking from value to middle and then middle to premium, I didnt think that would be as noticeable but theres still a huge differnce.
