The best shops for fashion, shoes and accessories have been revealed, thanks to new Which? research.
We quizzed thousands of shoppers about buying everything from jumpers to jewellery, to reveal the best stores for clothes, shoes and accessories - as well as those to avoid.
Here we unveil how different stores compare on measures such as value for money and customer service. We also look at the ways in which the cost of living crisis is affecting how people shop for fashion.
Which are the best fashion, shoes and accessories shops?
The table below* lists the three highest-scoring shops in our survey.
| Retailer | Customer score | Retailer website (opens in separate tab) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Seasalt | 84% | seasaltcornwall.com |
| =2. John Lewis | 83% | johnlewis.com |
| =2. Selfridges | 83% | selfridges.com |
*The results are based on an online survey of 10,588 adults - members of the Which? Connect panel and members of the public - who told us about 14,415 experiences of buying clothes, shoes and accessories from UK retailers. The survey was conducted in May and June 2022.
To find out how all 70 stores - including Amazon, Marks & Spencer and Next - scored, and to discover which are best for value for money, product quality, customer service and returns - see our guide to the best and worst fashion, shoes and accessories shops.
Top of the table is Seasalt. It gets five stars for everything except value for money and the range/availability of its products, where it still gets a very respectable four stars. Shoppers love the quality of its products as well as its high standards of delivery and customer service.
One happy shopper said: 'Great quality clothing. Wonderful designs, good quality fabric and original colours and patterns. Quality and sizing is consistent.' Another said: 'They have great quality and durability, stylish and fit well. Store staff unfailingly helpful without being pushy.'
Seasalt is so good we've named it a Which? Recommended Provider. This means that not only is it rated really highly in our survey, it also has terms and conditions that are clear and fair on its website to help customers return unwanted or faulty items.
John Lewis and Selfridges come close behind and are joint second in the table. John Lewis does brilliantly across the board, with five stars for everything except value for money, product range/availability and the amount of packaging it uses. One customer said: 'You can usually rely on the John Lewis brand and reputation. We usually look at their website first for many products, but always shop around for the best price as well.'
Selfridges gets top marks for the quality and range of its products, as well as its customer service. One customer described it as 'an iconic trusted British store with legacy I feel very happy to shop at.'
Which fashion stores are the best value for money?
Six in 10 shoppers buying clothes, shoes or accessories in the first six months of 2022 noticed prices going up - and one in five (20%) said prices had gone up 'a lot'.
So what, if anything, did fashion shoppers do as a result of rising prices?
The top answer was buying fewer of these items (39%), followed by buying cheaper items or those from budget ranges (23%). Comparing prices before buying was also a popular tactic (21%).
Worryingly, 13% of fashion, shoes or accessories shoppers who had noticed rising prices used credit as a result of this; including borrowing from family and friends or using a credit card, payday loan or buy-now-pay-later scheme.
Find out which shops offered best value for money in our guide to the best and worst fashion, shoes and accessories shops.
Which fashion shops came bottom?
The table below* reveals the four retailers that received the lowest customer scores in our survey. For full results, visit our guide to the best and worst fashion, shoes and accessories shops.
Lowest-scoring fashion stores
| Retailer | Customer Score | Retailer website (opens in separate tab) |
|---|---|---|
| =67. Accessorize | 71% | accessorize.com |
| =67. Tesco / F&F | 71% | tesco.com |
| 69. Claire's | 70% | claires.com |
| 70. Sports Direct | 68% | sportsdirect.com |
*The results are based on an online survey of 10,588 adults - members of the Which? Connect panel and members of the public - who told us about 14,415 experiences of buying clothes, shoes and accessories from UK retailers. The survey was conducted in May and June 2022.
At the bottom of the table is Sports Direct, which gets just two stars for aftersales service and returns, customer service and the amount of packaging used. It does get a decent four stars for value for money though. One shopper said: 'Shops are a bit of trial and error, usually poor layout and have to search for everything. Very cluttered.' Another added: 'A huge range of sports clothes and shoes, but shops are cramped and badly lit and apart from the shoe section the layout was a mess.'
Also towards the bottom is Claire's, which gets a respectable four stars for customer service but a mediocre three stars for everything else. One shopper said: 'I think it's expensive for what it is but my five-year-old granddaughter loves it, so it had to be done!' Another added: 'Claire's is Claire's - you don't need any of it and it is the epitome of over-consumption but I have a four-year-old.'
Accessorize and Tesco make up the remainder of the bottom four. Both do reasonably well on value for money, but Tesco in particular scores poorly for the range/availability of its products.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-fashion-shoes-and-accessories-shops-revealed-aL4AU6R6rRYx