iamthecreaturefromuranus

Well my boys are now in adult sizes, so its no longer an issue for me. Where I am, if you wanted anything of slightly better than average quality, then basically you could forget it. There isn't anywhere.

Sydney will probably be different... I'm sure Melbourne is awash with quality shops

markbhx

Melbourne deffo has more choice than Sydney. Theres chapel street and bridge street which has independent clothes stores on each side for about 2-3km stretch of road. There still plenty of junk and overpriced stuff down there but there are a few shops that you come across that over quality stuff and those shops sold european clothes which they imported.

BadgeIsBack

There are boutiques in Melbourne and some of the better shops have outlets.

If you want quality, you have to pay more that is all just like I did in the UK. I shop like I did in the UK - I visit shops that sell good clothes that will last 10 years or so. Not boutiques - not my style either. I have suits that were made 20 years ago which I look after and were made to last. They still look great. I personally think it's a false economy to buy supermarket clothes. Bonds and the like from Target are OK, naturally, for fast-growing children.

The only thing I source from overseas is business shirts. Good quality, classic tailoring. Still made in China..

No I haven't found anything not made in China. You'd be realy hard-pushed to find something cheap not made there. I bought a 'high end' shirt a few years ago where the material was woven in Italy - look! but assembled...made.. in China.

emma75

Any excuse for a bit of shopping, Will stock up before i leave!

BadgeIsBack

It's almost pointless comparing, really. It goes without saying that those boys were not just selling meat pies!

sonlymewalter

We get this topic come up every few months and people get upset about it comparing UK to Aus shops. There are some who like UK and some who like Aus and some who don't give a rats arse either way

The facts are Aus is Aus and UK is UK and the two have different markets and different goods and comparing them is like comparing apples with pears. The way we shop in Aus Vs UK, the kinds and quality of products is different and that's cos you're not in UK

UK shopping is superior to Aus in terms of choice and quality but guess what, Aus is not third world and you can get everything you need and you won't die and once you get this then living here is great cos you realise it's different and you get over it and life becomes more relaxed and you learn not to give a shit

BadgeIsBack

Says it all.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

These threads are always wierd... you get evangelists from both sides and some of the arguments are just bizarre.

Is choice limited in Oz to UK... well I guess that depends on where you live/lived. Personally I would say that there is less choice... but I never come away from Woolworths thinking that "I couldn't find X"...unless I went in looking for Walkers crisps.

Is Oz more expensive than UK... pass. I haven't lived in the UK for years so I wouldn't know. I do remember when I first arrived thinking meat was cheap here, but everything else seemed more expensive... and I arrived at a time when the exchange rate was $2.30 to the pound. New arrivals must see it as very expensive.

Does Oz have more smaller shops let than the UK... Well that goes without saying...but if you were to believe half the posters on here, all those small shops knock food out for peanuts. It's not my experience of them. I don't find them much/any cheaper than the supermarkets. My local butcher does some great cuts of pork...but cheap he isn't.

northernbird

Just been back to UK for 5 weeks and spent a small fortune on clothes from Next and M&S. Style is much better than here in Australia but you are kidding yourself if you think the quality is better or that it is made in Europe.

I have just had a look at a few of the items I bought. The Next cropped jeans I bought were made in China, as were the 4 pairs of cropped linen trousers I bought in M&S. The 2 dresses from M&S were made in India and the Next shirts I bought were made in Sri Lanka, India and China. Other bits I bought were made in UAE, Georgia and Tunisia. Even the Jacque Vert jacket which I paid 250GBP for was made in China.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Doesn't sound so posh when you say you paid 250 quid for a Jack Green jacket.

northernbird

Yeah I know, it was nice though. I only paid 40 quid for the M&S dress I wore with it too! The jacket, shoes and handbag cost me a mint!

iamthecreaturefromuranus

My wife used to shop in the Jaques Vert shop in Manchester... but only in the sales !

sonlymewalter

Agree it is about where you live which is why this is subjective and I've found where I live the cheaper butchers serve crappier cuts of meat which are OK for stews or if you like fat so it's a choice thing, again there's no right, no wrong just choice

I've lived here years and have not starved and I've managed to find everything we need. I've learned to cook and bake the things we've missed and this has made me see a side to myself I didn't realise I had which shows me that we can adapt even if we don't realise it

northernbird

It was purchased from the Jacque Vert shop in the Trafford Centre!! It wasn't in the sale but it went with the dress perfectly so I didn't mind splashing the cash as it was for a wedding.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

It's even goes down as far as the local shopping centre you use. The butchers I mention is slap bang facing a Woolworths. He knows damn well that if he tried to compete on price, that they would probably try and wipe him out by just going cheaper and cheaper... so he competes on quality and ingenuity. Super cuts of meat, at a price, and lots of semi-prepared meals where he can disguise the cheaper cuts in various sauces and a reward scheme of his own that offers about 4% back at Christmas on your years spend. Sounds like Tesco's !!

Seems to work well for him.