Now don’t get me wrong, I love browsing around Lakeland stores and it has by far the best and easiest oven cleaning product I’ve ever used.
The one’s that we’ve been to, and in particular the one near Heald Green seem to be mostly staffed by women of a certain age who are thus not only knowedgable of the products but also have a wealth of life experience which they are happy to share.
The products sold are of good quality and it has a few useful kitchen gadgets which tempt at times, but the price also repels.
The only problem is that their products, and especially the electrical appliances seem to be somewhat dear. An example recently was seeing an egg boiling machine, which was priced £17.99 at Lakeland but a near identical model was available in a supermarket for less than a tenner.
Therefore, although it’s a great place to have a browse through, and it’s products are no doubt of good quality, I have to score it 55% since its pricing itself out of being in my market.
I too love to wander around their store, and usually do when I pop to Norwich for the day.
I agree wholeheartedly re their prices. I think all I have ever bought, and been able to afford, have been their wooden toast tongs (which I use all the time), and the spider catcher. The one that traps them inside a plastic box, long handle, and the flap closes shut.
They do seem to have some innovative ideas, but I blanch when I see the price tags.
All those things you didn’t know you needed but once you see them, you know you can’t live without them
I love a browse but when I spot something lovely I’d really like, I come home and search Amazon and EBay because usually you can find the same sort of thing a lot cheaper
That’s the trouble Pauline. The quality may be more robust, which if you’re going to use an appliance a shed load of times may make it worthwhile. But I’d imagine most people aren’t going to use these products heavily (and lets face it, a lot of gadgets end up gathering dust after a while) and so it’s not really cost effective.
After destroying many potato mashers I splashed out on one from Lakeland. About twenty quid I think. And after replacing a faulty spot weld with a nut and bolt on one of the legs, I have to report that it is still going strong…Perhaps a little bent and twisted (a bit like me) but I reckon it has still got plenty of tatie mashings left in it yet…
I find it hard to understand how they sustain their business model & some bits I wanted there were out of stock. Robert Dyas has a far wider selection of “things you didn’t realise you desperately needed until you walked into their shop”. Plus you can buy screws and a hammer at Robert Dyas or a bird table. They also have a good online presence. Not sure about Lakeland.
Their staff are very friendly and welcoming though.
Robert Dyas used to be more of a hardware store (have a vague recollection of it used to be called Cato’s, but don’t quote me on that), which expanded out into homeware. Hence it’s roots are different to Lakeland’s.
Yes but now they are half and half. They were very good for hard to source items during lockdown. I’ve also found their website very good for bits and pieces nobody else sells since then. I should probably do a Robert Dyas review but I am not sure how many members use them.
They have a large number of stores from the Midlands all the way to the south coast and west to Somerset. Their main strategy was to base themselves in business districts where office staff would pop in and buy hardware at lunchtime. Their stores used to be full of people in suits examining drill bits and laundry airers. But these days they offer a very wide selection online. Because they are an established retailer it’s a site that can be trusted.
