As a nation, we absolutely love a good shopping trip at any time of the year to one of our greatest department stores!
Taking centre stage in some of our most popular high streets are department stores like Selfridges, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols, and so on that are often flocked with visitors no matter the time of the year.
Read on to find out why we think department stores are just so popular here in the UK!
What Is a Department Store?
You may be thinking, what exactly is a department store? A department store like Debenhams is one which is home to many brands and is split into different departments, as the name suggests. Each department specialises in a specific area of retail, ranging from makeup to clothing, to even food halls.
They contain multiple different brands all under one roof, such as Chanel, Gucci for fashion, and MAC & Charlotte Tilbury for makeup. Department stores tend to host high-end brands, as many of them do not have their own standalone shops on many high streets.
Traditionally, they are a hub for the most prestigious brands, however, more recently they have become home to more high-street brands. This helps to attract a wide range of clients and helps to make people not feel alienated from shopping there. So whether you’re after splurging on a high-ticket item, or just want to stock up on a brand that you love, a department store like Wolf and Badger is a must-stop for all shopping trips!
Why Makes Department Stores So Great?
Various Merchandise All In One Place
There are not many places you will find such a variety of merchandise all in one place. You may be thinking of making an expensive purchase, whether that be a new coat or upgrading your current handbag, and don’t fancy trawling the high street to see what they have on the rails. If so, a department store like House of Fraser that sells everything in one place is an ideal place for you!
Home to such a wide range of brands and products, you can get a real feel for what's out there, whilst being able to easily pop back and forth between the brands before heading to the checkout.
Convenient & Stress-Free Shopping
We are a nation that will always choose convenience if it’s there! I mean, who wouldn’t do anything for an easy life?!
If the weather is pouring outside, the last thing you want to be doing is nipping here, there and everywhere on the high street. By shopping at a department store like Matalan, you can tick almost everything off your list, all under one roof.
Also, retail store changing rooms can be stressful enough, if you’re looking to try multiple items on from a variety of brands, being able to head to the one changing room with everything you want to try, saves you time and stress!
They Provide a Social Function for Retail Therapy
Retail therapy is the motion of heading to the shops, with the main purpose of making yourself feel better. And it's pretty proven to work! A study found that 62% of customers made a purchase to cheer themselves up.
There is just something so exciting about buying something that you really want, and can’t wait to enjoy. A department store just further adds to that joy, by providing a social aspect to shopping. Department store staff are always on hand with a friendly face to discuss the products they’re retailing, so if you’re in need of that social interaction, head right down to a department store such as Marks and Spencers!
Easily Compare the Prices of Items
With department stores selling such a huge variety of brands and products, they are a great place to easily compare the prices between all the products you’ve got your eye on, all in one place.
You might want to head down to your local store to have a browse, but don’t forget that most department stores also have online shops. Just add all the products to your basket, and head to check out. Don’t forget to compare your basket to places like QVC where you could pick up like for like items at a fraction of the cost! You’ll have a list specially tailored by you, to compare all the prices at once, instead of flicking between multiple tabs.
Bag Yourself a Bargain in Their Amazing Sales
Department stores are well known for their amazing sales, and are such a good place to bag a bargain! They are always trying to lure people in to browse the wide variety they have on offer, so seasonal sales are common in department stores.
High-end brands don’t tend to offer many discounts in their physical stores, so if you’re after a discount at one of these brands, a department store like La Redoute is for sure your best bet.
Get Into the Christmas Spirit!
When Christmas rolls around, most retail stores will make an effort to get festive. However, department stores really know how to up the ante with the Christmas spirit!
Most department stores will be lined with nutcrackers, home to a Santa’s Grotto and blaring Driving Home for Christmas, from the 1st of December, if not before! Beautifully clad with sparkly lights and snowflakes, if you are looking for some festive cheer, department stores such as Liberty London are sure to be where you will find just that.
Door-to-Door Delivery
Another great reason that we absolutely love our department stores is for the quick and easy delivery! No matter how much you throw in your basket, whether you went for a candle but ended up with a whole new wardrobe and a new rug for your living room, you can get it all delivered straight to your door.
Don’t worry about lugging it all home when you can order all your clothing and homeware from stores such as Ideal World and get all those items you need (and didn’t know you needed) straight to your door!
Customer Service and Convenience
Customer Service can make or break a business so our department stores, whether physical or online tend to have the best customer care teams who are ready to deal with all our enquiries and returns where necessary.
The convenience element is second to none! With most of our department stores online, you can easily shop at midnight on a Tuesday and request next-day delivery if you are in a rush!
So if you are in desperate need of a new pair of trousers for work….and maybe a new lamp, you can pick all these things up and more AND have them delivered the very next day thanks to stores such as OnBuy!
