Mothercare.

Daughters never ever shop in town. 1 goes to an out of town shopping centre from time to time- the other one has not been in town or a shop for years and years. Everything is bought on line- apart from visits by SIL to local butcher with fruit and veg store attached.

Im not surprised.

They used to be great, but then coasted on that reputation without maintaining quality or customer service for a long time. It has caught up on them!

M&S should take note! They'll be next if they dont stop disappointing!

I bought AD a gift voucher last Thursday so that she could get her Silver Cross pram, we spent several hours this morning tracking down a store that had it in stock and then drove to pick it up.

All of the stores wanted us to order on line, but due to
circumstances we refused, didn’t want to wait and risk the Gift Card being declined.

When my first child was born I think I bought everything from Mothercare because there wasn't a lot of choice on the high street at that time, my town now has a John Lewis which it didn't at the time, so I would have definitely headed there if I was a new mum now. I didn't have a lot of knowledge about baby equipment, I bought a pram that required about 10 manoeuvers before it collapsed and went in the back of my car, it was very awkward and cumbersome. I replaced it with a MacLaren pushchair once he was able to sit up, which I think I just had to kick to get it to fold. I was never impressed with their service or products if I remember rightly, I think new mothers are probably a lot more savvy than I was and of course there's a lot more choice.

I'm sorry about the loss of jobs though.

Just hearing on the news that Mothercare was formed in 1961, which was when we were married.
Our first son was born in 1963, but I really don't remember knowing about Mothercare then.
Still I am sorry to hear about the lack of more high street jobs

It made me a bit sad for when I shopped there. They even sold childrens' clothes up to age 10 for a time. My DS came home from high school and begged me to get him new pants which didn't have a mothercare label. For shame!
I fear other hs brands such as M&S, Boots and John Lewis are all vulnerable.
I had very poor customer service from Mothercare when I traipsed across the city to our nearest branch to get a cot mattress. The sales girl just told me to go and look for one.
Who can blame today's shoppers for going online.

I just said to my daughter now aged 50 how sad it was to see Mothercare going to the wall. I shopped there for my children and grandchildren, we both remember spending happy times there choosing baby clothes etc. It will be hard for all the staff too right before Christmas.

The company has been struggling for nearly 2 decades. the wonder is that it has lasted so long.

Having said that, like others, Mothercare was at the centre of my preparations for motherhood. Looking at it enviously, knowing it would be a year or more before we could contemplate having a family. Looking at it immediately my pregnancy was confirmed and planning what we would buy from it and, once we had children, buying clothes and toys.

It will live in people's memories long after its demise.

I bought a carry cot from Mothercare in 1982 which proved to be faulty, took it back to the Staines branch who sent it away for 'testing'.
By the time they had agreed it was faulty (4 months later), DC had grown out of it.

However, it was a good 'One Stop Shop' for many things baby and small child-related. Where else could you go to find everything you needed all under one roof?
Other goods were of good quality.

notanan the unthinkable could be thinkable!

In my decluttering today, I came across 4 Mothercare catalogues from 1970s. Do you think I should keep them? will they become rare and valuable? It is funny looking through them now. Some things have stood the test of time and hardly changed at all: potties/cots/changing mats but little boys' clothes -what were they thinking, red tartan trews with baby blue acrylic poloneck?

The Internet has killed the shops.

Collectors' items Grammaretto - you must keep them

I remember wandering around the Bristol branch with my friend in the early seventies, She had more money than me, and never came away empty handed, but I still loved it there.

It was certainly never top end, but it was cool and modern, that’s certainly not how I’d describe it now.

But I still think it’s sad that another chain has been lost to the high Street.

Made me smile - when we were expecting out first in 72- I could not afford anything from posh shops like Mothercare. Everything came second hand for a fiver or max a tenner. MC was just like a distant dream.

The Internet has killed the shops.

In this case I disagree.
Physically going baby shopping is enjoyable, a ritual even. Generations would go to mothercare together...

... but have you been there in recent years? The stick was awful. The quality was awful. The customer service was awful.

Ive gone there looking forward to an enjoyable browse for baby presents and walked out empty handed.

In this case, they brought it on themselves!

I bought nearly everything there for the arrival of DD1, I do remember the babygros that fastened on one shoulder apparently copied from Dr. Kildaires hospital outfit, this was the late 60's.

Yes, I used Mothercare too. I think a lot of High Street shops will go the same way as so many people shop online.

I actually still buy things in shops most of the time as I like doing it.

Notanan

Reluctantly I agree, my last few visits there I’ve come away empty handed, I think the last thing I bought was a car seat, and I wandered around for ages trying to find someone to serve me.

I remember travelling 40 miles with my husband to choose our pram and buy nappies at Mothercare in Bristol. After that baby clothes were ordered from the Mothercare catalogue. A couple of years ago I saw some of those baby clothes exhibited in a museum.