Among West End shoppers there was widespread dismay at news of BHS’s financial collapse on Monday. But even the retailer’s fans felt it had failed to move with the times.
Some older people felt the 88-year-old chain was the only store left on the high street that catered for them, but younger shoppers’ only memories of it were visits with grandma.
The Oxford Street store seemed to be attracting some interest with plenty of shoppers going through its swing doors. Few, however, emerged with any purchases. Those who did mainly bought soft furnishings.
First thing in the morning, Nicolette Kadzeya, 39, from Waterloo, stood with her three children waiting for the doors to open. She was worried she might not be able to exchange an unwanted item.
“I think the problem with BHS is that this branch is very up to date, but if you go to the branch in Surrey Quays it’s as if you have gone back in time,” she said. “It’s like you’ve gone back to the mid-90s.”
For others, that dated look was the main attraction. One 66-year-old woman from St John’s Wood, who declined to give her name, said she always bought her clothes from there.
“I’m so upset!” she said when asked about the retailer’s financial troubles. “The prices are reasonable and I just like it. Marks and Spencer are too upmarket now, all it is is business suits and business blouses and they are totally out of touch with people like me.
“I think it’s a real shame because John Lewis and Debenhams are too expensive now. Primark’s quality is not that great, plus they are more for the younger generation. There’s not many shops now that cater for the older woman.”
A talking point among shoppers was Sir Philip Green’s handling of the firm. He bought BHS in 2000 and about £400m was paid out to the shareholders in the following four years. Last year he sold the chain for £1 to a group with no retail experience.
“It doesn’t look good and this is what happens at the end of the day,” said Andri Antoniades, who was visiting London from Cyprus. Her husband broke in with a smile: “We’ve just come to see it before it collapsed.”
Two minutes’ walk from the doors of BHS, Jasmin Steiner and Holly Hicks Holcroft were browsing the boutiques of Carnaby Street. Hicks Holcroft said she was not bothered if BHS disappeared from the high street – “bring on change”, she said.
“I can remember going there with my nan. It was that sort of shop that you go to with your nan and your parents,” she added. “It’s a shame, I guess, but it’s making room for more stuff.”
Steiner said they had been shopping at Monki, a nearby boutique. “We look at everything that’s really expensive and then go to buy it in Primark,” she laughed. “I’ve never bought anything from there [BHS]. Maybe we will go and look when everything’s on sale, get my nan’s Christmas presents for the next five years.”
Inside BHS, among the padded bras and soft furnishings, vigorous young men and lingerie-clad women pout from the store’s promotional posters. However, the only people under 40 were the staff. Asked how they felt about their employer going bust, workers would not comment.
