Now called the House of Fraiser, this is a good department store.There is about 3 or 4 levels to…read morethe store. On the top level is the cafe, which always serves lovely food at reasonable prices, there is quite a big seating area so it is quite easy to get a table. They stock well know brands for men, women and children, also they sell shoes and homeware items.

A great old style department store where you can lose a few hours. The handbag ranges include…read moreRadley and the prices are in line with others. the cosemtic counters are always happy to give free advice and make overs. There are a number of designer type clothing bits, with Mexx and Oasis for the younger lady and some more older type womenswear upstairs. the cafe is ok. There cards and stationary is good and there is a good selection of jewellery - although mainly costume

I got a lesson yesterday in why Marks and Spencer is struggling. I arrived at the store at about…read more4.45pm yesterday to look for blue jeans. I had bought some before - last year (admittedly from their store in the East Midlands Designer Outlet mall). What I had bought, and loved, were Blue Harbour stretch jeans. So I went on line and ordered some more to be delivered. Sadly what I received were a totally different fit - "old man jeans" in my opinion - baggy around the crotch and waist area - so bad Mrs G INSISTED I sent them back (which I did for a full refund). Went to this store and was unable to find that brand but found some others which fit OK. Went to the cash register and there were 4 staff (FOUR) standing around, 2 talking to each other (it was 4:50pm on Thursday), one serving a customer who was talking forever to determine how she was going to pay for her item and the fourth lady just standing there. I guess that she eventually acquiesced to my looks slowly turning to a glare and logged into her register and nodded for me to come over. I made the mistake of mentioning that I ordered some jeans on line and that they were different to the ones I had bought in a brick and mortar store with a totally different fit. So then she gave me a lecture on how they were exactly the same (how she knew I have no idea!!!), so I assured her that they weren't and that others on line had reported the same disappointment. She fired back that they were the same and that I was mistaken, to which I responded how sad it was that the days of "the customer is always right" seem to have disappeared in her store. Yikes - with customer service like this no wonder they are struggling to keeps stores open :( Pity!! Review # 55 2018

This branch of Marks & Spencers is one of Burton's most well established and popular stores. In its…read moreprime location in Coopers Square, this is a fairly sizeable store. Downstairs is an expansive women's department, including a Per Una section, a shoe/handbag area and a jewellery section. The other major section downstairs is an M & S food department, small but with a good variety of products. Expensive yes, but most of the food is of the highest quality, some great meals deals too! Up the stairs or escalator if you prefer, is an extensive menswear department - good quality, but a little old fashioned. There is also a lingerie/nightwear section, as well as a small homewares department. There is an M & S cafe too, quite small but relentlessly popular. Worth waiting for a table though, the coffee is fantastic, strong and flavoursome but even I can't manage a large cup, it looks like you could swim lengths in it! Great breakfast muffins too!

Beatties is a small department store in the heart of the Octagon Centre, with the sub-moniker of…read moreThe House of Fraser. Open-fronted, Beatties is a welcoming place, with a small, but high quality range of items. There is an impressive range of men's and women's shoes, sandals and boots, which seem to be permanently on sale! There is the obligatory perfume counter and a small area selling gloves, scarves and umbrellas. The menswear section is dominated by formal shirts, suits, jumpers and high quality rugby shirts. There is also a small, but ever reducing homeware section to the rear of the store. Upstairs is the womenswear department, again quality clothes, but on the expensive side. On the whole, Beatties is a great place to go for that gift for someone special.

There are two of these shops in the East Midlands, this one in Shepshed near Loughborough and the…read moreother in Ilkeston (Derbyshire). Both are fairly close to the M1 and have good parking. The Shepshed one is well sized and offers a good range of ladies and mens clothing. You want find cutting edge fashion in here and most of the lines are aimed at middle age upwards. However if you are after a suit/outfit for a wedding or other occasion it's well worth a visit as you can pick up some real bargains. On my last visit I saw a pretty tasty, well cut dark pin stripe suit for £30! If you are a bloke who's usually seen in jeans and t-shirt and need a budget suit for that one off occasion you can't go wrong! For the more adventurous there are an entertaining amount of almost psychedelic patterned and coloured casual jackets - great for your inner dandy'! Its also very handy for outdoor clothing, fleeces, waterproofs etc. Womenswear is not quite as exciting but my partner managed to pick up a very nice evening dress last year for £20 possibly a Klass There is also a small furniture department with some nice pieces, though the prices are not as good as the clothing. Upstairs boasts an adequate range of house and kitchen wear prices range from budget to reasonable. There is also a nicely sized cafe that serves hot meals and drinks. However like a lot of backwoods places in small towns they stop serving meals at 2pm hot sandwhiches and chips are avalible up until 4pm though. The car park is on the other side of the street to the mill so be careful when crossing!

Went to visit the branch of Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which is inside Armstrong's Mill…read more Unfortunately there is no access for people like my wife, who is confined to a wheelchair. Only 4 or 5 steps, and a small chair lift is provided for the less disabled. Come on, this is the 21st century, get a ramp fitted.

Just off the A5, near the Ventura Retail Park is this branch of John Lewis at Home. A large easily…read moreaccessed car park, leads into a bright and expansive store. There is a wide selection of large electrical goods like fridge freezers and washing machines. As always there is an impressive range of kitchenware and crockery, glassware and audiovisual goods. The staff are both helpful and knowledgeable too, which is refreshing. The other end of the store is predominated by lighting, bathroom goods and bedding. A small range of Hotel Chocolat products, toys, gifts and cards, finish off what is an impressive store. The on site cafe is light and airy, with modern furniture - barstools and more conventional tables. The range of drinks is impressive, but the food choice is a little limited, just pastries, cakes, salads and sandwiches, perfect for a snack though. The coffee is strong and flavoursome, but the prices in the cafe are a little on the expensive side. However, the knowledge of the staff and the quality of the products, will always see us return again and again to this impressive store

If you can find a member of staff (they are sometimes difficult to find on the floor), they are…read morepossibly the most courteous, helpful, informed staff you will come across anywhere. John Lewis is known for its excellent quality of products, but deserves to be equally known for the excellence of its staff. We have used JL at Tamworth, Milton Keynes and Touchwood, and they are all a credit to JL. Highly recommend the branch at Tamworth where, if they haven't got it in stock, they will do everything they can to get it for you as soon as possible. Their advice is so helpful too. John Lewis deserve their reputation, and the staff at this branch, as elsewhere, actually do care about making sure the customer is satisfied.

Tylers has been in Loughborough for almost 40 years and what started out as a hardware store, has…read morecertainly done a good job at changing with the current trends. On 2 levels, it currently sells top end kitchen ware, gifts, furniture, textiles and jewellery. They also open a Christmas shop in December. Upstairs you will find lovely furniture on display and 'Tylers Coffee Shop'. the girls are well trained here in making coffee and you get a biscotti with coffee and a flake with hot choccie! The cakes are also very nice and the scones are made daily at the local bakery (as is the bread). The cafe gets quite busy on a Saturday.

I've never eaten in the cafe so this review is about Tylers the store…read more I must admit that this old family business has certainly done very well and it offers exceptional service and stlish produce. I recently brought 6 chairs and an oak dining table from the shop. The quality of the produce is very good. They also have excellent delivery staff. for example, when they delivered the order they put dust sheets in to install it properly and even put soft pads on the legs of all the chairs so that they would sit nicely on our laminate flooring. You don't get service like that anymore. Then even better, one chair developed a small creak and they exchanged it without a quibble. I would shop here again, no problems, no hassle.

The cafe upstairs in Fred Winter has really loveely food (and that includes the vegetarien…read moreoptions). the man and lady that run the show are lovely! They really make you feel welcome. But beware if one of the young 'n's serves you! They forgot our order meaning we had to wait over half an hour for a sandwich and when they brought it it was the wrong stuff as they had obviously just made it up to cover us the fact they forgot the write it down! Nice food though.

A History of Fred Winter Ltd (https://sites.google.com/site/fredwinterltd)…read more Fred Winter was a 23 year old Suffolk man who described himself as a draper and auctioneer when he opened his first store on the 25th June 1858. The store was located at 17 and 18 High Street Stratford Upon Avon, and sold general drapery, haberdashery and high quality outfitting for gentlemen. By 1881 Frederick, his wife and a family of five daughters and three sons, shop assistants Clara Cowles, Frank Gibbons, William Potter and James Thornber, and two servants Mary Lively and May Morris, lived above the shop in what is today Marlow's restaurant. This was to be Stratford first real department store [the Shipston sheep farmer JC smith didn't open his store, now Debenhams, until 1870] and was a huge success not only with the towns growing population but also with customers from far and wide as is the case today. Frederick Winter died in 1897 aged 62 leaving the running of the business to his 31 year old son Fred. Fred was a skilful retailer and businessman who by 1908 had incorporated the spacious premises at 14 High Street and turned it into a thriving business. In March 1917 Fred bought the freehold to Reynolds grocery store at 30 and 31 High Street and for the next seven years the company operated from both sides of the street selling everything from reels of cotton, luggage, straw boaters to Aquascutum coats. The lease holds of 14, 16, 17 and 18 High Street were relinquished in 1924 and the Fred Winter store operating solely from 30-31 High Street, became a limited company. By this time Mr Fred Winter had become a local dignitary serving as Mayor on more than one occasion and was responsible with 'Marie Corelli' in uncovering and restoring many of the famous half timbered buildings in Stratford. He died aged 71 in 1941. The business then passed to his 43 year old son Frederick Charles [Eric] Winter who instigated many innovative retailing changes plus the modernisation and enlargement of the store with the building of Bell Court in the 1970's including a large modern extension on the back of the existing Fred Winter Ltd Frontage in High Street. Frederick Brian Winter, the great grandson of the founder took over the business in 1973 and under his skilful guidance achieved unrivalled success over the next 25 years. By the early 1990's Brian's son Guy Winter was in the business and the store became renowned for selling an ever increasing range of merchandise that included furniture, carpets, furnishing fabrics, dress fabrics haberdashery ladies fashion, bed linen, gifts, china and glass. By the late 1990's Bell Court had become run down and a decision was made to build a brand new store behind an existing building in Henley Street. The large and stylish building was completed in 1999 and has undoubtedly become Stratford's premier store. After Brian Winter's retirement a few years ago the company is now under the overall direction of Guy Winter. Steve Newman

Quite a large department store with loads of different departments to suit yourself and your home…read more The prices are quite high but the products are of good quality. There is a multi storey car park provided.

For clothing items at a good (to bargain!) price Matalan is really hard to beat. For both Men and…read moreWomen (and kids I guess) they have a great selection. Quality and styles are good and although I don't go often I always find something even if I am only really there to accompany Mrs G. On our most recent visit I found sale items that I just couldn't resist, two quality long sleeve Oxford shirts (one black and one white) for £8 each and a great thick sweater for £14 - bargain and I wear it all the time as winter approaches. Mrs G couldn't find everything she wanted but the missing item we just ordered for pick up later in the week The store is spacious, light, clean and airy. The only thing I would like to see more of is a bench or two where hubby's like me can sit and wait :) 2 thumbs up!

I nearly died while shopping here. I nearly died bc I got lost and then the mannequins wouldn't…read moretell me how to get out

Jon Paul Fashions is a well established clothing shop in the centre of Swadlincote. The clothes at…read moreJon Paul are strictly designer items you are unlikely to get in any other shop in the area and as a result have a pretty hefty price tag, but if you looking for that something a little different, Jon Paul is the place to go. Jon Paul is also a suit hire business and that was my primary reason for visiting. I needed a tuxedo for my form's leaver's day and as I am not a regular wearer of such formal clothing, a three day hire was perfect. On arrival I was measured to make the suit was a perfect fit, they even included cuff-links. The staff were very polite and helpful too. As it transpired I inadvertently ended up on the TV as East Midlands Today covered the event, albeit for about one second, in my role as a person who opened the limo doors!

These are based in Swadlincote Town Centre and I really cannot recommend these guys enough, they…read morehelped me out of a pickle when I was looking for a suit for hire for a prom. They are very friendly and very professional from start to finish. The suits are of a very high quality and the prices are very reasonable.